ON Regional Economic Development

BR+E continues to take center stage for many communities across Ontario as they navigate through shifting local economic conditions. Data gathered through BR+E interviews and surveys can provide a window into the challenges and opportunities faced by many businesses. This precedes effective, targeted actions and strategies to facilitate the growth and success of local businesses.

While a typical BR+E survey is extensive and provides several opportunities for probing and in-depth discussion, the current economic climate may call for a different approach. Some communities would prefer a streamlined set of questions to quickly identify and address major issues and facilitate business growth. The OMAFRA Recovery BR+E Survey contains 15 questions under the following topics:

• General Information
• Workforce
• Resources and Supports
• Looking ahead

Below are some highlights from data collected between April 2020 and December 2020 by communities using the OMAFRA Recovery BR+E Survey:

(Note: the information below was current as of the time of data collection. The information is only reflective of a subset of businesses in communities that utilized the OMAFRA Recovery BR+E Survey between April 2020 and December 2020)

Other highlights:

• PPE and lumber were common product categories that businesses faced difficulty procuring
• Customer service, admin and sales staff were three focus areas for businesses that were looking to hire more employees
• The three most-used business supports:
  1. Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS)
  2. Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)
  3. The Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA)

The information above was collected and tabulated by communities using Qualtrics – the OMAFRA BR+E platform. Qualtrics is a best-in-class cloud-based data collection and analysis tool. For a brief overview of the survey platform (Qualtrics CoreXM), click here.

Click here or contact your local OMAFRA Advisor for more information on the OMAFRA BR+E program.

Also related: our July 2020 blog post on how BR+E practice can be adapted to suit current needs.