Various Customer Surveys

Business Climate Study

We are conducting a survey about business decisions and attitudes. Your opinions will help us decide how best to assist businesses in participating in future data collections. Please take about 15 minutes to give us your views. Your response is voluntary, and we will ensure the confidentiality of your answers.

Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: Paperwork Project 0607-0760, U.S. Census Bureau, 4600 Silver Hill Road, Room 3K138, Washington, DC 20233. You may e-mail comments to [email protected]; use "Paperwork Project 0607-0760" as the subject.

This survey is being conducted under OMB Clearance Number 0607-0760, which expires on November 30, 2011. For further information regarding this clearance, please contact the U.S. Census Bureau at 301-763-4094.

S1. Which of the following most accurately describes your role in your company or organization?

President/Owner/Partner/CEO/GM	01 
CFO/Controller	02 
Other top management	03 
Finance	04 
Human Resources	05 
Payroll	06 
Accounting	07 
Legal	08 
Sales	09 
Production	10 
Clerical/Administrative Support	11 
Other (Please specify:)	95 

S2. Are you the person in your firm responsible for completing government requests for business information?

Yes	01 		SKIP TO S4
No	02 		CONTINUE

S3. Does the person responsible for completing government requests for business information report to you?

Yes	01 
No	02 

RESPONDENTS MUST SAY (S2 OR S3=01) TO CONTINUE.

S4. How many employees work for your company?

1-4	01 
5-9	02 
10-19	03 
20-49	04 
50-99	05 
100-249	06 
250-499	07 
500-999	08 
1,000 or more	09 
Don’t know	99 

RESPONDENTS MUST SAY S4=02 - 07 CONTINUE.

S5A. In which of the following industries does your company conduct most of its business?

Accommodation and Food Services	01 
Administrative and Support Services	02 
Agriculture/Forestry/Fishing/Hunting	03 
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation	04 
Civic, Religious, Business & similar organizations	05 
Construction	06 
Educational Services	07 
Finance and Insurance	08 
Government/Public Administration	09 
Healthcare and Social Assistance	10 
Manufacturing	11 
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction	12 
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services	13 
Publishing, Communications and other Information services	14 
Real Estate	15 
Rental and Leasing services, except real estate	16 
Repair and Personal Services	17 
Retail Trade	18 
Transportation and Warehousing	19 
Utilities	20 
Waste Management and Remediation Services	21 
Wholesale Trade	22 
Other (Please specify:)	95 
Don’t know	99 

RESPONDENTS WHO SAY SA5=03,09,95 OR 99 TERMINATE. THOSE WHO CONTINUE ARE ASKED THE APPROPRIATE INDUSTRY BREAKOUT.

S5B. Now, we want to ask you more specifically about your industry of employment. Within your category, which best describes your business?

Accommodation and Food Services
Accommodation (Hotels, Motels, B&Bs, etc.)	01 
Food Services and Drinking Places	02 
Full-Service Restaurants	03 
Limited-Service Restaurants	04 
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars	05 
Other Food Services	06 
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)	07 
Other (Please specify:)	95 
Don’t know	99 

NOTE: REMAINING CATEGORY BREAKDOWNS AT END OF THIS DOCUMENT

ASK EVERYONE

1. Where do you turn for business news in general and/or news specifically about your industry?

(Check all that apply)

ROTATE (1-10)
Trade publications	01 
Trade or industry associations	02 
Local Chamber of Commerce	03 
Business publications (Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, etc.)	04 
Websites (Bloomberg.com, Wall Street Journal.com, etc.)	05 
Web search engines (Google, Bing, etc.)	06 
Television	07 
Radio	08 
Local newspapers	09 
Vendors/Suppliers (shipping services, lawyers, accountants, etc.)	10 
Other (Please specify:)	95 
None of these	98 

1A. Which would you say is your primary source?

