Rural Scotland Business Panel Survey

Appendix D – Questionnaire

Good morning/afternoon/evening. My name is ... I'm calling from Ipsos MORI Scotland, the independent research organisation, on behalf of <Highlands and Islands Enterprise><South of Scotland Enterprise><the Scottish Government>.

We are conducting a short survey to monitor business confidence, and identify the challenges and opportunities currently presenting themselves <across the region and the rest of rural Scotland> <across the region and the rest of rural Scotland> <across rural Scotland>. Findings of the survey will be <shared with><shared with><used by> the Scottish Government to ensure that the voices of businesses in <the region><the region><rural Scotland> are heard, and will help to inform planning and decision making. <within Highlands and Islands Enterprise><within South of Scotland Enterprise>.

Screening questions

Ask all

Q1. I need to speak with the owner or a senior manager at <company_name> at that address. Are you the best person to talk to?

Yes - continue 1 (go to Q2)

No - ask to be transferred to correct person 2 (go back to Q1)

Check sample file: if field "entity_attribute" is empty, ask Q2. Otherwise skip to Q3.

Ask all

Q2. Which of the following best describes the legal status of {company_name}?
Single code

Read out, code first that applies.

Sole trader 1

Limited liability partnership 2

Legal partnership 3

Company limited by guarantee 4

Limited company by shares 5

Scottish charitable incorporated organisation 6

Constituted community group 7

Unconstituted community group 8

Community interest company 9

Trust 10

Ask all

Q3. Would you describe your business as women-led?

single code

Yes 1

No 2

Don't know (do not read out) 3

Ask all

Q4. Other than yourself, how many employees does your business directly employ at the place where you work?

If DK probe for best estimate. Code DK as last resort.

Pre-code none, otherwise open numeric.

None 1

Don't know (do not read out) 2

Ask all

Q5. From which of these markets do you currently sources goods or materials?

Scotland

Rest of UK

Outside the UK

Single code each row.

Answer codes:

Yes 1

No 2

Don't know (do not read out) 3

Ask all

Q6. And in which of these markets do you currently sell goods or services?

Single code

Scotland

Rest of UK

Outside the UK

Single code each row.

Answer codes:

Yes 1

No 2

Don't know (do not read out) 3

Optimism and performance

Ask all

Q7. How confident are you in the economic outlook for Scotland over the next 12 months?

Single code. Read out.

Very confident 1

Fairly confident 2

Not very confident 3

Not at all confident 4

Don't know (do not read out) 5

Ask all

Q8. And over the previous six months, since August 2021, has your level of confidence in the economic outlook in Scotland increased, decreased or has it stayed the same?

Single code.

Increased 1

Decreased 2

Stayed the same 3

Don't know (do not read out) 4

Ask all

Q9. Which of the following best describes the way you are currently operating in relation to how you had been before the coronavirus outbreak?

Single code. Read out.

At much the same level as before coronavirus 1

Over and above the level before coronavirus 2

Below the level before coronavirus 3

Other (please specify) (do not read out) 4

Don't know (do not read out) 5

Prefer not to say (do not read out) 6

Ask all

Q10. Please tell me if the following has increased, stayed the same or decreased over the last six months.

Single code each row. Randomise order.

		Increased	Decreased	Stayed the same	Don't know	N/A
A	Employment	1	2	3	4	5
B	Exports	1	2	3	4	5
C	Sales or turnover	1	2	3	4	5

Ask all

Q11. How optimistic are you for your business's prospects in the next 12 months?

Single code. Read out.

Very optimistic 1

Fairly optimistic 2

Not very optimistic 3

Not at all optimistic 4

Don't know (do not read out) 5

Ask all

Q12. Which of these statements best describes your current aspirations for the business?

Single code. Read out.

We are striving for growth in the future 1

We are aiming to retain our current level of performance 2

We want to downsize in the future 3

Don't know (do not read out) 4

Costs

Ask all

Q13. How concerned, if it all, are you about rising costs at the moment?

Very concerned 1

Fairly concerned 2

Not that concerned 3

Not at all concerned 4

Don't know (do not read out) 5

If concerned

Q14. Which two or three of the following are you most concerned about?

randomise. Multicode.

Cost of labour 1

Cost of premises 2

Cost of fuel 3

Cost of energy 4

Cost of transporting goods 5

Cost of goods sourced from within the UK 6

Cost of goods imported from outside of the UK 7

Cost of exporting goods 8

Combination of all of these (do not read out) 9

None of these (do not read out) 10

Don't know (do not read out) 11

Ask all

Q15. What, if anything, are you doing differently to help respond to cost increases?

Increasing prices 1

Scaling back production or services 2

Changing our product or service 3

Doing more online 4

Using cash reserves 5

Postponing investment plans 6

Postponing recruitment plans 7

Exploring new markets 8

Working with new suppliers 9

Collaborating with other businesses 10

Seeking external finance 11

None of these (do not read out) 12

Don't know (do not read out) 13

Planning ahead

Ask all

Q16. For each of the following, please tell me if this is something you are focusing on now, planning for in the longer term, or not planning for at all.

Compliance with regulation or legislation

Addressing labour challenges

Supporting our growth

Business resilience

• If necessary: business resilience means the ability to adapt and respond to challenging circumstances

Reducing carbon emissions

Enhancing productivity

Succession planning

Answer codes:

Focussing on now

Planning for in the longer term

Not planning

Don't know

Ask all

Q17. Which two or three of the following will be most important for helping your business achieve its plans?

Our workforce 1

New technology 2

Adapting our product or processes 3

Financial investment 4

Market and customer insights 5

External advice and support 6

None of these (do not read out) 7

Don't know (do not read out) 8

Workforce

Ask employers (from answer at Q4)

Q18. Which of these workforce-related challenges is your business currently experiencing?

