|
DEMOGRAPHICS
|
|
|
|
|
|
In what
capacity are you here today?
|
% |
|
|
|
Large
business (>500 employees worldwide)
|
20 |
|
|
|
Small
business (<500 employees)
|
29 |
|
|
|
Education
|
14 |
|
|
|
Interested
citizen
|
5 |
|
|
|
Elected
official
|
6 |
|
|
|
Government
representative
|
6 |
|
|
|
Chamber of
Commerce / Trade association
|
4 |
|
|
|
Economic
development / NGO
|
8 |
|
|
|
Other
|
8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
What is
your home county?
|
% |
|
|
|
Hunterdon
|
9 |
|
|
|
Mercer
|
28 |
|
|
|
Middlesex
|
14 |
|
|
|
Monmouth
|
17 |
|
|
|
Somerset
|
9 |
|
|
|
Other
|
23 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GENERAL
|
|
|
|
|
|
The most
important trend driving the economy in the next 10 years will be:
|
% |
|
|
|
Tax policies
|
4 |
|
|
|
Aging of the
Baby Boom generation
|
20 |
|
|
|
Global
developments (e.g. terrorism)
|
12 |
|
|
|
Economic
globalization
|
38 |
|
|
|
Technology
innovation
|
25 |
|
|
|
Other
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
What is
the most significant roadblock to economic development in the
region?
|
% |
|
|
|
Corporate
downsizing
|
12 |
|
|
|
Skilled
workforce
|
6 |
|
|
|
Investment in
R&D
|
3 |
|
|
|
Access to
early stage venture capital
|
10 |
|
|
|
Lack of
coordination / cooperation
|
28 |
|
|
|
Current state
of the economy
|
17 |
|
|
|
Restrictive
tax policies
|
4 |
|
|
|
Inadequate
infrastructure
|
14 |
|
|
|
Other
|
5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
What is
the first step in attracting new businesses to the region?
|
% |
|
|
|
A skilled
workforce
|
50 |
|
|
|
Advanced
telecommunications
|
4 |
|
|
|
Efficient
transportation
|
17 |
|
|
|
Excellent
schools
|
5 |
|
|
|
Safe
neighborhoods
|
4 |
|
|
|
Quality
health care
|
0 |
|
|
|
An appealing
civic life
|
4 |
|
|
|
Housing costs
|
9 |
|
|
|
Other
|
7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Does your
community have an active strategy to help local entrepreneurs?
|
% |
|
|
|
Yes
|
25 |
|
|
|
No
|
40 |
|
|
|
Unsure
|
35 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In your
opinion, what is the biggest challenge facing entrepreneurs?
|
% |
|
|
|
Cash flow
|
15 |
|
|
|
Current
economic conditions
|
14 |
|
|
|
Finding and
keeping high quality employees
|
30 |
|
|
|
Financing
|
19 |
|
|
|
Managerial
duties
|
7 |
|
|
|
Sales
|
8 |
|
|
|
Other
|
2 |
|
|
|
I don't know
|
5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Technology
is behind entrepreneurship
|
% |
|
|
|
Strongly
agree
|
21 |
|
|
|
Agree
|
41 |
|
|
|
Unsure
|
11 |
|
|
|
Disagree
|
24 |
|
|
|
Strongly
disagree
|
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Which of
these would make the biggest difference in promoting
entrepreneurship?
|
% |
|
|
|
Eliminate
infrastructure barriers to capital access, social networks, etc
|
11 |
|
|
|
Enhance the
skills and capacity of support organizations
|
21 |
|
|
|
More
entrepreneurship classes for colleges
|
4 |
|
|
|
Inspire
students toward business and entrepreneurship
|
11 |
|
|
|
Inspire
students toward science, technical majors and entrepreneurship
|
8 |
|
|
|
Mentoring
program for entrepreneurs
|
34 |
|
|
|
Promote
strong role models
|
9 |
|
|
|
Other
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Will you
now go back and ensure that your community is encouraging and
supporting entrepreneurs?
|
% |
|
|
|
Yes
|
87 |
|
|
|
No
|
13 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
WORKSHOP
RECOMMENDATIONS:
|
|
The following
recommendations were rated on a scale from 1 (low) to 9 (high) on
two sets of criteria, impact and feasibility. The numbers below
reflect the average response for each and the combined score of the
two.
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 -
Strengthening Central NJ R&D Advantage
|
IMPACT |
FEAS. |
TOTAL |
|
Coordinate
Economic Development Efforts and Rapid Permit Review
|
6.1 |
5.1 |
11.2 |
|
Creation of
R&D Technology Zones or Clusters Incentives
|
6.1 |
5.6 |
11.7 |
|
Development
of Private Sector/Public Sector/University Research and Development
Parks
|
5.5 |
5.1 |
10.6 |
|
Emerging R
& D Based Incentive Programs to spur spin off economic
development and job creation
|
5.9 |
5.4 |
11.3 |
|
Life Science
or Other Targeted Industry Business Development Pilot
|
5.7 |
5.3 |
11.0 |
|
Analyzing the
economic costs and benefits of all recommendations to ensure
optimization of resources given budget constraints
|
6.1 |
5.4 |
11.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 -
Preparing the Workforce of the Future
|
IMPACT |
FEAS. |
TOTAL |
|
Collaboration
& partnerships
|
7.5 |
6.8 |
14.3 |
|
Continuous
learning
|
7.8 |
7.0 |
14.8 |
|
Incentives
|
7.0 |
5.2 |
12.2 |
|
Recognition /
Respect for vocational-technical education
|
6.7 |
6.2 |
12.9 |
|
Restructure /
Consolidate NJ Department of Labor
|
6.1 |
5.0 |
11.1 |
|
Career
Academies
|
5.9 |
5.9 |
11.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 -
Supporting Small Business & Encouraging Entrepreneurship
|
IMPACT |
FEAS. |
TOTAL |
|
Communicate
and publicize successful NJ startups.
Get the word out.
|
7.5 |
7.9 |
15.4 |
|
Encourage
joint university/startup interactions
|
7.2 |
6.8 |
14.0 |
|
Invest NJ
pension funds in NJ venture capital
|
5.6 |
4.3 |
9.9 |
|
Use the SBIR
system for startup funding
|
6.4 |
6.3 |
12.7 |
|
Hold
quarterly mentoring/networking events: "Meet the
Entrepreneur"
|
6.4 |
7.2 |
13.6 |
|
Create web
page for NJ business / government information
|
6.5 |
7.1 |
13.6 |
|
Lower
insurance costs
|
7.1 |
4.4 |
11.5 |
|
Ease
home-business restrictions
|
6.3 |
6.2 |
12.5 |
|
Leverage
state / federal funding
|
6.4 |
5.6 |
12.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4 -
Promoting Livable Communities & Sustainable Development
|
IMPACT |
FEAS. |
TOTAL |
|
Engage
citizens in planning
|
6.9 |
5.5 |
12.4 |
|
Develop tools
to assess impact of development and investment proposals
|
6.5 |
6.1 |
12.6 |
|
Develop
structure for regional action by private sector, NGOs, citizens
|
6.9 |
5.4 |
12.3 |
|
Address
public policy constraints at all levels (e.g. funding, taxation,
education, and land use)
|
7.3 |
4.8 |
12.1 |
|
Provide
balanced choices for development and preservation
|
7.4 |
5.5 |
12.9 |
|
Maximize role
of public transportation for economic development corridors
|
8.2 |
5.4 |
13.6 |
