Last Call for Businesses to Have Their Say

South Tyneside businesses have until the end of the week to have their say on a borough-wide business survey.

The survey has been ongoing since 18 October and is due to close on 14 November. Responses will enable the council to understand more about the impact of Covid and Brexit on local firms, and crucially, how it can better support the business community.

The Council is keen to identify barriers to growth and gather valuable data to feed into future funding bids and to lobby government for the support needed locally.

Cllr Mark Walsh Lead Member for Economy and Regeneration said: "One of our key priorities is to create the conditions for recovery and investment, in order to do that we need to fully understand the challenges facing our business community - particularly now, in the light of the pandemic and Brexit.

"This will be the first time we've carried out a comprehensive survey and we hope the information we gather will help us better engage with our businesses and provide targeted support.

"If we are to support the South Tyneside community and eliminate any barriers to growth we need to work hand-in-hand, to listen and ensure businesses have what they need to grow and flourish. We'd encourage every business to take part - the survey will only take around 10 minutes to complete."

Businesses have already been approached directly by the Invest South Tyneside newsletter, via business centres and through external partners such as the Chamber of Commerce and Federation of Small Businesses.

They are being asked a range of questions including their requirements to help facilitate future growth plans, such as skills, funding and training.

The information will help the Council build a local evidence base, which can be used for example to help understand strengths and priority sectors for ongoing work on an Economic Assessment.

The Council will report back to businesses with key findings and next steps early next year.

The survey can be accessed via https://www.investsouthtyneside.com/ until Sunday 14 November.