Data Collection for Farmington Avenue Merchants Survey

Prepared by: Citizens Research Education Network·32 Elm Street
Hartford, CT 06106·(860)249-1416

Prepared for: Asylum Hill Organizing Project·350 Farmington Avenue
Hartford, CT 06105·(860)249-7691

Trinity Center for Neighborhoods
190 New Britain Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106-3100
(860)297-5170
Maria Simao, Project Director
Research Project 12
February, 1997

Introduction

The Asylum Hill Economic Development Committee (AHED) is the arm of AHOP that focuses specifically on economic improvement. AHED has been actively involved with local economic needs. It has aided in establishing a merchant coordinator position for the Asylum Hill and West End neighborhoods (the Farmington Avenue Business District Association ) and has worked with the Hartford Economic Development Corporation (HEDCo) to create a revolving loan fund for small businesses. Through Parents Against Violent Environments (PAVE), AHED has worked with some of the major employers in the area (e.g., The Hartford, Saint Francis Hospital, and Mass Mutual) to increase employment opportunities for area residents. In early 1996, the AHED committee decided to survey the local businesses of the Asylum Hill neighborhood in order to determine ways to support those businesses and to stimulate the local economy. They believe that an assessment of their neighborhood's employers would help them:

• ascertain what are the most common needs of Asylum Hill businesses and develop programs or take action to help meet those needs;
• build stronger support links between the community and area merchants in order to fortify both;
• identify common goals of businesses and residents and ways to work towards those goals; and
• develop strategies for improving employment opportunities in the community.

The AHED committee, working with the Trinity Center for Neighborhoods (TCN), the Citizen's Research Education Network (CREN), and Dean Amadon and Associates, commissioned this survey and report. This survey and report have been funded by a grant from the Trinity Center for Neighborhoods.

Asylum Hill Neighborhood

The primary trade area for this study, the Asylum Hill neighborhood, is an ethnically diverse community located immediately west of downtown between Interstate 84 and the railroad tracks south of Homestead Avenue in Hartford. Most of the merchant trade in the neighborhood is along Farmington Avenue, which is zoned for local business development. While Interstate 84 may limit consumers from traveling north (or south) to buy goods and services, it provides easy access for suburban consumers via the Sigourney Street exit. No doubt, the merchants of Albany Avenue present some competition for the retail dollars in the neighborhood. In addition to serving the Asylum Hill neighborhood, the Farmington Avenue merchants also serve commuters going into and out of downtown Hartford. \

Business/Zoning

The east and west extremes of the neighborhood are zoned for office use; the north and south for industrial use. The businesses in the eastern portion of the neighborhood tend to be large employers with national or international markets, for example, Aetna and The Hartford. The industrial zones in the northern and southern portions of the trade areas are dominated by underutilized manufacturing space. In the northern section, developers are trying to resurrect the former Veeder Root factory to bring new businesses to the area. The southern industrial zone is home to the Hawthorne building. According to Dun and Bradstreet, there are 881 businesses in the Asylum Hill/West End area.¹ Of those, 720 (82%) have fewer than ten employees. One hundred and twenty-eight (15%) have between ten and 49 employees; 17 businesses have between 50 and 99; 14 between 100 and 249, and; only two have over 250 employees.

Partnerships/Initiatives
In addition to the ongoing relationships between AHOP, HEDCo, the newly formed Farmington Avenue Business District Association, and researchers at Trinity College, there are several other collaborative efforts in the neighborhood. Some of the local employers, Massachusetts Mutual and St. Francis Hospital, are working with both the Asylum Hill and the West End neighborhoods in the Triangle Coalition. PAVE has represented AHOP in the Triangle Coalition in an ongoing effort to increase childcare in the area. AHED has also been working with the problem-solving committee of the Asylum Hill Neighborhood Revitalization Zone.

