Checklist

The founder's checklist: 31 points before the lease

Before you sign a lease: 31 points in seven areas. Each says whether LOKLU answers it with data, only in part, as general orientation — or whether you have to find it out yourself, and how.

Go through the checklist in the chat Calculate the break-even in the chat Standort-Kapitel

LOKLU has data · 4
LOKLU has part of it · 13
General orientation · 6
For you to find out · 8

A. Demand and customers

1Footfall in the specific street by hour and weekday
LOKLU has part of it
What LOKLU shows:
Measured weekday traffic 2023 on the nearest street segment: vehicles per day and bikes per 12 h (Geoportal Berlin) — a hint at frequency, not a pedestrian count.
What is missing:
No pedestrian counts by hour and weekday (Berlin has only a few public laser counters).
How to find out:
Count yourself: on two weekdays and one Saturday, 3 × 15 minutes (morning, noon, evening) on your side of the street; use the site-visit kit.
2Target group: age, income, share of women
LOKLU has part of it
What LOKLU shows:
Residents within walking distance (Census 2022); population register 30.06.2026 per planning area: share of women and age groups compared with Berlin; the planning area's social status (Sozialstrukturatlas).
What is missing:
No measured income per area (only a status index); for 117 planning areas the register values are converted (marked).
How to find out:
Purchasing-power data is only licensed (e.g. GfK, MB Research) — ask the IHK or your bank if you need it.
3Workers and tourists nearby (offices, hospitals, hotels)
LOKLU has part of it
What LOKLU shows:
Overnight stays and guests in the district with its rank among the 12 districts (accommodation statistics), hotels within 250/500 m, stops and departures as a sign of commuters.
What is missing:
No employment at the workplace; tourism only per district, not per street.
How to find out:
Walk or map the large employers and hospitals nearby.
4Google and Instagram search trends for your service
For you to find out
What LOKLU shows:
Not available (no licensed source).
How to find out:
Google Trends (region Berlin, 5 years) for 2–3 search terms of your service; compare Berlin-related Instagram hashtags.
5Seasonality: holidays, wedding season, summer
LOKLU has part of it
What LOKLU shows:
Berlin overnight stays by month (high: July, May, October; low: January to March, 2025) and sun on the facade by season.
What is missing:
No demand curve for your category (e.g. wedding season).
How to find out:
Google Trends by month; ask competitors about quiet and peak months; plan cash flow with weak months.

B. Competition

6Number of competitors per source
LOKLU has data
What LOKLU shows:
Competitors within 250 and 500 m per source (Google, OpenStreetMap, IHK register), never added up, compared with Berlin.
7Each competitor's services, prices, hours, ratings and review content
LOKLU has part of it
What LOKLU shows:
Name, distance, rating, number of reviews, price level (€–€€€€), opening hours.
What is missing:
No price lists and no review texts (not licensed).
How to find out:
Use the template in the Standort-Kapitel: visit or call the 5 nearest competitors, note services and prices, read reviews.
8Nail, lash and brow studios, salons inside hotels and gyms
LOKLU has part of it
What LOKLU shows:
Beauty salons; nail studios are excluded (own IHK code 962201).
What is missing:
Nail and lash studios and salons inside hotels or gyms are not counted separately.
How to find out:
Search Google Maps for “Nagelstudio”, “Lash”, “Brows” within 500 m and count them.
9Free slots and waiting time at competitors
For you to find out
What LOKLU shows:
Not available.
How to find out:
On Treatwell, Booksy or Doctolib, note the next free slot at 5 competitors on three days.
10Competitors' age and exits from the register
LOKLU has data
What LOKLU shows:
IHK register: entries and exits of the same sector at the address, in the block and within 500 m since 7/2023, compared with Berlin; register clean-ups kept apart.

