It is relatively rare that businesses operating in small communities and rural locations get the chance to participate in a major business study, especially one designed to enable government and other parties to better identify the needs of those same businesses. However, in early July businesses across northwestern Ontario will get just such an opportunity.
FedNor is funding a 5,000-firm survey of regional businesses and farms operating in northwestern Ontario, but outside of Thunder Bay and its immediate surroundings. The study, proposed by The Northwestern Ontario Associated Chambers of Commerce (NOACC) and conducted by the Institute for Global Entrepreneurship and Electronic Commerce at Confederation College, focuses on the use of computers and the Internet
for business purposes.
The Institute carried out a similar e-commerce survey last year for member firms of the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce. The northwestern Ontario regional study employs an expanded version of the survey questionnaire that was employed in Thunder Bay so as to facilitate direct comparison of the findings of the two studies. The institute, NOACC and FedNor all want to know what are the similarities and what are the differences in the experiences, issues and needs faced by businesses inside and outside of Thunder Bay when it comes to using e-commerce.
The survey will be sent through a bulk mail-out distribution, and will be enclosed in a white envelope with the words "IMPORTANT SURVEY" marked in red ink. The questionnaire is straightforward and should take about 10 to 15 minutes to complete. Neither the questionnaire nor the postage paid return envelope that is provided are coded in any way, so the anonymity and privacy of the respondent are assured.
The results of the study will be produced as a CD Rom which will be provided free of charge to chambers of commerce, business associations, economic development offices and other stakeholders in regional business development across northwest Ontario.
The response rate for the Thunder Bay survey was over 20 per cent, which is good for a mail-back type survey. It is hoped that the response rate from regional businesses will be comparable, if not better.
