REIS - Respondents to full study

National Survey
of Business
Competitiveness

Version 1

Sponsored by:

Conducted by:

Economic Research Service
US Department of Agriculture

Social and Economic
Sciences Research Center
Washington State University

Contact:
Tim Wojan
[email protected]
202-694-5419

Contact:
Yi Jen Wang
[email protected]
800-833-0867

2014

OMB control number 0536-0071
Expires (07/31/2016)

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not
required to respond to, a collection of information unless it has a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
control number. The valid OMB number for this information collection is 0536-0071. The time required to complete
this information is estimated to average 30 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions,
searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the
collection of information.

YOUR RESPONSE IS VOLUNTARY. YOUR ANSWERS TO ALL QUESTIONS ARE CONFIDENTIAL. All
information that is provided by participants to the National Survey of Business Competitiveness
will only be used for statistical research purposes and reported in summary form. Your name
and that of the business you represent will not be connected to your answers in any way. In
accordance with the Confidential Information Protection provisions of Title V, Subtitle A, Public
Law 107-347 and other applicable Federal laws, individual responses will be kept confidential
and will not be disclosed in identifiable form to anyone outside of the research team. By law,
every ERS and SESRC employee is subject to a jail term of up to 5 years, a fine of up to $250,000
or both if he/she discloses any identifiable information about research participants.

Photo credit for cover photos: Shutterstock.com

1.

What is your job title or role?
job title or role

2.

Approximately what year did this business at this location begin operating?
year

3.

What is the main product or service at this business location?

4.

Does this business have only one location or more than one location?
1 Only one location  Skip to question 5
2 More than one location

4a.

(If more than one location) Is this location this business’s headquarters or is it a
branch location?
1 Headquarters
2 Branch location

5.

How important is each of these factors for locating this business in this community? (Check the
appropriate level of importance for each factor.)

Factor

Not
Somewhat
Very
Not
Don’t
important important important applicable know






Owner-ties to area
Availability of low-cost labor
Available skilled labor pool
Access to transportation
Access to broadband or high speed internet
Access to material inputs
Access to customers
Government incentives
Low taxes
Strong or growing local economy

-3-

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5
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5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5

5a.

How important is each of these factors for making this community an attractive place to work?
(Check the appropriate level of importance for each factor.)

Factor

Not
Somewhat
Very
Not
Don’t
important important important applicable know






Opportunities for outdoor recreation
Scenic beauty (e.g., natural or architectural)
Climate
Access to arts and entertainment
Quality of local schools
Access to health care

6.

1
1
1
1
1
1

2
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5
5
5
5
5
5

In 2013, at this location, what was the average number of workers who were in each category?
(Please include all workers in these two categories.)

Worker category

Full-time and part-time employees on your payroll
Independent contractors or temporary workers NOT ON YOUR PAYROLL

Total

Number of
workers


_______
_______
_______

If 5 or more workers in total, continue with question 7.
If less than 5 workers in total, skip to question 52 on page 16.

7.

In the past 12 months, did this business…

Offer a health insurance option for any workers
Offer a retirement plan
Pay for worker education, professional development, or training
Offer paid maternity, paternity, or family leave
Have an employee-ownership plan
Offer paid time off for workers to volunteer

8a.

Yes


No


1
1
1
1
1
1

2
2
2
2
2
2

How many workers are managers at this location? (Managers are workers who direct or oversee
operations.)
number of managers

8b.

How many workers are professionals? (Professionals are workers such as engineers or
accountants.)
number of professionals

-4-

9.

In 2013, what is your best estimate of the average hourly wage for non-salaried workers at this
location?
 Check here if you do not have any non-salaried workers.
average hourly wage

10.

In 2013, at this location, what percent of workers were in the following occupational categories?
(Please include all workers in these categories. Total percent should equal 100%.)

Occupational
category

Management and professional
Services
Sales and office support
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance
Production, transportation, and material moving

Percent of
workers
OR


_______%
_______%
_______%
_______%
_______%
=100%

Number of
workers


_______
_______
_______
_______
_______

10a. For each occupational category, what was the minimum educational level needed in 2013?
(Check the appropriate level of education for each occupational category.)

Occupational category

Less than
At least
At least
high school HS diploma Assoc degree/
or no specific or GED
vocational
education
certification




Management and professional
Services
Sales and office support
Natural resources, construction, and
maintenance
Production, transportation, and
material moving

11.

At least
More than
four-year four-year
college
college
degree
degree



1
1
1

2
2
2

3
3
3

4
4
4

5
5
5

1

2

3

4

5

1

2

3

4

5

Is any part of the workforce unionized or covered by a collective bargaining agreement?
1 Yes
2 No

12.

