Community Futures Sunrise is taking a survey for businesses in the southeast. 

General Manager Andria Brady says it's the first survey they've done since 2019.

"Which was of course prior to the pandemic, and that informed some of the programming that we've been doing over the last few years, so it's basically time to do that again," she explained. "Because, of course, the programming and the things that we offer the business owners and entrepreneurs in the region, we want it to be meaningful to them, and be relevant to the situations that they find themselves in."

"Whether it's ideas that they have on what would help their business, letting us know what challenges they're facing, we might have a pretty good idea of some, but there's always some surprises there. And if there's any supports that would just help to make it easier to run your business, is there something you need that would just make life easier or save you some time? So that's kind of what we're asking with the survey."

She said the survey can be done anonymously.

"I mean, there is the option to to leave your information at the end of it to if you want to be contacted or you want something else. But it is certainly. Anonymous and we've had quite a bit of input so far, so we just want to make sure that everybody has the opportunity to to provide some feedback to us

Anyone who wants to participate has until the end of Tuesday, October 31st to give their feedback.

"We're looking for feedback. What do you need? What are your challenges? How can we help?" 

She said the business, "can be a storefront business, a home-based business, full time round the clock business, one that's seasonal, you name it". 

"We're just really looking to get that feedback and then that will help guide the things that we offer in the next few years."

She said the definition of a small business may surprise some.

"Most of us, when we hear the word small business, we think, oh, just a couple people or you know something that's maybe the owner is the only one that works in it. But actually the true definition of a small business is up to 500 employees. So that's going to be the very vast majority of businesses in the southeast, which are actually small businesses," said Brady. 

"Some of the feedback and things that we're hearing, some of the pain points or the pressures or the things that keep people up at night, technology, how to be competitive in the digital world. Also, we know that staffing levels and recruitment is another hot topic. For some it's it's financing or it's succession or even keeping the doors open with increasing costs of doing business. So there is certainly a variety." 

"Every industry might have some specifics that are that are more maybe just to specific to that industry, but really there's a lot that's relevant and important to every business, no matter size, no matter what type of business they are, that are based in the southeast or you have a presence here," she noted. 

Find the link to the survey HERE.

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