The East Hampton Chamber of Commerce is conducting its first survey of local business owners to better understand the challenges and benefits of running a commercial enterprise in East Hampton Town and Village.
The survey, which is on the chamber’s website and open to members and non-members, seeks information on employee recruitment, the cost of doing business, availability of transportation and parking, and the overall economic climate. It also asks for suggestions for how the chamber can be most useful.
The questions posed include “Has your total number of employees changed in the past 24 months?” “What is your overall opinion of East Hampton Village as a place of business?” “What is your overall opinion of East Hampton Town as a place of business?” and “What challenges do you encounter, if any, due specifically to being located here?”
Glenn Vickers, the president of the Chamber of Commerce, said the survey will be conducted through October, and the results will be shared with the community at the end of the year. “We wanted to open up the conversation, and this information will tell us what we can do to help,” he said.
Several questions on the survey pertain to the village’s festivals, which are organized by the chamber. Last month, East Hampton Village shopkeepers told Steven Ringel, the executive director of the chamber, that the spring street fair, held on Newtown Lane, had been catastrophic for sales.
Mr. Vickers said the survey had been planned well before the fair. The questions were asked, he said, so we could make the best decisions in the future. “We want to make sure we’re moving in the right direction.” J.B.