Asylum Hill, along with the Upper Albany and Clay Arsenal neighborhoods, has been designated by the city of Hartford as part of a Tri-Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative. The Initiative is a collection of economic development projects to improve area infrastructure, increase home ownership, and encourage economic growth. The "cornerstone" of the initiative is the rehabilitation of the former Veeder Root factory on Homestead Avenue.

Demographics
According to the 1990, census there were 12,451 people living in the neighborhood that year. Over half (52%) of the population were African American, 25% were white, 20% Hispanic, and 3% Asian or American Indian. The Asylum Hill neighborhood is economically diverse. Twenty-two percent of all households had incomes greater than $35,000: 17% between $25,000 and $34,999; 22% $15,000 and $24,000; and 39% below $15,000. Income sources by household also had a wide range: 78% earnings, 16% Social Security, 12% public assistance, 9% retirement income.² When compared with the 1980 census, median household income rose from 1980 to 1990 census by 13%. Per capita income rose 3% between 1980 and 1990. Asylum Hill's median household income in 1990 was $18,935, compared to a city-wide median income of $22,140.

While incomes rose during the 1980s, there are still many residents below the poverty level. Five hundred and fifty-eight families (or 23% of all families in the neighborhood) were below the poverty level in 1990.³ Of that number, 381 (68% of all families in poverty) were families headed by single females where children were present. Of the 2,436 families living in the area in 1990, 765 (31%) were headed by a single female with at least one child.

Educational levels vary as widely as income levels. Twenty-six percent of the residents had a post-high school degree (7% graduate degrees, 13% bachelors degrees, and 6% associates degree). Another 17% had some college experience. Twenty-eight percent had high school diplomas, while 29% had not finished high school.

Methodology

AHOP leadership has advocated for more structured support for area business for several years. As mentioned, the organization helped create a business coordinator position for the district and has fostered the creation of a business association. In order to clarify the planning process, it commissioned a survey of area merchants. The survey was created by a team from AHED with the assistance of CREN and Amadon and Associates (see survey at end of this document).

The survey was divided into sets: general information (e.g. type of business, history, and size), long-term needs (including employment and problems with city services), loan needs, employee information, customer information, and interest in working with a merchant association. Residents were recruited to administer the surveys. In July/August CREN recruited and trained the surveyors and sent out a letter from Mayor Michael Peters to the businesses that the surveyors were to contact. The surveyors were instructed to survey only a manager or owner of the business.

In all, 70 businesses were contacted. Some businesses had left the area or had closed. Several businesses elected not to participate. Twenty-eight businesses and non-profits completed the surveys (n=28). While there are large employers in the neighborhood (a hospital and several national insurance firms), the sample selection was weighted in favor of smaller businesses over larger ones for two reasons. First, retail and service businesses are more likely to meet the needs of the individuals in the community. Second, the larger businesses are more likely to have ample resources for development without the community organization. This is not to imply that AHOP and the business coordinator should not work with the larger companies. The needs and the resources of the two sizes of businesses, however, necessitate differing strategies on AHOP's part.

Survey Findings

Business Demographics -- Of the businesses surveyed, 43% identify themselves as providing services (e.g., cleaning, laundering), 43% as retailers, 10% as restaurants, 3% as medical (dental), and 7% as non-profits.⁴ The businesses employ a total of 422 employees. The largest employer has 150 employees; the smallest, one. If the largest employer is removed from the mix, the average number of employees of the businesses surveyed is ten. The results of the survey, accordingly, reflect the situation of the smaller employers in the area.

Thirty-two percent of the businesses surveyed own their own building; 57% lease or rent their space.⁵ Median rent per square foot is $8.46. The highest rent paid is $21 per square foot; the lowest, $5.28.