Do not have a primary source

98 

FOR EACH ITEM MENTIONED IN Q1 ASK Q1B

1B. Some of the news sources you mentioned are available either in paper or electronic formats, which do you prefer?

ROTATE (1-3)	a. Print	b. Electronic/Web
Trade publications	01 	01 
Business publications (Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, etc.)	02 	02 
Local newspapers	03 	03 
Other (Please specify:)	95 	95 
None of these	98 	98 

ASK EVERYONE

2. Which of the following business related activities have you participated in the past 6 months?

(Check all that apply)

ROTATE (1-3)
Trade shows or conventions	01 
Seminars	02 
Webinars or webcasts	03 
Other (Please specify:)	95 
None of these	98 

3. Have you used any of the following online resources in the last six months for personal and/or business purposes?

(Check all that apply)

ROTATE	Personal	Business	Don’t’ Use
Facebook	01 	02 	98 
Twitter	01 	02 	98 
LinkedIn	01 	02 	98 
Message boards and discussion forums on websites	01 	02 	98 
Blogs	01 	02 	98 
YouTube	01 	02 	98 
MySpace	01 	02 	98 
Other (Please specify:)	01 	02 	98 

4. Thinking about the current business climate, how is your company doing today compared to 1 year ago and 5 years ago?

RANDOMLY REVERSE ORDER	Compared to 1 Year ago	Compared to 5 Years ago
Significantly better	01 	01 
Somewhat better	02 	02 
About the same	03 	03 
Somewhat worse	04 	04 
Significantly worse	05 	05 
Company did not exist then	98 	98 
Don’t know	99 	99 

5. And, what are your expectations for how your company will be doing 1 year from now?

RANDOMLY REVERSE ORDER	1 Year from now
Significantly better	01 
Somewhat better	02 
About the same	03 
Somewhat worse	04 
Significantly worse	05 
Don’t know	99 

6. Do you use statistical data about your industry for making business decisions?

I personally use industry statistical data to make business decisions	01 
I do not personally use industry statistical data to make business decisions, but others in my company do	02 
My company does not use industry statistical data to make business decisions	03 
Don’t know	99 

IF COMPANY USES DATA Q6=(01 OR 02) ASK Q6A

6A. How would you describe your company’s use of statistical data about your industry for making business decisions?

Heavy user of statistical data	01 
Moderate user of statistical data	02 
Occasional user of statistical data	03 
Don’t know	99 

ASK EVERYONE

6B. What sources do you or your company turn to on a regular basis for the statistical data or information you use for making business decisions?

(Check all that apply)

ROTATE (1-13)
Trade publications	01 
Trade or industry associations	02 
Local Chamber of Commerce	03 
Business publications (Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, etc.)	04 
Websites (Bloomberg.com, Wall Street Journal.com, etc.)	05 
Web search engines (Google, Bing, etc.)	06 
Television	07 
Radio	08 
Local newspapers	09 
Vendors/Suppliers (shipping services, lawyers, accountants, etc.)	10 
Federal Government sources	11 
State Government sources	12 
Local Government sources	13 
Other (Please specify:)	95 
None of these	98 
Don’t know	99 

IF TRADE OR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS (02) IN Q1 OR Q6A ASK Q7

7. Which trade or industry associations do you find to be the most useful sources of business information for your company?

IF SOMEONE ELSE COMPLETES FORMS S3=(01) ASK Q8. OTHERWISE SKIP TO Q11

8. Earlier you mentioned that the person responsible for completing government requests for business information reports to you. Is the person who completes these requests an employee of your firm or do you use an outside vendor such as an accountant or lawyer?

One or more company employees completes the forms	01 
We use an outside vendor to complete the forms	02 
Both	03 
Don’t know	99 

8A. Do you review the government requests or submissions?

