Work Session Item 5 - 2019 Business Climate Survey Report - FINALE conomic D E v E lopm E nt
Integrity Innovation Accountability Commitment to Excellence Teamwork
CITY OF SOUTHLAKE
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM
1400 Main Street, Suite 460
Southlake, Texas 76092
(817) 748-8039
EconDev@ci.southlake.tx.us
www .S E l Ect S outhlak E .com
2019
B u S in ESS c limat E S urv E y
www.SelectSouthlake.com
t a B l E of c ont E nt S
Page
Introduction 4
Background 4
Why a Business Climate Survey?4
Goals & Objectives 5
Survey Structure 6
Overview of Methodology 6
Report Organization 8
Short Form Survey 12
Would you like to let the City know
anything else?
21
Full Form Survey 26
Greatest benefit of being in
Southlake?
59
Conclusion 63
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2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
Background
The City of Southlake strives to maintain a strong and healthy economy and has dedicated
time and resources to economic development, identified as a vital city function, in order to
maintain a strong and healthy economy. There are various economic indicators that can
give the City a better sense on the economic conditions in the community, however, these
indicators can be limited in their ability to give local leaders insight as to what the City does
effectively to stimulate and support business activity in the community.
To address this need, the Economic Development Master Plan, adopted in 2016, identified
evaluating the City’s economic programs by conducting an annual business climate &
satisfaction survey as a policy recommendation for its business retention efforts. In order to
fulfill this requirement, the master plan recommended conducting a business climate survey
that collects information from Southlake employers about their outlook and needs and to
determine if the City’s programs are meeting those needs.
As such, the City of Southlake Economic Development & Tourism Department conducted
this survey in February and March of 2019.
Why a Business climate survey?
Business climate indicates how state,
regional and local policies, relationships
and local communities support business
development. Ultimately, a good business
climate allows businesses to conduct their
affairs with minimal interference while
accessing quality high inputs and customers
at low costs. While no business climate is
perfect for every kind of company, certain
attributes of the regional or local economy
allow investors to find fewer risks and higher
returns when compared to other places.
Business opinion/satisfaction surveys enable businesses to share their perceptions and
suggestions about local government, specific public issues, and the various services provided
to them with their governing body including the mayor, city council, other elected & appointed
officials, city staff. These local decision-makers often have to make important decisions with
limited information and input from residents and businesses. Business surveys can assist in
bridging this gap and ensure decision-makers have the most accurate information.
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By conducting a business climate survey, the City will obtain the most current information
about local businesses and have a better understanding of local challenges and perceptions
of the business community. This type of survey also demonstrates the City’s support for the
local business community, uncovers opportunities to improve the local business climate, finds
benefits for existing businesses and provides a means for the City to evaluate its current and
future programs to provide more effective decisions and programs businesses.
Ultimately, the survey results and analyses presented in this report will provide the City Council
and staff with information that can be used to make sound, strategic decisions in a variety of
areas, including service improvements and enhancements, measuring and tracking internal
performance, budgeting, policy, and planning not just through Economic Development
initiatives but through City-wide decision making.
goals & oBjectives
Quality of Life is the economic well being, life style, and
environment that an area offers. Improving the quality of
life is the ultimate aim of economic development programs
and initiatives. A balance has to be maintained between
encouraging the growth of the local economy, while limiting
impacts upon the quality of life.
In order to achieve the best quality of life possible, tools
such as this Business Climate Survey are used to obtain
a better understanding of local economic conditions.
Understanding labor challenges, labor demographics,
struggling local industries, business trends, upcoming
challenges and how to effectively use technology all
contribute to the local business climate and pro-actively
obtaining this information keeps the City “on-the-pulse” of
the local environment.
Working with the Community Enhancement & Development
Corporation (CEDC), City staff developed goals for the survey
understanding that upon getting results and conducting
future surveys, goals will be adjusted accordingly.
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• Acquire current local
business data
• Obtain a better
understanding of the local
business environment
• Improve organizational
processes to better serve
the business community
• Enhance current and future
programs targeted towards
assisting businesses
• Develop better
communication and
relationships between
the City and business
community
Business Climate
Survey Goals
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survey structure
City of Southlake Economic Development staff worked closely with the CEDC to develop a
questionnaire that covered the topic areas that would be of most value to the City. Upon
evaluation, it was determined that obtaining core business data, perceptions/sentiment
about the business environment and evaluating the City’s service performance should be
the focus.
Additionally, the CEDC discussed strategies to encourage participation since time is extremely
valuable for businesses. For this reason the survey was divided in two, a short-form survey
consisting of approximately 9-questions and a long-form survey that includes an additional
29-questions for those businesses that chose to contribute more of their time.
The development of the questions for the survey consisted of three focus areas: 1) Business
Data, focused on obtaining data associated with the specific business such as sales trends,
number of employees and years in operation; 2) Business Environment focused on getting
the business perspective and opinions on labor availability, taxes and local to national
economy; and 3) Community Environment which focused on level/quality of service that the
City provides to the local business community.
overvieW of methodology
Data for this study was collected through an on-line
survey developed in-house by City staff. The survey
was open between February 7 and March 22, 2019, a
total of 43 days. The City used its business contact
database, consisting of over 1,400 businesses,
to communicate with local businesses about the
survey. Personal visits were also conducted at
larger retail centers in the community to inform
store owners and managers about the value of
providing feedback through the survey. Lastly,
numerous emails, social media posts and an article
through My Southlake News were are drafted in an
effort to get maximum participation from Southlake businesses.
During this time, 144 businesses completed the short-form survey. Responses were distributed
throughout the City’s commercial centers (see Business Response Distribution Map shown
on the next page). Additionally, 75 businesses completed the optional long-form version of
the survey.
