Business survey is launched

The Sunshine Coast business confidence quarterly survey was launched this week online at www.boardroombusiness.com.au with a focus on the food and beverage industry.

The September survey is the third in a series of quarterly surveys undertaken by Boardroom Business and supported by the Sunshine Coast council and Sunshine Coast chambers of commerce.

It targets business owners across the Coast to gain a representative view of business confidence across all sectors. Each quarterly survey includes additional questions focusing on a specific region or industry sector.

Managing director of Noosa and Nambour farmers' and artisan markets Shane Stanley has been operating the Noosa Farmers' Market for the past seven years and has seen an enormous change in the Sunshine Coast community and business attitudes and awareness towards supporting local produce.

“There is an awareness of the need to support our local farmers, but it is also about the benefits surrounding the value for the consumer,” Mr Stanley said.

“Often the farmers pick the day before. You know the product is fresh and it lasts longer, not like with the larger corporations which may have produce in cold storage for months.”

He said he began the markets to give farmers a shop front - one place to go to sell their goods and a chance to promote their products.

“The markets are growing both with consumers and producers with about 80% of our growers living within a 100-kilometre radius of the markets,” he said.

Boardroom Business spokesperson Anne Lawrence said the survey would close Thursday, October 15 with the results available in the following weeks.

The results will be analysed by independent economic analyst AEC Group and will be freely available on the Boardroom Business website, so businesses can utilise the information in their own planning activities.

Ms Lawrence said the business community was waiting to see the trend emerging from the third survey.