Yes, I always review the government requests to determine or assure accuracy of the response	01 
Occasionally, I review the government requests to determine or assure accuracy of the response	02 
No, government requests are routinely handled without my awareness of particular forms	03 

IF COMPANY EMPLOYEE Q8=(01 OR 03) ASK Q9

9. What is the role of the employee in your company responsible for completing the government information reports?

President/Owner/Partner/CEO/GM	01 
CFO/Controller	02 
Other top management	03 
Finance	04 
Human Resources	05 
Payroll	06 
Accounting	07 
Legal	08 
Sales	09 
Production	10 
Clerical/Administrative Support	11 
Other (Please specify)	95 

IF OUTSIDE VENDOR Q8=(02 OR 03) ASK Q10

10. What type of outside vendor does your company use to help complete the government information reports?

Accountant or tax preparer	01 
Payroll service	02 
Financial adviser	03 
Lawyer	04 
Consultant	05 
Other (Please specify:)	95 
Don’t know	99 

ASK EVERYONE

11. Thinking just about the government requests for business information reporting, please rate your level of agreement with each of the following statements.

Rotate			Totally Agree											Totally Disagree		DK
(Items a & b must always appear first in rotation.)
a.	We are receiving more and more requests for information from the federal government		+5	+4		+3	+2	+1	0	-1	-2	-3	-4		-5	99
b.	We are receiving more and more requests for information from state and local governments		+5	+4		+3	+2	+1	0	-1	-2	-3	-4		-5	99
c.	Filling out government forms is very time consuming		+5	+4		+3	+2	+1	0	-1	-2	-3	-4		-5	99
d.	Completing government forms places a financial burden on my company		+5	+4		+3	+2	+1	0	-1	-2	-3	-4		-5	99
e.	Businesses in general benefit from our completing and returning government forms		+5	+4		+3	+2	+1	0	-1	-2	-3	-4		-5	99
f.	The government forms are generally easy to understand and complete		+5	+4		+3	+2	+1	0	-1	-2	-3	-4		-5	99
g.	I do not see the purpose in completing government requests		+5	+4		+3	+2	+1	0	-1	-2	-3	-4		-5	99
h.	I am concerned about revealing company information to the government even when there are assurances of confidentiality		+5	+4		+3	+2	+1	0	-1	-2	-3	-4		-5	99
i.	I would be more likely to complete government forms if I knew how the data would be used		+5	+4		+3	+2	+1	0	-1	-2	-3	-4		-5	99
j.	It is a problem for my company when government forms and instructions are only in English		+5	+4		+3	+2	+1	0	-1	-2	-3	-4		-5	99
k.	I only fill out government forms when my response is required by law		+5	+4		+3	+2	+1	0	-1	-2	-3	-4		-5	99
l.	We put off completing government forms until it is absolutely necessary		+5	+4		+3	+2	+1	0	-1	-2	-3	-4		-5	99
m.	Sometimes government agencies send us the wrong forms for our type of business		+5	+4		+3	+2	+1	0	-1	-2	-3	-4		-5	99
n.	Sometimes we do not have the data being requested on government forms		+5	+4		+3	+2	+1	0	-1	-2	-3	-4		-5	99

12. How does your company prefer to submit the business information reporting that is requested by the government?

File online	01 
Download forms, then submit them online	02 
Download forms, print them, then mail them in	03 
Mail back the paper forms	04 
Doesn’t matter	05 
Don’t know	99 

IF FILE ONLINE NOT MENTIONED IN Q12 (01, 02 OR 03) ASK Q13

13. What are the reasons you prefer not to submit these business information requests from the government online?

(Check all that apply)

The requests do not offer filing online as an option	01 
Too difficult, paper is easier	02 
Worry about security/privacy issues filing online	03 
Other (Please specify:)	95 
Don’t know	99 

ASK EVERYONE

14. When you need help completing the business information reporting that is requested by the government, where do you go?

