Business Needs Survey 2006/2007

Introduction

The Service Consultation Plan for 2006-2007 identified the need to carry out a business needs survey across all trade sectors in County Durham. This exercise will help us to improve our services for business and contribute towards the corporate aim of ‘Building a Strong Economy’.

On the 1 October a questionnaire was sent out to 367 local businesses selected at random from the Service’s computer database records. Copies of the covering letter and blank questionnaire are available.

Up to and including the 1 March 2007, the following responses had been received; 58 questionnaires were returned completed. If the undelivered questionnaires are ignored the response rate can be calculated at 16% which gives a confidence interval level of 95% +/- 8.67%. The response rate is a little on the low side but it is perhaps to be expected for a survey of this type. Previous Service surveys have had returns as high as 26.4%.

Full statistics relating to the survey are also available.

1. About the Businesses

Approximately half (51%) of the respondees were Partners or Owners of the businesses concerned. However both managers and employees views were well represented. The following chart shows the Status of Respondents as follows:

• Partner - 33%
• Manager - 19%
• Owner - 18%
• Other - 12%
• Director - 7%
• Unknown - 7%
• Secretary - 4%

2. Service Provision

Which of our Services have You Used in the Past?

Over one in three businesses (38.2%) had used our business advice service. Over two-fifths of businesses (41.8%) had used our licensing services and 12.7% had used our verification services (both statutory requirements). Only 7.3% of businesses had made use of our calibration facilities which was down against the 2003-2004 results (11.1%).

Percentage of Businesses who have Used our Services in the Past

The following chart shows the percentage of businesses who have used our services in the past as follows:

• Provision of a poison, explosives or animal movement licence: 2003/2004 - 24.4% and 2006/07 - 41.8%
• Calibration of equipment for quality assurance purposes: 2003/2004 - 11.1% and 2006/2007 - 7.3%
• Passing weighing or measuring equipment for trade use: 2003/2004 - 24.4% and 2006/2007 - 12.7%
• Advice on legislation: 2003/2004 - 40.0% and 2006/2007 - 38.2%
• None: 2006/2007 - 16.7%
• Other: 2006/2007 - 1.8%

Which of our Services might You Use in the Future?

Well over half of the businesses surveyed (54.7%) thought they might use our trader advice services in the future. The figures also suggest that the demand for calibration services could be more than twice as great than the present take up of this service with nearly one in 6 businesses (17.2%) thinking that they might use this service in the future. Indeed there would appear to be an increasing demand for all of our non-statutory services.

Percentage of Businesses who might Use our Services in the Future

The following chart shows the percentage of businesses who might use our services in the future as follows:

• Provision of a poison, explosives or animal movement licence: 2003/2004 - 15.6% and 2006/07 - 17.2%
• Calibration of equipment for quality assurance purposes: 2003/2004 - 18.9% and 2006/2007 - 17.2%
• Passing weighing or measuring equipment for trade use: 2003/2004 - 18.9% and 2006/2007 - 10.9%
• Advice on legislation: 2003/2004 - 46.7% and 2006/2007 - 54.7%
• None: 2006/2007 - 10.9%
• Other: 2006/2007 - 0%

How Useful would the Following Methods of Providing Information be to You?

The survey also sought to rate the usefulness of different ways of providing information to businesses (see next page for full results). 77% of businesses thought both general business newsletters were either ‘useful’ or ‘very useful’ as a means of communicating information – this is a 7% increase from the 2003-2004 results. In addition 82% of businesses thought that general business leaflets were either ‘useful’ or ‘very useful’ as a means of communicating information – this is a 11% increase from the 2003-2004 results. Individual letters also rated highly with at least 85% of traders finding them useful.

Accessing information from contact points, text messaging and video conferencing facilities were rated poorly for the second consecutive year. However, the overall results for all categories show a marked improvement from the previous year.

Usefulness of Information Media

An enlargement of a chart showing the usefulness of information media is available by clicking on the thumbnail below:

Which of the Following Business Advice would You find Useful?

