The results of the 2023 Annual Business Survey by the Town of Bracebridge features feedback from 126 out of the 940 businesses listed in the town’s directory. 

The response rate was down 13 percent from the previous survey. 

In a report to the town’s July 3 Planning and Development Committee, Jennifer Clancy, manager of economic development, and Taylor Watson, economic development officer, says the survey was done between Feb. and April 2024. 

Most of the businesses surveyed – 33 percent – have been operating between 10 and 24 years, followed by 25 to 49 years at 27 percent. The highest sectors were retail trade at 21 percent and construction and trades at 20 percent. The survey shows 62.5 percent of businesses have between zero and five employees. 

The 93 new jobs go together with a decrease in businesses reporting recruitments challenges: 31 percent in 2023 compared to 49 percent in 2022. 

“Although the workforce continues to be identified as a challenge in our business community across sectors, this suggests that we are trending in a more stable direction,” write Clancy and Watson. 

The results show 42 percent of respondents saw profits increase last year while 26 percent were down. Also, 45 percent are looking to expand sometime in the next three years compared to two percent wanting to downsize. 

While viewing the results as positive, Mayor of Bracebridge Rick Maloney wondered about housing, pointing out the issue isn’t specifically highlighted in the survey. 

“There’s not a businessperson that I talk to that doesn’t express their concerns about housing and housing stock and availability,” he said. 

Clancy said she also, anecdotally, hears from businesses about the housing issue, but explained while the issue was mentioned by some businesses in written comments, it didn’t get captured in other sections where there were multiple choices available. 

“We want to make sure we’re touching all four corners of the issue,” added Maloney. 

The annual business survey has been held since 2021, but Clancy and Watson detail how they’ve heard from businesses who have “survey fatigue” so they’re looking in other ways to collect data, which could mean they do the business survey every other year or use certain events for outreach.