Newtown Borough Comprehensive Plan Update, Business Survey

Newtown Borough Business Survey

Newtown Borough would like your help in planning the future of your community. The Borough is currently in the process of updating its Comprehensive Plan, which was last updated in 2010. The Comprehensive Plan is an official public document that serves as a policy guide to decision making in the borough. It is a statement of the community’s future goals and vision for use by the planning commission, Borough Council, private stakeholders and regional, state and federal entities. The plan is periodically reviewed in order to ensure it reflects the most current needs and views of the Borough.

The Borough would like to hear the views of as many business owners as possible. To ensure that the needs of your business are considered in the development of the Comprehensive Plan update, please take a few minutes to complete the following survey. Only one survey is to be completed per business. Please read each question carefully, and answer to the best of your knowledge with your honest opinion. All responses to this survey will be anonymous. Please complete this survey by December 11, 2020

Thank you for your time.

Question Title

* 1. How long have you operated a business in Newtown Borough?

Less than 1 year

1 - 5 years

6 - 10 years

11 - 15 years

16 - 20 years

More than 20 years

Question Title

* 2. Where is your business located?

South Lincoln Avenue

State Street and environs (including Centre Ave, Penn St.)

Washington Avenue

Barclay Street

Home Occupation

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 3. What is the general nature of your business?

Industrial/Manufacturing

Personal Services (including health and beauty, dry cleaning, etc.)

Professional

Retail Shop

Restaurant

Other

Question Title

* 4. From a business perspective, what are the three biggest challenges Newtown Borough will face in the next three years? (Please choose only three)

Attracting new and different types of business

Business/retail mix

Crime

Infrastructure

Maintaining competitiveness with nearby communities

Marketing / attracting new customer base

Parking (customer)

Parking (employee)

Rent

Retaining Business

Taxes

Traffic

Additional Costs of doing business: energy, healthcare, rent, personnel costs, etc.

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 5. Where do you live?

Newtown Borough

Newtown Township

Elsewhere in Bucks County

Other Southeastern PA County

Philadelphia

New Jersey

New York

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 6. List the five most important things Newtown Borough could do to improve your ability to operate a successful business in Newtown? (Please choose five)

Arts events

Beautify street-plantings, street cleaning, lighting

Better coordination with the borough government

Better licensing and regulatory environment

Bike Paths

Expand business district

Increase police presence

Integration of State and Sycamore Street

Marketing coordination

Parking (Customer)

Parking (Employee)

Pedestrian circulation

Special Events (holiday lightings, shopping nights etc.)

Traffic Calming

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 7. Does your business conduct online retail sales?

Yes

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* 8. If you do conduct online retail sales, what percentage of your sales are done online?

1 - 10%

11 - 20%

Greater than 20%

Unsure

Not applicable at this time

Question Title

* 9. Where does most of your in-store customer base live?

Newtown Borough

Newtown Township

Lower Bucks County

Unsure

Elsewhere (please provide location)

Question Title

* 10. How would you allocate, percentage wise, Borough spending on physical improvements? Responses must add up to 100%

Open Space

Parking

Public art installation

Recreation facilities

Roads and traffic

Sidewalks, pedestrian circulation

Streetscape

Streetlights borough-wide

Stormwater

Other (please include this thought in answer 18 below)

Question Title

* 11. How would you describe the climate for business in the borough?

Very Good

Good

Fair

Poor

Very Poor

Very Good

Good

Fair

Poor

Very Poor

Question Title

* 12. Do you rent or own the building your business is located in?

Rent

Own

Question Title

* 13. Are you a member of any of the following organizations? Select all that apply

Newtown Business Association

Newtown Mercantile Group

Lower Bucks Chamber of Commerce

Rotary

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 14. Should State Street businesses contribute to streetscape/landscape improvements of the street?

Yes

Unsure

Question Title

* 15. Are the needs of the business community being adequately met by the borough?

Yes

If not, how could it improve?

Newtown Borough Comprehensive Plan Update, Business Survey

Newtown Borough Business Survey

Question Title

* 1. How long have you operated a business in Newtown Borough?

Question Title

* 2. Where is your business located?

Question Title

* 3. What is the general nature of your business?

Question Title

* 4. From a business perspective, what are the three biggest challenges Newtown Borough will face in the next three years? (Please choose only three)

Question Title

* 5. Where do you live?

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* 6. List the five most important things Newtown Borough could do to improve your ability to operate a successful business in Newtown? (Please choose five)

Question Title

* 7. Does your business conduct online retail sales?

Question Title

* 8. If you do conduct online retail sales, what percentage of your sales are done online?

Question Title

* 9. Where does most of your in-store customer base live?

Question Title

* 10. How would you allocate, percentage wise, Borough spending on physical improvements? Responses must add up to 100%

Question Title

* 11. How would you describe the climate for business in the borough?

Question Title

* 12. Do you rent or own the building your business is located in?

Question Title

* 13. Are you a member of any of the following organizations? Select all that apply

Question Title

* 14. Should State Street businesses contribute to streetscape/landscape improvements of the street?

Question Title

* 15. Are the needs of the business community being adequately met by the borough?

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* 16. Were there one thing you could change about doing business in the borough, what would it be?