C. Premises

11Commercial rent, service charges, deposit, key money
LOKLU has part of it
What LOKLU shows:
A few commercial listings (median, marked as thin); the figures of a listing are checked.
What is missing:
Berlin has no official commercial rent index; LOKLU has no rent statistics per street.
How to find out:
Get two or three comparable offers in the same location; ask for the previous tenant's service-charge statement; deposit and key money are negotiable.
12Size, ceiling height, shop window, visibility, step-free access, toilet, water and power connections
For you to find out
What LOKLU shows:
Not available; the site-visit kit has the checklist.
How to find out:
Measure and photograph at the viewing; get the connection values (power in kW, water, extraction) in writing from the landlord.
13Lease: term, indexation, exit, subletting
General orientation
What LOKLU shows:
Legal key points (see bases); no review of your contract.
How to find out:
Have the lease checked by a lawyer specialised in tenancy law before signing.
- A term of more than one year needs text form, otherwise the lease counts as open-ended — § 578 Abs. 1 i. V. m. § 550 BGB
- Index clauses are only valid with a long commitment, among others at least ten years — § 3 PrKG
- Subletting only with the landlord's permission — § 540 BGB
14Permitted use, preservation area, monument protection
LOKLU has part of it
What LOKLU shows:
Urban and social preservation areas (Milieuschutz), listed monuments, running development-plan procedures within 400 m (Geoportal Berlin); a note on change of use.
What is missing:
Whether the use is permitted is decided by the district office (building authority / urban planning).
How to find out:
Ask the building authority in writing before the lease; for food service clarify change of use and ventilation.
15Noise, sun and shop-front direction
LOKLU has data
What LOKLU shows:
Facade noise at the nearest building point (strategic noise map 2022: day-evening-night and night, road and rail, WHO comparison) and direct sun on the facade by season, if you give the direction.
How to find out:
Listen on site at rush hour; the noise map is an official model, not a measurement at your door.
16Parking, bike parking, public transport
LOKLU has part of it
What LOKLU shows:
Stops with weekday departures, the paid-parking zone with hours and fee, measured bike traffic (Geoportal Berlin).
What is missing:
No data on bike parking.
How to find out:
Count the bike racks at the door; check loading zones and no-stopping rules on site.

D. Finances

17Fit-out costs: furniture, equipment, plumbing, ventilation, lighting
LOKLU has part of it
What LOKLU shows:
Every line item; published fit-out ranges where they exist (e.g. hairdresser, beauty; café: LOKLU benchmark), each as ASSUMPTION with source.
What is missing:
For most categories no reliable published fit-out range exists; amounts come from your quotes.
How to find out:
Get two quotes per item; plan a 10–15 % buffer for the unexpected.
18Initial stock, supplies, booking software, pre-opening marketing
For you to find out
What LOKLU shows:
Line items in the structure; amounts from you.
How to find out:
Get supplier quotes and software subscriptions (monthly).
19Monthly costs: rent, insurance, wages, materials, waste
LOKLU has part of it
What LOKLU shows:
Published cost ratios (staff, materials, rent as % of revenue) and Berlin median wages (BA Entgeltatlas) as benchmarks; calculates the cost base and the break-even from your figures (SCENARIO).
What is missing:
Sector ratios are Germany-wide averages, partly older (2016–2021); your quotes replace them.
How to find out:
Add employer costs to wages (roughly a fifth on top); get insurance and waste quotes.
20Average ticket, utilisation, revenue, break-even
LOKLU has part of it
What LOKLU shows:
Break-even from your assumptions: revenue and customers per day needed; published average tickets and revenue per business where they exist. No revenue forecast.
What is missing:
No measured revenue at the location; average tickets are not published for every category.
How to find out:
Estimate the average ticket from competitors' prices; be careful with utilisation (ramp-up phase).
21Funding: loans, grants, start-up grant
General orientation
What LOKLU shows:
Programmes with checked conditions (Agentur für Arbeit, Jobcenter, KfW, IBB) and links.
How to find out:
Advice at the IHK, IBB or your bank; apply for the start-up grant before you start trading.

