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Regional Business Survey 2026

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Have your say in our Regional Business Survey

We want to understand how local businesses are feeling, the challenges and workforce pressures they are experiencing, their plans for investment and their outlook for the regional economy.

The survey should take no more than 20–25 minutes to complete. We recognise this is a meaningful commitment during a busy working day, but the time you contribute will help us build a clearer picture of the current business environment. Your responses will help guide our priorities and strengthen our advocacy for the support, services and investment our region’s businesses need.

Everyone who completes the survey can enter the draw to win one of four $100 vouchers.

The survey closes on Sunday 13 September 2026, and we expect to publish the regional findings in October 2026.

Your business location

1. Which of the following council areas does your business operate in?(Required)

The Barossa Council

Town of Gawler

Light Regional Council

Adelaide Plains Council

None of the above

Thank you for your interest. Based on your response, you are not eligible to continue with this survey.

What suburb or township is your business primarily located in?(Required)

About you

2. How familiar are you with your local council’s economic development strategy?(Required)

I wasn't aware my local council has an economic development strategy

Aware of it, but not familiar with its contents

Somewhat familiar

Very familiar

Directly involved in, or regularly use, the strategy

3. What is your involvement in the business you are responding for?(Required)

Owner

Operator, Manager or Director

Owner and Operator

Board Member or Non-executive Director

Employee

4. How many years have you been involved with the business you are responding for?(Required)

Less than 2 years

2-5 years

6-10 years

More than 10 years

About your business

5. Which industry best describes your business?(Required)

Other area of industry:

6. How many people does your business currently employ?(Required)

Non-employing

5 or less

6-19

20-49

50-199

200 or more

7. How would you best describe your business premises or operating location? (Select all that apply.)(Required)

Co-working space

Farm or agricultural property

Franchise

Home-based

Industrial, manufacturing or warehousing

Mobile business

Office or commercial premises

Online or e-commerce

Retail, tourism or customer-facing premises

Other (please specify below):

7a. As you selected 'Other', can you tell us a little more about your business operations?

8. How many years has the business been operating?(Required)

Less than 2 years

2-5 years

6-10 years

More than 10 years

Business performance

9. What is your business' annual turnover or revenue (before tax and expenses)?(Required)

Under $75k

$75k to $200k

$200k to $500k

$500k to $1m

$1m to $5m

$5m to $10m

Over $10m

10. Thinking about the past 12 months, how have the following aspects of your business changed compared with the previous 12 months?(Required)

	Decreased	Stayed about the same	Increased	Don't know/NA
Turnover or revenue, before expenses and tax
Profit, after expenses and tax
Cost pressures in running the business
Number of staff employed
Investment in assets, equipment or technology
Investment in business development, expansion or improvement (non-asset based)

11. What is the single biggest challenge affecting your business today?(Required)

What is your biggest challenge?

11a. Please tell us a little more about the challenge you identified - why is it top of your list?(Required)

12. Which of the following investments or growth initiatives is your business planning over the next three years?(Required)

Adopt new technology, automation or AI

Develop new products or services

Employ additional staff

Enter new markets (including export markets)

Expand or upgrade business premises

Improve environmental sustainability or energy efficiency

Increase marketing and sales activities

Invest in new equipment or machinery

Invest in research and development

Invest in staff training or workforce development

Succession planning or business transition

No significant investment planned

Other:

Your planned investment or initiative:

Business Capabilities and Challenges: Business Management Practices

13.To what extent has your business adopted the following business management practices?(Required)

	Not all all	Somewhat	Mostly	Completely	Not sure/NA
New technologies and innovative business practices (e.g. AI, automation, digital tools)
Corporate social responsibility (e.g. supply chain transparency, ethical business practices, giving back to the community)
Environmental sustainability initiatives
Long-term financial planning and sustainability
Regular business planning and performance reviews
Succession planning and business continuity planning
Workplace wellbeing initiatives (e.g. mental health, work-life balance, flexible work practices and wellbeing programs)

14. What have been the barriers to adopting any of these business practices?(Required)

Cost

Lack of knowledge or expertise

Lack of time

Staff capacity

Not currently a business priority

Other:

What have been your particular barriers?

15. Please share any additional comments or insights related to the above business practices you have identified.

Business Capabilities and Challenges: Staff Skills

16. In which areas areas would you or your staff most benefit from additional skills development?(Required)

Select between 1 and 3 choices.

Attracting, employing and retaining staff

Business and strategic planning

Developing new markets and customers

Environmental sustainability initiatives

Financial management, cash flow and budgeting

Increasing business efficiency

IT, technical support and cyber security

Leadership and management

Legal and compliance

Preparing for natural disasters

Preparing to access capital

Risk management

Sales and marketing (including social media and digital marketing)

Succession planning

Other:

Your area for development:

17. Please share any additional comments you have on challenges in the development of staff.

Business Capabilities and Challenges: Workforce

18. Do you experience challenges finding or keeping staff?(Required)

Yes - recruiting new staff

Yes - retaining existing staff

Yes - both recruiting and retaining staff

No - recruitment and retention is fine

Not applicable - I don't employ staff

19. What are the main challenges you face when recruiting or retaining staff?

Select between 1 and 3 choices.

