THE CAPRICORN COAST BUSINESS COMMUNITY SURVEY RESULTS ARE IN.

The T@ble Capricorn Coast Business Community has conducted an anonymous survey of its members. Local business owners were asked 16 questions about their business and the Capricorn Coast. The results provide a collective voice for the Capricorn Coast business community and will be used to improve The T@ble Capricorn Coast Business Community and lobby local, state and federal government.

The first questions was, ‘How long has your business been operating for?’

• 12.9% answered 1 to 2 years
• 27.4% answered 2 to 5 years
• 22.6% answered 5 to 10 years and
• 37.1% have been operating for 10 years or more

Secondly, ‘How many people are employed by your business?’

• 38.7%  were sole operators
• 41.9% have 2 to 5 employees
• 8.1% have 5 to 10 employees and
• 6.5% have 10 to 15 employees

Thirdly, ‘What is the structure of your business?’

• 46.8% are a Sole Trader
• 6.5% are a Partnership and
• 43.5%  are a Company

Following, ‘Does your business operate from a premises e.g. retail space, office, showroom, factory etc.?’

• 56.5% said yes.
• With 64.7% being leased.
• Paying on average $38,216.40 rent per year. 

Those that owned their own premises sighted high rates as a major concern

Group members were asked ‘What 3 projects could the Livingstone council undertake that would make the biggest difference to your business. This could include support, infrastructure improvements etc?’

3 main ideas continued to come up;

1. Grow tourism.
2. Grow the construction industry.
3. Make the main street more attractive.

‘How would you rate the your overall confidence in the Capricorn Coast economy as a business owner out of 10?’

The most common answer was 7, closely followed by 6, 5 and 4. 

Participants where asked if they thought the Main Streets (being Normandy & James St) of Yeppoon is a desirable place to shop and why?

There was a clear trend with an overwhelming response outlining 3 main issues, being;

• Lack of parking.
• Lack of trees and quality landscaping.
• Large number of vacant buildings.

Participants were also asked ‘Do you think the Main Streets, (being Normanby & James St) in Yeppoon are a desirable place to operate a business from and why?’

There was a clear trend with 5 main issues appearing;

• Rent too high for businesses to afford.
• The main street being out dated in appearance.
• Lack of parking.
• Lack of foot traffic.
• Undesirables loitering.

These survey results provide clear feedback and insight, and will prove valuable in shaping the local economy moving forward. Thank you to all who completed the survey.