covid-19 business support survey - kingston ecdev...business fortitude in the future, what would it...

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


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?



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)?



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?



Survey ResultsCOVID’s Impact to Business


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



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


Cash flow, health/safety concerns, and drawing customers to the physical business location were the most commonly listed current challenges for businesses.


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?


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.


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?


64.5% of respondents reported that they have or will access government support programs.


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


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.


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


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.


What are your primary sources of information for support programs?

As we move toward economic recovery, what is your anticipated business outlook?


Survey ResultsForecasting for the Future


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



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?


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



45.8% of respondents mentioned that they had created efficiencies in operations that they can carry forward through recovery.


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?


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.



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.



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.



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

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

covid-19 business support survey - kingston ecdev...business fortitude in the future, what would it...

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