Businesses were then asked how useful different categories of business advice were to them. All categories of advice were found to be ‘very useful’ or ‘useful’ for at least 32% of the business community. This is nearly a twofold improvement on the previous year (of 18%).

Advice on consumer rights and product safety were the most useful category’s of avdice for businesses with 73% finding them either ‘useful’ or ‘very useful’. This is a change from the 2003-2004 results which showed general trading law as the most useful category of advice for many businesses. Other advice categories usefulness tended to reflect the nature of the business involved.

The overall results for all categories show a marked improvement from the previous year. In particular, advice on Animal Health saw more than a three-fold increase in thise finding it useful. This perhaps arises from the foot and mouth & avian flu outbreaks.

Usefulness of Business Advice

An enlargement of a chart showing the usefulness of business advice is available by clicking on the thumbnail below:

3. Business Concerns

In this section businesses were asked to rate the usefulness of Trading Standards functions to the running of their business.

Over 90% of businesses claimed that advice on both current and new legislation as well as advice on consumer rights would be ‘useful’ or ‘very useful’ in helping them run their business. This is roughly 10% higher than 2003-2004 (of around 80%).

Product safety alerts, business inspections and action against rogue traders also figured strongly with over half of all businesses finding them at least ’useful’. Of least use to most businesses were checking of consumer credit advertisements, reduction of counterfeiting and preventing under age sales. The figures follow a similar trend to the 2003-2004 results.

Usefulness of Trading Standards Functions to Running of Business

An enlargement of a chart shows the usefulness of Trading Standards functions to running of business is available by clicking on the thumbnail below:

4. Comments

In this section businesses were asked to comment on whether there were any other business needs or support the Service could accommodate. The comments received were as follows:

• I have not used trading standards before in relation to the kitchen on the premises, however I would be interested in more communication.
• Stop kids standing outside the shop at night time. Old people frightened to come along when they just standing at the front doors.
• An appointed person who would deal personally for your company's needs if required.
• I feel markets v farmers markets need to be policed better.
• We have a very good souce of information from SPAR UK as we are a national retailer.

5. Email Newsgroups

44% of respondants expressed a desire to join a trader newsgroup alerting them to such things as new legislation, product safety alerts and business scams.

Percentage of Traders who Wish to Join an E-mail Newsgroup

6. Diversity

The following people responded as indicated below. None of the respondents considered themselves to be disabled.

Ethnic Group

The following chart shows the percentage of ethnic groups as follows:

• British - 98%
• Indian - 2%

Gender

The following chart shows the percentage of gender as follows:

• Male - 73%
• Female - 27%

Age

The following chart shows the percentage of age groups as follows:

• 18 to 34 years - 9%
• 35 to 54 years - 59%
• 55+ years - 32%

Conclusions

1. Overall, the survey is a measure of support for many of the initiatives that the Service has adopted in terms of improving our services to business.

2. It would seem that for some of our services, such as the calibration of equipment, and advice on legislation, that these may be of use to more businesses than are using them at present. In this respect it would seem that more work needs to be done informing businesses of the full range of businesses open to them.

3. In relation to information provision, all forms of communication media would appear to be ‘very useful’ to at least some businesses. It would seem appropriate to continue to use the variety and extent of media used by business to access our Service.

4. Similarly with business advice, all categories of advice would appear to be ‘very useful’ to some businesses. Perhaps surprisingly for traders, advice on consumer rights figure prominently.

5. Concerning how Trading Standards functions help traders to run their businesses, top of the list is again advice on legislation and consumer rights. However, all our functions are rated at least ‘useful’ in helping nearly 1 in 3 of the businesses who replied.

6. The comments received are helpful in pinpointing areas of improvement in relation to the standard and content of trader advice, identifying opportunities for education and promotion of the role of our Service in supporting business.

7. There would seem to a be a steady demand for e-mail newsgroup services suggesting that our work in that area should continue to be developed.

8. Finally, there has been a big increase in the demand for advice on Animal Health issues. Further education programs should therefore be considered.