A short telephone survey of 200 Cowichan business leaders will provide information about the local business climate and economic outlook for the Cowichan region.
The Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce, Community Futures Cowichan and the accounting and consulting firm MNP have partnered to create the Cowichan Business Leaders Survey, which began Jan. 11 and will take upwards of four weeks.
The survey will be conducted by a third-party market research firm, PRA Inc., and all respondents will remain anonymous, said a notice put out by the Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce.
The goal, it says, “is to provide an economic snapshot on a range of topics including business climate, hiring intentions, growth expectations, key challenges and other local issues.”
Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce president Julie Scurr encourages Cowichan businesses to take the call and participate in the short survey. Participants will be asked about what’s important to their business and their perspective of the region’s business climate.
“Your input is valuable and will assist the Chamber in advocating for policies that encourage a vital economic landscape in Cowichan,” Scurr said.
Results of the survey will be released at an Economic Outlook Breakfast hosted by the Chamber on March 3 at the Cowichan Golf & Country Club.
“We expect the survey will uncover some very useful insights and trends,” said Marsha Stanley, a partner and business advisor with MNP in Duncan.
“This type of localized economic data is not readily available and will be extremely valuable to both private enterprise and government leaders, as well as organizations that support local businesses like the Chamber, Community Futures and MNP.”
Gathering reliable information is crucial to understanding the opportunities and challenges businesses face, according to Cathy Robertson, general manager of Community Futures Cowichan.
“The results will create a meaningful conversation that will get ideas moving forward and identify how to address common barriers,” she said. “This could be a first step to learn how we can begin working together to help companies grow and create jobs.”
Tickets for the Economic Outlook Breakfast can be purchased on the Chamber website at www.duncancc.bc.ca