In the past 3 years, how difficult has it been to find qualified applicants for your workforce, not
including managers and professionals?
1 Very difficult
2 Somewhat difficult
3 Not difficult  Skip to question 13 on the next page
-5-

12a. (If very or somewhat difficult) Why has it been difficult to find qualified applicants for your
workforce?

Quality of the labor pool
Increases in required skills and knowledge
Insufficient number of workers available locally
Limited interest among job seekers for openings at this business

13.

Yes


No


1
1
1
1

2
2
2
2

Does this business have written position descriptions?
1 Yes
2 No  Skip to question 14a

13a. Are training requirements documented in those position descriptions?
1 Yes
2 No  Skip to question 14a

13b. Does this business track whether workers complete or if they have already
completed these training requirements?
1 Yes
2 No

14a. Does this business currently use personal computers or laptops, not including smart phones?
1 Yes
2 No  Skip to question 17 on the next page

14b. Are the following technologies currently used at this business?

Broadband or high speed internet
Sale of products or services over the Internet (e-commerce)
Supplies purchased over the Internet (e-procurement)
Web advertising
Direct e-mail marketing
Social media (e.g., LinkedIn or Facebook)
Business issued smartphones to workers
RFID readers, barcode, or optical scanners (e.g., Radio Frequency Identification)
Computer software specifically designed for your business or industry
An integrated enterprise resource planning system (e.g., SAP or Microsoft
Dynamics, or Oracle Applications that include accounting, logistics,
human resources, sales management, along with other functions)
Stand-alone supply chain or logistics management software
Stand-alone customer relationship management software

-6-

Yes


No


1
1
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1

2
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1
1
1

2
2
2

15.

What percent of the sale of products or services comes over the Internet?
 Check here if you do not sell any products or services over the Internet.
percent of sales over the Internet

16.

What percent of your workforce, not including managers and professionals, uses computers on
a daily basis?
percent of the workforce who uses computers

17.

Have the following factors limited this business’s use of information and communications
technology?

The cost of equipment and software
The cost of information and communications services
Lack of access to adequate broadband or high speed internet
Lack of knowledge
Difficulty integrating new technologies into the current way you do business

18.

No


1
1
1
1
1

2
2
2
2
2

Businesses obtain information about new opportunities or new ways of doing things from many
sources. Which sources have been most valuable for this firm?

Sources of new information

Suppliers
Customers
Other business people in your industry
Other business people NOT in your industry
Business or trade association conferences or publications
Your own workers
Media (e.g., newspapers, television, Internet)
Private consultants
University extension, community colleges, or business schools

19.

Yes


Not at all Somewhat Very
valuable valuable valuable




1
1
1
1
1
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2
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3
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3
3
3
3
3
3

Of the sources identified as very valuable, where are they located?

In
Outside community Beyond a
your
within a
reasonable
Not
community reasonable drive
drive
Applicable





Suppliers providing valuable information
Customers providing valuable information
Other business people in your industry
providing valuable information
Other business people NOT in your
industry providing valuable information

1
1

2
2

3
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4
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1

2

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1

2

3

4

-7-

20.

Approximately what percent of 2013 final shipments or billed services went to customers…
(Total should equal 100%.)
 Check here if you did not have any sales in 2013.

Locally, within a reasonable drive
Beyond a reasonable drive in the United States
Internationally

21.

_______%
_______%
_______%
=100%

Was this location in business in 2007?
1 Yes
2 No  Skip to question 22

21a. What is your best guess of the percent of 2007 final shipments or billed services that went
to customers… (Total should equal 100%.)

 Check here if you did not have any sales in 2007.

Locally, within a reasonable drive
Beyond a reasonable drive in the United States
Internationally

22.

_______%
_______%
_______%
=100%

In 2013, what percent of goods and services sold by this business were sold to… (Total should
equal 100%.)
 Check here if you did not have any sales in 2013.

Other businesses
Government
Individuals

23.

Is the current market for your products or services…
1
2
3
4
5

24.

_______%
_______%
_______%
=100%

Growing
Stable
Declining
Mixed (e.g., some are declining, others growing)
Uncertain

Does this business require workers to document good work practices and lessons learned?
1 Yes
2 No
-8-

25.

How often does this business monitor customer satisfaction through analysis of complaints,
customer satisfaction surveys, focus groups, or other methods?
1 Never
2 Occasionally
3 Regularly

26.

How often are processes changed to fix problems identified through customer complaints?
1 Never
2 Occasionally
3 Regularly

27.