E. Law and registration

22Business registration, tax office, IHK or chamber of crafts
General orientation
What LOKLU shows:
Registration steps with legal basis and the responsible chamber.
23Qualifications for specific services (master craftsman, medical treatments, laser, permanent make-up)
General orientation
What LOKLU shows:
Master craftsman rule under the Crafts Code; notes on medical treatments and lasers.
How to find out:
Before planning, ask the chamber of crafts or the public health office which services you may offer.
- Medical treatments (e.g. injections) only with a medical licence or a Heilpraktiker permit — § 1 HeilprG
- Laser and IPL on people only with proven expertise — § 5 NiSV
24Hygiene, public health office and waste
General orientation
What LOKLU shows:
Food hygiene (registration, instruction) for food service; waste separation for every business.
- Businesses where pathogens can pass through blood (e.g. tattoo, piercing, some cosmetics) can be monitored by the public health office — § 36 Abs. 2 IfSG
- Commercial waste must be collected separately (paper, glass, plastics, bio-waste and more) — § 3 GewAbfV
25Insurance: liability, contents, business interruption
General orientation
What LOKLU shows:
By law only the Berufsgenossenschaft (accident insurance) is mandatory; landlords often require liability insurance in the lease.
How to find out:
Compare two or three offers; check the lease for required insurance.

F. People and operations

26Who works, how many hours, is one person enough, where to find staff
LOKLU has part of it
What LOKLU shows:
Berlin median wages for the professions needed (BA Entgeltatlas, 2025); staff costs go into the break-even.
What is missing:
No data on the availability of skilled staff in your area.
How to find out:
Opening hours × staffing = hours per week; find skilled staff via the Agentur für Arbeit, trade schools and guilds.
27Pricing and offer
For you to find out
What LOKLU shows:
Competitors' price levels as orientation; the decision is yours.
How to find out:
Note the prices of the 5 nearest competitors and choose your position (cheaper, same, premium).
28Marketing: Google Business Profile, booking system, Instagram
For you to find out
What LOKLU shows:
Not available.
How to find out:
Set up a Google Business Profile before opening; choose a booking system; announce the opening 4–6 weeks ahead.

G. Decision quality

29Write down criteria and deal-breakers before the viewing
For you to find out
What LOKLU shows:
LOKLU can draft a criteria list from your answers (ask in the chat).
How to find out:
Write down five must-haves and three deal-breakers (e.g. rent above X, no extraction, no food-service use) and tick them at every viewing.
30Plan B: what if revenue is below plan after 6 or 12 months
For you to find out
What LOKLU shows:
Calculate the break-even at 70 % and 50 % of your planned revenue (ask in the chat).
How to find out:
Set thresholds (e.g. revenue below break-even three months running) and write down the steps in advance: cut costs, change the offer, sublet (only with permission), exit.
31Check several alternatives, not just the first listing
LOKLU has data
What LOKLU shows:
Compare places (2–5 areas) and Find a location (all 448 planning areas) for your category.

Orientation, not legal advice. Legal bases checked on 6 October 2026.

A. Demand and customers

1Footfall in the specific street by hour and weekday

LOKLU has part of it

What LOKLU shows:: Measured weekday traffic 2023 on the nearest street segment: vehicles per day and bikes per 12 h (Geoportal Berlin) — a hint at frequency, not a pedestrian count.
What is missing:: No pedestrian counts by hour and weekday (Berlin has only a few public laser counters).
How to find out:: Count yourself: on two weekdays and one Saturday, 3 × 15 minutes (morning, noon, evening) on your side of the street; use the site-visit kit.

2Target group: age, income, share of women

LOKLU has part of it

What LOKLU shows:: Residents within walking distance (Census 2022); population register 30.06.2026 per planning area: share of women and age groups compared with Berlin; the planning area's social status (Sozialstrukturatlas).
What is missing:: No measured income per area (only a status index); for 117 planning areas the register values are converted (marked).
How to find out:: Purchasing-power data is only licensed (e.g. GfK, MB Research) — ask the IHK or your bank if you need it.

3Workers and tourists nearby (offices, hospitals, hotels)

LOKLU has part of it

What LOKLU shows:: Overnight stays and guests in the district with its rank among the 12 districts (accommodation statistics), hotels within 250/500 m, stops and departures as a sign of commuters.
What is missing:: No employment at the workplace; tourism only per district, not per street.
How to find out:: Walk or map the large employers and hospitals nearby.

