A new survey launched on Sunday will take the pulse of the Port Coquitlam business community as the city looks for ways to better support, attract and retain businesses.
The survey, coordinated by the Mayor's Task Force on Business Development Opportunities, will run Aug. 19 to Sept. 14 and is available to all Port Coquitlam businesses here or in print at City Hall and recreation facilities. Participants will be entered in a random draw to win an iPod Touch.
The task force was established in December, 2011 with the goals of increasing economic development opportunities, identifying challenges to doing business in Port Coquitlam, and seeking opportunities to support businesses.Through the survey and a business forum on Oct. 23, the task force wants to find out how local businesses view Port Coquitlam as a place to do business.
"The entire community benefits from a healthy business sector, through improved services, employment and tax revenue," said Mayor Greg Moore. "In this economy, we need to make sure we're as competitive as possible and doing what we can to make Port Coquitlam attractive to businesses."
Chaired by Coun. Mike Forrest, the task force includes councillors Brad West and Dean Washington as well as representatives from the Port Coquitlam Business Improvement Association, Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce, Urban Development Institute and local businesses. The city is also providing staff support.
"We can't make decisions in a vacuum without input from the main participants," Forrest said. "Businesspeople know better than we do about what their needs are and the specific problems they may be having. We need to hear if our businesses have issues with city processes so we can try to come up with solutions. We would also like to hear what we are doing right."
The task force is also inviting all local businesses to attend the PoCo BizForum, set for Oct. 23, 6 p.m. at the PoCo Inn and Suites. The event includes a networking reception at 6 p.m. and an input and discussion forum at 7 p.m. Pre-registration is required.
The networking reception is sponsored by the PoCo Inn and Suites.