In the past 3 years, did this business…

Not

Yes
No applicable





Produce any new or significantly improved goods
1
Provide any new or significantly improved services
1
Introduce new or significantly improved methods
of manufacturing or producing goods or services
1
Introduce new or significantly improved logistics, delivery, or
distribution methods for your inputs, goods, or services
1
Introduce new or significantly improved support activities
for your processes
1
Introduce new or significant improvements
in your marketing methods
1

28.

3
3

2

3

2

3

2

3

2

3

In the past 3 years, did this business have any improvement or innovation activities that were…

Yes


No


1
1

2
2

Abandoned
Incomplete

29.

2
2

Did you check “Yes” to any answers in question 27 or question 28?
1 Yes  Skip to question 30 on the next page
2 No



29a. Please tell us why improvement or innovation activities have not been necessary or
possible.

If you answered ‘yes’ to question 29, continue to question 30 on the next page.
If you answered ‘no’ to question 29 and answered 29a, skip to question 35 on page 11.
-9-

30.

In 2013, did this business sell any new or significantly improved goods or services with the
following improvements?

Improved performance
More user-friendly
Reduced costs
New features
New service capabilities

31.

Yes


No


1
1
1
1
1

2
2
2
2
2

In the past 3 years, did this business start selling any new or significantly improved goods or
services before your competitors in at least one of your markets? (Include a product even if it was
available in another market.)
1 Yes
2 No
3 Uncertain

32.

In 2013, what percent of this business’s sales came from new or significantly improved goods or
services? [If none, enter 0 (zero).]
percent of sales

33.

In the past 3 years, did this business engage in any of the following innovation-related activities?

In-house research and development (R&D) to increase knowledge
or devise innovations
Purchase research and development (R&D) from research organizations
or other branches of this business
Conduct in-house design activities to improve aesthetics
of product or packaging
Purchase design services
Purchase machinery, equipment, computers, or software
to implement innovations
Purchase or license patents or inventions to implement innovations
Purchase knowledge or expertise to implement innovations
Plan, engineer, design, or conduct other development work
to implement innovations
Train staff to develop or introduce innovations
Market research, advertising, or other marketing activities linked
to implementing innovations

- 10 -

Yes


No


1

2

1

2

1
1

2
2

1
1
1

2
2
2

1
1

2
2

1

2

34.

In the current environment, if excess cash were available, how likely is it that these funds would
be used to…

Provide additional training of workers
Repay debt
Provide a reserve or cushion
Fund additional innovation projects
Fund additional investment projects,
such as replacing old equipment or for expansion

35.

Not at all
Most
likely
Probably definitely




1
1
1
1

2
2
2
2

3
3
3
3

1

2

3

Does this business produce products or provide services in any of the five green sectors?

Produce renewable energy
Increase energy efficiency
Conserve natural resources
Prevent, reduce, or clean up pollution
Produce clean transportation fuels

36.

Yes


No


1
1
1
1
1

2
2
2
2
2

In the past 3 years, did this business participate in any patent applications?
1 Yes
2 No  Skip to question 37
3 Don’t know  Skip to question 37

36a. In the past 3 years, how many patent applications did this business participate in?
number of patent applications

36b. In the past 3 years, how many patents were awarded?
number of patents awarded

37.

In the past 3 years, did this business…

Register an industrial design
Register a trademark
Produce materials eligible for copyright
Use trade secret protections (e.g., non-disclosure agreements,
non-compete clauses, or sought remedies for misappropriation)

- 11 -

Yes


No


1
1
1

2
2
2

1

2

38.

During the economic recession period (2008-2009), to what extent did this business commit
resources to innovate?
1
2
3
4

39.

Increased resources for innovation activities
There was no change in innovation resources
Delayed or decreased resources for innovation
Not applicable, e.g., not in business at that time

Compared to 2013, in this current year (2014) would you say resources for innovation at this
business have been…
1 Increased
2 Kept the same
3 Decreased

40.

In the past 3 years, has this business…

Increased the variety of goods or services offered
Increased market share or entered new markets
Begun exporting goods or services
Reduced time to respond to customer needs
Improved flexibility of production or service provision
Increased capacity of production or service provision
Reduced labor costs per unit output
Reduced materials and energy required per unit output
Improved worker satisfaction or reduced worker turnover

41.

Yes


No


1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

The following is a list of factors related to this business’s location. For each one, please tell us how
much of a problem it is for this business’s ability to compete.

Factor

Zoning or development regulations
Vitality of the local economy
Access to financial, legal, and other business services
Access to equipment and software suppliers
Access to training courses
Access to transportation or freight forwarding
facilities and services
Availability of broadband or high speed internet
Local availability of mobile or cellular service
Local roads and bridges
Cost of facilities and land
Attractiveness of the area to managers and professionals
Quality of primary and secondary schools
Environmental regulations
State and local tax rates
- 12 -

Not a
problem


A minor A major
problem problem



1
1
1
1
1

2
2
2
2
2

3
3
3
3
3

1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3

42.

