Surveys and Polls

Imperial Valley Business Climate Survey

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12/27/2007

Zoomerang Survey Results
Imperial Valley Business Climate Survey
1. On a scale of 1-5, how satisfied are you with doing business in the Imperial Valley?
1-Very Dissatisfied   14 7%
2-Somewhat Dissatisfied   27 14%
3-Neutral   28 15%
4-Somewhat Satisfied   70 37%
5-Very Satisfied   51 27%
2. During the past 12 months, has your company expanded its facilities inside the Imperial Valley?
Yes   59 31%
No   133 69%
Total 192 100%
3. During the next 12 months, does your company plan to expand facilities in the Imperial Valley, will they remain the same or decrease?
Expand   52 27%
Remain the Same   131 68%
Decrease   9 5%
Total 192 100%
4. Please select the top three challenges your company has in hiring employees in Imperial Valley.
Limited labor pool of trained individuals   137 72%
Problems with work ethic   91 48%
Salary Expectations   61 32%
Benefits Package   12 6%
Affordable Housing   10 5%
Clearing background checks, drug screening   30 16%
No issues   27 14%
Other, please specify   29 15%
5. New employees in Imperial County need far more training, beyond general orientation, compared to employees in other areas of Southern California.
Strongly Disagree   6 3%
Disagree   19 10%
Neither Disagree nor Agree   52 27%
Agree   78 41%
Strongly Agree   37 19%
Total 192 100%
6. If you plan on hiring new employees, what type of employees will your company be hiring? (Mark all that apply)
Sales, Marketing, Retail   65 34%
Admin/Clerical Staff   69 36%
Skilled Tradespeople   36 19%
Service/Laborers   41 21%
Management   29 15%
Professional   47 24%
IT Technical   24 12%
No plans to hire additional employees   40 21%
7. On a 5 point scale, 1 being extremely difficult and 5 being not difficult at all, how was your experience in finding qualified applicants within the Imperial Valley for each area?
Top number is the count of respondents selecting the option. Bottom % is percent of the total respondents selecting the option. Extremely Difficult 2 3 4 Not Difficult At All
Management 47 57 32 13 13
29% 35% 20% 8% 8%
Sales/Marketing 25 47 43 22 7
17% 33% 30% 15% 5%
Trades People 24 28 47 21 9
19% 22% 36% 16% 7%
Professional 41 50 39 13 8
27% 33% 26% 9% 5%
IT Technical 33 42 45 9 9
24% 30% 33% 7% 7%
Admin/Clerical 17 46 56 34 17
10% 27% 33% 20% 10%
Service/Laborer 15 22 38 35 34
10% 15% 26% 24% 24%
8. What is the single most significant challenge your company is facing here in the Imperial Valley? (please select one)
Hiring/Retaining Employees   50 27%
Increasing Sales   49 26%
Cost of Living   3 2%
Business Operating Cost   25 13%
Rising Cost of Employee Benefits   14 8%
Government Regulations   19 10%
Crime   1 1%
Education System   8 4%
Cost of Land   3 2%
Other, please specify   14 8%
Total 186 100%
9. How many full time employees does your company employ in the Imperial Valley?
Less than 10   91 48%
24-Oct   32 17%
25-49   21 11%
50-99   7 4%
100 or more   37 20%
Total 188 100%
10. For classification purposes which of the following best describes your company’s industry sector?
Professional Business Services   28 15%
Finance/Insurance   24 13%
Construction   12 6%
Retal   14 7%
Leisure/Hospitality   6 3%
Information, Media, Publishing   15