COVID-19 Business Support Survey
Background/ Research Methodology
Background
• Kingston Economic Development Corporation hired MDB Insight to conduct a survey to help support businesses as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim was to gain an understanding of the impacts that COVID-19 has had on local businesses and any supports required to help local economic recovery.
• The survey was conducted using an, open, online survey that allowed for the broad participation of businesses in the community.
• This online survey was open from April 23rd – May 19th, 2020 and gained 203 responses.
Kingston COVID Business Support Survey 2020 2
Survey ResultsPre-COVID Business Background
Kingston COVID Business Support Survey 2020 3
39.4% of businesses surveyed had operated in Kingston for longer than 25 years. The most common industries were retail trade, construction and other services.
Pre-COVID Business Background
How many years has your business been in operation in Kingston?What is your primary business sector?
Kingston COVID Business Support Survey 2020 4N = 203
The sample included businesses of varying sizes. Prior to COVID-19 86.1% of businesses reported they either expected to expand or maintain current operations.
Please indicate the number of full-time employees (prior to the COVID-19 pandemic – roughly 60 days ago) at your business.
Prior to COVID-19 what was your business outlook?
Pre-COVID Business Background
Kingston COVID Business Support Survey 2020 5N = 203
The businesses in the sample were spread across several annual gross revenue sizes.
What is your approximate gross annual revenue (total sales less material/equipment costs)?
Pre-COVID Business Background
Kingston COVID Business Support Survey 2020 6N = 203
The majority of businesses had local/regional customers, and many reported providing services nationally/internationally. 84.7% reported that less than 10% of their workforce worked remotely prior to COVID-19.
Where are your customers located? What percent of your business’s workforce was teleworking or working remotely prior to COVID-19?
Pre-COVID Business Background
Kingston COVID Business Support Survey 2020 7N = 203
Survey ResultsCOVID’s Impact to Business
Kingston COVID Business Support Survey 2020 8
Laying off staff, decreased hours and temporary closures were the most often reported impacts that COVID-19 had on the respondents.
COVID’s Impact to Business
How has COVID-19 impacted your business operations?
Key Themes: Other Impacts Specified
Projects put on hold/ delayed openings
Halted/ postponed services and training
Costs have increased to accommodate social distancing/ social safety
Support mental/ physical health in staff
Staff working fully from home
Kingston COVID Business Support Survey 2020 9N = 203
COVID’s Impact to Business
What percentage of employees have you had to lay-off
due to COVID related business impacts?
• 93 businesses reported that they have not laid any staff off
• 46 businesses reported that they had to lay 100% of their staff off due to COVID
• 64 businesses also reported various proportions of their staff that they had to lay off
Kingston COVID Business Support Survey 2020 10N = 203
Cash flow, health/safety concerns, and drawing customers to the physical business location were the most commonly listed current challenges for businesses.
COVID’s Impact to Business
Key Themes: Other Business Challenges
Travel restrictions limiting business
Businesses dependent on physical locations
Less tourism / seasonal residents / students
Meeting rent / bills / other expenses
Government programs don’t apply to their business
What are your current challenges?
Kingston COVID Business Support Survey 2020 11N = 203
Most businesses reported a loss in revenue due to COVID-19, while a small proportion reported increased revenue. 44.8% reported that if mandatory closures or reduced operations continue, there is a chance they may have to close permanently.
COVID’s Impact to Business
How has COVID-19 impacted typical approximate gross revenue over the past 6 - 8 weeks?
If mandatory closures or reduced operations
continue, is there a potential that you may have
to permanently close your business?
Kingston COVID Business Support Survey 2020 12N = 203
64.5% of respondents reported that they have or will access government support programs.
COVID’s Impact to Business
Have you or will you access any government
support programs? Key Themes: Government Support Comments
Hesitant to take on government loans / new debt
Programs don’t apply to their business
Uncertain of the supports available to them
The subsidies available are not enough for their business
Kingston COVID Business Support Survey 2020 13N = 203
69.3% of businesses reported that they could sustain the mandatory closures/reduced operations for greater than 2 months. Tax deferral and business continuity programs were the supports most often chosen as beneficial to their businesses.
COVID’s Impact to Business
How long do you expect your business can sustain the mandatory closures or reduced operations before you may need to permanently
close your business?
