Business Visitation Survey

February 2012 - June 2014

Executive Summary
Purpose of business visitation survey:?

UNDERSTAND PROBLEMS
Giving small businesses the opportunity to voice their concerns.

BUSINESS RETENTION STRATEGY

Finding ways to strengthen relationships to help attract, retain and
expand.

DISCOVER NEW WAYS TO HELP LOCAL BUSINESSES

Identifying a businesss needs that can be analyzed through
primary data collection.

Survey Research Design

Direct qualitative and quantitative questions
REPRESENTATION

Note: Information limited to what is easily accessible and personal judgment is used about
the representativeness of the population under the study

85

Total number of organizations who

completed the survey

100%

Direct one to one interviews done by a

county representative with the small
business

$0

Non-probability sampling, limited to what is

easily accessible

Survey Data Analysis: Business Directory

Participation in Business Directory

Participation in Business Directory

90.00%

Out of the 85 that were asked

80.00%

81.18%

70.00%

Part of Business Directory

69
15

Part of Business Directory

Not part of Business Directory

Not part of Business Directory

No Response to Question

No Response to Question

60.00%
50.00%
40.00%
30.00%

17.65%

20.00%
10.00%

1.18%

0.00%

Yes

No

No response

Survey Data Analysis: Four highest expenses

The businesss four highest expenses presently
Four Highest Expenses
The graph shows the four highest expenses for these
businesses. Respondents were given a list to select 4
choices, identifying the four highest expenses for their
business. The four highest being:

Labour

21.6%

Rent

15.2%

Supplies

11.7%

Permits

8.9%

Utilities

8.5%

Taxes

LABOUR

RENT

6.4%

Advertising/Marketing

5.7%

Building Costs

5.3%

Training/Professional

SUPPLIES

PERMITS

5.0%

Transportation

5.0%

Insurance

3.2%

Daily Operations

1.8%

Research and Development

Expansion Costs
Signage

1.1%
0.4%
0.4%
0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

Survey Data Analysis: Greatest challenge

Respondents were asked what they

see as their greatest challenge over
the next 5 years as an open ended
question. Repetitions were found
within the survey, and were formed
into the following groups.
Under the Other category, the following comments were made:
Potentially looking for an exit strategy. Succession information may be a large benefit to this business
Education of the next generation of business or franchisee [] Also would like to have high level and
sophisticated business mentors global companies if possible we just have no where to turn at this time
for that mentorship help.
Maintaining the property at this highest level in terms of the physical nature of the property now that it is
getting older. Especially with all the competition coming in and that has come in.

Survey Data Analysis: Where products/services are offered

Where businesses primarily offer their products/services
Local

57.6%

Provincial

10.6%

National

7.1%

Local and Provincial

7.1%

No Answer
Provincial and
National

7.1%

International

2.4%

Local and National

National and
International

2.4%

3.5%

2.4%

Survey Data Analysis: Anticipated Sales

Present sales increasing, decreasing or remaining stable
80.00%

70.00%

70.59%

60.00%

50.00%

40.00%

71

30.00%

18.82%

20.00%

10.00%

0.00%

8.24%
2.35%

Sales
Increasing

Survey Data Analysis: Present Sales

Anticipated sales increasing, decreasing or remaining stable
90.00%
80.00%

76.47%

70.00%
60.00%

76

50.00%

40.00%

Sales
Increasing

30.00%
20.00%

14.12%
7.06%

10.00%

2.35%

0.00%

Increasing (65)

Stable (12)

Decreasing (6)

No Response
(2)

Survey Data Analysis: Receiving information on industry

How respondents receive information about
their industry
People in your industry

19.9%

E-mail from associations

18.6%

Newsletter/Magazine

18.2%

Membership

The top two ways the respondents receives

information about their industry:
PEOPLE IN INDUSTRY (19.93%)
E-MAIL FROM ASSOC. (18.56%)

17.5%

Seminars/Conferences

15.5%

Other

10.3%
0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

Under the others option, some answers were:

1. Web search
2. Customer and clients
3. Personal and professional experience
4. Word of mouth
5. Trade show

Survey Data Analysis: Employee Count and Categorization

The size of a business determined by

employee numbers
Micro: 1 4 employees
Small: 5 49 employees
Medium: 50 199 employees
Large: 200+ employees
The majority of our respondents were
micro and small businesses.

Survey Data Analysis: Obtaining Start up Funding

Where businesses obtained their start-up funding

Some of the financial institutions

that were named include:
1. Business Development Bank of
Canada
2. Alberta Treasury Branches (ATB
Financial)
3. Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)
4. Local Bank

Family
investment
(6), 7.1%

Other (2),
2.4%

No answer
(9), 10.6%

Financial
Institution
(18), 21.2%

Personal
(50), 58.8%

Survey Data Analysis: Workforce

Where businesses are spending the majority of their time
25.6%

Developing existing employees (30)

24.8%

Retaining Existing employees (29)

22.2%

Training New Employees (26)

N/A (16)

13.7%

Attracting Employees (16)

13.7%

Other (0)

Of respondents with
employees spend
the majority of their
time developing
existing employees

0.0%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

26%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

The category N/A applies to those who do

not have employees for their business and
are not looking for employees.

Survey Data Analysis: Public Transit System

Businesses affected by Strathcona County Transit System

30.6%

Yes

Affected
by
transit

No

58.8%

The majority of responses of those who responded

yes described that they were affected negatively,
as one business described:
Lack of service. Would attract more employees if
we had a better system

No
Response

10.6%

Survey Data Analysis: Business in Strathcona County

Positives of doing business in Strathcona County
No response, 4%
High standard
of living, 8%

Other,
6% Accessibility,
11%

Growing
opportunities, 6%
As one of the business stated:
[It is the] community support, both
residential and business community, also
rural/urban development here, attractiveness
to young families, [and] housing
development.

Good location, 11%

Attractive Business
Tax, 15%
Community Support,
40%

Survey Data Analysis: Business in Strathcona County

Negatives of doing business in Strathcona County
Taxes, 1.2%
Staffing, 5.9%

Under rules and regulations:

- Signage bylaw brought up multiple times

Transportation,
11.8%

Government, 7.1%
Infrastructure,
5.9%
Lack of small
business
programs, 4.7%

Under the other category:

-

Light synchronization (for roadways)

Not having an urban centre (such as a
downtown)
Neighbors
Lack of understanding for small
businesses

Regulations and
permits, 18.8%

Other, 15.3%

No comment,
2.4%
Nothing Negative ,
27.1%