New Milford Small Business Survey - 2025

Dear Business Owner,

The Corporation for New Milford Economic Development, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is conducting a short survey to better understand the needs of local businesses and nonprofits. Your feedback will help shape future programs and policies that support economic growth.

The survey includes 24 mostly multiple-choice questions and should take less than 10 minutes to complete. All responses are confidential and will only be reviewed in aggregate.

We want to hear what’s working well for your business, as well as the challenges you face, so together we can strengthen New Milford’s business community. Thank you for sharing your insights.

Sincerely,
The Board of Directors
The Corporation for New Milford Economic Development

PLEASE NOTE: The following contact information will not be shared publicly. It is being collected to ensure survey participants are New Milford business owners.

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* 1. Name of person filling out survey

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* 2. Name & Address of New Milford Business or Nonprofit

Business/Nonprofit Name

Business Address

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* 3. Contact Email

SECTION 1: BUSINESS PROFILE

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* 4. What is your primary industry sector? (Select one)

Agriculture

Arts, Entertainment & Recreation

Construction

Retail

Food Service/Hospitality

Healthcare/Social Services

Manufacturing

B2B Services

Other (please specify)

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* 5. How many years has your business been operating?

Less than 1 year

1-3 years

3-5 years

5-10 years

More than 10 years

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* 6. Including yourself, how many FULL-TIME people do you employ?

1-5

6-10

11-20

21+

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* 7. How many PART-TIME people do you employ?

None

1-5

6-10

11+

SECTION 2: BUSINESS CLIMATE & PERFORMANCE

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* 8. Compared to 12 months ago, how has your business REVENUE changed?

Increased

Stayed the same

Decreased

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* 9. Compared to 12 months ago, how has your business PROFIT changed?

Increased

Stayed the same

Decreased

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* 10. How confident are you in your business’s outlook over the next 12 months?

Extremely confident

Very confident

Somewhat confident

Not so confident

Not at all confident

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* 11. What are the greatest strengths of your business?

SECTION 3: CHALLENGES & CONCERNS

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* 12. What are your top three business challenges? (Select up to 3)

Transportion/Parking

Competition from online or larger businesses

Taxes and Regulations

Keeping up with technology and trends

Access to Financing

Staffing/Hiring

Internet/Broadband Access

Rising Costs (rent, utilities, supplies, etc.)

Marketing/Customer Acquisition

Other (please specify)

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* 13. Please rate the following factors in New Milford on a scale of 1–5 (1 = Poor, 5 = Excellent):

	1 = Poor	2	3	4	5 = Excellent
Cost of doing business	Cost of doing business 1 = Poor	Cost of doing business 2	Cost of doing business 3	Cost of doing business 4	Cost of doing business 5 = Excellent
Availability of skilled workers	Availability of skilled workers 1 = Poor	Availability of skilled workers 2	Availability of skilled workers 3	Availability of skilled workers 4	Availability of skilled workers 5 = Excellent
Infrastructure (roads, utilities, broadband, etc.)	Infrastructure (roads, utilities, broadband, etc.) 1 = Poor	Infrastructure (roads, utilities, broadband, etc.) 2	Infrastructure (roads, utilities, broadband, etc.) 3	Infrastructure (roads, utilities, broadband, etc.) 4	Infrastructure (roads, utilities, broadband, etc.) 5 = Excellent
Permitting and regulations	Permitting and regulations 1 = Poor	Permitting and regulations 2	Permitting and regulations 3	Permitting and regulations 4	Permitting and regulations 5 = Excellent
Local demand/Customer base	Local demand/Customer base 1 = Poor	Local demand/Customer base 2	Local demand/Customer base 3	Local demand/Customer base 4	Local demand/Customer base 5 = Excellent
Clarity and consistency of town policies	Clarity and consistency of town policies 1 = Poor	Clarity and consistency of town policies 2	Clarity and consistency of town policies 3	Clarity and consistency of town policies 4	Clarity and consistency of town policies 5 = Excellent

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* 14. Are there any other concerns or challenges you’d like to share?

SECTION 4: TOWN SERVICES & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

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* 15. In your opinion, what could the Town of New Milford do more of to support businesses?

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* 16. What could the Town do less of, or change, to better support local businesses?

