The role of the Wiltshire Strategic Economic Partnership (WSEP) is to support the development of the Wiltshire economy and organises its work through a family of delivery sub-groups for Wiltshire: Invest in Wiltshire - Inward investment, business location, planning Work Wiltshire - Education, skills, jobs, apprenticeships Visit Wiltshire - Tourism Connecting Wiltshire - Infrastructure, road, rail, freight and broadband Buy Wiltshire - Support local business, public tender information, local sources, business events

Understanding the needs of businesses and the issues that affect the local business community are critical if we are to achieve our aims.  We are therefore conducting a survey of local businesses aimed at identifying issues currently faced by businesses across the county. The study will inform future planning policies and economic development actions in order to better respond to business needs and inform the Wiltshire business community about our services.

The survey is divided into the following sections: 1. About your business 2. About the growth of your business 3. About business support 4. About employment and training 5. About your business location 6. Additional information and comments

About your business

In this section we would like you to tell us about some of the key characteristics of your business.

Business name, and contact:

1.	Business name, and contact:
	Business name
	Products and/or services
	My name
	My job title
	My contact number
	My e-mail

2.	Business address (please include postcode)

3.	How many people do you currently employ?
	0-4
	5-9
	10-19
	20-49
	50-99
	100-249
	250-499
	500+

4.	When was your business established in Wiltshire?
	Last 12 months (since Sept 2010)
	1-5 years ago (2006-2010)
	6-10 years ago (2001-2005)
	11-20 years ago (1991-2000)
	Over 20 years (before 1991)

5.i	What is the trading status of your business?
	Sole trader
	Private company limited by shares
	Private company limited by guarantee
	Private unlimited company
	Public limited company
	Partnership
	Social Enterprise

5.ii	Are you:
	A parent company
	A subsidiary company - please specify name and  location of your parent company:
	Other

	Please specify

6.	Which industry best describes your business operation? (please mark ONE answer only)   (for full definitions please visit: http://ons.dataincubator.org/sic2007/.html)
	Accommodation and food service activities
	Administrative and support service activities
	Agriculture, forestry and fishing
	Arts, entertainment and recreation
	Construction
	Education
	Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply
	Financial and insurance activities
	Human health and social work activities
	Information and communication
	Manufacture of food and drink products
	Manufacture of textiles or clothing products
	Manufacture of paper and paper products
	Printing and reproduction of recorded media
	Manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products
	Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products
	Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical
	Manufacture of rubber and plastic products
	Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products
	Manufacture of basic metals
	Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment
	Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products
	Manufacture of electrical equipment
	Manufacture of machinery and equipment
	Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers, and other transport equipment
	Manufacture of furniture
	Mining and quarrying
	Professional, scientific and technical activities
	Public administration and defence; compulsory social security
	Real estate activities
	Repair and installation of machinery and equipment
	Transport and storage
	Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities
	Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles
	Other

	please specify:

7.	What kind of premises do you currently occupy? (please mark ALL that apply)
	Managed workspace
	Industrial premises
	Office
	Retail
	Home office
	Rented accommodation
	Leased accommodation
	Owned accommodation
	Other

	please specify:

8.	Approximately, what is the size of your business premises?
	Under 500 sq. ft.  (under 50 m2)
	500 - 1,000 sq. ft.  (50 - 100 m2)
	1,000 - 5,000 sq. ft. (100 - 500 m2)
	5,000 - 10,000 sq. ft. (500 - 1,000 m2)
	10,000 - 20,000 sq. ft. (1,000 - 2,000 m2)
	Over 20,000 sq. ft. (over 2,000 m2)

9.	How does your business mainly access the internet at present?
	Broadband connection - Standard/ADSL
	Broadband connection - Fibre
	Broadband connection - SDSL
	Ethernet/Leased line
	Mobile internet
	Don't know
	Do not access the internet
	Other

	please specify

10.	Who are your primary customers?
	Businesses
	Consumers
	Public sector
	Other

	please specify:

11.	What proportion (%) of your customers are based locally, regionally, nationally, Europe, rest of the world?
	Locally (0-25 miles)
	Regionally (0-100 miles)
	UK
	Europe
	Rest of World

12.	What proportion (%) of your suppliers are located:
	Locally (0-25 miles)
	Regionally (0-100miles)
	UK
	Europe
	Rest of World

13.	Are there any specific benefits that accrue from suppliers being located closer to your business?
	Yes
	No

	Please specify

About the growth of your Business

In this section we would like you to tell us about the growth of your business.

