Business Retention and Expansion Survey

Thank you for taking the time to complete this Business Retention and Expansion survey. Your feedback is essential to understanding how businesses like yours are doing and identifying ways to support and grow the local economy. The information gathered will help shape the City of Cranbrook’s Economic Development Strategic Plan.

10 to 15 minutes. Seven short steps, and you can save your progress and finish later.
Confidential. Responses are used only in summary form to inform the City’s economic development work.

In partnership with:

1Your business

2Business profile

3Direction

4Challenges

5Support

6Money flow

7Future plans

Your business

Two quick details so we can keep your responses together. Everything you tell us stays confidential and is reported only in summary.

Business name(Required)

Your name(Required)

Industry Sector(Required)

In your own words — for example "sawmilling", "auto repair", "accommodation". You will pick a broader category on the next step.

Email address

Optional. Only used if you ask to be included in follow-up discussions at the end, or if you save this survey to finish later.

Your responses will remain confidential and will only be used in summary form to inform the City of Cranbrook’s economic development efforts.

Without limiting other obligations under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, Chapter 165 and any other enactments that may apply to the City or the Proponent or to both, and despite any promises or commitment by the City to preserving the confidentiality of information to the extent permitted by law, the Proponent acknowledges that any information provided to the City in relation to the Project, or that is created, produced, negotiated or otherwise comes within the City’s custody or under its control pursuant to the Project, may be subject to a legal requirement to disclose the information pursuant to a request for access under that Act.

Business profile

What kind of operation you run, and how long you have been running it here.

Tourism Insights

Visitor volumes, seasonality and accommodation trends for Cranbrook, updated on the City's open data platform.

Open Tourism Insights(opens in a new tab)

Please identify the industry of your business(Required)

Forestry and wood products (including pulp, sawmills, and wood manufacturing)

Mining

Agriculture (including ranching and market farming)

Manufacturing (supporting resource-based sectors)

Energy and utilities

Construction

Tourism and hospitality

Retail, wholesale and service industries

Health care services

Transportation and logistics

Arts, culture, and heritage (including Indigenous culture)

Other

Please specify your industry(Required)

How many employees do you currently have?(Required)

1-4

5-19

20-49

50-99

100+

How long has your business been operating in Cranbrook?(Required)

Less than 1 year

1-5 years

6-10 years

11-20 years

Over 20 years

Describe your company ownership(Required)

Local - independent

Local - franchise

National chain

Independent but not local ownership

Non-profit

Where your business is heading

Your current direction and what you expect over the next two years.

Building Permits

Current permit activity across Cranbrook — useful for gauging construction demand and timing before you commit to a build.

Open Building Permits(opens in a new tab)

Is your business currently expanding, stable, or downsizing?(Required)

Expanding

Stable

Downsizing

Do you anticipate your business will grow, stay the same, or decline over the next two years?(Required)

Grow

Stay the same

Decline

Not sure

Are you considering expanding your business into a new location?(Required)

Yes

What kind of new location are you considering?(Required)

Challenges and opportunities

The friction you are dealing with, and the openings you can see.

Economic Development Data Platform

Population, labour force, business counts and economic indicators for Cranbrook, all in one place. Worth a look before answering the next question.

Open the data platform(opens in a new tab)

What are the most significant challenges your business is facing in Cranbrook?(Required)

Labour shortages

Access to skilled workers

Employee retention

Access to capital

High operating costs (e.g., utilities, rent, taxes)

Regulatory and permitting challenges

Transportation and logistics

Access to markets

Availability of business or industrial land

Communication infrastructure (e.g., internet, phone)

Energy infrastructure

Cost of living in the area

Access to affordable housing for employees

None of these

Select all that apply.

Other challenge

Optional. Anything not covered above.

What opportunities do you see for business growth in Cranbrook?(Required)

Take as much space as you need.

Support and programs

How supported you feel, and which programs you have actually used.

Revitalization Tax Exemption

If you are improving or building on an eligible property, this City program can exempt the increase in municipal taxes for a set term.

See how the exemption works(opens in a new tab)

To what extent do you feel supported by the local government in Cranbrook?(Required)

Very supported

Somewhat supported

Neutral

Somewhat unsupported

Very unsupported

To what extent do you feel supported by community partners in Cranbrook?(Required)

Very supported

Somewhat supported

Neutral

Somewhat unsupported

Very unsupported

Have you accessed any of the following programs or services in the past 5 years?(Required)

City of Cranbrook — Choose Cranbrook Economic Development site

City of Cranbrook — Choose Cranbrook Data Portal

City of Cranbrook — Revitalization Tax Exemption program

City of Cranbrook — Municipal Grant program

ETSI BC funding

Community Futures — loans

Community Futures — coaching / counselling

Community Futures — Taking Care of Business or My Community Futures (training)

Small Business BC

Chamber of Commerce — events

Chamber of Commerce — resources

WorkBC — hiring supports

WorkBC — wage subsidy programs

Venture Connect — business transition / sale assistance

Export Navigator

Basin Business Advisors

Columbia Basin Trust lending program

Visit Cranbrook co-operative marketing program

Ministry of Jobs and Economic Growth — Rural Economic Development and Infrastructure Program

Ministry of Jobs and Economic Growth — BC Manufacturing Fund

Ministry of Jobs and Economic Growth — Forestry sector supports

Kootenay Outdoor Recreation Enterprise (KORE)

DisasterSmart / FireSmart

None of these

Select all that apply. If a name is unfamiliar, that is useful for us to know too — leave it unchecked.

What services or supports would be most helpful for your business at this time?(Required)

Business financing

Workforce development and training

Access to local or regional markets

Business mentoring and advisory services

Networking opportunities

Marketing and promotional support

Support navigating regulatory processes

Improved communication infrastructure (internet, phone)

Emergency planning

Succession planning

None of these

Select all that apply.

Other support

Optional. Anything not covered above.

Where your money moves

Roughly how your sales and your purchasing are split by distance. Estimates are fine. Every box starts at 0, so leave anything that does not apply to you alone — each set should add up to about 100%.

Retail Spending Analysis

Where retail dollars actually land in Cranbrook, including how much spending leaks out of the region. Context for the question below.

Open Retail Spending Analysis(opens in a new tab)