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Ralston Small Business Needs Survey
Survey Description

Please help the Ralston Economic Development Corporation better understand how it can support your small business. This information will be used as we update our strategic plan. This survey will take 10-20 minutes, depending on the level of details you wish to provide. 


www.RalstonEconomicDevelopment.org

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Ralston Small Business Needs Survey

1.
Business Name：
Business Point of Contact's Name：
Business Point of Contact's Position/Role within the Business:
Best Email for Future Communications：
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2.
Year your Business was Established in Ralston：
Does this business have other locations outside of Ralston?
Number of Full-time Employees Reporting to Ralston Location：
Number of Part-time/Seasonal Employees Reporting to Ralston Location：
Are you currently hiring at your Ralston location?
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3.
What is true about your owner(s)? If your business has multiple owners, check a box if the item is true of at least one owner.

This helps us identify resources that businesses may qualify for as well as to help advise on small business policy that may not presently address the needs of entrepreneurs.
[Choose at least 1 item]
The business has more than one owner
Business is family-owned
Owner(s) actively manages/operates the business location in Ralston
Lives in Ralston
Lives in the Metro Area (excluding Ralston)
Under the age of 35
Aged 65 or older
Female
Is a military veteran or spouse of a veteran
Racial/ethnic minority
Fluently speaks a language other than English. Please include the language(s) spoken
Has a full or part-time job outside of this business (excluding another business he/she owns)
Owns another business (excluding a second location of this business)
None of the options listed above are relevant.
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4.
What category best describes your industry/type of business. Select up to 2.[Please select 1-2 items]
Retail/Sales (non-auto)
Wholesale
Auto Sales/Repair
Restaurant/Food/Beverage
Entertainment/Hospitality/Events
Construction/Contractor
Maintenance/Repair Technician Services
Manufacturing/Production
Professional Services
Beauty/Salon/Personal Care Services
Medical Services/Health Care including Veterinarian 
Childcare/Elder Care
Community Organization/Non-Profit
Social and Public Services including Education
Information Technology/IT
Import/Export
Communications/Media/Creative
Banking/Financial Institutions
Other
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5.
Tell us about your business' location.[Choose at least 1 item]
Brick & Mortar/Storefront in Ralston
Work out of my home, but usually DO NOT have clients visiting my home for business-related purposes.
Work out of my home, AND most or all of my clients visit my home for business-related purposes. 
Mobile Storefront (ex: food truck, mobile vendor, performers, etc.)
Our business hosts mobile vendors for events such as pop-up vendor events at times throughout the year.
We are located within the Hinge Redevelopment area (roughly downtown to 72nd & 73rd Streets and up to the Arena). 
Our business is visible to vehicle traffic from 72nd, 84th, Harrison, or L Streets.
My employees and/or commercial vehicles have dedicated off-street parking.
My clients/customers have dedicated off-street parking (this includes commercial center-parking shared by neighboring businesses).
There are no relevant options for my business listed above. 
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6.
What challenges is your business facing? Please provide more information below each box that may help REDC connect you with services and resources.[Checkboxes]
Logistics - may include hiring, location, permitting, customer access, etc.
Training/New Skill Acquisition - May include accounting, IT, website, social media, marketing, etc. for you and/or your employees, etc.
Growth - including managing growth, finding new ways to grow, managing decrease in business activity, finding suppliers, etc.
Financial - such as accounting, managing revenue, investment, financing, loans, etc
Knowledge - May include where to find resources/business assistance, succession planning, acquiring data to help identify customer base, etc.
Marketing - May include how to reach/grow/retain customer base, best practices of social media/website design, engagement strategies, etc.
Other
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7.
Please rank the locations where most of your customers live, from most to fewest.
For each location, enter your best estimate of the percentage of your customers who live there.[Please sort the items]
  • Ralston
  • Douglas or Sarpy County - excluding Ralston
  • In the broader Metro area, but outside Douglas/Sarpy Counties. (Ex: Council Bluffs, Fremont, Plattsmouth, Blair, etc.)
  • Tourists/Visitors from 40+ miles away. (Ex: Lincoln, Nebraska City, and further)
  • Unsure
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8.

Tell us about your customers. Select all relevant options.


Understanding who your customers are helps us make informed decisions about downtown and commercial district improvements, identify opportunities to attract more visitors, and develop marketing strategies that support Ralston's business community.

[Choose at least 1 item]
Foot traffic is very important for my business to succeed.
Events at the Liberty First Credit Union (Ralston) Arena positively impact my business.  Please elaborate on types of events that may have benefited your business more than others.  
50% or more our sales/services are completed/provided online.
Around 70% or more of my adult customers are 18-34 years old. 
Around 75% or more of our sales/services are to other businesses. 
Around 75% or more of our customers are repeat customers.
Around 75% of my customers found me by word of mouth.
Social media accounts for around 75% or more of my marketing/outreach.
Is there something not listed above, but you would like to provide information on?
Options listed above are not relevant to my business.
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9.

Tell us about your business' trends. Select all relevant options.


Understanding who your customers are helps us make informed decisions about downtown and commercial district improvements, identify opportunities to attract more visitors, and develop marketing strategies that support Ralston's business community.

[Choose at least 1 item]
We are new, so we are still figuring out our trends. Please elaborate.
Over the last 2 years, business has been stable - not increasing or decreasing. Please elaborate.
Over the last 2 years, business has been growing. Please elaborate.
Over the last 2 years, business has been unpredictable. Please elaborate.
We have struggled to keep business/business is declining. Please elaborate.
I prefer not to share this information.
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10.
In the next 3 years, what is true about your business' plans? Please elaborate on your selection if you feel comfortable doing so.

This information helps us understand what your businesses needs maybe as well as which new businesses may be beneficial to recruit into Ralston to either replace a business or to complement a business.
[Checkboxes]
Expansion: This could include products/services, expanding into new markets, hiring more employees, purchasing new equipment, adding a new location, and/or expanding current location.
Renovation: This could include inside or outside improvements
Downsizing: This may mean closing a second location, eliminating product lines, laying off employees, or just readjusting from a prior unsustainable growth spurt.
Leaving: This could include retirement, selling the business, or moving for personal or business-related reasons.
Nothing: This may mean that you are in a good balance of for your business' capacity and plan on maintaining this balance.
No options listed are relevant to my business.
I prefer not to share this information.
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11.
What information/assistance/services would you be interested in the Ralston Economic Development Corporation connecting you with? Select up to 5.[Please select 1-5 items]
Succession Planning
Marketing Assistance/Training
Emergency Planning (may include workflow when key employees are out, break-ins/robberies, long-term power outages, etc.)
Financing/Capital
Mentoring
Workforce Partnerships
Market Data
Networking
Government Contracting
Translation 
Business Legal Requirements/Permits   
Economic Development Programs
Commercial Real Estate Agents
Grants/Grant Writing
Other
None
12.
What type of new businesses and/or services would benefit Ralston and its business community?
13.
What are the most challenging/frustrating aspects of conducting business in Ralston?
14.
What are the best aspects of conducting business in Ralston?
15.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
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