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* 17. Please rate how helpful you believe the following initiatives are for small businesses. (1 = Not Helpful, 5 = Very Helpful):

	1 = Not Helpful	2	3	4	5 = Very Helpful
Small business grants or funding programs	Small business grants or funding programs 1 = Not Helpful	Small business grants or funding programs 2	Small business grants or funding programs 3	Small business grants or funding programs 4	Small business grants or funding programs 5 = Very Helpful
Business workshops or training	Business workshops or training 1 = Not Helpful	Business workshops or training 2	Business workshops or training 3	Business workshops or training 4	Business workshops or training 5 = Very Helpful
Marketing support / "Shop Local-type" campaigns	Marketing support / "Shop Local-type" campaigns 1 = Not Helpful	Marketing support / "Shop Local-type" campaigns 2	Marketing support / "Shop Local-type" campaigns 3	Marketing support / "Shop Local-type" campaigns 4	Marketing support / "Shop Local-type" campaigns 5 = Very Helpful
Streamlined permitting and approvals	Streamlined permitting and approvals 1 = Not Helpful	Streamlined permitting and approvals 2	Streamlined permitting and approvals 3	Streamlined permitting and approvals 4	Streamlined permitting and approvals 5 = Very Helpful
Public events that drive foot traffic	Public events that drive foot traffic 1 = Not Helpful	Public events that drive foot traffic 2	Public events that drive foot traffic 3	Public events that drive foot traffic 4	Public events that drive foot traffic 5 = Very Helpful
Technical assistance or mentoring	Technical assistance or mentoring 1 = Not Helpful	Technical assistance or mentoring 2	Technical assistance or mentoring 3	Technical assistance or mentoring 4	Technical assistance or mentoring 5 = Very Helpful
Infrastructure or parking improvements	Infrastructure or parking improvements 1 = Not Helpful	Infrastructure or parking improvements 2	Infrastructure or parking improvements 3	Infrastructure or parking improvements 4	Infrastructure or parking improvements 5 = Very Helpful

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* 18. What do you see as the biggest barrier to growing your business in town?

SECTION 5: SMALL BUSINESS LEADERSHIP SUMMIT CONCEPT

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING DESCRIPTION OF AN EVENT CONCEPT:

NEW MILFORD SMALL BUSINESS LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

The Corporation for New Milford Economic Development is organizing a Small Business Leadership Summit for local business owners/leaders. The event is aimed to help local businesses stay ahead – discovering the latest trends, tools and strategies to tackle challenges, spark growth, and strengthen their businesses.

For many small business owners, just keeping up with daily operations leaves little time for long-term planning, market research, or learning new technologies. This summit is designed to change that – to inspire and empower small business owners with fresh energy, new ideas, and actionable strategies that will take their business to the next level. The event will include guest speakers, panel discussions and breakout sessions.

The next questions seek your input on this event so that we can better design it, curate topics, and identify speakers.

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* 19. What topics or activities would make this event most valuable to you? (Select all that apply)

Employee recruitment and retention strategies

Digital transformation and online presence

Understanding AI and how to integrate it into business

Navigating employee benefits (health insurance, retirement plans, etc.)

Financial management and funding opportunities

Networking with other businesses and partners

Legal Compliance

Marketing strategies and tools

Other (please specify)

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* 20. What would you like to achieve by attending this event? (Select up to 3)

Meet new customers or partners

Learn how to obtain funding and/or financial support

Get inspired by other small business success stories

Learn new skills to grow my business

Discover resources for business operations

Other (please specify)

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* 21. What types of activities, sessions, or support would you like to see included in this event? (Select all that apply)

Expert speaker panels

Breakout session options that allow me to choose the topics most relevant to me

Resource booth from organizations that support small businesses

Educational workshops

Networking session

Opportunities to showcase products/services

Other (please specify)

SECTION 6: SUPPORT & TRAINING NEEDS

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* 22. In general, what business subjects are you most interested in learning about to help your business succeed? (Select up to 3)

Sustainability/green practices

Cybersecurity

Accounting or bookkeeping

Human Resources/hiring

Digital Marketing/Social Media

Integrating AI into my business

Business planning or strategy development

E-commerce

Grant writing/funding resources

Legal or compliance issues

Other (please specify)

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* 23. How would you prefer to receive training or support? (Select all that apply)

In-person workshops

Online webinars

One-on-one coaching

Printed materials/guides

Email newsletter

Peer networking events

SECTION 7: FINAL THOUGHTS

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* 24. Any additional feedback or suggestions?

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* 25. Are you willing to be contacted to discuss your ideas and input?

Yes

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* 26. If yes, please provide the best phone and email contact information to reach you.

Thank you for your participation!

We appreciate that you took the time to share your insights. Your input is valuable and will help shape future policies, programs, and economic development services for small businesses in New Milford.

If you are interested in learning more about The Corporation for New Milford Economic Development please click here.

If you would like to learn more or volunteer for the upcoming Small Business Summit, please email us at c4nmed@gmail.com and include Small Business Summit in the subject line.

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