New Jersey LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce Small Business Survey

A Note From our Co-President & Co-Founder, Tamara A. Fleming

Dear Members and Prospective Members,

Over the past few years, the NJ LGBT Chamber has worked tirelessly to bring support, exposure and resources to the LGBT business community and to our allies within the state of New Jersey.

It is our belief that the development of the LGBT business community is a crucial driving force for the development of the U.S. economy. Between 2006 and 2012, there was a 20 percent increase in LGBT purchasing power and by current projections; this growth could possibly exceed $1 trillion over the next 3 years. In light of this, we have reached critical milestones while developing and strengthening partnerships with other New Jersey-based chambers of commerce, and over the last 2 years, we have held over 50 business-related events that were designed to support and bolster networking, not only for our members and our partners, but also for small business owners who are looking to reach new markets.

Given the size of the state of New Jersey, we want to understand exactly where LGBT business owners are in terms of their businesses, their growth, their specific needs, as well as where are there business located geographically. In partnership with United Way of Essex & West Hudson and other partners who are committed to serving the LGBT business community, we plan to take this knowledge and create a robust platform that truly engages and supports the needs of LGBT business owners. This platform will not only create networking opportunities within the LGBT business community, it will also serve as a portal for educating, mentoring, and exploiting the potential of the people behind these businesses.

The NJ LGBT Chamber of Commerce desires to create a space offering unmatched support leading to sustainability and economic growth for our members and partners. Our board and committees make up a small and highly effective group of passionate small business owners, professionals and stakeholders who are committed to seeing LGBT-owned and operated businesses become successful.

In partnership with United Way, we invite you to respond to this survey and help us understand the areas in which we have to focus our effort in order to bring you useful programs that are tailored to meet the needs of your business.

Thank you,

Tamara A. Fleming
Co-President
NJ LGBT Chamber of Commerce

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* 1. Please identify your race/Ethnic category. (Mark all that apply.)

Asian

White

African American

Hispanic

Native American/Pacific Islander

Other

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* 2. Please identify your age bracket.

18-25

26-35

36-45

46-55

56-65

66+

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* 3. Which of the following would you consider yourself identified as?

Gay or Bisexual Man

Lesbian or Bisexual Woman

Transgender

Queer

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* 4. What is your annual household income?

Under $25,000

$26,000 - 49,000

$50,000 - 74,000

$75,000 - 99,000

$100,000 - 149,000

$150,000 - 199,000

$200,000 - 249,000

$250,000+

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* 5. Are you currently a small business owner?

Yes

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* 6. What type of business do you currently operate?

Arts / Creative Design

Consulting

Real Estate / Construction

Marketing / Public Relations

Retail

Hospitality

Tourism / travel Services

Education / Training

Legal Services

Finance / Banking / Insurance

Food Services / Restaurants

Nonprofit / Human Services

Other

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* 7. Where do you operate your business from?

I have a home-based business

I am part of a co-working space

I rent or lease space

I own my space

Other

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* 8. What geographic region does your business cover?

New York Metropolitan area

Northern New Jersey

Central New Jersey

Southern New Jersey

Other

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* 9. What is the current annual revenue for your business?

Under $500,000

$500,000 - 1,000,000

$1,000,000 - 2, 500, 000

$2,500,000 - 4,900,000

$5,000,000+

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* 10. How many people do you employ?

0-4

6-10

11-20

21-30

30-50

50-100

100+

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* 11. Is your company a Certified Business Enterprise? If so, which one?

Minority-Owned (MBE)

Women Owned (WBE)

LGBT Owned (LGBTBE)

Small Business (SBE)

Not Applicable

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* 12. Is your business a member of a local or regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce or LGBT Business Association? if so, which one?

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* 13. Who are the primary customers of your business (i.e. sources of revenue for your business)? Mark all that you consider significant to the business.

General population customers

Small Businesses

LGBTQ Consumers

Medium-sized businesses

Large Corporations

Local Government

State Government

Federal Government

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* 14. Did you leave an existing career to start your own business? (Select the one that best describes your situation.)