14.	Approximately, what is the actual (or expected) annual turnover of your business? (please mark ONE answer in each column only)
		In the last financial year		In the next financial year
	Less than £50,000
	£50,001-£100,000
	£100,001-£500,000
	£500,001-£1 million
	£1 million-£5 million
	£5 million-£10 million
	£10 million-£20 million
	More than £20 million

15.	Over the last 12 months, how do you feel your business performed in the following areas, compared to performance in the previous 12 months?
		Increased		Remained constant		Decreased		N/A
	Total sales
	Net profit
	Number of sales enquiries
	Number of active customers
	Number of active suppliers
	Value of each sales transaction

16.	Approximately, what was the gross value of your exports in the last financial year?
	None
	Up to £10,000
	£10,000-£50,000
	£50,000-£100,000
	£100,000-£500,000
	£500,000 - £1,000,000
	£1,000,000 - £5,000,000
	£5,000,000 - £10,000,000
	More than £10,000,000

17.	Which of the following are you considering during the next 12 months? (please mark ALL that apply)
	Increasing employees numbers
	Increase employees skills
	Reducing employees numbers
	Seeking/improving managment skills
	New product/service development
	Newprocess/plant development
	Raise additional finance
	Moving into new UK markets
	Moving into new export markets
	Other

	Please specify:

18.i	During the next 12 months, are you considering:
	Relocating within Wiltshire - please specify to where below, and why
	Relocating to elsewhere in the UK - please specify to where below, and why
	Relocating to elsewhere overseas - please specify to where below, and why
	Closing down
	Not considering relocation

18.ii	Where?

18.iii	Why?

19.	Does your current site offer sufficient space for your planned growth?
	Yes
	No

20.	What is your likely future additional need for premises in the next 12 months?
	Stay the same
	Under 500 sq. ft.  (under 50 m2 )
	500 - 1,000 sq. ft.  (50 - 100 m2  )
	1,000 - 5,000 sq. ft. (100 - 500 m2 )
	5,000 - 10,000 sq. ft. (500 - 1,000 m2 )
	10,000 - 20,000 sq. ft. (1,000 - 2,000 m2 )
	Over 20,000 sq. ft. (over 2,000 m2)

21.	What are your main criteria in choosing a new location (please choose up to 5)?
	Town centre
	Business Park
	Distribution network
	Good public transport connections
	Industrial Estate
	Retail Park
	Science Park
	Out-of-town location
	Property alongside main road
	Car parking
	Serviced offices
	Flexible offices
	Incubation centre
	Available storage/warehouse space
	Broadband availability
	High energy specifications
	High water connection specifications
	Research & Development facilities
	Yard space
	Other

	Please specify

22.	How have the recent increases in energy prices affected your company’s attitude and behaviour to energy efficiency?
		Yes		No		Don't know
	It has had no impact on the business
	It has impacted on our bottom line
	We have had to pass the cost onto our customers
	We are planning improvements to the energy efficiency of our buildings and processes
	We have made improvments to the energy efficiency of our buildings and processes
	We are planning to install renewable energy technology
	We have installed energy technology

About business support

In this section we would like you to tell us about some of the ways that your business is supported.

23.	What would be your priorities for Wiltshire initiatives that would have the most benefit for your business?

24.	What do you think will be the main barriers restricting the growth of your business over the next 12 months? (please mark ALL that apply)
	Increased competition
	Legislation/ regulation
	Access to finance
	Technology changes
	Available suppliers
	Lack of skilled labour
	Weak customer demand
	VAT increase
	Exchange rates
	Interest rates
	Lack of suitable premises
	Poor road network
	Poor rail network
	Poor broadband connections
	Inflation
	Other

	please specify:

25.	Where do you normally go for business support and advice?
	Wiltshire Council
	Local Economic Partnerships
	Business Link
	Job Centre Plus
	Solicitors and/or Accountants
	Chamber of Commerce - please specify below:
	Sector association - please specify below:
	Other

	Please specify

26.	Are you a member of any business organisations such as Chambers of Commerce or Trade Associations?
	Yes
	No

	Please specify:

27.	What information and services would be of benefit to help your business grow over the next 12 months?
	Business rates
	Commercial sites and premises
	Local suppliers and customers in Wiltshire
	Local public sector procurement opportunities
	Access to finance
	Grants and government schemes
	Apprenticeship schemes
	Meeting low carbon regulations
	The use of the internet, technology and e-ways of working
	Business networking
	General business advice
	Specialist business advice
	Sector based business networking
	Sector related conference and initiatives information
	Mentoring / networking around the use of technology and e-ways of working
	Other

	Please specify:

28.	What will be the biggest issues facing your business in 2012?

About employment and training

In this section we would like you to give us some details about employment, employee's skills and any training provided by your business. Employee training may be provided directly by your business or indirectly by a professional, education or training organisation.

