Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan - Perth County

Online SurveyAn on-line survey ran concurrently with the stakeholder and focus group sessions. The survey providedan opportunity for the broader business community to provide input on human resource issues, businessinvestment opportunities and regional collaboration opportunities. The framework was consistent with thediscussions used for the focus groups and one-on-one stakeholder interviews. The key findings were asfollows.1. Small business a key part of the economy - Over half (52.6%) of respondents reportedrevenues of less than $500,000. Over half (53.6%) of respondents reported that they had 1-4permanent employees. Over half (52.7%) of the businesses had temporary or contract workers.Most of these businesses (38.2%) had 1-4 temporary or contract workers.2. Employment growth stable – Half (50.9%) of the business stayed the same in terms of numberof employees. Over half (52.6%) of businesses anticipate the number of employees will stay thesame over the next 3 years. Over half (51.6%) of the businesses are not anticipating a workforceshortage; however, for those anticipating a workforce shortage the greatest shortage will betrades, transport and equipment operators.3. Business interest in collaboration and professional development – Over half (52.3%) of thesurvey respondents were interested in collaboration/networking. There is a strong interest inusing the Internet for marketing and e-commerce. The largest interest for how local businessassociations and economic development offices could assist the business sector is throughprofessional development (i.e. workshops, training).4. Business investment opportunities are in technology (i.e. digital media), tourism and thegreen economy.5. Stabilize taxation and limit government bureaucracy – Local tax rates (4.34 out of 5) was themost important factor in ensuring the growth of their businesses followed by the availability oftelecommunications (4.31). The three factors scoring the lowest for level of satisfaction werelocal development charges (2.06 out of 5), local tax rates (2.28) and local permit process (2.34).Further details of the labour market and economic development survey findings is presented in AppendixII.Stakeholder Interviews.Stakeholder interviews were held in the community during the week of February 8 th , 2010. The followingthemes emerged.• The region is a successful place for business - The region is a successful place for a businessto operate from because there is an available skilled labour force, larger markets are accessible,technology infrastructure is largely in place and there is an unmatched quality of life that theregion provides its residents.• Stratford is a key economic driver - The City of Stratford is a key driver for population growthand business investment to the region.• Need more local training - There is a need to provide more training within the Perth Countyboundaries. Although there are some local training opportunities, many other training programsare available in cities such as London, Kitchener-Waterloo or Guelph. People have to travel tothese cities for training and this becomes an issue if people do not have access to a car.• The economic barriers are municipal governments, business community and labour forcemindset – Municipal government decision makers need to understand that any economic growthwithin the Perth County region is good for the entire region. The business community needs toembrace change and adapt to new ways of doing business. Many of the people who have lostPerth, St. Marys and Stratford Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan 24 | P age