I had a successful career, and redirected my life to start my own business

I had a successful career, but I was part of a layoff or another type of job termination, and decided to start my own business

I had a job but it was not really a career. I decided to start my own business instead

I’ve always had my own business. I’ve always worked for myself

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* 15. Who or what helped you start your Business? (Please mark all that apply)

I financially started my business on my own

Partner or spouse

Parent(s)

Friend

U.S. Small Business Administration

Angel Investor / Venture Capitalist

Government or other type of organization

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* 16. When purchasing for your business, how much of a priority do you make researching LGBT-owned and/or LGBT-friendly vendors for your company?

Very High Priority

High Priority

Neutral

Low Priority

Very Low Priority

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* 17. Once you have identified LGBT-owned and/or LGBT-friendly vendors, how much of a priority do you make to purchase products/services from LGBT-owned and/or LGBT-friendly vendors for your company?

Very High priority

High priority

Neutral

Low Priority

Very Low Priority

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* 18. For the purchases that you you have made for your business in the past, what products and services has your company
sourced from LGBT-owned or LGBT-friendly vendors in the past year?

Hotels

Event planning / catering

Airline

Banking

Photography / Graphic Design

Computers

Travel

Advertising

Office Supplies

IT Services

Accounting

Legal Services

Insurance or Health Benefits

Other (please specify)

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* 19. What kind of help do you wish you had when you started your business? (Please mark all that apply)

Financial Support (Credit Line, Tax Help, Accounting, Grants, Capital, Pricing of Services)

General Business Training/Education for Setting a Business Framework (Business Planning, Marketing/Advertising, Technical
Needs, Best Practices, Web Development, Laws and Regulations)

A Mentor, Coach or Guidance Counselor, Resource Groups

Assistance or additional staff

Other (Mental Support from Family or Friends, Technological Advancements)

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* 20. What kind of help can the NJ LGBTQ COC assist you with in order to make your business grow?

Financial Support (Credit Line, Tax Help, Accounting, Grants, Capital, Pricing of Services)

Help with Marketing and Sales (Including Online Marketing and Sales)

More / New Clients and Lead Generation

General Business Training/Education for Setting a Business Framework (Business Planning, Marketing/Advertising, Technical Needs, Best Practices, Web Development, Laws and Regulations)

Networking

Assistance/Additional Staff

A Mentor, Coach or Guidance Counselor, Resource Groups

Other (please specify)

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* 21. In thinking about the strengths of your business, what do you think the Chamber could do to support you in continuing to
strengthen your business?

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* 1. Please identify your race/Ethnic category. (Mark all that apply.)

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* 2. Please identify your age bracket.

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* 3. Which of the following would you consider yourself identified as?

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* 4. What is your annual household income?

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* 5. Are you currently a small business owner?

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* 6. What type of business do you currently operate?

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* 7. Where do you operate your business from?

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* 8. What geographic region does your business cover?

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* 9. What is the current annual revenue for your business?

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* 10. How many people do you employ?

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* 11. Is your company a Certified Business Enterprise? If so, which one?

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* 12. Is your business a member of a local or regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce or LGBT Business Association? if so, which one?

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* 13. Who are the primary customers of your business (i.e. sources of revenue for your business)? Mark all that you consider significant to the business.

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* 14. Did you leave an existing career to start your own business? (Select the one that best describes your situation.)

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* 15. Who or what helped you start your Business? (Please mark all that apply)

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* 16. When purchasing for your business, how much of a priority do you make researching LGBT-owned and/or LGBT-friendly vendors for your company?

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* 17. Once you have identified LGBT-owned and/or LGBT-friendly vendors, how much of a priority do you make to purchase products/services from LGBT-owned and/or LGBT-friendly vendors for your company?

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* 18. For the purchases that you you have made for your business in the past, what products and services has your company sourced from LGBT-owned or LGBT-friendly vendors in the past year?

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* 19. What kind of help do you wish you had when you started your business? (Please mark all that apply)

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* 20. What kind of help can the NJ LGBTQ COC assist you with in order to make your business grow?

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* 21. In thinking about the strengths of your business, what do you think the Chamber could do to support you in continuing to strengthen your business?

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* 22. In thinking about the challenges of your business, what do you think the Chamber could do to help you alleviate the challenges in your business?

* 18. For the purchases that you you have made for your business in the past, what products and services has your company
sourced from LGBT-owned or LGBT-friendly vendors in the past year?

* 21. In thinking about the strengths of your business, what do you think the Chamber could do to support you in continuing to
strengthen your business?

* 22. In thinking about the challenges of your business, what do you think the Chamber could do to help you alleviate the
challenges in your business?