Merton Chamber of Commerce Survey

Welcome to the Merton Chamber of Commerce Survey

Please complete the following:

Number of people you employ:

Sole Trader 2-5 6-10 11-50 50+

Your Email: Your Website Address:

Section 1: Business Support

Merton Chamber of Commerce is accredited by Business Link for London to offer business support services for start up and small businesses. These services are offered under our southlondon.biz brand and are highly subsidised. We are currently assessing the demand and potential to offer services at affordable commercial rates (see Section 3).

Help you might want:

1.1 Please indicate the areas of business where you would seek external help, and mark all that apply.

	Strategic Business Planning		Growing the business and new products/services
	Financial Management/accounts		Sales/Marketing/PR
	Employment Legislation		HR/Personnel Management
	Staff training and development		Leadership/management development
	IT/Communication technology		Website/e-business
	Health and Safety		VAT
	Raising Finance		Other

1.2 Please indicate the amount you would be prepared to pay for consultancy services in these areas (currently our subsidies mean you pay a maximum of £50 per day)

No more than £50 per day Up to £100 Up to £150 Up to £200 Up to £250 Up to £300 Up to £350

Help you have received.

1.3 If you have received one-to-one help from one of our business advisers, please rate the overall quality of the help you received.

Excellent Very Good Good Average Poor N/A

1.4 And what impact has this help had on your business?

	High impact, short term		High impact, long term
	Some impact, short term		Some impact, long term
	No impact		Negative effect

1.5 If you have contacted the Chamber offices by phone or email for information and advice, what was the quality of our response?

Excellent Very Good Good Average Poor N/A

1.6 And how quickly did we respond to that enquiry?

Same day Within 1-3 days Up to 2 weeks Didn't respond

Any other comments:

1.7 Where we have referred you to another business support agency, was this a positive or negative experience for you?

Positive Negative Not applicable

Who did we refer you to?

Did you follow up our referral? Yes No

2.1 Lobbying and Representation - Merton Chamber meets regularly with Councillors and senior executives at Merton Council. Through South London Business we also represent business and lobby to the Mayor, Greater London Authority and the London Development Agency. What issues would you like the Chamber to be addressing on your behalf?

Premises	Specific Issue
Business Rates	Specific Issue
Traffic and Parking	Specific Issue
Public Transport	Specific Issue
Environmental Issues	Specific Issue
Town Centre Issues	Town:	Wimbledon Colliers Wood Raynes Park Mitcham Morden
	Specific Issue

2.2 Promoting your business and benefits of Chamber Membership

Merton Chamber currently offers members a number of ways of raising the profile of their business. We produce our own newsletter, as well as contributing to regional magazines such as Business South. We also have a column in the Wimbledon News and a Town Talk page in the Wimbledon Guardian relating to Wimbledon Town Centre Management. Our recently launched website contains an online business directory for all businesses and an opportunity for members to promote their business with a website link and extended business description. We also offer a discount directory for members and produce an annual diary.

Please give us your views on how the Chamber can help promote your business:

I would consider advertising in the Chamber Newsletter	Yes No
I would consider advertising in the Wimbledon News	Yes No
I would like to receive an online newsletter	Yes No
I will list/have listed my business in the online business directory	Yes No
I would like to provide news stories for the website	Yes No
I would like to/already offer discounts to other Chamber members	Yes No
I would like the Chamber diary to continue This is under threat as it is produced using advertising revenue	Yes No
Any other comments or ideas:

2.3 Events and Workshops

Merton Chamber and southlondon.biz run a range of events. These include business to business networking, an enterprise group for start up and fledgling businesses, workshops and seminars on topical business issues and social events. You do not have to be a member to attend events. Please help us with our forward planning of events by completing this section:

What types of events have you attended or would you be interested in attending?

Training Workshops	Yes No Might Attend
Networking Lunches	Yes No Might Attend
Small business exhibition	Yes No Might Attend
Social events (eg. golf day, theatre trips)	Yes No Might Attend
Annual General Meeting	Yes No Might Attend

And please give us your views on the quality of these events and value for money, where 1 is excellent and 5 is poor.

	Quality Rating	Value for Money Rating
Training Workshops	1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4 5
Networking Lunches	1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4 5
Small business exhibition	1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4 5
Social Events	1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4 5
Annual General Meeting	1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4 5

If you haven't attended any of our events, please tell us why (tick all that apply)?

Didn't know about them	Not relevant	Too Busy
Too expensive	Think they are poor quality	Wrong time of day

If wrong time of day, what is the best time for you?
Breakfast	Lunch	Evening

Section 3: Future development of the Chamber

Over the past three years, Merton Chamber has diversified its activities by providing business support services to all local businesses. In order to broaden our appeal and ensure the long term sustainability of the Chamber of Commerce, we are addressing a number of strategic development issues. Please give us your views on these proposals.

3.1 Introduction of commercial consultancy service

Our proposals here are to complement our existing services which are currently subsidised through contracts we hold with Government agencies, with a commercial consultancy service that is affordable and relevant to the 5000 businesses in Merton who employ less than 25 people. The services would be delivered for us by accredited business advisers who may or may not be Chamber members.

Please indicate the areas of business where you would seek external help in priority order (1,2,3 etc) and mark all that apply.

Strategic business planning	1 2 3 4 5
Growing the business and new products/services	1 2 3 4 5
Financial management/accounts	1 2 3 4 5
Sales / Marketing /PR	1 2 3 4 5
Employment Legislation	1 2 3 4 5
HR / Personnel management	1 2 3 4 5
Staff training and development	1 2 3 4 5
Leadership / Management development	1 2 3 4 5
IT / Communication Technology	1 2 3 4 5
Website / e-business	1 2 3 4 5
Health and safety	1 2 3 4 5
VAT	1 2 3 4 5
Raising Finance	1 2 3 4 5
Other, please specify	1 2 3 4 5

Please indicate the amount you would be prepared to pay for services in these areas (currently our subsidies mean you pay a maximum of £50 per day).

I would not pay more than £50 per day

I would pay £100 £150 £200 £250 £300 £350

Any other comments:

3.2 Branding

Two years ago we introduced the southlondon.biz service brand. This brand was introduced to broaden the appeal of our services to businesses who may have a negative perception of a Chamber of Commerce and also to allow us to offer our business support services to businesses outside Merton borough. We are currently considering whether to maintain the Chamber of Commerce brand. This section is parcticularly relevant to businesses who are NOT members of the Chamber and we would greatly value your views.

What do you think the Chamber of Commerce does?

What services/activities do you think the Chamber of Commerce should be offering local businesses?

What does the name Chamber of Commerce conjure up in your mind?

Do you think we should change the name of the business?

Yes No Don't Know

Has your experience of the Chamber differed to that of your perception/what you expected it to be?

Yes No Not applicable

How well do you think the name Chamber of Commerce represents:

what we do - Very well Not at all Don't know

who we are - Very well Not at all Don't know

comments:

3.3 FOR CHAMBER MEMBERS

Why did you become a member of the Chamber (tick all that may apply).

To make new business contacts	Asked to join (discounted or affiliated)
To attend networking events	To take up services at discounted rates
To raise the profile of my business	To support the local business community
To get help with specific issues for my business	Other

Do you think your membership fee provides value for money? Yes No

If No, why not?

Membership of other Organisations

If you are a member of another Chamber, business membership organisation or professional body, please state which ones.

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