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2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
BuSinESS rESponSE DiStriBution map
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Quick facts
There are 1,780 physical “brick & mortar” businesses located in Southlake and a
total of 2,178 businesses including home based businesses, non-profits, etc.
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report organization
This report has been drafted to separate the short-form and long-form portion of the survey.
Both forms of the survey have questions related to the focus areas of the survey consisting
of Business Data, Business Environment and Community Environment.
The sections below lists the questions that were asked in the short form and long form of the
business climate survey:
Short Form Survey Questions
1. How many employees work at your business location in Southlake?
2. How long has your business been located in Southlake?
3. What is your primary source of customers / sales for your business?
4. How would you best describe your sales / revenue of your business over the last
year?
5. How would you best describe the local business climate in Southlake?
6. What would you say is the greatest benefit of being located in Southlake?
7. What would you say is the greatest challenge to being located in Southlake?
8. Overall, how would you best describe the level of service provided by the City of
Southlake?
9. Would you like to let the City know anything else?
Long Form Survey Questions
• Business Data
1. What industry best describes the services/work your business does?
2. What best describes your business?
3. What is your forecast for sales/revenue trend in the next 12 months?
4. Where is most of your customer/client base coming from?
5. What is the highest level of education your employees need to begin working at your
place of business?
6. What best describes most of your employees status?
7. Over the last 12-months, how would you best describe your employment needs?
8. In the next 12-months, what do you anticipate your employment needs to be?
9. Does your business sell goods/services online through a website or app?
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10. What area would you say most of your employees/workforce are commuting from?
11. Is your business a member of the Southlake Chamber of Commerce or other Chamber
of Commerce?
• Business Environment
1. Do you feel your business is set to grow/expand in the next year?
2. To what extent do state and local taxes prevent your business from growing?
3. How would you best describe the regional economy in North Texas (DFW)?
4. How would you best describe the state economy in Texas?
5. How would you best describe the national economy?
6. How would you rate Southlake as a place to do business?
7. How would you describe Southlake as a place to do business versus other communities?
8. How would you define your business ability to hire employees/labor?
9. What is one thing you would change about the location your business is at?
10. What do you feel is greatest challenge facing the Southlake business environment?
• Community Environment
1. Has your business had any interaction with a City employee over the last year?
2. How would you rate your most recent interaction with a City employee?
3. Do you believe Southlake is as attractive a place to work as it was 5 years ago?
4. How would you rate the appearance of where you do business in Southlake?
5. How would you rate the quality of trash and recycling services in Southlake?
6. How would you rate the quality of streets/roads in Southlake?
7. How would you rate the quality of water service in Southlake?
8. What do you feel is the greatest benefit to being a business in Southlake?
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short form survey
The Short Form portion of the Business Climate Survey experienced the greatest amount of
participation with 144 business respondents. This number represents approximately 8.1% of
all physical “brick and mortar” businesses in Southlake. There are a total of 2,178 businesses
in Southlake, however, many of these represent web-based, home-based, P.O. Box registered
businesses in Southlake which in most cases the City does not get an opportunity to interact
or obtain the necessary information from such businesses.
The City of Southlake follows the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)
for classifying businesses. The NAICS is the standard used by Federal statistical agencies in
classifying business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing
statistical data related to the U.S. business economy. In Southlake, of the 19 classifications in
the NAICS, approximately 65% of all businesses in Southlake fall in 7 categories; Retail Trade
Finance & Insurance, Professional, Scientific & Tech Services, Health Care & Social Assistance,
Accommodation & Food Services, Other Services (except Public Administration) and
Construction. Below is the number of survey respondents based on NAICS category.
S hort f orm S urv E y
Business Climate Survey NAICS Industry Representation Chart
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82
39
12
3 5
2 0 1
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
1 - 9 10 - 24 25 - 49 50 - 99 100 - 249 250 - 999 1000 - 1999 > 2000
numBer of employees
The employees that work at a local business contribute
in significant ways to the local economy beyond the
employment itself. People employed in a community
contribute by sustaining other businesses within that
community and creating demand for services that
may or may not exist already.
hoW many employees Work at your Business location in southlake?
S hort f orm S urv E y
Quick facts
The businesses that responded
to the 2019 Business Climate
Survey represent 5,392
employees or 19.5% of the total
workforce in Southlake.
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years in operation
The number of years a business has been located in a community can indicate a variety of
things. The customer base and relationships the business has established with customers, the
geographic location within North Texas, relationship with the City, loyalty and performance
of its employees and cost of doing business are all factors that can influence a business to
remain in a community. Southlake has just under 50% of businesses that have been here at
least 7-years.
hoW long has your Business Been located in southlake?
S hort f orm S urv E y
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Contract
17%
Online
17%
Referral
23%Relationship
7%
Walk -In
36%
source of Business
How a business primarily conducts its business can help with City understand and target its
efforts on marketing the community. There is a large percentage of businesses in Southlake
(30%) that depend on relationships & referrals as their primary source of business. This likely
tells us that networking and opportunities to build relationships with other business owners
in the community is important.
What is your primary source of customers / sales for your Business?
S hort f orm S urv E y
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Exceeding
target
20%
Meeting target
56%
Lower than
target
22%
Private
2%
sales targets
While the actual sales of a business can ultimately tell us whether or not it’s profitable, the
sales target can be more indicative of its sales expectations for the future. By learning
whether businesses are meeting their sales target or not, can tell the City if Southlake’s
business climate is conducive for growth. Of all the businesses surveyed, 76% indicated they
are either meeting or exceeding their sales target.
hoW Would you Best descriBe your sales / revenue of your Business over
the last year?
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Excellent
35%
Good
49%
Fair
14%
Poor
2%
local Business climate
Having the “pulse” of the business community is at the heart of the goals of this survey.
