A new economic survey has been launched in Dorset to take the pulse of businesses across the county.
Dorset Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) has started the quarterly questionnaire with backing from the county’s Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
The Dorset Economic Survey will act as a barometer of business, provide grassroots data and identify issues which need addressing.
DCCI members and those of its affiliated chambers are being urged to take part in the first survey online now on the Chamber’s website.
It will also incorporate questions from the British Chamber of Commerce’s (BCC) influential Quarterly Economic Survey.
DCCI chief executive Ian Girling said: “This survey gives us a real opportunity to gain comprehensive and accurate insights into business locally.
“The BCC’s Quarterly is the most authoritative national survey and we aim to replicate that at a local level in Dorset to help drive economic growth in the county.
“It will have local questions about such subjects as business confidence, skills and performance in specific sectors.
“It will also address issues affecting business, such as the affordable housing crisis and the impact of this on employees and recruitment.”
Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership director Lorna Carver added: “Possessing credible and accurate data is incredibly important when it comes to making informed decisions about Dorset.
“This new survey has the potential to make this high quality information available at our fingertips and I would urge all businesses to take part as fully as they can on a regular basis.”
The Dorset Economic Survey is a short questionnaire which is combined with the BCC Quarterly Economic Survey. The survey will take no longer than five minutes to complete.
DCCI will publish its findings on a quarterly basis and make the information available to the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership, businesses, local authorities, decision makers, the BCC and other organisations.
DCCI, the voice of business in Dorset, is the only chamber in the county accredited to the BCC. It has more than 800 members representing more than 37,000 employees.
All businesses will be invited to complete the survey and the disaggregated findings will also be shared with the eight affiliated town chambers so they have a clear view of the specific issues facing their members.
The chambers are Weymouth and Portland, Broadstone, Dorchester, Poole, Bridport, Ferndown, Shaftesbury and Swanage.