(Check all that apply)

Rely on the instructions that come with the forms	01 
Go online to the website of the agency requesting the information	02 
Go online to a search engine (Google, Bing, Ask, etc.)	03 
Call the help desk telephone number provided on the forms	04 
Consult with others within my company	05 
Consult with others outside my company (accountant, lawyer, etc.)	06 
Other (Please specify:)	95 
None of these, don’t need any help	98 
Don’t know	99 

15. Thinking about business information and statistical data produced by the Federal government, how familiar are you with the following?

	Rotate	Very familiar with	Somewhat familiar with	Know the name only	Never heard of	Don’t know/not sure
a.	Economic Census	04	03	02	01	99
b.	Annual Capital Expenditures	04	03	02	01	99
c.	Quarterly Financial Report	04	03	02	01	99
d.	American Community Survey	04	03	02	01	99
e.	2010 Census	04	03	02	01	99
f.	Monthly Retail Trade Sales	04	03	02	01	99
g.	Imports and Exports	04	03	02	01	99
h.	Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories and Orders	04	03	02	01	99
i.	Gross Domestic Product	04	03	02	01	99
j.	Consumer Price Index	04	03	02	01	99
k.	Producer Price Index	04	03	02	01	99
l.	Unemployment Statistics	04	03	02	01	99

FOR EACH SOURCE AWARE OF IN Q15 (04,03, OR 02) ASK Q14

16. Have you or your company used business information and/or statistical data produced by…?

	Rotate	Yes	No	Don’t know/not sure
a.	Economic Census	01	02	99
b.	Annual Capital Expenditures	01	02	99
c.	Quarterly Financial Report	01	02	99
d.	American Community Survey	01	02	99
e.	2000 Census	01	02	99
f.	Monthly Retail Trade Sales	01	02	99
g.	Imports and Exports	01	02	99
h.	Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories and Orders	01	02	99
i.	Gross Domestic Product	01	02	99
j.	Consumer Price Index	01	02	99
k.	Producer Price Index	01	02	99
l.	Unemployment Statistics	01	02	99

17. How do you or your company use the business information and statistical data produced by these government sources? (Check all that apply)

Pricing	01 
Forecasting	02 
Competitive analysis	03 
Calculate market share	04 
Site location	05 
Marketing	06 
Business plans	07 
Venture capital proposal	08 
Bank loan application	09 
Other (Please specify:)	95 
Don’t know	99 

The next few questions are about specific sources of business information.

18. Who conducts the Economic Census?

ROTATE
Bureau of Labor Statistics	01 
Department of Commerce	02 
Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs	03 
Department of the Treasury	04 
Congressional Budget Office	05 
U.S. Census Bureau	06 
Council of Economic Advisers	07 
Other (Please specify:)	95 
Don’t know	99 

19. How often is the Economic Census conducted

Annually	01 
Once every 2 years	02 
Once every 3 years	03 
Once every 5 years	04 
Once every 10 years	05 
Don’t know	99 

20. The Census Bureau conducts an Economic Census every 5 years, providing detailed economic data from the national to the local level. The Economic Census covers nearly all of the U.S. economy in its basic collection of establishment statistics and provides the data needed to provide key measures of our economy. The last Economic Census was conducted in 2007.

Do you recall your company having received the 2007 Economic Census forms?

Yes	01 		CONTINUE
No	02 		SKIP TO Q23

21. Thinking back to the 2007 Economic Census, please rate how easy or difficult it was to complete and submit the information requested.

Very easy										Very difficult	Don’t know/Don’t remember
+5	+4	+3	+2	+1	0	-1	-2	-3	-4	-5	99

IF RATED AS EASY Q21 (+1,+2,+3,+4 OR +5) ASK Q22A

22A. What about the process made the 2007 Economic Census easy to complete and submit?

IF RATED AS DIFFICULT Q21 (-1,-2,-3,-4 OR -5) ASK Q22B

22B. What about the process made the 2007 Economic Census difficult to complete and submit?