Assessing the local business climate tells us if businesses feel this is a good environment to
conduct their business. Of all the businesses surveyed, 84% believe the business climate in
Southlake is either excellent or good.
hoW Would you Best descriBe the local Business climate in southlake?
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S hort f orm S urv E y
Community
23%
Customers
31%
Location
33%
Other
Businesses
4%Safety
5%
Other:
4%
local Benefits
Understanding the local benefits of the community to businesses can help the City focus its
efforts on maintaining and improving those benefits. Survey respondents said they felt the
location and customer base accounted for 64% were the greatest benefits of being located
in Southlake.
What Would you say is the greatest Benefit of Being located in
southlake?
• A little bit of all of the
above
• Close to home
• Convenient for employees
• Networking
• The city name
• They truly understand
what we are doing and
why
Other Comments
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Cost/Rent
8%
Customer Base
11%
Location
8%
Other
Businesses
21%
Nothing
7%Safety
1%
Traffic
27%
Other:
17%
local challenges
Understanding the community’s challenges can help
the City understand where its efforts should be spent
to support the business environment. Most businesses
(27%) indicated that traffic was the main challenge in
Southlake but another large portion of respondents
(21%) indicated other businesses, or competition, was
the greatest challenge.
What Would you say is the greatest
challenge to Being located in southlake?
• Too many illegitimate/fly-by-
night businesses operating in our
marketplace, commercial disposal
costs, traffic (understandable)
• Business relations and network
• City Government
• Construction
• Housing and Cost of living for the
employees - Most commute.
• Hiring
• I think it’s too soon for us to make
conclusions, but so far getting the
traffic desired is our goal/challenge
and through more brand exposure
and marketing, this year should be
great for us!
• Lack of workforce housing
• Low home sale volume...23 homes
sold in January in Southlake for
example.
• People are too “busy.”
• Not able to put signs on your
property for drive by specials in the
office, limits & rules /regulation of
the city
• Signage for the location
• Staffing / No public transportation
access
• Staying involved with our
community
• Taxes
• The trees around our building. You
can’t see our signs on either side.
The city requires them to be there.
It is a BIG issue. One that will likely
resulting in us moving out of the
city if not fixed.
• Unrealistic expectations
• Very costly to make changes that
are within city guidelines
• Very high standard, makes a great
challenge to overcome each day
• Difficulties in rather over stringent
regulations
• Distance from market
Other Comments
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Excellent
39%
Good
44%
Fair
12%
Poor
2%
Other:
3%
Quality of city services
The City of Southlake as a local municipality is primarily tasked with providing services to
those that reside and conduct business in the community. Knowing how well the City performs
and provides these services is key in its performance management. Of all the businesses that
responded, 84% of businesses felt that the City provides an excellent or good level of service.
overall, hoW Would you Best descriBe the level of service provided By
the city of southlake?
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S hort f orm S urv E y
additional comments
Since almost half of the businesses surveyed (48%) indicated they would only take the Short
Form version of the Business Climate Survey, it was important for the City to obtain feedback
on any other observations the businesses might have that provide more insight on their
responses. Those comments can be found below along with a word cloud that highlights
common themes mentioned.
We don’t fit the typical “business” of Southlake so I understand our opinion is different.
The only negative we have to being in Southlake is the difficulty of traffic getting onto/off
our property. It is a dangerous situation to pull out and do a u-turn in front of our building.
We have not been overwhelmed by the city’s desire to help us figure out a better solution.
Allow better visibility from traffic with less roadside trees.
Business is hard, very hard. When possible, give a us a break.
City Festivals seem to use external non city vendors more than local vendors--except for
4th of July
Develop more housing
Doing a great job! Thank you
Get more businesses in Too many going to Plano and Irving
Get rid of the pigeons in my area.
Go easy on the tax
Great place to do business!
Would you like to let the city knoW anything else?
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I appreciate the information their share with businesses, it was great for me to find out
that there are ways they can support us as far as marketing(tourism department?) and
would love to get more information on that...Will follow up with Daniel Cortez for the
contact info so we can benefit from that great opportunity!
I like living and working here.
It would be great to see the city take some action on #'s 1 and 2 that I mentioned
above. Also, there is a lot of talk among businesses in town about fire inspectors having
unreasonable citations and demands. Finally, sign regulations are too strict and impede
a business' ability to advertise, more specifically, when a Southlake business like ours is
participating in a prominent construction project and is not allowed to put any sign up
to let the community know they are participating, that is inhibiting the success of that
business that is a good corporate citizen and helping to fuel Southlake's economy.
Keep making our community wonderful
Keep up the good work
Love Southlake and appreciate the dedication of the city employees. Would like that in
a small city like ours, there would be an opportunity to stay better connected to issues
affecting local businesses. The Chamber is useless.
Make sure when events happen it doesn’t cover the store, we are never seen during the
events something big is always covering the store
Marketing Support & communication with vendors is poor.
Median on 1709 really hurt my walk-in trade as access to my store is difficult.
Need to expand parking lot but the city won’t allow
Our foot traffic has been decreasing about 30-20% over the last few years.
Our location if very tough to get to because you have to do a full U-turn to get into the
driveway of our location. A lot of customer turn on Brock Street thinking there is an en-
trance to our parking lot and there isn't. We would like to know what steps would need to
be taken to include a parking lot entrance from Brock Street. Thank you.
Parking is an issue in Town Square. And we seem to have too many power outages.
