West Virginia business leaders encouraged to participate in the 2021 business survey

Dr. Tim Melvin, assistant professor and director of assessment for Marshall University’s College of Education and Professional Development, and Sara Payne Scarbro, associate vice president for external engagement at the Marshall University Research Corporation and operations council chair for the Alliance for the Economic Development of Southern West Virginia (Alliance), today announced that they are seeking input from small business owners and operators across the Mountain State. All West Virginia small business managers and operators are encouraged to participate in a statewide survey at: https://marshall.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0xoxdZemLYmFjhP before Jan. 29, 2021.

“This is the second year for this survey and we just keep growing our outreach,”  Scarbro said. “We plan to share the summary of highlights with policymakers and leaders at our higher education institutions, as well as our community and business partners. Our hope is to identify projects and quality services that our higher education institutions can help provide to our hardworking business leaders so they can grow and expand their reach. It is all about building stronger, more vibrant communities and this working group is very passionate about serving our state.”

The survey, titled “Current Issues for West Virginia Small Business Leaders,”  is designed by a working group of educators, business experts and state leaders to help understand the current issues and trends for businesses in West Virginia and to identify potential opportunities for growth.

“A survey is only as good as the results collected, so the more data we collect, the better insights we can gather into the challenges and opportunities facing our business sector,” Melvin said. “This annual survey is designed to track the trends facing West Virginia industry, so we need small business leaders’ input on the current business climate and how to strengthen our state’s business community.”

To participate before the Jan. 29 deadline, click here: 2021 Business Leaders Survey. 

The statewide survey is an official project of the Alliance for the Economic Development of Southern West Virginia, a higher education collaborative of the 10 colleges and universities in southern West Virginia. The alliance represents about 30,000 students, in a 21-county footprint. Institutions include: Bluefield State College, BridgeValley Community and Technical College, Concord University, Marshall University, Mountwest Community & Technical College, New River Community and Technical College, Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College, West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, West Virginia State University and West Virginia University Institute of Technology. Marshall University chairs the alliance and more information about the collaborative can be found at: https://www.marshall.edu/aedswv/.