How involved in promoting business are the following institutions in your community?

Local government development effort
1. Village, town, or city
2. County
3. Regional or multi-county
Business association (e.g., Chamber of Commerce)
College, university, or extension support for local
business
Community foundations or nonprofit organizations
Local investors
Banks

Not at all
active or Somewhat
Very
Not present active
active




Don’t
know


1
1
1
1

2
2
2
2

3
3
3
3

4
4
4
4

1
1
1
1

2
2
2
2

3
3
3
3

4
4
4
4

42a. How much civic leadership does THIS business provide in your community?
1 None
2 Some
3 A lot

43.

Do you have a good understanding of the decisions that led to the founding of this business?
1 Yes
2 No  Skip to question 44 on the next page

43a. (If Yes) Was this business originally founded around a new or customized product or
service that was created by one of the founders of this business?
1 Yes
2 No  Skip to question 44 on the next page
3 Don’t know  Skip to question 44 on the next page

43b. (If Yes) Thinking about this new or customized product or service, why was it
originally developed?

1 One of the founders created it for personal use
2 One of the founders created it for use at a previous job or business
3 One of the founders identified a business opportunity

- 13 -

44.

The final section of the survey is to assess which types of government or government-sponsored
programs are the most helpful to businesses. If used, please rate how important each program
has been for this business in the past 3 years.
If Used, how important
Used?
was this program?

Program

Yes No

 

Direct loans from a government agency
(e.g., USDA B&I Direct Loan)
Government insurance or guarantee for loans
(e.g., SBA 7(a) Loan Program)
Revolving loan funds run by a nonprofit
or government organization
Tax incentives by state or local government,
including enterprise zones, urban revitalization
areas, Tax Increment Financing districts
Government-assisted industrial parks
or business incubators
Government-funded technology assistance
programs
Government-assisted worker-training programs
National Innovation Marketplace

45.

Not Somewhat Very
important important important




1

2

1

2

3

1

2

1

2

3

1

2

1

2

3

1

2

1

2

3

1

2

1

2

3

1
1
1

2
2
2

1
1
1

2
2
2

3
3
3

Did this business try to borrow money for any purpose in the past 3 years?
1 Yes
2 No  Skip to question 47 on the next page
3 Don’t know  Skip to question 47 on the next page

45a. Please indicate the sources you tried to borrow from in the past 3 years.
money from a source, how much of the funding did you receive?
Tried to
borrow money?

Yes No
 

ommercial bank
C
1
Savings & Loan or credit union
1
Finance or leasing company
1
Insurance or mortgage company
1
Family or friends
1
Federal, state, or local government
1
Credit or advance from a customer
1
Angel capital funding
1
Venture capital funding
1
Personal sources of funds (other than credit cards) 1
Personal home equity loan
1
Other personal loan
1
Personal credit card
1
- 14 -

2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

If you did try to borrow

If Yes,
amount received?
All


Some


None


1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3

46.

How were the funds that this business borrowed or wanted to borrow to be used?

Cash flow or operating costs
Real estate or structures
Replacement of old industrial plant location, equipment, or vehicles
Investment in additional plant, equipment, or vehicles
Repayment of debt
Reserve or cushion
Inventory
Fund innovation projects
Investment in intangible assets, such as branding, training, or design

47.

Yes


No


1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

In the past 3 years, were business profits (retained earnings) used to finance this business?
1 Yes
2 No  Skip to question 48

47a. Compared with borrowed funds, how important were business profits for funding
investment?
1
2
3
4
5

48.

Which of the following best describes your current position?
1
2
3
4

49.

More important
Less important
Equally important
Not applicable
Don’t know

Mid level manager
Senior manager
Executive or owner
Other, please describe: ________________________________________

Which statement best describes your familiarity with how innovation is carried out in this
business?
1
2
3
4
5

Not familiar
Slightly familiar
Moderately familiar
Strongly familiar
Completely familiar

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50.

What is your gender?
1 Male
2 Female

51.

How long have you worked at this business?
number of years worked

52.

Could we contact you again in the future if we have questions or need additional information
about your answers?





53.

Yes, by email  Email address ________________________________________
Yes, by phone  Phone number ________________________________________
Yes, by mail  Mailing address ________________________________________
No

If you have any additional comments about this survey or innovation in general, please write
them in the box below.

Thank you!!
Please return your completed questionnaire in the envelope provided
or to:
National Survey of Business Competitiveness
Social & Economic Sciences Research Center
Washington State University
PO Box 641801
Pullman, WA 99164-1801
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