Recycle
Should have handled the Highway 1938 project with TxDOT much better - the delays were
unexplainable and deplorable
Should work closer with businesses to better locate retail in and near residential areas
(convenience is why most people shop with us). Even if we stayed within Southlake, not
sure we would do as well as we do if we moved. Also to better understand why some
businesses make it and others go under within 2 - 3 years. Would also be interesting in
seeing Southlake's business growth and retention annual numbers
Southlake has been a great community to start a small business. We have felt welcomed
by the community and leadership from the beginning.
c omm E nt S
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Southlake was our first location and it is our baby. Over the past 10 years we have seen
such a HUGE shift in the city. There is so much new retail but not enough roof tops to
support all of it. When we opened our Alliance location a lot of business went there. The
response was that there really isn't a reason to go to Southlake anymore. Alliance has
everything we need and we don't have to hassle the traffic. Our Alliance location does
more business than Southlake with half the rent cost.
The city is great and has a highly valued consumer base that many large national and
regional companies covet. I would like to see the city attempt new initiatives aimed at
leveling the playing field for local businesses in Southlake. Especially incentives for locally
owned and operated restaurants that would help them thrive.
The City needs to improve the roads. Specifically Continental and Dove. There are major
roads that do not meet the minimum standards of the City's own master thoroughfare
plan today. The City has been very negligent in not addressing this problem. As they are
today those roads are very dangerous.
The number of fitness businesses is staggering at the moment. Franchises are driving
locals out of business. I consider Southlake to be un-supportive of local small business.
Rent is insane. Many business go out of business within a year or two. This cannot be
good for the economy.
This is a beautiful area for our customers to shop and RPAI has done an excellent job
keeping our area relevant and inclusive.
Tractor trailers routinely park on 114 access road in front of Chicken Express (at Kimball),
presumably for the purpose of eating at that establishment. This illegal parking creates a
safety concern and is not enforced by Southlake Police.
We appreciate the business friendly environment. Would live for there to be a joint
Chamber/EDC City meeting like Grapevine does. Love their format and it would be great
for Southlake!
We love being here!
We need greater promotion of our city We now have much greater competition from oth-
er cities.
We need to be able to place “Now Open” banner, yard sign etc.
We purchased this as an existing business in November, would be interested in learning
more about how to work with the city.
We’re not all large corporations with endless financial resources
What fabulous work they do and how energetic the business owners are in supporting
each others business
With a dozen fitness options in Southlake, it’s frustrating that the City is using funds to
create yet another fitness option that will directly compete with those local businesses
who are already vying for a share of the market.
You all do an outstanding job! Only complaint is mounting traffic.
c omm E nt S
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Yes
52%
No
48%
Would you Be Willing to ansWer
several additional Questions related
to this survey?
f ull f orm S urv E y
full form survey
As mentioned in the previous section, businesses had the option upon completing the Short
Form version of the survey to provide more information about their operations and opinions
in the Full Form version. Of the 144 businesses that took the Short Form, 75 of them agreed
to take the Full Form representing about 52% of the total respondents.
In the Full Form version of the Business Climate Survey, additional questions were asked
regarding their business operations, opinions on the business environment and their opinions
on the City’s services that are provided to them and their customers. These questions were
broken up into three sections beginning on the next page and titled at the top under Business
Data, Business Environment and Community Environment.
While it was not necessarily a goal of
this survey to asses level of community
engagement from local businesses,
the number of respondents that
decided to take the Full Form version
of the survey is a good indication
of the level of engagement of the
businesses surveyed. According to a
recent Forbes Business Development
Council article, businesses that are
engaged with their community, “can
help their business connect with
people in their local area and get the
word out about their work. Companies
can give back and gain eyes on their
projects by engaging with members
of the community, but getting
involved with residents can also help
organizations better understand their
audience and ultimately allow them to
create better products and services.”
Did You Know
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Independent (small
business)
63%
Franchise Owned
(regional chain)
4%
Franchise Owned
(national chain)
15%
Regional Business
Chain
5%
National Business
Chain
13%
Business type
The type of business can help the City understand the representation and make-up of those
businesses that are taking this survey. Efforts should then be made to target areas where
business types are under represented. The majority of respondents (63%) to take the survey
were, independent (small) businesses.
What Best descriBes your Business?
B u S in ESS D ata
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Increase over
previous year
79%
Flat -No
increase or
decrease
15%
Decrease over
previous year
5%
Unsure
1%
sales & revenue forecast
The sales and revenue forecast is helpful in assessing sales trends expected by local businesses.
This is a key indicator to for the City to determine the business climate expected by the
business community. The vast majority of respondents (79%) expect their sales to increase
over the next year.
What is your forecast for sales/revenue trend in the next 12 months?
B u S in ESS D ata
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Local
60%
Sub-Regional
(North Texas)
25%
Regional
(Southern US)
1%
National
14%
International
0%
Where is most of your customer/client base coming from?
customer Base location
Having a good understanding of a businesses customer base can help the City in its marketing
efforts. The majority (85%) of respondents indicated their client base is from the North Texas
area and local (in and around Southlake). This would match up with the business type that
indicated the majority were independent (small) businesses.
Where is most of your customer/client Base coming from?
B u S in ESS D ata
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B u S in ESS D ata
High School
49%
Technical /
Vocational
School
17%
College Degree
31%
Post -Graduate
Degree
3%
level of education
The level of education required by businesses can help the City understand what the
employment needs are within the community. Just over half (51%) of all businesses indicated
through the survey that additional education beyond a high-school diploma is needed.
What is the highest level of education your employees need to Begin
Working at your place of Business?
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B u S in ESS D ata
Full-Time
Employees
58%
Part-Time
Employees
27%
Even Split
between Full &
Part-time
11%
Independent/Contractor
Employees
4%
local employee status
While the City does have a high number of retail and dining establishments that are often part-
time employment positions, this only accounts for about 29% of the over 27,000 employees
working in Southlake (consistent with the respondent representation on this chart). The
majority (58%) of employees who work in Southlake are full-time workers.
What Best descriBes most of your employees status?
