MadREP & Regional Partners Launch Fourth Installment of Statewide COVID-19 Business Impact Survey
Madison, WI – The Madison Region Economic Partnership (MadREP) continues its partnership with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), Wisconsin’s eight other regional economic development organizations (EDOs) and UW-Oshkosh to create and distribute a data collection tool to businesses in the Region who are experiencing economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The fourth observation peri
od of a statewide survey, measuring the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Wisconsin businesses, is underway. The survey is open – for both past participants and new participants – until July 20.
Those businesses who took part in the initial observation period should go to http://uwo.sh/covid-19-econ-july to share their current situation. Interested businesses who previously did not participate are encouraged to do so at http://uwosh.edu/ccrs/covid-19-survey.
According to MadREP President Paul Jadin, this next survey will also focus on how comfortable Wisconsin businesses are with reintroducing pre-pandemic practices to inform state and federal stakeholders on where support is still needed. “As Wisconsin continues to reopen, we need to understand how comfortable businesses feel with engaging in ‘normal’ activities, such as in-person meetings and travel. If businesses are not yet comfortable, we need to understand what factors need to be in place before they will take those next steps.”
Survey results from businesses responding to the third sampling period (June 1-13, 2020) showed continued resilience with 41 percent of respondents introducing or expanding online services over the last three months. Similarly, businesses continue to seek financial assistance, with 60 percent of respondents requesting assistance and 52.4 percent receiving aid. Estimates of business survivability also increased, with only 10 percent of respondents estimating survivability of less than three months. The results are available at https://uwosh.edu/ccrs/covid-19-survey/.
