City and U of G Wants Business Input

In the mood to do a survey, and help out the U of G and the City of Guelph? Probably not, but hey, why not do it anyway? The City's trying to figure out a better way to do business with business, and they're using the surveying power of the University of Guelph to help them collect your ideas.

Read the full press release below.

GUELPH, ON, October 31, 2012 – The City of Guelph, in partnership with the University of Guelph, will be conducting a local business engagement survey from November 5 to 30. The purpose of this survey is to generate industry feedback that will shape a new local business engagement program designed to align current economic development programs and create new initiatives that will best serve Guelph’s business community.

The survey is to be carried out by graduate students from the University of Guelph’s College of Management and Economics. “Many local businesses and organizations have benefited from the quality results our students deliver and have found they have a direct impact on their operations,” said Sylvain Charlebois, Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies in the College of Management and Economics. “As part of this project, students are provided with a unique learning opportunity and local businesses will be better served through the students’ research.” Survey interviews will be conducted over the phone or in person, and are expected to take approximately 30 minutes to complete. Participants can expect questions around their basic business functions, level of knowledge of current business services, input into business engagement services that would best serve their needs and level of interest to participate in a local business engagement program.

Survey feedback will help build upon the information already received through the recent Guelph Chamber of Commerce/University of Guelph Global Experience @Work survey and the Chamber’s mid-year Business Growth Forecast survey. “I encourage key employers to have your thoughts and ideas heard,” says Lloyd Longfield, President and CAO, Guelph Chamber of Commerce. “The feedback generated from this survey will help to create an integrated and comprehensive program that best fits the needs of local firms.”

The necessity for a pro-active local business engagement program was identified in the City of Guelph’s ten-year Economic Development and Tourism Strategy, Prosperity 2020, and within the City’s 2012 Integrated Planning, Building, Engineering & Enterprise Services Operational Review. “This survey will lead to the development of a successful program dedicated to supporting the prosperity of local businesses,” says Mayor Farbridge, City of Guelph “we want to actively seek out opportunities for two way communication in order to make our city more adaptable and attractive for business. This is a terrific partnership between the University of Guelph, the Guelph Chamber of Commerce and the City”.

If you are a local business leader and would like to participate in this survey please contact Barbara Maly at 519-837-5600 x 2822, barbara.maly@guelph.ca or visit guelph.ca/biz to have your voice heard. All results are reported in aggregate and no individual business responses will be identified.