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Melinda, we live in a very rural area on twenty acres and my studio is a remodeled cottage, by the river, which was once the only dwelling on our property. It's just across the driveway from our home. I've lost some potential commissions from people who found me on the web and assumed that I lived in northern NJ near them. Although I offered to meet with them regardless they didn't pursue it. In other cases I've traveled short distances to meet with clients for photo sessions and then carried out much of the remainder of the interactions via phone or internet. It's so easy to send a jpeg these days that distance needn't be a real issue. And I suspect that advantages to living in a more urban area might be counteracted by the extra competition you'd find there. Admittedly I'm not extremely busy, but I think it's lack of marketing - and time - rather than inaccessibility.
Clients never have to enter my home; business is transacted in the studio and I like the separation. It also lends a more professional air to the encounter; having a building dedicated to art and set up like a gallery/working space seems to impress people.
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