ASK EVERYONE

23. Were you aware that data from the 2007 Economic Census provides information about all U.S. industries and geographic areas down to the local level and is available to your business?

Yes	01 
No	02 

24. How important is it to you or your company to be able to access this type of data from the Economic Census?

RANDOMLY REVERSE ORDER
Very important	01 
Somewhat important	02 
Undecided	03 
Not very important	04 
Not at all important	05 

25. Have you ever visited a Census Bureau website to access statistics about business?

Yes	01 
No	02 

26. The next Economic Census will be conducted for 2012. How likely will you or your company be to complete the forms?

Very likely												Not at all likely	Don’t know
+5		+4	+3	+2	+1	0	-1	-2	-3	-4		-5	99

These final questions are for classification purposes only.

27. About how long has your company been in operation?

Less than 1 year	01 
1 – 3 years	02 
4 – 5 years	03 
6 – 10 years	04 
11 – 20 years	05 
More than 20 years	06 
Don’t know	99 

28. Does your company operate establishments (stores) at more than one location?

One location	01 
Two or more locations	02 
Don’t know/Refused	99 

IF MULTI-UNIT Q28=02 ASK Q29

29. Do your responsibilities extend to all your company’s locations or to some, but not all locations?

Entire company	01 
Some, but not all locations	02 
Don’t know/Refused	99 

ASK EVERYONE

30. Does your business operate under a trademark authorized by a franchisor?

Yes, we are a franchisee	01 
Yes, we are a franchisor	02 
No	03 
Don’t know/Refused	99 

31. Please indicate your gender?

Male	01 
Female	02 
Decline to Answer	99 

32. Are you of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin?

Yes	01 
No	02 
Decline to Answer	99 

33. Do you consider yourself...?

(Mark one or more)

White	01 
Black/African American	02 
American Indian or Alaska Native	03 
Asian	04 
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander	05 
Decline to Answer	99 

34. In what year were you born? Please enter your response as a four-digit number (for example, 1977).

35. What is the zip code in which your office is located?

REMAINING NAICS CATEGORIES FROM S5B

Administrative and Support Services
Office Administrative Services	01 
Employment Services	02 
Business Support Services	03 
Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services	04 
Investigation and Security Services	05 
Janitorial Services	06 
Landscaping Services	07 
Other Services to Buildings and Dwellings	08 
Other (Please specify:)	95 
Don’t know	99 

Arts, Entertainment & Recreation
Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries	01 
Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions	02 
Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries	03 
Other (Please specify:)	95 
Don’t know	99 

Civic, Religious, Business, and Similar Organizations
Religious Organizations	01 		Terminate
Grantmaking and Giving Services	02 
Social Advocacy Organizations	03 
Business Associations	04 
Professional Organizations	05 
Labor Unions and Similar Labor Organizations	06 		Terminate
Political Organizations	07 		Terminate
Other (Please specify:)	95 
Don’t know	99 

Construction
Construction of Buildings			01 
Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction			02 
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors			03 
Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors			04 
Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors			05 
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors			06 
Finish Carpentry Contractors			07 
Other Specialty Trade Contractors			08 
Other (Please specify:)			95 
Don’t know			99 
Educational Services
Elementary and Secondary Schools	01 			Terminate
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	02 			Terminate
Business Schools and Computer and Management Training	03 
Technical and Trade Schools	04 
Other Schools and Instruction	06 
Educational Support Services	07 
Other (Please specify:)	95 
Don’t know	99 
Finance & Insurance
Banking and Credit Intermediation			01 
Securities, Commodity Contracts and Investments			02 
Insurance Carriers, Agents and Related Activities			03 
Other (Please specify:)			95 
Don’t know			99 
Healthcare & Social Assistance
Offices of Physicians			01 
Offices of Dentists			02 
Offices of Other Health Practitioners			03 
Outpatient Care Centers			04 
Home Health Care Services			05 
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services			06 
Hospitals			07 
Nursing and Residential Care Facilities			08 
Child Day Care Services			09 
Social, Emergency, and Vocational Assistance			10 
Other (Please specify:)			95 
Don’t know			99 

