2. Business Retention and Expansion Survey
   
4. The City of Bristol is committed to supporting local businesses. We are reaching out to you and asking you to complete our Business Retention and Expansion Survey. The following survey is intended for businesses located within the City of Bristol. We will use this Business Retention and Expansion Survey as a data collection tool to better focus our efforts in supporting local businesses. Ultimately, our goal for the Business Retention and Expansion program is to help our local businesses grow. To gather data, we are reaching out to as broad a representation of local businesses as possible in order to proactively identify companies that qualify for existing City of Bristol incentives and assistance programs, formulate new incentives and assistance programs that meet the broader needs of the business community, anticipate future workforce development needs and retain and expand the businesses operating within the City of Bristol. We are interested in listening to your needs and concerns in order to be responsive to the business community.
8. Company Contact Information
10. Name of the Individual Representing the Business
12. Title of the Individual Representing the Business
14. Address1
16. Address2
18. City
19. State
20. Zip
22. Email Address
23. Telephone Number
27. Business and Facility Details
29. Please provide a brief description of your company and the products or services the business provides.
31. Has this company introduced new products within the last year?

    1. Yes

    1. No
33. Briefly describe new products:
35. Type of facility (select all that apply):

    1. Branch
    2. Distribution

    1. Franchise
    2. Headquarters

    1. Home-based
    2. Manufacturing

    1. R&D
    2. Sales-Office
37. Primary Business Sector?
39. Is this facility owned or leased?

    1. Owned

    1. Leased
41. When does Lease expire?
    When does Lease expire?

    When does Lease expire?
43. Is your business a for-profit of nonprofit?

    1. For-profit
    2. Nonprofit
    3. Not for Profit
45. Who are your top three competitors?
47. Does the company have a succession plan?

    1. Yes

    1. No
49. Has the company ownership changed within the past year?

    1. Yes

    1. No
51. Explain:
53. Over the past year, have company sales:

    1. Increased
    2. Decreased

    1. Been relatively stable
    2. Fluctuated widely

    1. Not identified
55. What has contributed to the increase or decrease in sales?
59. Employment and Workforce
61. Total Number of Employees working within the City of Bristol
63. Total Number of Employees working in Virginia
65. Total Number of Employees working Worldwide
67. How many full time employees are at this facility?
69. Has the number of employees at this facility changed in the past year?

    1. Increased

    1. Decreased

    1. Stayed the same
71. If increased, how many employees have been hired in the past year?
73. In the next year, do you expect the number of jobs at the facility to:

    1. Increase
    2. Decrease

    1. Be relatively stable
    2. Unsure
75. Do you plan to hire in the next 2-5 years?

    1. Yes

    1. No
77. If yes, how many employees do you anticipate hiring?
79. What types of jobs are you hiring?
81. If you have hired in the past year, was it hard to fill positions?

    1. Yes

    1. No
83. What contributed to the challenges in filling open positions? (select all that apply):

    1. Poor work ethic
    2. Lack of basic education

    1. Lack of technical skills
    2. Lack of candidates

    1. Challenging location
    2. Competition

    1. Other
85. Do you anticipate needing to train existing employees:

    1. Yes

    1. No
87. What type of training is needed?
89. Does the community have enough housing and the right type of housing for your future employees?

    1. Yes

    1. No
93. Market Information
95. In what market do you currently do the most business?

    1. International
    2. United States
    3. Southeast

    1. Virginia/Tennessee
    2. Local
97. Company's fastest growing geographic market:

    1. International
    2. United States
    3. Southeast

    1. Virginia/Tennessee
    2. Local
99. Do you currently export, import, or both?

    1. Export
    2. Import

    1. Export and Import
    2. Not applicable
101. Do you export or have clients outside of the United States?

     1. Yes

     1. No
103. If so, where (select all that apply):

     1. Africa & Middle East
     2. Canada
     3. Europe & Russia
     4. Greater China

     1. India, Pakistan, Central/South Asia
     2. Japan & Korea
     3. Southeast Asia
     4. Australia & Pacific Oceania

     1. Latin America & Carribean
     2. Mexico
     3. Other
105. Percent of sales outside of US?
107. Are you interested in exporting or learning how to obtain clients outside of the US?

