West of England Better Business for All

BUSINESS SURVEY

We want to save you time and money, and make it quicker and easier for you to comply with the law. Local regulation takes many forms. It includes trading standards, environmental health, animal health, licensing, planning and fire and community safety. If you are running a business in the West of England we need your help to develop a new approach to how we regulate you.

Reducing the impact of red tape on business is a priority for Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Councils. That’s why we've set up a new project between businesses, the West of England Growth Hub, business representatives and local regulators called 'Better Business for All'.

Please take 5 minutes to give us your honest feedback about your experiences of regulation and how you think we can make the process quicker and easier for you.

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* 1. Which of the following local authorities is your business based in and which does it trade in? (tick all that apply)

	Based in	Trades in
Bath and North East Somerset	Bath and North East Somerset Based in	Bath and North East Somerset Trades in
Bristol	Bristol Based in	Bristol Trades in
North Somerset	North Somerset Based in	North Somerset Trades in
South Gloucestershire	South Gloucestershire Based in	South Gloucestershire Trades in

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* 2. How many employees do you have?

None- I’m a sole trader

1-9 (Micro)

10-49 (Small)

50-249 (Medium)

250+ (Large)

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* 3. Which of the following sectors does your business operate in? (tick all that apply)

Engineering and manufacturing

Construction

Creative and digital industries

Energy and the environment

Financial and professional services

Food and hospitality

Food and drink manufacturing

Farming

Healthcare

Life sciences

Information, communication and technology

Retail

Leisure and tourism

Transport

Other (please specify)

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* 4. Which of the following best describes the stage your business is at?

Start-up –ready to or recently (within the last year) started trading

Growing - selling more, more customers, taking on staff

Surviving- turning over a profit

Established - thriving business with a place in the market and loyal customers

Expanding - into new markets, new products, new locations

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* 5. Which areas of regulation apply most to your business? (tick all that apply)

Food Hygiene

Trading Standards

Licensing

Fire safety

Workplace health & safety

Pollution control / air quality

Planning

Building Control

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* 6. Where do you currently go for help on how to comply? (tick all that apply)

Council or Fire Service Officer

Council website / Avon Fire and Rescue Service website

West of England Growth Hub

Business West

National regulator or Government department websites (e.g. HSE, Food Standards Agency,.GOV)

Trade associations / Federation of Small Businesses / Chamber of Commerce

Primary Authority officer

External consultants

Other (please specify)

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* 7. How would you like to receive advice on how to comply from your local regulators? (tick all that apply)

Telephone

Email an officer

In person, e.g. tailored advice visit

Drop-in advice session

Website

Social media e.g. twitter

Step-by-step guide e.g. for new start-ups

Newsletter

Training events

Webinar training

Notification service e.g. about new regulations or changes to existing ones

Live chat service

Business Networking Events / Fairs

Other (please specify)

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* 8. How much do you agree with the following statements about your local regulators?

	Strongly agree	Agree	Neither agree nor disagree	Disagree	Strongly disagree
I know how to get in touch with them for advice on how to comply	I know how to get in touch with them for advice on how to comply Strongly agree	I know how to get in touch with them for advice on how to comply Agree	I know how to get in touch with them for advice on how to comply Neither agree nor disagree	I know how to get in touch with them for advice on how to comply Disagree	I know how to get in touch with them for advice on how to comply Strongly disagree
They encourage me to seek their advice	They encourage me to seek their advice Strongly agree	They encourage me to seek their advice Agree	They encourage me to seek their advice Neither agree nor disagree	They encourage me to seek their advice Disagree	They encourage me to seek their advice Strongly disagree
It is easy to get their advice on how to comply	It is easy to get their advice on how to comply Strongly agree	It is easy to get their advice on how to comply Agree	It is easy to get their advice on how to comply Neither agree nor disagree	It is easy to get their advice on how to comply Disagree	It is easy to get their advice on how to comply Strongly disagree
I feel I can approach them without fear	I feel I can approach them without fear Strongly agree	I feel I can approach them without fear Agree	I feel I can approach them without fear Neither agree nor disagree	I feel I can approach them without fear Disagree	I feel I can approach them without fear Strongly disagree
I have a good relationship with regulatory officers	I have a good relationship with regulatory officers Strongly agree	I have a good relationship with regulatory officers Agree	I have a good relationship with regulatory officers Neither agree nor disagree	I have a good relationship with regulatory officers Disagree	I have a good relationship with regulatory officers Strongly disagree
I trust my local regulators	I trust my local regulators Strongly agree	I trust my local regulators Agree	I trust my local regulators Neither agree nor disagree	I trust my local regulators Disagree	I trust my local regulators Strongly disagree
I believe they treat me fairly and consistently	I believe they treat me fairly and consistently Strongly agree	I believe they treat me fairly and consistently Agree	I believe they treat me fairly and consistently Neither agree nor disagree	I believe they treat me fairly and consistently Disagree	I believe they treat me fairly and consistently Strongly disagree
I know how to complain if I’m not satisfied with the service or a decision	I know how to complain if I’m not satisfied with the service or a decision Strongly agree	I know how to complain if I’m not satisfied with the service or a decision Agree	I know how to complain if I’m not satisfied with the service or a decision Neither agree nor disagree	I know how to complain if I’m not satisfied with the service or a decision Disagree	I know how to complain if I’m not satisfied with the service or a decision Strongly disagree
They actively seek my views and feedback	They actively seek my views and feedback Strongly agree	They actively seek my views and feedback Agree	They actively seek my views and feedback Neither agree nor disagree	They actively seek my views and feedback Disagree	They actively seek my views and feedback Strongly disagree
I feel my views are ‘heard’ and acted upon	I feel my views are ‘heard’ and acted upon Strongly agree	I feel my views are ‘heard’ and acted upon Agree	I feel my views are ‘heard’ and acted upon Neither agree nor disagree	I feel my views are ‘heard’ and acted upon Disagree	I feel my views are ‘heard’ and acted upon Strongly disagree

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* 9. Do you think your local regulators have a good understanding of the following?

	Yes	No
The other issues apart from regulation that businesses have to deal with	The other issues apart from regulation that businesses have to deal with Yes	The other issues apart from regulation that businesses have to deal with No
Specialist knowledge about your business sector	Specialist knowledge about your business sector Yes	Specialist knowledge about your business sector No
How to adapt their approach e.g. to different sizes and types of business	How to adapt their approach e.g. to different sizes and types of business Yes	How to adapt their approach e.g. to different sizes and types of business No
How long it takes to find information, advice and guidance on how to comply	How long it takes to find information, advice and guidance on how to comply Yes	How long it takes to find information, advice and guidance on how to comply No
The impact of enforcement on business	The impact of enforcement on business Yes	The impact of enforcement on business No
The impact of new or changed regulations and policies on business	The impact of new or changed regulations and policies on business Yes	The impact of new or changed regulations and policies on business No
The burden of preparing for and dealing with inspections	The burden of preparing for and dealing with inspections Yes	The burden of preparing for and dealing with inspections No
How to engage constructively with business	How to engage constructively with business Yes	How to engage constructively with business No

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* 10. How could local regulators improve the way they support businesses? (tick all that apply)

By having a single point of contact for all compliance matters

By organising our services to reduce overlaps & duplication where we can

By offering advice on how to comply as part of a wider business support package

By offering advice, support or training tailored to your business on a cost recovery basis

By participating in business-led meetings and networking events

Other (please specify)

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* 11. If you could change one thing about the way regulation is delivered locally what would it be?

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* 12. If you would like more details about this project, or would like to get involved in shaping how regulation is delivered in the West of England please include your contact email address below.