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Local Business Survey

Your views could make a big difference to the future of business in Britain today. Vince Cable, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, and Amy Kitcher, spokesperson for Merthyr Tydfil are seeking your views on what small businesses need to help keep them afloat in the current recession. Answering this survey will help us fight for small businesses. Please take just a few minutes to complete it for me. The details will be held in strict confidence and only aggregated results published.

Privacy Notice

This is an anonymous survey. The information you provide below will not be linked to your personal details once you submit your answers. Please note that, even though your answers will not be linked to your personal details, your individual answers to the entire survey can be viewed together, in addition to aggregate information about all responses.

Your responses are collected in accordance with our privacy policy

Your Details

1. Your Name:

2. Your position in the business:

3. Name of Business:

4. Address:

5. Email address:

6. Phone:

7. Website:

8. What type of products or services does your company provide?:

9. Approximately how many people does your company employ?:

Effects of the credit crunch and recession

10. Generally speaking, how has the credit crunch and the threat of recession affected your business over the last year:

	Turnover has reduced
	Profits have reduced
	The business is now running at a loss
	The credit crunch/recession has had no impact on my business
	The credit crunch/recession is boosting my business

11. Which of the following best sums up the likely impact of the recession on the number of people you employ?:

	We are employing more people
	We are reducing the hours of our staff
	We are postponing any plans to employ more staff
	We have had to lay off staff/are planning to lay off staff
	No significant impact

12. Which of the following best sums up how your banking facilities have changed in the last year? :

	Overdraft facilities have been reduced
	Overdraft facilities have been withdrawn
	A business loan has been "called in"
	A business loan has been refused
	Bank charges (interest rates and/or fees) have increased considerably
	Our banking facilities have not changed

13. Which of the following best sums up the impact of your bank's actions on your business cashflow?:

	We have no cashflow problems
	We may struggle to maintain our cashflow
	The continuing viability of our business is seriously impaired or in doubt
	Other (please specify)

14. In your experience, has the Government's bail-out of the banks benefited small businesses?:

	No, it has hurt
	It has made no difference
	It has made a little difference
	It has helped a lot

Costs and taxation

15. How have energy, fuel or other raw material prices affected your business?:

	We have cut our consumption to try to save costs
	We have refused some business due to rising costs
	Rising costs have significantly cut our profits
	Rising costs are causing the business to run at a loss
	No affect

16. How is the 2.5% cut in VAT to affecting your business?:

	We do not expect it to have any impact
	Having to adjust our prices this year and next will increase our costs
	It is likely to boost demand for our products but have limited impact on our profits
	It is likely to boost demand for our products and increase our profits

17. Are the Government’s changes to business tax (postponing the rise in the small firms rate of corporation tax, and temporarily reducing VAT) sufficient?:

	Yes
	No

18. If no, which of the following elements of business taxation do you feel should be the top priorities for reform?:

	The small firms rate of corporation tax
	The general rate of corporation tax
	Local business rates
	Duties and/or VAT
	Employers' NI Contributions (or any other taxes on employment)
	The timing of tax bills
	Self-employment tax

Advice and Support

19. What government-funded advice and/or support services (if any) does your business make use of?:

	A local ‘Business Eye’ adviser
	DE&T (former WDA)
	Enterprise Finance Guarantee
	Single Investment Fund
	Employee training schemes, via DCELLS
	We would like to access government advice or support but are unable due to the time or complexity involved
	We do not use any government advice or support

20. We are concerned that Merthyr Town Centre could suffer heavily from the downturn. Which of the following actions that Merthyr Council could take would you think help the most?:

	Extending and publicising free parking for shoppers on Saturdays
	Pro-actively inviting applications for Rate Relief on the grounds of hardship.
	Running a free shuttle bus from Cyfarthfa Retail Park to the town centre and back, and signposting the route for cars.
	Improve signage for Merthyr town centre shopping from the surrounding trunk roads.
	Develop further town centre events for the new year and ensure these are properly promoted

Your outlook for the next year

21. Generally speaking, how do you expect your business to perform over the next year, as a result of the recession?:

	Turnover is likely to reduce
	Profits are likely to reduce
	The business will run at a loss
	The credit crunch/recession should have no impact on my business
	The credit crunch/recession should boost my business

22. Please use this space to tell us of any other problems restricting your business and what could be done to help businesses such as yours to survive the recession and thrive?:

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