29.	Do you feel your workforce suffers from any particular skills gaps?
	Yes
	No

30.	Which skills are most important in your business and potential employees should possess? (please mark ALL that apply)
	Literacy skills
	Numeracy skills
	General IT user skills
	Management skills
	IT professional skills
	Oral communication skills
	Written communication skills
	Office admin skills
	Customer handling skills
	Technical, practical or job specific skills
	Team working skills
	Foreign language skills
	Problem solving skills
	Don't know
	Other

	please specify:

31.i	Have you experienced any particular difficulties in recruiting appropriately skilled employees in the following occupations over the last 12 months?
	Yes
	No

31.ii	If yes, please specify which of the following occupations you have experienced the difficulty (and if you expect it to be repeated in the future).
		Last 12 months		Next 12 months
	Managers and senior officials
	Professional & technical
	Administrative & secretarial
	Skilled trades occupations
	Personal service occupations
	Sales and customer service occupations
	Process plant & machine operatives
	Elementary occupations

32.	Have you experienced any difficulties in filling vacancies over the last 12 months?
	No
	Yes

33.	Please give more information
	Lack of suitably skilled applicants
	Job entails shift work / unsociable hours
	Lack of suitably qualified applicants
	Remote location / poor public transport
	Lack of experienced applicants
	Lack of any suitable applicants
	Lack of interest in the type of work
	Other

	please specify:

34.	Which of the following applied to your business in the last 12 months?
		Increased		Decreased		Stayed the same
	Number of employees
	Vocational training to upskill your employees (e.g. NVQs, apprenticeship)
	Funded training skills for employees
	Offered work experience placements
	Took on an apprentice or a trainee

34.ii	How many trainees/placements?

35.	Over the last 12 months, how prepared for work were the young people that you recruited (please mark ALL that apply)?
		Aged 16-18		Aged 18-24
	None recruited
	Prepared/well prepared
	Lack the required skills or competencies
	Poor literacy and/or numeracy skills
	Poor education
	Lack of common sense
	Poor attitude/lack of motivation

	Other

36.	Which of the following would you foresee for the next 12 months?
		Increase		Decrease		Stay the same
	Number of employees
	Vocational training to upskill your employees (e.g. NVQs, apprenticeship)
	Funding training skills for employees
	Offering work experience placements
	Taking on an apprentice or a trainee

36.ii	If known, how many trainees/ placements?

About your business location

In this section we would like to know more about how Wiltshire as a location meets your business needs.

37.	What were the reasons for the current location of your business? (please choose up to five options)
	Access to customers and clients
	Proximity to London
	Access to suppliers
	Access to skilled workforce
	Costs of labour
	Availability of land/commercial properties
	Costs of land/commercial properties
	Transport access to other areas (national and international)
	Access to sea ports and airports
	Access to the South West of England
	Road and public transport accessibility for  employees
	Quality of life for employees
	The quality of telecommunications, including internet connections
	Same sector clusters
	Planning regulations
	Tax policies or financial incentives
	Founder lived in the county
	Other

	please specify:

38.	When your business was located in Wiltshire was it ?
	Established from new in Wiltshire
	Relocated to Wiltshire from elsewhere in the UK
	Relocated to Wiltshire from overseas
	Acquired as going concern
	Acquired as a subsidiary of a group

39.i	Did you consider other locations in UK or overseas? If so, where?

39.ii	What were the main factors influencing your decision to locate in Wiltshire rather than elsewhere?

40.	Do you feel your current internet connection is adequate for your business needs?
	Yes, all the time
	Yes, most of the time
	For some things but not others
	No

41.	How important would an improved internet connection be to the future of your business?
	Very important
	Fairly important
	Not very important
	Not important at all

Additional information and comments

This final section gives you the opportunity to provide any additional information or comments.

42.	Please use this space to tell us about any other information you think may be useful or to provide any comments you have about this survey.

43.	Would you be happy for us to contact you again to participate in further research?
	Yes
	No

Thank you very much for your contribution to this survey. We can assure you that the information you have given will be treated as confidential in that no responses will be associated to any one person or business without your prior approval. If you have any questions, please contact Ana Batista, Principal Economic Development Office, on 01225 718669 or e-mail: econdev@wiltshire.gov.uk