Economic Development Cowichan has launched its second survey to check the pulse of local businesses as they strive to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Business owners and operators in the Cowichan Valley are being asked to take a few minutes to help the region’s economic recovery planning.
Manager Barry O’Riordon says the responses to the first survey in May were heavily concentrated among businesses in Duncan that were mostly in the retail and food and beverage sectors.
“In this survey we are looking to broaden out that response rate to get more effective over the whole region, as well as across each sector that we have here, so we’re really encouraging businesses.”
O’Riordon says updated information on how businesses are doing in the Cowichan Valley this summer will be very helpful.
“A lot of things have changed, we’re one month into phase-3 of the BC Restart plan and lots of businesses have reopened or expanded their operations, but now we want to reassess the situation.”
O’Riordon says Cowichan businesses, farmers, and non-profits are facing a new set of challenges and risks, but there are also opportunities to build resiliency.
Economic Cowichan’s first survey found that about half of businesses were struggling to survive and many others were experiencing sharp drops in revenues.
The second survey is available online until August 19th.