4Google and Instagram search trends for your service

For you to find out

What LOKLU shows:: Not available (no licensed source).
How to find out:: Google Trends (region Berlin, 5 years) for 2–3 search terms of your service; compare Berlin-related Instagram hashtags.

5Seasonality: holidays, wedding season, summer

LOKLU has part of it

What LOKLU shows:: Berlin overnight stays by month (high: July, May, October; low: January to March, 2025) and sun on the facade by season.
What is missing:: No demand curve for your category (e.g. wedding season).
How to find out:: Google Trends by month; ask competitors about quiet and peak months; plan cash flow with weak months.

B. Competition

6Number of competitors per source

LOKLU has data

What LOKLU shows:: Competitors within 250 and 500 m per source (Google, OpenStreetMap, IHK register), never added up, compared with Berlin.

7Each competitor's services, prices, hours, ratings and review content

LOKLU has part of it

What LOKLU shows:: Name, distance, rating, number of reviews, price level (€–€€€€), opening hours.
What is missing:: No price lists and no review texts (not licensed).
How to find out:: Use the template in the Standort-Kapitel: visit or call the 5 nearest competitors, note services and prices, read reviews.

8Nail, lash and brow studios, salons inside hotels and gyms

LOKLU has part of it

What LOKLU shows:: Beauty salons; nail studios are excluded (own IHK code 962201).
What is missing:: Nail and lash studios and salons inside hotels or gyms are not counted separately.
How to find out:: Search Google Maps for “Nagelstudio”, “Lash”, “Brows” within 500 m and count them.

9Free slots and waiting time at competitors

For you to find out

What LOKLU shows:: Not available.
How to find out:: On Treatwell, Booksy or Doctolib, note the next free slot at 5 competitors on three days.

10Competitors' age and exits from the register

LOKLU has data

What LOKLU shows:: IHK register: entries and exits of the same sector at the address, in the block and within 500 m since 7/2023, compared with Berlin; register clean-ups kept apart.

C. Premises

11Commercial rent, service charges, deposit, key money

LOKLU has part of it

What LOKLU shows:: A few commercial listings (median, marked as thin); the figures of a listing are checked.
What is missing:: Berlin has no official commercial rent index; LOKLU has no rent statistics per street.
How to find out:: Get two or three comparable offers in the same location; ask for the previous tenant's service-charge statement; deposit and key money are negotiable.

12Size, ceiling height, shop window, visibility, step-free access, toilet, water and power connections

For you to find out

What LOKLU shows:: Not available; the site-visit kit has the checklist.
How to find out:: Measure and photograph at the viewing; get the connection values (power in kW, water, extraction) in writing from the landlord.

13Lease: term, indexation, exit, subletting

General orientation

What LOKLU shows:: Legal key points (see bases); no review of your contract.
How to find out:: Have the lease checked by a lawyer specialised in tenancy law before signing.

A term of more than one year needs text form, otherwise the lease counts as open-ended — § 578 Abs. 1 i. V. m. § 550 BGB
Index clauses are only valid with a long commitment, among others at least ten years — § 3 PrKG
Subletting only with the landlord's permission — § 540 BGB

14Permitted use, preservation area, monument protection

LOKLU has part of it

What LOKLU shows:: Urban and social preservation areas (Milieuschutz), listed monuments, running development-plan procedures within 400 m (Geoportal Berlin); a note on change of use.
What is missing:: Whether the use is permitted is decided by the district office (building authority / urban planning).
How to find out:: Ask the building authority in writing before the lease; for food service clarify change of use and ventilation.

15Noise, sun and shop-front direction

LOKLU has data

What LOKLU shows:: Facade noise at the nearest building point (strategic noise map 2022: day-evening-night and night, road and rail, WHO comparison) and direct sun on the facade by season, if you give the direction.
How to find out:: Listen on site at rush hour; the noise map is an official model, not a measurement at your door.

16Parking, bike parking, public transport

LOKLU has part of it

What LOKLU shows:: Stops with weekday departures, the paid-parking zone with hours and fee, measured bike traffic (Geoportal Berlin).
What is missing:: No data on bike parking.
How to find out:: Count the bike racks at the door; check loading zones and no-stopping rules on site.