Staff absences 1

Staff leaving the business 2

Unfilled vacancies 3

Skills gaps 4

Cost of labour 5

Sourcing apprentices 6

Other (do not read out) 7

None of these (do not read out) 8

Don't know (do not read out) 9

If any challenges faced (codes 1-7 at Q18)

Q19. What in particular is contributing to those challenges?

Lack of candidates 1

Unable to recruit from the EU 2

Difficult to access specific skillsets 3

Unable to offer competitive pay 4

Unattractive working hours or conditions 5

Lack of accommodation 6

Lack of childcare 7

Lack of opportunities for partners or spouses 8

Poor transport connections 9

Difficulty providing or accessing training 10

None of these (do not read out) 11

Don't know (do not read out) 12

Ask employers (from answer at Q4)

Q20. What actions are you currently taking in relation to your workforce?

Up-skilling or re-skilling current workforce 1

Recruiting staff with different skills 2

Recruiting from different markets 3

Changing our working practices 4

Making pay and rewards more competitive 5

Investing in technology 6

Collaborating with other businesses 7

Offering apprenticeships 8

Providing accommodation for staff 9

Other (do not read out) 10

None of these (do not read out) 11

Don't know (do not read out) 12

If any challenges faced (codes 1-7 at Q18)

Q21. Overall, how confident are you that you can address the workforce challenges you are facing?

Very confident 1

Fairly confident 2

Not that confident 3

Not at all confident 4

Don't know (do not read out) 5

New technology

Ask all

Q22. Which of the following technologies are you using or planning to use?

Automation of processes 1

Internet of things and sensor technologies 2

Mobile app development 3

Cyber resilience and security technologies 4

Data analytics 5

Low carbon technology 6

None of these (do not read out) 7

Don't know (do not read out) 8

Ask all

Q23. What barriers might your business face in adopting new approaches and technologies such as those we just discussed?

Lack of knowledge or skills 1

Lack of time 2

Ability to keep pace with new developments 3

Cost of new technology 4

Access to equipment 5

Access to external advice and guidance 6

Concerns over data security 7

More pressing priorities 8

Don't know what is required or where to seek advice 9

Other (please specify) (do not read out) 10

None of these (do not read out) 11

Don't know (do not read out) 12

Low carbon

Ask all

Q24. What actions, if any, are you taking to help equip the business for a move to low carbon ways of working?

Making a plan or updating our business plan 1

Investing in low carbon technology 2

Investing in our premises 3

Up-skilling or re-skilling existing staff 4

Recruiting staff with 'green' skills 5

Collaborating with other businesses 6

Bringing in external advice and support 7

None of these (do not read out) 8

Don't know (do not read out) 9

Ask all

Q25. Thinking specifically about your energy efficiency, which of these actions have you taken or are planning to take?

Reducing energy consumption 1

Improving building insulation 2

Installing more energy efficient systems 3

Using greener sources of energy 4

Using greener sources of transport 5

Providing guidance or training on energy efficiency 6

None of these (do not read out) 7

Don't know (do not read out) 8

Ask all

Q26. What barriers might your business face in moving to low carbon ways of working?

Difficulty making premises energy efficient 1

Lack of green transport options 2

Access to skills required 3

Don't know what is required or where to seek advice 4

Cost of making changes 5

Access to greener forms of technology 6

Speed or reliability of digital connectivity 7

More pressing priorities 8

Other (specify) (do not read out) 9

None of these (do not read out) 10

Don't know (do not read out) 11

Markets

Ask all

Q27. Thinking about the markets you operate in, which of the following are you currently doing or planning to do?

Expanding into new markets 1

Maintaining our existing markets 2

Concentrating on fewer markets 3

Responding to supply chain challenges 4

Responding to changes to import arrangements 5

None of these (do not read out) 6

Don't know (do not read out) 7

Ask codes 1-5 at Q27

Q28. Which of these will be most important in helping to achieve those plans?

Investing in technology 1

Investing in research and development 2

Adapting our product or service 3

Up-skilling or re-skilling existing staff 4

Recruiting staff with new or different skills 5

Collaborating with other business 6

Bringing in external advice and support 7

None of these (do not read out) 8

Don't know (do not read out) 9

Ask all

Q29. What actions, if any, are you taking in relation to your supply chain?

Using more locally sourced supplies 1

Use more suppliers from inside the UK 2

Using less or greener forms of transport 3

Moving to greener supply chains 4

Reviewing our routes to market 5

Reviewing our distribution network 6

Stockpiling goods 7

Other (specify) (do not read out) 8

None of these (do not read out) 9

Don't know (do not read out) 10

Ask any panel members not already asked first screener question and where the email field in the sample is blank

Q30. To update our records, can i make a note of your email address? This is so that we can send you the findings from the survey.

Enter email address and read back to confirm

Recontact section

The Scottish Government/HIE/SOSE wants to carry out regular research to understand the issues facing businesses and social enterprises across rural Scotland. Would you be willing to join the panel of rural businesses? As a panel member you will be invited to take part in regular research, including telephone surveys like this one a few times a year. As well as these surveys, the Scottish Government may also contact panel members to take part in other forms of research. All information collected will be held securely in accordance with the general data protection regulation 2018, and will only be used for the activities we have outlined to you.

Willing to join panel 1

No / refused 2

Any who are willing to join either HIE or SOSE or Rural Scotland panels

I just need to collect some contact details from you so that we can send out more details of the panel

On behalf of <HIE> <SOSE> <The Scottish Government> and Ipsos MORI, I'd like to thank you for your time today. If you have any queries regarding the survey or our company, I can give you the number of the company or the market research society freephone number.