Business feature: Survey seeks business environment info

link ...

A survey being conducted by the Clovis Industrial Development Corporation aims to retain and aid local businesses.

The survey is part of the CIDC’s Business Retention and Expansion Strategies Program to determine the needs of local businesses.

Gene Hendrick, an economic development specialist with CIDC, said the survey, which is being conducted in conjunction with CMM Enterprises, will ask a range of questions designed to find out as much as possible about the business environment in Clovis.

“The survey will help find out what the problems are for businesses in Clovis and what needs to be done to remedy those problems.” said Hendrick.

The survey will help to determine what businesses think the city, county, and state governments could do to improve the environment for local businesses said Hendrick.

link Staff photo: Joshua Lucero

The Clovis Industrial Development Corporation will be conducting a survey of 40 local businesses in conjunction with CMM Enterprises as part of its Business Retention and Expansion Strategies Program. The survey is intended to identify and address the needs of Clovis businesses.

Hendrick said, “If we can improve the business environment in Clovis, businesses will grow.”

Roy Miller, a business retention and expansion specialist and founder of CMM Enterprises, said the survey will be conducted over the next six to eight weeks and will include 40 businesses.

According to Miller, the survey’s main objectives are to address the concerns and challenges of local business, develop retention, bring awareness of available resources, and to sustain growth and development.

Miller said the city has secured $15,000 dollars to conduct the survey.

Miller said that he is in the process of choosing businesses for the survey and organizing a taskforce of 30 to 40 people to handle the process of conducting surveys and estimates that surveys will start in about 3 weeks.

According to Miller, the surveys will be given by teams of two at each of the 40 businesses.

The surveys will take about an hour and will include 75 questions said Miller.

Miller said he is looking for businesses in Clovis that generate most of their revenue from outside of the city.

Businesses are allowed to skip questions they do not feel comfortable answering said Miller.

Miller coordinated a similar survey for Clovis in 1994 when he was director of the Small Business Development Center at Clovis Community College.

“The survey should provide a lot of good information for economic development.” said Miller.