One of the City of Carlsbad's important responsibilities is to provide the best possible climate for local businesses to succeed. To check on how we are doing that job we survey businesses to see what we're doing well and where we need to provide more support.
At the end of 2014, Carlsbad-based BW Research surveyed 476 firms regarding the Carlsbad business climate, how the businesses view their opportunities for growth and how well the city serves them. The results were revealing.
More than four out of five Carlsbad businesses surveyed, 85 percent, believe the city is a good or excellent place to do business, with 45 percent rating the city as "excellent."
The employment climate for the foreseeable future looks positive, with 29 percent of businesses surveyed saying they expect to increase their workforce during 2015, and 61 percent saying they will remain stable. Less than 3 percent said they would reduce their workforce, with the rest uncertain.
And in a strong endorsement of their local government, nearly three out of four businesses, 73 percent, say they have confidence in the city's ability to make decisions that have a positive effect on the local business climate, with 25 percent saying they are "very confident" in Carlsbad government's ability.
One focus area of the City of Carlsbad Economic Development Department is talent recruitment, because businesses report that hiring and retaining qualified candidates is a challenge. So it was no surprise when more than a third of survey respondents, 36 percent, reported "some" or "great" difficulty in hiring, with 7 percent reporting "great difficulty" finding qualified applicants. Thirty-seven percent reported little or no difficulty, and 27 percent expressed no opinion.
To better align the business needs for talent and fill the gap, the city created the "Life In Action" talent attraction campaign in 2014. It builds awareness of the global companies located here and provides a portal of information for recruiters and talent specialists. We will continue our efforts to promote our businesses through the Life In Action brand over the next few years to build success.
The survey also asked about the importance of an institute of higher learning as a recruiting aid, and more than half of the respondents said an institute would be very or somewhat valuable. Those who favor such an institute indicate they would prefer a partnership with a university to train current employees and offer a master's degree in a specific academic field.
Clearly, we know talent recruitment is a concern, so the City of Carlsbad is pursuing a higher education initiative aimed at attracting an institution of higher learning that can offer programs that align with the city and region's business needs. The city has hired an experienced team of consultants to help in this pursuit.
The city has also partnered with MiraCosta College on a new Technology Career Institute that will open this spring, where experienced instructors will train workers to fill a growing demand for industrial technicians in North San Diego County. The Technology Career Institute will be colocated in a city-owned building with the North County Small Business Development Center to help existing businesses with resources and train talent in new skills.
An important component of a city's economic portfolio is industry clusters, which help create wealth by drawing customers and revenue from outside the region. In this way Carlsbad's five industry clusters, action sports manufacturing, life sciences, cleantech, entertainment and hospitality, and information and communications technology, help drive Carlsbad's economy.
Four of these five clusters experienced growth between 2010 and 2014, with cleantech, life sciences, and entertainment and hospitality each growing by 15 percent. Action sports manufacturing grew by 2 percent, and information and communications technology remained about the same. ViaSat, one of the city's largest employers and a vital member of the information and communications technology cluster, has seen tremendous growth into 2015 and we expect these numbers to increase.
About two-thirds of businesses surveyed said they were satisfied with their access to clients and customers, and three-fourths said they were pleased with local roads and the transportation system. Forty-five percent said they were very or somewhat satisfied with the local regulatory climate, with one-fourth expressing no opinion. Twenty percent said they were "somewhat" or "very" dissatisfied.
Finally, an overwhelming majority of businesses expressed a high degree of satisfaction with Carlsbad's quality of life, with 95 percent saying they are either very or somewhat satisfied. Three out of four participants said they were "very satisfied" with Carlsbad's quality of life. The full report is be available on the city's economic development website, www.CarlsbadLifeInAction.com/Business-Survey/
At the end of 2014, Carlsbad-based BW Research surveyed 476 firms regarding the Carlsbad business climate, how the businesses view their opportunities for growth and how well the city serves them. The results were revealing.
More than four out of five Carlsbad businesses surveyed, 85 percent, believe the city is a good or excellent place to do business, with 45 percent rating the city as "excellent."
The employment climate for the foreseeable future looks positive, with 29 percent of businesses surveyed saying they expect to increase their workforce during 2015, and 61 percent saying they will remain stable. Less than 3 percent said they would reduce their workforce, with the rest uncertain.
And in a strong endorsement of their local government, nearly three out of four businesses, 73 percent, say they have confidence in the city's ability to make decisions that have a positive effect on the local business climate, with 25 percent saying they are "very confident" in Carlsbad government's ability.
One focus area of the City of Carlsbad Economic Development Department is talent recruitment, because businesses report that hiring and retaining qualified candidates is a challenge. So it was no surprise when more than a third of survey respondents, 36 percent, reported "some" or "great" difficulty in hiring, with 7 percent reporting "great difficulty" finding qualified applicants. Thirty-seven percent reported little or no difficulty, and 27 percent expressed no opinion.
To better align the business needs for talent and fill the gap, the city created the "Life In Action" talent attraction campaign in 2014. It builds awareness of the global companies located here and provides a portal of information for recruiters and talent specialists. We will continue our efforts to promote our businesses through the Life In Action brand over the next few years to build success.
The survey also asked about the importance of an institute of higher learning as a recruiting aid, and more than half of the respondents said an institute would be very or somewhat valuable. Those who favor such an institute indicate they would prefer a partnership with a university to train current employees and offer a master's degree in a specific academic field.
Clearly, we know talent recruitment is a concern, so the City of Carlsbad is pursuing a higher education initiative aimed at attracting an institution of higher learning that can offer programs that align with the city and region's business needs. The city has hired an experienced team of consultants to help in this pursuit.
The city has also partnered with MiraCosta College on a new Technology Career Institute that will open this spring, where experienced instructors will train workers to fill a growing demand for industrial technicians in North San Diego County. The Technology Career Institute will be colocated in a city-owned building with the North County Small Business Development Center to help existing businesses with resources and train talent in new skills.
An important component of a city's economic portfolio is industry clusters, which help create wealth by drawing customers and revenue from outside the region. In this way Carlsbad's five industry clusters, action sports manufacturing, life sciences, cleantech, entertainment and hospitality, and information and communications technology, help drive Carlsbad's economy.
Four of these five clusters experienced growth between 2010 and 2014, with cleantech, life sciences, and entertainment and hospitality each growing by 15 percent. Action sports manufacturing grew by 2 percent, and information and communications technology remained about the same. ViaSat, one of the city's largest employers and a vital member of the information and communications technology cluster, has seen tremendous growth into 2015 and we expect these numbers to increase.
About two-thirds of businesses surveyed said they were satisfied with their access to clients and customers, and three-fourths said they were pleased with local roads and the transportation system. Forty-five percent said they were very or somewhat satisfied with the local regulatory climate, with one-fourth expressing no opinion. Twenty percent said they were "somewhat" or "very" dissatisfied.
Finally, an overwhelming majority of businesses expressed a high degree of satisfaction with Carlsbad's quality of life, with 95 percent saying they are either very or somewhat satisfied. Three out of four participants said they were "very satisfied" with Carlsbad's quality of life. The full report is be available on the city's economic development website, www.CarlsbadLifeInAction.com/Business-Survey/