On Monday, November 20, the Chestermere Chamber of Commerce will be releasing an on-line survey to better understand the needs and requirements of all businesses in Chestermere.

“Myself and the members of the board are really excited about this survey. We understand that businesses are struggling, but we need a deeper understanding of the types of issues they’re facing. It is only through the voice of the business community that we can really learn what they’re up against and restructure our programs and services to address some of these concerns,” said Chamber Vice President, Robin Impey in his closing remarks at the annual Mayor’s Breakfast held on November 16.

In early October, the Chamber reached out to the City’s Economic Development department to discuss the need for a survey that would provide the Chamber and City with information about Chestermere businesses and the economic climate within the city. “As we began planning for 2018 we realized we had a lot of questions and not a lot of answers”, explains Impey. “As an organization we want to elevate our commitment to being the united voice of businesses fostering growth through education, networking and support. Not only for our members but all businesses in Chestermere.”

With additional funding from the City, the Chamber was able to hire a local consultant to organize and conduct the survey; which will be utilized as a baseline for future evaluations.

“The survey is designed to encompass all businesses in Chestermere, home based and store-front,” explains Tawndra Calhoun, Economic Development Officer for the City. “We are extremely supportive of the Chamber’s initiative and are really encouraging business participation.”

Calhoun goes on to say that they share in the Chamber’s concerns and through the survey hope to gain a better perspective on how the City can support the Chamber’s vision.

Questions cover basic business information, characteristics of the business, economic climate, environment, satisfaction with City departments and feedback on Chamber programs and services. Responses are structured in a multiple-choice format with text box option for additional comments.

The survey is available on the Chamber’s website, http://www.chestermerechamber.com, until December 8 and will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. To encourage participation the Chamber is offering a weekly prize draw over the course of three weeks. A name will be drawn each Friday from all completed survey responses.

Impey emphasises that, ”Measures have been implemented to ensure confidentiality, responses will be vetted by the consultant and presented in summary format to the board. Entry into the weekly draw is an optional field at the conclusion of the survey but not a requirement.”