A COMPREHENSIVE Warrnambool survey aims to shine a light on confidence among the city’s businesses.
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All businesses have been encouraged to complete the 2017 Warrnambool Business Trends Survey, which aims to produce a snapshot of the local commercial and industrial sector, analyse emerging and continuing trends and plan for growth and trading performance.
Warrnambool City Council’s economic development and investment manager Shaun Miller said results from the past five surveys had proved invaluable.
“The finding of previous surveys have helped to shape the delivery of council’s economic development unit, and the survey is an opportunity to improve that direction into the future,” he said.
“It gives us a really strong indication of business confidence in investing in Warrnambool. We are able to get data on whether or not businesses are looking to expand, employ more staff and how they are feeling in the overall economy. This is data that we hadn’t been able to get accurately from anywhere else before we started the survey.”
Mr Miller said a wide range of factors drove business and growth in the city’s economy.
“Through this survey we are able to track the key drivers influencing Warrnambool and implement initiatives that reinforce and support the growth of local business,” he said. “We suspect that home based businesses make a significant contribution to our overall economy, and we really want to find out how to support and enhance those businesses.”
Mr Miller said the council referred to the data often, as it was coming direct from local business owners.
“It gives us local context against the Australian Bureau of Statistics,” he said.
“It’s about the perception of how business is doing, versus the actual outcome. They are often two different things. Without the survey responses we just don’t know. It’s important for local government to be working on data as opposed to anecdotal evidence.”
He said the scope of the survey, which is supported by South West Credit, had been broadened this year.
“We are keen to find our which regions of Warrnambool business are demonstrating more confidence than others and why. I would urge all businesses, large and small, to take a few minutes to complete it.
The findings, compiled by Deakin University Warrnambool, will be released during the Warrnambool Small Business Festival. The survey is open until June 30.
Hard copies can be collected from the Warrnambool City Council offices, South West Credit, The Standard or 3YB/COAST FM. Complete it online at www.yoursaywarrnambool.com.au.