Small Business Success in Elkins, WV

Students in the Management Information Systems class at D&E College are surveying small businesses in the Elkins area to help identify additional assistance they may need to be successful. Your honest responses will assist the students in making recommendations to organizations that are able to provide assistance and support to small businesses. Please trust that your responses will remain anonymous, unless you choose to identify yourself. Survey results will be kept confidential and aggregated for reporting purposes.

Thank you for completing this survey! If you have questions or concerns, please contact Dr. Susan Aloi at alois@dewv.edu.

Question Title

* 1. Which of the following best describes your business's primary industry? (select one)

Retail (clothing, gifts, etc.)

Food & Beverage (coffee shop/cafe, restaurant, bar, etc.)

Professional Services (legal, accounting, etc.)

Personal Services (salon, fitness, etc.)

Entertainment/Recreation

Health/Wellness

Construction/Trade

Hospitality

Other (please specify)

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* 2. How long has your business been operating in the Elkins area? (select one)

Less than one year

1-3 years

4-10 years

11-24 years

25 or more years

Comments:

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* 3. Number of full and part-time employees (including yourself)

1 (sole proprietor)

2-5 employees

6-10 employees

11-20 employees

21-50 employees

51-100 employees

More than 100 employees

Comments:

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* 4. Where is the primary location of your business?

Downtown Elkins

Within city limits, but not downtown

Outside of city limits, but within Randolph County

Other (please specify)

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* 5. What is your primary role in the business? (select one)

Single owner

Co-owner

Manager

Employee

Other (please specify)

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* 6. Which factors have contributed to the success of your business? (select all that apply)

Downtown location

Support from the local community

Loyal customer base

Collaboration with other local businesses

Skilled employees

Quality of product/services

Marketing strategy

Support from the local Chamber of Commerce, City of Elkins, Tourism, or other organization

Other (please specify)

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* 7. What's going well for your business right now?

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* 8. How challenging for your business are the following issues?

	Not currently a challenge	Somewhat of a challenge	VERY challenging
marketing/advertising	marketing/advertising Not currently a challenge	marketing/advertising Somewhat of a challenge	marketing/advertising VERY challenging
social media marketing	social media marketing Not currently a challenge	social media marketing Somewhat of a challenge	social media marketing VERY challenging
attracting & retaining qualified staff	attracting & retaining qualified staff Not currently a challenge	attracting & retaining qualified staff Somewhat of a challenge	attracting & retaining qualified staff VERY challenging
access to financing	access to financing Not currently a challenge	access to financing Somewhat of a challenge	access to financing VERY challenging
infrastructure/facilities	infrastructure/facilities Not currently a challenge	infrastructure/facilities Somewhat of a challenge	infrastructure/facilities VERY challenging
operating costs (rent, utilities, supplies, etc.)	operating costs (rent, utilities, supplies, etc.) Not currently a challenge	operating costs (rent, utilities, supplies, etc.) Somewhat of a challenge	operating costs (rent, utilities, supplies, etc.) VERY challenging
supply challenges	supply challenges Not currently a challenge	supply challenges Somewhat of a challenge	supply challenges VERY challenging
competition	competition Not currently a challenge	competition Somewhat of a challenge	competition VERY challenging
parking	parking Not currently a challenge	parking Somewhat of a challenge	parking VERY challenging
accessibility	accessibility Not currently a challenge	accessibility Somewhat of a challenge	accessibility VERY challenging
local regulations/permits	local regulations/permits Not currently a challenge	local regulations/permits Somewhat of a challenge	local regulations/permits VERY challenging
seasonal demand	seasonal demand Not currently a challenge	seasonal demand Somewhat of a challenge	seasonal demand VERY challenging
limited foot traffic	limited foot traffic Not currently a challenge	limited foot traffic Somewhat of a challenge	limited foot traffic VERY challenging

Comments

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* 9. What city laws or rules would you consider an obstacle to starting or successfully operating a business in Elkins? Please skip this item if your business is located outside the City of Elkins.

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* 10. What assistance or resources would be most helpful to your business? (select all that apply)

Marketing training or assistance

Social media training

Collaborative marketing of downtown businesses

Workforce development; staff training

Financial planning/management

Legal advice

Business strategy/management guidance

Technology support

Small Business Administration consultant coaching

Workshops or business development sessions

Intern from D&E College

Networking opportunities

Assistance with storefront or layout improvements

Assistance with signage

Other (please specify)

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* 11. What are the top three kinds of assistance most needed by your business at this time?

#1 Need

#2 Need

#3 Need

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* 12. Please share any additional comments or suggestions that could assist small businesses in the Elkins area.

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* 13. If you would like someone to follow up with you for assistance with your specific business, please provide a point of contact. Be sure to include a name, email address, and phone number of the contact. OR, you may send an email to Dr. Susan Aloi at alois@dewv.edu.

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey! Your feedback is essential in helping to strengthen and support small businesses in Elkins.