What support programs would be most beneficial to your business
Kingston COVID Business Support Survey 2020 14N = 203
The Government of Canada website and major news networks were the most commonly listed sources of support information. 48.3% of businesses anticipated they would be able to maintain operations for the near future.
COVID’s Impact to Business
What are your primary sources of information for support programs?
As we move toward economic recovery, what is your anticipated business outlook?
Kingston COVID Business Support Survey 2020 15N = 203
Survey ResultsForecasting for the Future
Kingston COVID Business Support Survey 2020 16
Please rate the following government support programs on their relevance
to your business.
• The CEBA, CEWS, and CERB were the support programs chosen by respondents as the most relevant to their businesses
• Many respondents also reported that Kingston’s local supports were highly relevant to their businesses
COVID’s Impact to Business
Kingston COVID Business Support Survey 2020 17N = 203
49.3% of businesses reported that they would expect to be operating at full capacity within a month of precautions being lifted. Health/safety, and reintegration with public spaces were the most commonly cited challenges to re-integrate the community moving into a local recovery period.
Forecasting for the Future
If COVID-19 related precautions were lifted tomorrow, how long would it take for your business to operate at full capacity?
What do you feel will be the biggest challenges to re-integrate the community as we move into a local recovery period?
Kingston COVID Business Support Survey 2020 18N = 203
When speculating the future roadmap for your business, how will you prioritize
your business modelling?
• Increasing online and digitized presence, and innovative service offerings were the most commonly-listed priorities for businesses’ future business modelling
• Among the respondents who chose “innovate service offerings”, this was the factor most frequently listed as the #1 priority for businesses
Forecasting for the Future
Kingston COVID Business Support Survey 2020 19N = 203
45.8% of respondents mentioned that they had created efficiencies in operations that they can carry forward through recovery.
Forecasting for the Future
Key Themes: Efficiencies Created
Better able to conduct work remotely
Pivoted to online sales and/or marketing
Reduced inventory/ costs/ staff
Better/more efficient sanitizing protocols
Changed/ expanded/ narrowed product offerings
Have you created efficiencies in operations that you will
carry forward through recovery and beyond?
Kingston COVID Business Support Survey 2020 20N = 203
Businesses were twice as likely to respond that Kingston was positioned well to support positive growth for business then to respond that it was positioned poorly.
Forecasting for the Future
Kingston COVID Business Support Survey 2020 21
How do you feel Kingston is positioned to support positive growth for businesses?
N = 203
Key Themes: Positive Growth Positioning
We have a dynamic and progressive business community capable of adapting
We are heavily reliant on tourism and seasonal visitors (i.e. students)
Hospitals, prison, military and municipal services make up a large portion of workers and these will provide more stability
Great collaboration/ support among local businesses
Municipality has shown a real dedication to support local businesses through the pandemic
68.5% felt that Kingston could potentially better leverage their institutional partners to support positive growth for local businesses.
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Forecasting for the Future
Key Themes: Leveraging Institutional Partners
Institutions should be encouraged to buy from and support local businesses
Use staff-sharing between institutions to accommodate short term surges/decreases
Lower regulatory requirements that slow/prevent collaboration and engagement opportunities
Utilize research capabilities / expertise locally
Strong communication between the institutions, and to the public about their business needs and opportunities
Do you feel that we can better leverage our institutional partners to support positive growth for Kingston based businesses?*
*i.e., Hospitals, CSC (Correctional Service of Canada), RMC (Royal Military College), SLC (St. Lawrence College), Queens, DND (Department of National
Defence)
N = 203
Respondents provided a wide array of advice for the future resiliency of businesses in the Kingston area.
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Forecasting for the Future
If you could provide one insight from a business owners' perspective to prepare others for better business fortitude in the future, what would it be?
Diversify – i.e. supply chains, product offerings, customer base, etc.
Minimize debt, maximize savings
Invest in digital – i.e. marketing, sales, meetings, etc.
Create an emergency / contingency plan
Collaborate with other local businesses, entrepreneurs and innovators
Design your business to be flexible and adaptable to new situations, always innovating, updating and changing
How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted your approach to business for future resilience?
Maintaining a larger inventory
Monitoring cash and business situation more closely
Have become more flexible and creative with business practices
Moved to more online sales, less reliance on physical location
Decreased operating costs
More diversification of procurement, product offerings and customer base
N = 203
Thank you,
comments or questions please contact:
Ian Murdoch, Business Development Officer
Kingston Economic Development Corporation