Competition for the same skills

Difficulty competing with salaries

Employees have inadequate transport to commute to work

Inability to provide long-term/permanent employment

Limited housing options close to work for staff

Seasonality of work

Shortage of suitably qualified candidates

20. Please share any additional comments you may have in the recruitment and/or retention of staff:

Business Capabilities and Challenges: Environment and Climate

21. How has your business experienced direct or indirect impacts from climate and environmental conditions?

Cashflow pressures

Increased operating costs

Reduced customer spend

Reduced production or yield

Supply chain impacts

Not applicable

Other impact:

What other direct or indirect impact your business has felt? Please be as specific as you need:

What conditions or environmental challenges do you think have contributed (eg, drought, flood, algal bloom, H5 avian influenza, varroa mite, or other ecological threat)?

22. Could you summarise how the factors you've chosen have impacted your business?

Business Capabilities and Challenges: Infrastructure and Land Use Planning

23. In the past 12 months, what infrastructure or land use/development planning issues have affected your business?(Required)

Access for business pickup/deliveries

Challenges working within the development planning system

Not understanding the development planning system

Electricity

Housing for workforce

Public services for workforce

Public spaces

Public transport

Roads

Telecommunications

Waste water

Water supply

Other:

What infrastructure or land use/development planning issues has affected your business to date?

24. And what infrastructure or land use/development planning issues do you think will have the greatest impact on your business over the next 12 months?

25. Please share any additional comments you have about infrastructure and land use planning, as they relate to your business:

Business Capabilities and Challenges: Business Support

26. What types of business support would be most valuable to your business over the next 12 months?(Required)

Select between 1 and 3 choices.

Access to grants and funding opportunities

Advocacy on behalf of local businesses

Business mentoring or advisory services

Business networking and peer learning opportunities

Business planning and strategy support

Digital capability and technology support

Export or new market development support

Local events and activations that increase customer visitation

Planning and development application support

Practical support, undertaken with you, to implement business improvements

Shopfront or business premises improvement programs

Workforce attraction, recruitment and retention support

I am not currently interested in receiving business support

Other:

26b. As you ticked 'Access to grants and funding opportunities', what specific type of opportunity do you have in mind?(Required)

Events and activation

Tourism and visitor economy

Main street/façade improvements

Sustainability and waste reduction

Other/general town or community support

What other support do you have in mind?

27. If these business support opportunities became available, how would you prefer to receive them?(Required)

Select between 1 and 3 choices.

Email newsletters, guides and practical resources

Hybrid (a combination of online and in-person)

In-person workshops, presentations or seminars

On-site at my business

One-on-one support

Online (live webinars or virtual workshops)

Self-paced online learning and resources

Small group workshops or facilitated discussion groups

28. Please tell us a little more about the business support that would be most valuable to you:

29. If one thing could change tomorrow to make the biggest positive difference to your business, what would it be?

This could be something within your business or a change in the wider business environment.

Appeal of the region

30. Overall, how attractive is the region as a place to operate a business?(Required)

Very attractive

Somewhat attractive

Neither attractive nor unattractive

Somewhat unattractive

Very unattractive

Unsure/unable to assess

31. As you indicated a level of attractiveness, what do you think makes it so?(Required)

Select between 1 and 3 choices.

Access to markets

Affordable housing

Affordable land

Complementary businesses

Lifestyle

Lower operating costs

Strong, local community

Transport connections

Workforce

Other:

What do you think makes it either somewhat or very attractive?

32. What are the biggest barriers to purchasing more goods and services from other businesses within the Barossa, Gawler, Light and Adelaide Plains region?(Required)

Select between 1 and 3 choices.

Delivery times or logistics

Established supplier relationships outside the region

I already purchase locally wherever practical

I have not considered purchasing locally

I prioritise purchasing from South Australian businesses

Local prices are higher

Local suppliers are difficult to find

Procurement policies or head office purchasing arrangements

Quality or range does not meet our needs

Required goods or services are not available locally

Other:

What barriers do you have?

33. Please share any additional comments you have in relation to the appeal of the region to do business.

Regional Development Australia BGLAP

34. Thinking about your interactions with RDA Barossa Gawler Light Adelaide Plains over the past 12 months, how satisfied or dissatisfied have you been with each of the following aspects of your experience?(Required)

	Very dissatisfied	Somewhat dissatisfied	Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied	Somewhat satisfied	Very satisfied	Not applicable or no experience
Barossa Regional University Campus facilities
Business Support Programs
Economic Modelling
Events or workshops
Website
E-news
LinkedIn
Facebook

Would you like to add any further details about your responses above?

35. We want to enhance and improve the insights and updates we share. What would you like to hear about from RDA BGLAP? Select any that apply.

Monthly Regional Roundup

Grants and funding opportunities

Events and workshops

Business programs and support

Regional leadership development

Regional strategies, research and insights

36. Would you also like to do any of the following?

Enter the survey prize draw to win one of four $100 gift vouchers

Connect with RDA BGLAP about the B2B Support Program for small businesses

Your name(Required)

First Last

Your email(Required)

Enter Email Confirm Email

Privacy and personal information

You may complete this survey without providing your name or contact details. However, if you include information that identifies you or your business, your response may no longer be anonymous.

If you choose to subscribe to updates, enter the prize draw or request contact about the B2B Support Program, we will collect your name and email address to action your request.

All information collected through this survey will be handled in accordance with RDA BGLAP’s privacy policy and applicable privacy principles.

BAROSSA GAWLER LIGHT ADELAIDE PLAINS

Acknowledgment of Country

We acknowledge Ngadjuri, Kaurna and Peramangk people as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

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