Manufacturing
Food, Beverage and Tobacco Manufacturing	01 
Textile and Apparel Manufacturing	02 
Wood Product and Paper Manufacturing	03 
Petroleum, Chemical and Plastics Manufacturing	04 
Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing	05 
Machine Shops	06 
Other Metal Manufacturing	07 
Machinery Manufacturing	08 
Computer and Electronic Appliance Manufacturing	09 
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	10 
Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing	11 
Other (Please specify:)	95 
Don’t know	99 

Mining, Quarrying, Oil & Gas Extraction
Oil and Gas Extraction	01 
Coal Mining	02 
Metal Ore Mining	03 
Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying	04 
Support Activities for Mining	05 
Other (Please specify:)	95 
Don’t know	99 

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services
Legal Services	01 
Offices of Certified Public Accountants	02 
Tax Preparation Services	03 
Payroll Services	04 
Other Accounting Services	05 
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	06 
Specialized Design Services	07 
Computer Systems Design and Related Services	08 
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	09 
Scientific Research and Development Services	10 
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services	11 
Other (Please specify:)	95 
Don’t know	99 

Publishing, Communications, and Other Information Services
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers	01 
Software Publishers	02 
Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries	03 
Broadcasting (except Internet)	04 
Telecommunications	05 
Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services	06 
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting and Other Information Services	07 
Other (Please specify:)	95 
Don’t know	99 

Real Estate
Lessors of Real Estate	01 
Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers	02 
Other (Please specify:)	95 
Don’t know	99 

Rental & Leasing Services (except real estate)
Automotive Equipment Rental and Leasing	01 
Consumer Goods Rental	02 
General Rental Centers	03 
Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing	04 
Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works)	05 
Other (Please specify:)	95 
Don’t know	99 

Repair and Personal Services
Automotive Mechanical and Electrical Repair and Maintenance	01 
Automotive Body, Paint, Interior, and Glass Repair	02 
Automotive Oil Change and Lubrication Shops	03 
Car Washes	04 
Non-automotive Repair and Maintenance	05 
Beauty Shops and Other Hair, Nail and Skin Care Services	06 
Drycleaning and Laundry Services	07 
Other (Please specify:)	95 
Don’t know	99 

Retail Trade
Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers	01 
Furniture and Home Furnishings Stores	02 
Electronics and Appliance Stores	03 
Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers	04 
Supermarkets and Other Grocery (except Convenience) Stores	05 
Convenience Stores	06 
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores	07 
Other Food and Beverage Stores	08 
Health and Personal Care Stores, Including Drug Stores	09 
Gasoline Stations	10 
Clothing and Clothing Accessories Stores	11 
Sporting Goods, Hobby, Book and Music Stores	12 
General Merchandise Stores	13 
Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses	14 
Other (Please specify:)	95 
Don’t know	99 

Transportation & Warehousing
Truck Transportation	01 
Taxi and Limousine Service	02 
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation	03 
Other Transit and Passenger Transportation	04 
Couriers and Messengers	05 
Warehousing and Storage	06 
Other (Please specify:)	95 
Don’t know	99 

Utilities
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution	01 
Natural Gas Distribution	02 
Water, Sewage and Other Systems	03 
Other (Please specify:)	95 
Don’t know	99 
Waste Management/Remediation Services
Waste Collection	01 
Waste Treatment and Disposal	02 
Remediation and Other Waste Management Services	03 
Other (Please specify:)	95 
Don’t know	99 
Wholesale Trade
Merchant Wholesalers	01 
Wholesale Agents and Brokers and Electronic Markets	02 
Other (Please specify:)	95 
Don’t know	99 

31

DRAFT 12/13/2010