D. Finances

17Fit-out costs: furniture, equipment, plumbing, ventilation, lighting

LOKLU has part of it

What LOKLU shows:: Every line item; published fit-out ranges where they exist (e.g. hairdresser, beauty; café: LOKLU benchmark), each as ASSUMPTION with source.
What is missing:: For most categories no reliable published fit-out range exists; amounts come from your quotes.
How to find out:: Get two quotes per item; plan a 10–15 % buffer for the unexpected.

18Initial stock, supplies, booking software, pre-opening marketing

For you to find out

What LOKLU shows:: Line items in the structure; amounts from you.
How to find out:: Get supplier quotes and software subscriptions (monthly).

19Monthly costs: rent, insurance, wages, materials, waste

LOKLU has part of it

What LOKLU shows:: Published cost ratios (staff, materials, rent as % of revenue) and Berlin median wages (BA Entgeltatlas) as benchmarks; calculates the cost base and the break-even from your figures (SCENARIO).
What is missing:: Sector ratios are Germany-wide averages, partly older (2016–2021); your quotes replace them.
How to find out:: Add employer costs to wages (roughly a fifth on top); get insurance and waste quotes.

20Average ticket, utilisation, revenue, break-even

LOKLU has part of it

What LOKLU shows:: Break-even from your assumptions: revenue and customers per day needed; published average tickets and revenue per business where they exist. No revenue forecast.
What is missing:: No measured revenue at the location; average tickets are not published for every category.
How to find out:: Estimate the average ticket from competitors' prices; be careful with utilisation (ramp-up phase).

21Funding: loans, grants, start-up grant

General orientation

What LOKLU shows:: Programmes with checked conditions (Agentur für Arbeit, Jobcenter, KfW, IBB) and links.
How to find out:: Advice at the IHK, IBB or your bank; apply for the start-up grant before you start trading.

E. Law and registration

22Business registration, tax office, IHK or chamber of crafts

General orientation

What LOKLU shows:: Registration steps with legal basis and the responsible chamber.

23Qualifications for specific services (master craftsman, medical treatments, laser, permanent make-up)

General orientation

What LOKLU shows:: Master craftsman rule under the Crafts Code; notes on medical treatments and lasers.
How to find out:: Before planning, ask the chamber of crafts or the public health office which services you may offer.

Medical treatments (e.g. injections) only with a medical licence or a Heilpraktiker permit — § 1 HeilprG
Laser and IPL on people only with proven expertise — § 5 NiSV

24Hygiene, public health office and waste

General orientation

What LOKLU shows:: Food hygiene (registration, instruction) for food service; waste separation for every business.

Businesses where pathogens can pass through blood (e.g. tattoo, piercing, some cosmetics) can be monitored by the public health office — § 36 Abs. 2 IfSG
Commercial waste must be collected separately (paper, glass, plastics, bio-waste and more) — § 3 GewAbfV

25Insurance: liability, contents, business interruption

General orientation

What LOKLU shows:: By law only the Berufsgenossenschaft (accident insurance) is mandatory; landlords often require liability insurance in the lease.
How to find out:: Compare two or three offers; check the lease for required insurance.

F. People and operations

26Who works, how many hours, is one person enough, where to find staff

LOKLU has part of it

What LOKLU shows:: Berlin median wages for the professions needed (BA Entgeltatlas, 2025); staff costs go into the break-even.
What is missing:: No data on the availability of skilled staff in your area.
How to find out:: Opening hours × staffing = hours per week; find skilled staff via the Agentur für Arbeit, trade schools and guilds.

27Pricing and offer

For you to find out

What LOKLU shows:: Competitors' price levels as orientation; the decision is yours.
How to find out:: Note the prices of the 5 nearest competitors and choose your position (cheaper, same, premium).

28Marketing: Google Business Profile, booking system, Instagram

For you to find out

What LOKLU shows:: Not available.
How to find out:: Set up a Google Business Profile before opening; choose a booking system; announce the opening 4–6 weeks ahead.

