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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Which businesses can participate?

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Businesses who are actively operating in either Bristol or Newport County can participate. Know another business who would like to be interviewed? Please share our Business Sign up form 

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How are the interviews conducted?

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Small teams of interviewers will visit businesses in the nine communities that make up Greater Newport. The interview team 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? 

 

The interview will be about 20 minutes. Our goal is to understand what is going well in your business and what support you might need to resolve any obstacles to help you grow.

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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.