County opens annual business survey to all businesses in Frontenac

The Frontenac County economic development department has launched a new survey and is urging all business owners within the county to participate.

The County’s economic development department has surveyed members of the Frontenac Ambassador program since 2017. That program is a network of business owners who collaborate to “build up the region and support each other,” according to the County, and the survey is used to collect information about the business climate in Frontenac. Results from the survey have been used in directing staff activities over the past three years. But this year, the economic development department has decided to open the survey to all business owners across the County.

“This year, we are expanding the survey to include all businesses in the region. It might be a bit of a stretch, but I would love to get 100 responses to the survey. That would really give us a lot of information from a good cross section of industries in our region,” said Richard Allen, Manager of Economic Development at the County of Frontenac.

“The results of the survey will allow us to understand the perspective of business owners in Frontenac and will help us identify opportunities, challenges and priorities across the region. Those highlights will help County Council and our partners about where to invest our resources moving forward.”

The survey is now open and will remain open until the end of January. The County advises the survey takes about 20 minutes to complete, and everyone who does so can enter into a draw to win a gift basket of locally made products from companies such as Back 40 Artisanal Cheese, Seed to Sausage, Haymaker Coffee and the Cheesecakery Bakery.

The Frontenac economic development department is planning to issue the survey annually to better understand year-over-year trends, and observe real-time effects of program and service changes. All survey results will only be shared in aggregate, and a comprehensive analysis of the survey results will be presented to the Community Development Advisory Committee by County staff.   

“I really encourage everyone who operates a business in Frontenac County to participate in this survey,” said Frontenac County Warden Frances Smith. “At County Council, we rely on staff reports to make good decisions. This is an opportunity for our businesses to have their voices heard and contribute to the direction of our region.”

To complete the survey and help staff better understand County’s economic landscape and make informed decisions about how best to serve the businesses in the region, click here