G. Decision quality

29Write down criteria and deal-breakers before the viewing

For you to find out

What LOKLU shows:: LOKLU can draft a criteria list from your answers (ask in the chat).
How to find out:: Write down five must-haves and three deal-breakers (e.g. rent above X, no extraction, no food-service use) and tick them at every viewing.

30Plan B: what if revenue is below plan after 6 or 12 months

For you to find out

What LOKLU shows:: Calculate the break-even at 70 % and 50 % of your planned revenue (ask in the chat).
How to find out:: Set thresholds (e.g. revenue below break-even three months running) and write down the steps in advance: cut costs, change the offer, sublet (only with permission), exit.

31Check several alternatives, not just the first listing

LOKLU has data

What LOKLU shows:: Compare places (2–5 areas) and Find a location (all 448 planning areas) for your category.

LOKLU command palette

LOKLU command palette

The founder's checklist: 31 points before the lease

A. Demand and customers

1Footfall in the specific street by hour and weekday

2Target group: age, income, share of women

3Workers and tourists nearby (offices, hospitals, hotels)

4Google and Instagram search trends for your service

5Seasonality: holidays, wedding season, summer

B. Competition

6Number of competitors per source

7Each competitor's services, prices, hours, ratings and review content

8Nail, lash and brow studios, salons inside hotels and gyms

9Free slots and waiting time at competitors

10Competitors' age and exits from the register

C. Premises

11Commercial rent, service charges, deposit, key money

12Size, ceiling height, shop window, visibility, step-free access, toilet, water and power connections

13Lease: term, indexation, exit, subletting

14Permitted use, preservation area, monument protection

15Noise, sun and shop-front direction

16Parking, bike parking, public transport

D. Finances

17Fit-out costs: furniture, equipment, plumbing, ventilation, lighting

18Initial stock, supplies, booking software, pre-opening marketing

19Monthly costs: rent, insurance, wages, materials, waste

20Average ticket, utilisation, revenue, break-even

21Funding: loans, grants, start-up grant

E. Law and registration

22Business registration, tax office, IHK or chamber of crafts

23Qualifications for specific services (master craftsman, medical treatments, laser, permanent make-up)

24Hygiene, public health office and waste

25Insurance: liability, contents, business interruption

F. People and operations

26Who works, how many hours, is one person enough, where to find staff

27Pricing and offer

28Marketing: Google Business Profile, booking system, Instagram

G. Decision quality

29Write down criteria and deal-breakers before the viewing

30Plan B: what if revenue is below plan after 6 or 12 months

31Check several alternatives, not just the first listing

The founder's checklist: 31 points before the lease

A. Demand and customers

1Footfall in the specific street by hour and weekday

2Target group: age, income, share of women

3Workers and tourists nearby (offices, hospitals, hotels)

4Google and Instagram search trends for your service

5Seasonality: holidays, wedding season, summer

B. Competition

6Number of competitors per source

7Each competitor's services, prices, hours, ratings and review content

8Nail, lash and brow studios, salons inside hotels and gyms

9Free slots and waiting time at competitors

10Competitors' age and exits from the register

C. Premises

11Commercial rent, service charges, deposit, key money

12Size, ceiling height, shop window, visibility, step-free access, toilet, water and power connections

13Lease: term, indexation, exit, subletting

14Permitted use, preservation area, monument protection

15Noise, sun and shop-front direction

16Parking, bike parking, public transport

D. Finances

17Fit-out costs: furniture, equipment, plumbing, ventilation, lighting

18Initial stock, supplies, booking software, pre-opening marketing

19Monthly costs: rent, insurance, wages, materials, waste

20Average ticket, utilisation, revenue, break-even

21Funding: loans, grants, start-up grant

E. Law and registration

22Business registration, tax office, IHK or chamber of crafts

23Qualifications for specific services (master craftsman, medical treatments, laser, permanent make-up)

24Hygiene, public health office and waste

25Insurance: liability, contents, business interruption

F. People and operations

26Who works, how many hours, is one person enough, where to find staff

27Pricing and offer

28Marketing: Google Business Profile, booking system, Instagram

G. Decision quality

29Write down criteria and deal-breakers before the viewing

30Plan B: what if revenue is below plan after 6 or 12 months

31Check several alternatives, not just the first listing