     1. Yes

     1. No
111. Investment Plan
113. What were your company's total sales revenue during the past calendar year?
     -- Select One --$0 - $100,00$101,00 - $1,000,000$1,000,001 - $2,000,000$2,000,001 - $5,000,000more than $5,000,000
115. What is your projected annual sales growth for the next calendar year?
     -- Select One --None1% to 9%10% to 24%25% to 49%50% to 100%Greater than 100%
117. Does the company plan to (check all that apply)

     1. Invest in new facilities
     2. Make major equipment purchase

     1. Renovate/Expand current facilities
     2. None
119. Approximate date of investment:

     1. Within one year
     2. Within two years

     1. Within three years
     2. Unsure
121. Do you currently have room on your site to expand?

     1. Yes

     1. No
123. If investing in new location, why (select all that apply)?

     1. Access to labor
     2. Access to market
     3. Environmental permit obstacles
     4. High state taxes

     1. High local taxes
     2. Labor costs
     3. Lease Expiration
     4. No room at this location

     1. Quality of workforce
     2. Transportation/infrastructure
     3. Other
127. Community
129. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the community?
131. Have you interacted with any of the departments at City Hall? If so, what department and please describe your experience.
133. Are there any priority projects or initiatives the City should consider in order to enhance the business climate?
137. Rank the local business climate: Community Rankings: 1 = Poor 5 = Great
139. Education and Training
141. K-12

     1. 1
     2. 2
     3. 3
     4. 4
     5. 5
     6. n/a
142. Higher Education

     1. 1
     2. 2
     3. 3
     4. 4
     5. 5
     6. n/a
143. Customized Training Programs

     1. 1
     2. 2
     3. 3
     4. 4
     5. 5
     6. n/a
144. Overall Workforce Quality

     1. 1
     2. 2
     3. 3
     4. 4
     5. 5
     6. n/a
146. Transportation/Location
148. Public Transportation

     1. 1
     2. 2
     3. 3
     4. 4
     5. 5
     6. n/a
149. Highway Infrastructure

     1. 1
     2. 2
     3. 3
     4. 4
     5. 5
     6. n/a
150. Air Service

     1. 1
     2. 2
     3. 3
     4. 4
     5. 5
     6. n/a
151. Proximity to Suppliers

     1. 1
     2. 2
     3. 3
     4. 4
     5. 5
     6. n/a
153. Quality of Life
155. Recreational Opportunities

     1. 1
     2. 2
     3. 3
     4. 4
     5. 5
     6. n/a
156. Cultural Opportunities

     1. 1
     2. 2
     3. 3
     4. 4
     5. 5
     6. n/a
157. Crime Rate

     1. 1
     2. 2
     3. 3
     4. 4
     5. 5
     6. n/a
159. Social Organization and Networks

     1. 1
     2. 2
     3. 3
     4. 4
     5. 5
     6. n/a
160. Housing Supply for Workforce

     1. 1
     2. 2
     3. 3
     4. 4
     5. 5
     6. n/a
162. Local Access to Capital
164. Lending by local financial institutions

     1. 1
     2. 2
     3. 3
     4. 4
     5. 5
     6. n/a
165. Assistance from local governments and/or non-profits

     1. 1
     2. 2
     3. 3
     4. 4
     5. 5
     6. n/a
167. Local Government
169. Attitude towards business

     1. 1
     2. 2
     3. 3
     4. 4
     5. 5
     6. n/a
170. Permitting/Zoning

     1. 1
     2. 2
     3. 3
     4. 4
     5. 5
     6. n/a
171. Local Taxes

     1. 1
     2. 2
     3. 3
     4. 4
     5. 5
     6. n/a
172. Local Fees

     1. 1
     2. 2
     3. 3
     4. 4
     5. 5
     6. n/a
174. Utilities
176. Telecommunications/ Broadband Service

     1. 1
     2. 2
     3. 3
     4. 4
     5. 5
     6. n/a
177. Telecommunications/ Broadband Rates

     1. 1
     2. 2
     3. 3
     4. 4
     5. 5
     6. n/a
178. Electric Rates

     1. 1
     2. 2
     3. 3
     4. 4
     5. 5
     6. n/a
179. Electric Reliability

     1. 1
     2. 2
     3. 3
     4. 4
     5. 5
     6. n/a
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182. Email address

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