32 www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
Hired more
employees
46%
Laid off more
employees
3%
Flat -no significant
increase or decrease
43%
Other:
8%
historical employment needs
Looking at the employment needs over the last year for businesses can give the City some
insight as to the growth of businesses over the last 12-months and whether the business
environment in Southlake is sustaining growth. Most businesses (89%) either hired more
employees or remained flat in their employment needs.
over the last 12-months, hoW Would you Best descriBe your employment
needs?
B u S in ESS D ata
• We have recently hired a
few new employees but
are in desperate need of
candidates/employees! Our
business is wanting growth,
we have the customers,
the equipment, and the
systems/processes, but
need candidates to recruit
and hire.
• No employees.
• Not enough applicants to
fill positions
• Self-employed
• Employees left & never
intend to hire as many
as we had before due to
decrease in sales therefore
also decrease in labor band.
• Can’t find qualified sales
people
Other Comments
33www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
Hire more
employees
57%
Lay off more
employees
3%
Flat -no significant
increase or decrease
40%
Other:
0%
future employment needs
Looking at the historical employment needs in addition to the future employment needs
in the community can give the City a sense of the level of optimism that businesses have
regarding their growth. Over half (57%) of the businesses indicated that they anticipate hiring
more employees in the next 12-months.
in the next 12-months, What do you anticipate your employment needs to
Be?
B u S in ESS D ata
34 www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
Yes
36%
No
64%
Business reach
As the shopping habits of the upcoming generations changes, understanding who has
adopted the internet as a means to conduct business is important. While many businesses still
operate very well under traditional means, more and more services such as legal, architectural
and accounting are moving to a hybrid and/or web-based option to obtain services.
does your Business sell goods/services online through a WeBsite or app?
B u S in ESS D ata
35www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
< 5 miles (Local)
34%
5 -10 miles
20%
11 -15 miles
15%
16 -25 miles
20%
> 25 miles
11%
Workforce origination
Having a qualified and large workforce pool within a reasonable distance is extremely
important to any business. As more companies move to North Texas and low unemployment
persists, it creates a competitive hiring environment for all businesses. Southlake is not
immune to this effect and with the rapid increase in housing costs, the challenge becomes
greater. Understanding the distance the local workforce is commuting from is important to
understand how far employees are driving. Just over half (51%) of the respondents indicated
their employees commute 10-miles or less to work in Southlake.
What area Would you say most of your employees/Workforce are
commuting from?
B u S in ESS D ata
36 www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
Southlake Chamber of
Commerce
33%
Other local
chamber of
commerce
7%
Southlake
Chamber of
Commerce and
other chamber of
commerce
15%
Not a member of any
chamber of commerce
45%
Is your business a member of the Southlake Chamber of
Commerce or other Chamber of Commerce?
organizational community involvement
As mentioned in the beginning of the section, community involvement/engagement can often
help a business succeed in a community. Over half (55%) of all respondents indicated they
were either part of the Southlake Chamber of Commerce, other local chamber of commerce
or part of both.
is your Business a memBer of the southlake chamBer of commerce or
other chamBer of commerce?
B u S in ESS D ata
37www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
Yes
79%
No
5%
Stay the
same
16%
Business outlook & sentiment
One of the most direct indicators of a businesses
sentiment in the community is whether it feels the
potential for growth in the future. The vast majority
(79%) of the businesses surveyed indicated they felt
their business was set to grow/expand over the next
year.
do you feel your Business is set to groW/expand in the next year?
B u S in ESS E nvironm E nt
Quick facts
In 2018, 94% of businesses that
opened in the City of Southlake
remained open after their first
year compared to the national
average of 80%.
38 www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
Large
(significant)
impact to
growth
8%
Moderate
impact to
growth
16%
Minimal impact
to growth
33%
No impact
43%
taxes & groWth
Southlake, and Texas in general is well known to be a business (low tax) friendly state.
Understanding whether this is in fact consistent in Southlake is important. The vast majority
(76%) of businesses that responded indicated that state and local taxes either had no impact
or minimal impact to their growth.
to What extent do state and local taxes prevent your Business from
groWing?
B u S in ESS E nvironm E nt
39www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
Excellent
60%
Good
39%
Fair
1%
Poor
0%
north texas Business confidence
North Texas has experienced significant investment and population growth since the Great
Recession. This has led to a robust regional economy. Almost all survey respondents (99%)
indicated they felt that the regional economy is either excellent or good.
hoW Would you Best descriBe the regional economy in north texas
(dfW)?
B u S in ESS E nvironm E nt
40 www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
Excellent
50%Good
47%
Fair
3%
Poor
0%
texas Business confidence
In addition to a robust North Texas economy, Texas in general has benefited from a growing
economy over most of the last decade. Approximately 97% of the businesses surveyed
indicated they felt Texas had a excellent or good economy.
hoW Would you Best descriBe the state economy in texas?
B u S in ESS E nvironm E nt
41www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
Excellent
24%
Good
50%
Fair
23%
Poor
3%
national Business confidence
Although not surprising, confidence in the business environment on a national level is lower
than at the state or regional level. Almost three-quarters (74%) of respondents indicated
they felt the national economy is excellent or good.
hoW Would you Best descriBe the national economy?
B u S in ESS E nvironm E nt
42 www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
Excellent
51%Good
41%
Fair
5%
Poor
3%
conducting Business locally
The ability and ease to conduct business locally is important because it can facilitate growth
and expansion of existing businesses or the addition of new businesses into the community.
Of the businesses surveyed, the vast majority (92%) rated Southlake as excellent or good as
a place to conduct business.
hoW Would you rate southlake as a place to do Business?
B u S in ESS E nvironm E nt
43www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
Better than
other
communities
68%
About the same
as other
communities
20%
Worse than
other
communities
12%
Business location preference
This question dives deeper into comparing Southlake versus other communities to conduct
business. When comparing Southlake to other communities, more than half (68%) of the
respondents indicated that it is better than other communities to do business.
hoW Would you descriBe southlake as a place to do Business versus other
communities?
