Five-minute survey: “What would make Sandwell a better place to do business?”

14th November 2019

Sandwell Council has taken an innovative step in asking the borough’s businesses and residents what they want from Sandwell.

Responses to the five-minute survey will help the council to determine its priorities for the next few years.

We, as the Sandwell Business Ambassadors, urge you to take this opportunity to tell the council what you need, from a business perspective, to help you prosper. When businesses do well, they create jobs, nurture skills, provide people with security, and generate wealth that can be reinvested in the region.

We believe business prosperity is key to making Sandwell an even better place to live and work.

By gathering information about what people and businesses need, Sandwell Council aims to build a local economy that benefits everyone, based on the strengths of the community, where wealth is more evenly spread and nobody is left behind. The council is calling this the Inclusive Economy Deal.

We fully support the council’s efforts and urge as many people as possible to take the survey. By making your opinions known you can help Sandwell Council target its resources effectively to deliver the services and support most needed in the borough.

The survey asks questions such as “What would make Sandwell a better place to do business?”, with possible answers including:

* Better infrastructure
* Improved transport routes and reliability
* More investment in workforce skills
* Improved high streets and town centres
* Easier access to finance for business development / expansion
* Higher quality premises
* More incentives to recruit local people
* More / better business parks
* Lower business rates
* More investment in schools
* Improved apprenticeship / work experience opportunities
* Help to get people back into work
* Stronger links with schools and colleges
* Better careers information, advice and guidance
* A healthier population
* Higher broadband speeds.

Corin Crane is chief executive of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce, and one of our Sandwell Business Ambassadors. He said Sandwell is fortunate to have a council that is listening and willing to be led by the needs of its businesses and residents.

“Sandwell is already a great place to do business – it’s well placed geographically, has a world-class manufacturing heritage, and is full of skilled, go-getting people. Now the council is actively seeking input into how Sandwell can be an even better borough to live and work. I don’t know of any other local authority making such strides in building an inclusive economy in this way,” said Corin.

“Five minutes to complete a survey is a small investment now, but it could reap big rewards in the future. It’s a real opportunity for businesses and their leaders to get their voices heard.”

In return, businesses are being asked to make a pledge, big or small, to help the borough become stronger, sustainable and more prosperous. The pledge could be anything, from buying your workplace stationery locally to providing apprenticeships to local people.

Sandwell Business Ambassadors, for example, promise to continue lobbying the council, contractors, and lower-tier buyers to ensure as much money on local regeneration projects is retained in the region for the good of businesses, people and communities.

The Inclusive Economy Deal is thought to be first project of its kind in the UK and can’t happen without the support and involvement of local people and businesses. The survey will help the council to understand what matters to you, so it can understand and set its priorities for the future.

So, can you spare five minutes? Complete the survey here.