Columbus Chamber survey says small businesses anticipate growth

Announcements — By Melanie McIntyre on May 24, 2012 at 7:30 am

The results of a recent survey by the Columbus Chamber suggest local small business owners plan to continue growing in the months ahead.

Of the 106 small businesses surveyed, about 75 percent said they plan to add to their staffs in the next year. Further, half those businesses plan to hire between one and five employees.

“Small businesses are a major force in the Columbus region’s economic development, accounting for the majority of companies located here and nearly half of employment in the region,” said Michael Dalby, president and CEO of the Columbus Chamber, in a release. “It’s beneficial to hear directly from these businesses about their challenges and opportunities, so we can better assist them and help them grow.”

Small businesses represent 94 percent of all companies in the region and account for 42 percent of total employment, according to the chamber.

The survey’s respondents said several factors positively impacted the success they have experienced locally, including a central location/market access (38.2 percent), a stable economy (32.4 percent), and the low cost of doing business (28 percent).

Cost and availability of health insurance are the primary challenges cited by the companies surveyed, with 31.7 percent of respondents ranking it “most impactful.” Local and national economic factors followed close behind, ranking 28.8 and 27.2 percent, respectively.

Although small businesses are generally classified as those with fewer than 500 full-time employees, about 80 percent of the businesses surveyed have fewer than 50 employees; 30 percent have staffs of four or less.

Each year, the chamber staff conducts more than 1,000 one-on-one meetings with businesses —most of which have 500 or fewer employees— and the opportunities and concerns that came to light during those discussions mirror the results of the survey, according to the chamber.

Author Bio: Melanie McIntyre:
Melanie McIntyre has served as editorial director of The Metropreneur since its launch in 2010. She previously worked as a staff writer for a business and legal newspaper, where she wrote more than 500 stories about finance and real estate and development in Central Ohio. Since 2008, Melanie has worked on a freelance basis for several local entities, including Columbus Underground, where she is a featured writer. She also blogs about fashion, style, and pop culture at Thoroughly Modern Melly. Melanie is a graduate of The Ohio State University, lives in the Short North, and enjoys reading and running.