Sally Manning wants as many Wagga businesses as possible to respond to the quarterly survey. Photo: Chris Roe.
With some businesses winding down and others winding up as we head into Christmas, the Wagga Wagga Business Chamber is hoping to take the pulse of the local economy with its quarterly Business Conditions Survey.
Business manager Sally Manning said it was an important way to get a clear picture of how the region was tracking.
“We ask local businesses to complete a five-minute survey with questions that are relevant to the current economy and business climate and the data is gathered and Business NSW releases a report each quarter,” she said.
“What we’re trying to do is try and get the locals here in Wagga Wagga to respond so we have a really good database of what’s actually happening here, not just in the broader Riverina or Murray and trying to nail that down on a local level.”
Ms Manning said the data provided a snapshot that they were able to use to focus advocacy on behalf of the Wagga business community.
“This survey highlights the pressure points and issues that businesses are finding a bit more challenging,” she said.
“In the past, we’ve seen it with things like the housing situation and the need for skilled workers.
“Recently, we had a chamber member who was approached by a large media organisation who did a story about how they’re having to take up secondary employment as a business owner to help support their business.
“So there’s plenty of opportunities to raise issues within the region that you may not even consider and it then helps Business NSW to program their offerings to businesses around this.”
Last quarter’s Business Conditions Survey identified the top five barriers to business expansion were the cost of doing business, lack of customer demand, taxes and government charges, skills shortage and government regulations.
With the rising cost of living, many households were cautious in their spending and many local businesses had felt the pinch as a result.
Ms Manning said that with the RBA remaining committed to tackling inflation and no interest rate relief on the horizon, it was important for the business chamber to get an accurate measure of things to help unlock whatever assistance could be available.
“I think post-COVID we are still trying to find that new normal and obviously we’ve seen certain sectors like retail really struggling over the last year and now some of those larger industries and construction are feeling the squeeze,” Ms Manning said.
“It’ll be interesting to see what we learn in the lead-up to Christmas, what expectations are like and how things are faring compared to this time last year.
“The survey is open now and it’s a great time for Wagga people to respond so we can gather that data.”
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