Dave Murphy, CEO of North City Business Centre, is calling on all micro and small business owners in the Belfast area to help influence the future of their businesses by completing the NI Enterprise Barometer 2023 survey.
Conducted by Enterprise NI, the Barometer is open until the 16th of October and is the largest annual survey of micro and small businesses in Northern Ireland. Supported by the British Business Bank, the Barometer enables Enterprise NI to capture vital data about the challenges and opportunities faced by micro and small business owners.
Last year’s Barometer saw responses from close to 700 businesses in Northern Ireland, across all economic sectors. Now in its fifth year, the survey takes less than ten minutes to complete and can be found online at enterpriseni.com. Every respondent will be entered into a draw to win £250 worth of business support vouchers. The 2023 Barometer’s findings will be announced at the dissemination in the Dunadry Hotel, Antrim, on the 23rd of November.
Michael McQuillan, CEO of Enterprise NI, is also urging business owners to complete the 2023 Barometer: “The findings of the NI Enterprise Barometer provide the strongest, most unified voice for micro and small businesses in Northern Ireland.
“Every survey completed strengthens Enterprise NI’s ability to drive home the need for adequate funding for micro and small businesses and to directly influence the development of tailored strategies and support services that address their specific needs.
“Self-employed, micro, and small businesses collectively form the biggest part of our economy. That’s why, along with our sponsors, the British Business Bank, I am urging every single entrepreneur, self-employed start-up, and micro and small business owner across Northern Ireland to grab themselves a cup of coffee, invest less than 10 minutes to complete this survey, and ensure their views, needs, and concerns are heard.”
Earlier this year, Enterprise NI presented insights from last year’s Barometer to both the Northern Ireland All Party Group on Micro and Small Businesses and to key Government officials at Westminster, including Northern Ireland Minister, Steve Baker, and the UK’s Small Business Commissioner, Liz Barclay. Findings also informed the design of impactful workshops and services delivered through Enterprise NI’s network of 27 Local Enterprise Agencies.
Findings from this year’s survey will be used to inform the shape of DfE’s emergent entrepreneurship strategy for Northern Ireland.
Also encouraging small business owners to get involved in completing this year’s survey, Barometer Economist, Maureen O’Reilly, said: “Now, more than ever, the concerns of small and micro business owners in Northern Ireland must be heard, particularly in relation to the dangerous mix of challenges that include the significant escalation in costs and managing cashflow, trying to get and keep staff and the lack of an Executive here making and taking decisions to help.
“By completing the NI Enterprise Barometer, business owners will be providing us with strong and insightful data that enables Enterprise NI, and our network of 27 Local Enterprise Agencies, to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities they face, and the agility to deliver the on the ground supports they need.”
Further details on the survey, along with the findings from last year’s Barometer, can be found online at enterpriseni.com