B u S in ESS E nvironm E nt
44 www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
Easy to
hire/find
employees
31%
Have not had to
hire/find
employees
16%
Difficult to
hire/find
employees
49%
Other:
4%
availaBility of laBor
Periods of low unemployment are generally a sign of a stable economy. However, low
unemployment also creates a challenge for businesses with regard to finding qualified labor
to fill vacancies. Almost half (49%) of all businesses surveyed indicated they have a difficulty
in hiring or finding employees to fill their positions.
hoW Would you define your Business aBility to hire employees/laBor?
B u S in ESS E nvironm E nt
45www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
Business location improvements
The optimal business location can sometimes prove difficult for businesses to identify. Factors
such as roadway exposure, amenities, signage and foot traffic may be adequate for some
businesses but not for others. In this survey, respondents provided their feedback as to what
they would change about their location to have that optimal location.
What is one thing you Would change aBout the location your Business is
at?
B u S in ESS E nvironm E nt
Increased visibility from Southlake Blvd
Additional street lighting along Commerce Street
An entrance to our parking lot off of Brock St. It is a very dangerous U-turn to have to get
into Direct Orthopedic Care and to our office.
Better visibility from traffic/remove trees
Cost of housing
Do not need store front retail exposure
Ease of entrance and exit to our center
Easier access from Route 1709
Good location- perhaps access to Kirkwood Blvd. from Cherry Lane.
Hard to recruit service workers
46 www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
Have more main street visibility
I love our location... but the rent is super high-especially with that county tax hike.
I should have taken more space. This will limit my growth for the next 2 years.
I would prefer not to be so close to the stadium.
I wouldn't change anything
I'm not sure what this question is asking. Location meaning Southlake? Within Southlake?
Appearance of location? This question is a bit open to interpretation. You may consider
being more precise with the wording in future surveys.
Increase walking traffic/shoppers to area
It is on 1709, but hard to see from passer-by’s. Not allowed to post hiring signs.
Just changed location - last was in Southlake
Lack of parking
Location is great, I just wish there was more retail land available near me. If there was I
could expand and grow my business. I want to invest in Southlake, we love being here, but
most land that is open for business zoning is always open for office vs retail. We get it, but
the city needs to work harder to make retail available even if residents don't always want
it. Once convenience is gone so are the residents and most old residents don't seem to
understand that. People move to certain places because of what the area has to offer, city
services as well as business.
Lower rent cost, extremely high
More boutique or higher trending stores in our corner to drive traffic.
More parking
More parking
More prestigious building
More restaurants near us
More visible
More visible to main road
Need a warehouse
No change
No changes
Not much. I love our current location and the walk-ability to Central Market and Town
Square.
Nothing
B u S in ESS E nvironm E nt
47www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
Nothing
Nothing
Nothing
Nothing
Nothing
Nothing - we love the Granite building!
Nothing close to DFW and town square for business services (copy, etc.)
Nothing really comes to mind
Nothing really. It is humorous that newer neighborhoods have built around our business
park that has been here for well over 20 years and they now complain about the business
park and the (relatively) very mild activities that go on here.
Nothing. I like my location.
On slower end of Town Square
Shift to another side of the square as our current side gets very little traffic
Shorter hours
Signage
Signage visibility
Southlake has a reputation that may hurt business
The building itself needs renovation.
The medium on 1709
The only changes I would make are landlord maintenance issues.
The restrictions of the land and all the rules of the city to be more accommodating for
small business owners to expand especially when you own your land
The safety of our patients has been severely impacted by the Starbucks drive-through and
the city and business not putting a plan in place to re-route the line to the parking lot of
Starbucks. There have been several hit and runs (vehicle, pedestrians). The traffic is highly
regulated by the city and they are highly responsive to these safety issues at our locations
in Plano.
The TREES around our building!! Seriously it is our biggest issue. Everyday here it from our
customers.
Update the parking lot
Would love more parking and lower lease rates
Would not change
B u S in ESS E nvironm E nt
48 www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
B u S in ESS E nvironm E nt
Business environment challenges
While the ideal business environment is different to every business, in this survey, we asked
businesses what they felt were the biggest challenge to the local business environment was
to get a better understanding of local concerns. Some of the key concerns based on the
comments were competition, labor availability, traffic and lease rates.
It’s not enough customers coming to the area
"#1 is the cost of real estate in Southlake. Its so high that small businesses are
hampered to compete with large scale national brands and their budgets. Again
- I'm a big proponent to finding some incentives for Southlake based small
businesses. Rent stipends, tax incentives - financial support to help compete
with larger brands. My business relies on the advertising budgets of other small
businesses in town. Many have too much of their operating budgets tied up in real
estate. They think that location is the only key. It is a big one... but there are so
many other businesses here that the competition is stiff.
I would also love to see how Southlake could help established businesses like mine
be in better touch with new businesses. Seems like a lot of resources are focused
on new businesses. Introductions and referrals from city staff to new businesses
have decreased as city staff turnover has reduced my businesses recognition.
Forums for new businesses to be introduced to upstanding businesses like mine.
Maybe a quarterly welcome forum that puts new businesses together with area
businesses that"
B u S in ESS E nvironm E nt
What do you feel is greatest challenge facing the southlake Business
environment?
49www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
B u S in ESS E nvironm E nt
Available labor force
Better access from Southlake Boulevard
Changing expectations from the City, lots of restaurants per capita
Competition
Competition and growth along the Alliance Corridor
Cost of commercial space
Cost prohibitive for Smaller Mom and Pop businesses
Costly to keep up with city standards
Expansion and building code issues
Finding customers who value service over price
Finding employees
Getting your brand in the community
Groupon shoppers only
Hard to find employees due to high level of income in the area. Too expensive
for most employees we hire and young adults don’t need the job due to parents
income.
