October 25, 2022

Checking the Health of our Region's Business Community

The annual Connect Greater Newport Business Walk brings together business owners, community leaders and government representatives to meet face-to-face and share feedback about the business climate in Bristol and Newport Counties.

Hear directly from business owners to learn about obstacles they might be facing, what they like about doing business here and how they think the business environment could be improved.
 

You can help us strengthen the region's economy by signing up as volunteer interviewer to meet with businesses or sign up your business for a visit!

Questions? Read our FAQs to learn more.

2019 & 2021 Business Walk Reports

Information collected from the interviews is developed into a report with recommendations to improve our business climate. The findings are shared with all Business Walk participants, government officials, business leaders and the broader community to help meet the needs of our businesses.

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We organized our first business walk in 2019, meeting with more than 80 businesses in the region. Read the 2019 Business Walk Report here

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During the pandemic, we conducted our walk virtually, interviewing more than fifty businesses by phone or video call. Read 2021 Business Pulse Report here

Business Walk FAQs

What is a Business Walk?

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A Business Walk brings together business owners, local leaders and government representatives to gather feedback about the current business climate.

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The goal is to identify what parts of the economy are working well and where resources or policies might be implemented to remove barriers to business success.

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When is it?

Tuesday, October 25th, 2022 from 9am -12pm. In case of inclement weather, our rain date is Tuesday, November 1, 2022.

Where will it be?

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We will be visiting businesses in Bristol and Newport Counties, also known as the Greater Newport region. This area includes the nine communities of Barrington, Bristol, Jamestown, Little Compton, Middletown, Newport, Portsmouth, Tiverton and Warren. 

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Who will we be interviewing?

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You will meet with business owners representing different industries from across the region.

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How are the interviews conducted?

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You will be assigned to a small team of interviewers to visit businesses in one of the nine communities. On our sign-up form, you will be asked to select your preferred location.

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In most cases, your team will be able to walk a short distance from business to business. Where businesses might be located further apart, we will arrange for carpooling. If you have any mobility concerns, please indicate this in the comments section of the sign up form.

On the morning of the interview, there will be a designated meeting place to gather with your team. A Business Walk representative will be there to greet you and be available to assist.

What will we be asking businesses?

We will provide your team with a short questionnaire. You will ask questions like

• How is your business doing?

• What do you like about doing business here?

• What could be done to improve the business climate? 

Each business interview will be about 20 minutes. Our goal is to understand the health of business and what support they might need to remove any obstacles to their growth.

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I know a business that would like to participate, how do they sign up?

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Businesses who are actively operating in either Bristol or Newport County can participate. Sign up your business

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Who is organizing the Business Walk?​

The business walk is organized by the Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce through its regional economic development division, Connect Greater Newport.

Connect Greater Newport launched in 2018 to lead a public private partnership with resources from Bristol and Newport Counties to support the growth of existing businesses and to serve as a resource to attract new companies to the region.
 

How will the information from the interviews be used?

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Information collected from the interviews will be developed into a report with recommendations that will be shared with all participants, government officials, business leaders and the broader community to help meet the needs of our businesses.

We held our first business walk in 2019, and met with with more than 80 businesses in the region. Read the 2019 Business Pulse Report here  

​During the pandemic, we conducted our walk virtually, interviewing more than fifty businesses by phone or video call. Read 2021 Business Pulse Report here

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Who can I contact for more information?

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Our Business Outreach Specialist, Isabel Marsh will be happy to assist. Contact her at isabel@newportchamber.com or at 401-847-1608 at extension 2.