The ninth Sunshine Coast Business Confidence Survey supported by Sunshine Coast Institute of TAFE opened on Thursday and will focus on understanding business threats and opportunities facing the local business community.

Sunshine Coast Institute of TAFE Director Ross Hepworth said the business confidence survey is the most widely supported collaborative business tool on the Coast today with over 25 business groups and government agencies involved.

“And with this type of reach, all business types and sizes can both participate and share in the results of a collective view about local business conditions,” Mr Hepworth said.

“Understanding the impact of the Australian dollar alongside the threat of online trading, skills shortages and potential new taxes can help us all develop strategies to address these threats and opportunities.”

Telstra Queensland Business Woman of the Year 2009 and CEO of United Synergies, Ms Sue Scheinpflug agrees with the collective approach to addressing region wide issues and opportunities. 

“One of the advantages of this survey is that it is a good opportunity to match the voice of business against data from the usual sources such as Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)”, Ms Scheinpflug said.

“The hard data from the ABS doesn’t often seem to carry an opinion, so there are not many places other than the Sunshine Coast Business Confidence Survey to get a sense of the experiences and what is actually happening in business on the Coast.

“This survey gives a direct voice for business on the Coast, it brings the data to life, helping us in the important task of addressing the region’s issues in a unified manner.”

Ms Scheinpflug encourages people to take the time and log on to the online anonymous survey to have their say.

“Everybody is busy until a decision gets made that impacts upon them, so whilst surveys don’t often seem to have a direct link to your everyday work, they do provide the decision making process with meaningful information.”

The online anonymous survey opened on Thursday 1st of September 2011 and will be available for participation up until Tuesday 27th of September.

Businesses wishing to participate in the survey can go to the dedicated web page here.