High rent
High retail lease prices, too much local turnover, poor locations with too many strip
malls
Hiring employee
I can’t speak for other businesses but for me it’s just competing for an hour of
someone’s day because kids are so busy & the parents are on their schedules.
I notice there is a lot of competition between retail establishments such as
restaurants
I'm not sure I'm qualified to answer that. Perhaps availability of good locations and
price of real estate. This are challenges created by the cities success so I'm not
complaining!
Increasing real estate prices
Location
Lots of competition.
Managing growth
B u S in ESS E nvironm E nt
50 www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
Marketing, Online, & Traffic
Money
Nothing comes to mind as 100% of our clients are outside the city of Southlake.
Number of competitors within a 3 mi. radius of my store.
Over saturation
Over saturation of other businesses and a closed minded community
Overcrowding of certain business types (restaurants)
Overly restrictive city policies and traffic.
Parking in the center
Permits
Rapid growth of the fitness sector and competition with franchises. This year
alone, greater than 6 pilates studios opened within 3 square miles of me. 3 are
Club Pilates.
Rent expenses.
Rental prices. I think it is discouraging to see so many restaurants go out of
business. After looking for space for my own business I completely understand
why that happens though. The cost per sq. ft. is out of control in most Southlake
locations. The surrounding cities will capitalize on this and start taking
opportunities.
Rental rates/land cost
Retaining startups, the community seems to want them but they don't seem to
get the right guidance to succeed. The Chamber works hard to bring businesses
together which is a great thing, but they need to figure out how to teach
businesses what the residents of Southlake want so they can succeed as a
business.
Rising costs such as property taxes, insurance, etc.
Rules & regulations of the city of Southlake
Running out of land for growth - almost completely built out
The hours we are opened way to long and stuck to a contract
The perception that this a closed community
The total number of title companies on Southlake Blvd.
Too many businesses in the same industry for thus community
B u S in ESS E nvironm E nt
51www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
Too many of the same business (hair salons) at the town square area.
Too many options, lack of commitment for some
Too much competition within retail community & restaurants
Too much competition. Restaurants constantly going out of business. We need to
attract more people as Grapevine does
Too much retail not enough roof tops. Traffic and getting to businesses from
Southlake Blvd. If you aren't in the Town Square you are pretty much a step-child
to the city.
Traffic
Traffic
Traffic
Traffic - we urgently need traffic signals on 1709 synchronized
Traffic and congestion
Traffic on 1709 & burdensome development regulations and entrenched
neighborhood opposition to builder/developer planning efforts
Two factors: First, the top-heavy retail component of our community combined
with increasing traffic. Second, the increasing ease and desire of consumers to do
business online. The combined result of these two factors seems to result in fewer
people willing to leave the home or office to fight traffic in order to do business
at a brick&mortar versus order online. Southlake has a lot of commercial chains
in restaurant/retail. As this trend will continue, I don't want to see Southlake get
stuck "holding the bag" in the way of empty space that the chains have aban-
doned. A focus and/or incentives to attract unique/local/small businesses may
help mitigate this growing problem.
We do not have enough people to support business hence all the restaurant
closings
Workforce housing
B u S in ESS E nvironm E nt
52 www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
c ommunity E nvironm E nt
Yes
77%
No
23%
city interaction
The City of Southlake strives to maintain a good relationship and positive interactions with both
residents and businesses. It is challenging to for the City to establish an on-going relationship
with over 1,700 businesses. Any interaction, even brief interactions, are particularly valuable
and should represent the City’s appreciation and support for local businesses. The majority
(77%) of businesses surveyed indicated they have had some interaction with a City employee
over the last year. The rating of those interactions is on the next page.
has your Business had any interaction With a city employee over the last
year?
53www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
c ommunity E nvironm E nt
Excellent
55%
Good
25%
Fair
14%
Poor
3%
Other:
3%
city satisfaction
Of those respondents that had an interaction with a
City employee, the majority (80%) indicated they had
either a excellent or good interaction with them.
hoW Would you rate your most recent interaction With a city employee?
Quick facts
In the 2017 Citizen Survey,
64% of respondents indicated
they felt the city employee
represented the City in a
positive manner.
54 www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
c ommunity E nvironm E nt
Better
28%
About the
same
50%
Needs
Improvement
9%
Worse
4%N/A
9%
city aesthetic improvements
The City of Southlake has long been recognized as an attractive place to live and work. While
it is a challenge in itself to create such an environment, how that environment is sustained
in the long-term is just as important. Just over a quarter (28%) of respondents felt that
Southlake was a more attractive place than it was 5-years ago and half (50%) of respondents
indicating it was about the same.
do you Believe southlake is as attractive a place to Work as it Was 5
years ago?
55www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
c ommunity E nvironm E nt
Excellent
48%
Good
41%
Fair
8%
Poor
3%
Business location aesthetics
Where a business is located and the appearance of its surroundings can impact the overall
performance of a business. The business typically knows where to best locate their business
based on its business type and surroundings. The vast majority (89%) of businesses in
Southlake felt the appearance of where they do business was either excellent or good.
hoW Would you rate the appearance of Where you do Business in
southlake?
56 www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
c ommunity E nvironm E nt
Excellent
41%
Good
43%
Fair
9%
Poor
7%
trash and recycling services
The City has partnered with Republic Services since March 2007 to provide solid waste and
recycling services for Southlake. Although the City does not directly provide the service,
understanding the quality of service that is provided by Republic is important for the City to
know. The majority (84%) of respondents indicated the service was either excellent or good.
hoW Would you rate the Quality of trash and recycling services in
southlake?
