Armidale businesses feel advantaged in terms of their lifestyle and operating costs advantages from operating in the New England, but are being held back by skills, access to labour and markets, according to the results of the Armidale Business Skills Report.

The Armidale Business Skills Audit – conducted by UNE Business School and the Armidale Business Chamber in the second half of 2015 – canvassed local business’ views on the advantages and disadvantages of operating in the New England Region, as well as to identify growth sectors and drivers for growth in the region’s business economy.

Open to all local businesses, the survey attracted nearly 100 responses (delivering 71 usable responses) from businesses across the spectrum of operations: including services, education & training, technical services, retail and agribusiness.

Survey findings position Armidale as a city of established enterprises: two-thirds of respondents were from businesses that had been operating for more than 10 years, and 10% of businesses having operated for more than 50 years.

Slightly more than half of these businesses were ‘positive’ – as expressed by having hired new staff in the immediate past, or intending to hire staff in the immediate future.

However, those who are more likely to hire are the businesses targeting broader markets: businesses focusing on local, New England customers were twice as likely to be ‘not positive’ about hiring.

On average, businesses rated themselves highly on factors such as lifestyle (with an average score of just under 80 / 100), cost of living and communications. Survey respondents rated themselves below 50 / 100 for access to skills, markets and like-minded people.

When it comes to opportunities for business growth, survey respondents are looking to both internal and external drivers. Nearly a third of respondents saw Policy & Institutions or Population & Economic Growth as being primary drivers of their growth, while around 40% of respondents are looking to their internal capabilities – specifically their Marketing (21%), Management (11%), Labour & Skills (8%) strengths – to drive their businesses forward.

UNE Business School’s Prof Derek Baker, Dr Lou Conway and Mr Brent Gregory, who worked on the Survey, commented that its results have both immediate and longer term implications.

“This has been a first joint effort by UNE Business School and the Armidale Business Chamber in the crucial area of skills. The results have both short and long term implications, and we look forward to working further on these, especially on business clusters, specific skills needs, and the different opinions expressed by different kinds of business, which represent both opportunities and challenges. I also want to say that it has been great working with Armidale businesses and with the Chamber.” – Professor Baker, UNE Business School

Chamber President, Susan Cull comments that the Armidale Business Skills Report points to a local business sector – reflecting national and international trends – in which ‘change is the new normal’.

Armidale Business Chamber together with UNE Business School sat down with key community members to discuss outcomes of the recent Armidale Business Skills Survey.

“With globalisation, digital transformation and the internet continuing to throw up new competitors alongside new opportunities, business is recognising that change is continuous, constant and needs to be successfully managed. Which is why nearly half of respondents in the Skills Report are looking to grow their management and marketing skills, to identify the right strategies for productivity and growth.”

“With this in mind, the recipe for Armidale is to help local business connect with management and marketing expertise. The Armidale Business Chamber would like to thank UNE Business School for conducting this survey with us. I know that both organisations will, separately and together, continue working to help grow these connections that will foster a prosperous regional economy in Armidale.”

For further information, contact:

Tracy Pendergast, Executive Officer Armidale Business Chamber
6771 1177 / office@armidalechamber.com.au