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2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
c ommunity E nvironm E nt
Excellent
52%Good
36%
Fair
8%
Poor
4%
street service Quality
The City of Southlake maximizes its efforts to maintain a high quality of road surfaces that
are continuously impacted by high volumes of traffic and adverse environmental conditions
that can deteriorate roads over time. Maintaining a high quality of road surfaces is important
for businesses as it gets their employees to work and customers to shop. The majority (88%)
of respondents rated the quality of the streets/roads in Southlake as excellent or good.
hoW Would you rate the Quality of streets/roads in southlake?
58 www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
c ommunity E nvironm E nt
Excellent
58%
Good
37%
Fair
4%
Poor
1%
Water services
Businesses in many instances can be the highest consumers, and therefore highest payers,
of water services in the community. Ensuring that water consumption and payments are
handled error-free is an important service to many businesses so they can dedicate time
to serving their customers and clients. The vast majority (95%) of respondents rated the
quality of water service in Southlake as excellent or good.
hoW Would you rate the Quality of Water service in southlake?
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2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
c ommunity E nvironm E nt
southlake as a Benefit
Lastly, the City of Southlake has had the benefit of enjoying a thriving economy, engaged
community and an attractive environment for many years. Some aspects that attract
businesses at times are different that what attracts businesses. Within this survey, we asked
business respondents what they felt was the greatest benefit of being located in Southlake.
Their responses are provided below.
What do you feel is the greatest Benefit to Being a Business in southlake?
"1. Affluent marketplace 2. Business-friendly leadership 3. Excellent city staff and
chamber of commerce, which together have grown my business tremendously...
particularly in the last 5-10 years.
Two other notes that don't fit anywhere else: First, commercial trash service
is poor but very expensive. Working with other disposal companies in other
municipalities, we have found them to be competitively priced and very responsive.
Republic does not show any ability/willingness to hurry or be helpful because they
know they don't have to. The businesses have no choice whether to use them or
not. And, they are significantly more expensive than other disposal companies
who offer identical services.
Second, Johnson road is in bad shape. Even though it is my shortest route home, I
avoid it because it is so bumpy that my coffee splashes out of my covered thermos
several times on the short stretch."
A community who cares
60 www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
c ommunity E nvironm E nt
Access to higher discretionary income
Amazing people. The community is very friendly and loyal to the businesses they
love.
Attracts customers from outside city limits
Because there are so many small business owners, we all support each other!
Being able to interact with the community. We so enjoy personally knowing so
many of the great people who live in Southlake. Bottom-line, Southlake residents
like to be involved and they take great pride in their community.
Business friendly environment - lots of networking opportunities
Classy area
Clientele
Clientele
Close to DFW airport. Carroll ISD
Close to home
Community
Community loyalty / networking capabilities
Community support
Community, demographics, location
Community, the support we get from the community is outstanding.
Convenient location relative to DFW Airport
Customers appreciate great service
Customers do business with local owned businesses
Exposure
For my business the price of homes
Good community, city works hard to provide a safe, clean environment in which to
live and work.
Good people, a community that promotes growth and close to home
Great city management
Great customer base
Great demographic of residents
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2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
c ommunity E nvironm E nt
Great entrepreneurial business environment
Great school system
High standard and quality assumed
Higher average household salaries
I own a premium brand geared toward a very specific market. It is great to be in an
area where so many people care about their health and can afford our services.
Income bracket of residents
Income levels
Individuals in the community are engaged
It is a business friendly environment
Location
Location
Location
Location
Location
Location
Location
Location access to other parts of North Texas
Location and business community.
Location and high quality aesthetics
Location in central of the Metroplex
Location of our patients.
Location to growing new homes
Loyal customers
Much higher than average household income
People can afford higher quality food
Potential affluent customers
Proximity to good restaurants, nice hotels and DFW airport
Quality of life, services and safety
62 www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
Quality of people
Recognition of the community as an affluent and educated demographic.
Safety
Safety
Security
Small community, relative safety, and demographics of residents.
Small town but affluent population
Small town, great networking
Stable economy through all types of national or regional disruptions
The community
The community
The community and small town feel
The community feel. We support all the schools and they are great.
The customer base is always friendly, it's a beautiful area, close to airport
The demographic
The greatest benefits for our business are the central location within the Metroplex
& the affluence of the community.
The income levels of the community
The prestige of saying we are a business located in Southlake.
Upscale clientele
c ommunity E nvironm E nt
63www.SelectSouthlake.com
2019 B u S i n E S S c l i m at E S u r v E y
The results of the survey were largely positive about the Southlake business environment.
The survey demonstrated that most businesses felt confident and prefer conducting their
business here versus other communities. The results demonstrated several of the City’s
strengths such as its sense of community and demographics but also revealed where
challenges exist such as with growing competition and traffic.
Key Findings:
• Businesses have a positive outlook towards the future, expecting growth and intend
to hire more employees
• The local and regional business environment is better than anywhere else
• Most businesses feel the City provides excellent / good quality services
• Finding qualified or service industry employees is a growing issue
• Traffic and vehicular accessibility to businesses is identified as the biggest challenge
• Despite the positive outlook regarding growth and hiring, there is a perception of
increased pressure due to competition
The results of the survey will prove to be invaluable as the City develops strategies and plans
for the future. While many aspects of the business environment are out of the City’s control,
there are several that can be addressed moving forward. These areas will be incorporated
into the City’s processes and addressed through the City’s strategic planning processes,
policy considerations and development assessments.
Priorities Moving Forward:
• Continue the City’s focus on traffic management
• Evaluate accessibility in and out of commercial centers
• Update the saturation study to understand competitive market forces and aid in the
re-evaluation of the City’s target industries as identified in the master plan
• Consider avenues to promote private-sector employment opportunities
• Continue expansion of the City’s marketing efforts to promote local businesses to
target audiences
c onclu S ion