Long-term needs -- Each manager/owner was asked to identify the long-term needs of his or her business. The five needs most often cited were: security (82%), parking (60%), business loans (50%), beautification or facade improvements (50%), and skilled employees (39%). Cited the least or not at all were: advertising or additional customers (36%), business- planning training (21%), lower costs for inventory (18%), employee training (11%), and low-skilled employees (none). When asked to prioritize the most pressing needs, security again was the number one need (mentioned as one of the top priorities by 64% of the businesses), followed by parking (36%), loans (32%), beautification (18%), and skilled employees (14%).⁶ These results indicate a three-tiered interest level that should guide strategies to aid the businesses:

• first tier -- security, parking, and loans
• second tier -- beautification, marketing/advertising, high-skilled employees
• third tier -- business-planning training, lower costs for inventory, training for employees, and low-skilled employees.

Loans -- Surveyors asked the 14 businesses who reported a loan as a long-term business need some follow-up questions about how the loans would be used. If they got loans, 23.3% said they would make property improvements; 20.9% said that they would hire new employees; 18.6% would increase their inventory; 14% would improve security; 14% would develop new products; and 9.3% would increase their market area. The size of the loan needed ranged from $6,000 to $500,000.

Employees -- The answers in the long-term-needs section of the survey make it clear that the business owners surveyed are not interested in training for their employees or in hiring many low-skilled employees. Perhaps because of limited training resources, the business persons surveyed want employees who are already skilled and see no long-term need for low-skilled employees.

When asked what types of jobs were the most difficult to fill, administrative, technical, and sales topped the list; no respondent reported difficulty finding clerical workers -- this in spite of the fact that more clerical workers are employed by the businesses surveyed (71 total) than administrators (22 employed), technical staff (60 employed), or sales staff (41 employed). This indicates that the market for low-skilled workers in the area may be saturated and that if large numbers of low-skilled residents are going to be employed, it will have to be outside of the neighborhood, in the larger businesses in the area, or in new businesses in the area that are labor intensive.

Taken together, these figures indicate that there is little market for low-skilled laborers among small businesses in Asylum Hill. This could also mean that the nine businesses which indicated that they would hire new workers if they had access to loans might be unlikely to hire low-skilled neighborhood residents.

Finally, only 27% of the employees of the businesses surveyed are Asylum Hill residents. Fifteen percent are Hartford residents from other neighborhoods, and 58% are from outside of Hartford altogether.

Market/Customers -- Estimation by businesses of where their customers come from indicate that there is a healthy mix of customers from Asylum Hill, other neighborhoods in Hartford, and outside of Hartford. Forty-six percent of the businesses said less than 20% of their customers came from outside of Hartford (eight of the 12 retailers); thirty-two percent said that Asylum Hill residents account for less than 20% of their business; 18% reported that 21-40% of their customers are residents; and 21% that residents make up 41-60% of their customers.

Business Association -- Support for a business association is high. When asked whether or not they would support the creation of a business association, 57% said they were in favor of one. Thirty-two percent would like more details, and only one business indicated disinterest. When asked if they would like to see a merchant coordinator hired to run such an association, 35% said yes; another 43% said they would like more information.

New Businesses -- The merchants were asked what new businesses they would like to see in the area. The three most popular suggestions were businesses that would either tend to attract consumers or provide needed services to the area: clothing/accessories (mentioned eight times), restaurants (eight times), and hardware stores (nine times). They also suggest the need for an automotive shop (four), manufacturing (six), and a grocery store (three).

City Services -- When asked whether or not the business had experienced a problem with some city service, over half of the businesses responded yes. There is, however, no single area that stands out as problematic: six businesses had had problems with street maintenance, five with zoning, four with police, two with waste disposal, and one each with health inspection and code enforcement.

Businesses That Had Moved -- Attempts made to contact businesses that had moved out of the neighborhood to determine the reasons why they left were largely unsuccessful: most could not be located. Of those that were located, two had moved out because they had merged with other businesses, and one had moved because of safety concerns.

Framework for Recommendations

One characteristic of a healthy community is a vital economic sector. Business activity brings goods, services, and employment opportunities into the community and enhances security and well being. A healthy local economy is one that has as much interlocking local support as possible. That is, while local businesses supply residents with diverse goods, services, and employment opportunities, residents support local businesses. In this way the local businesses and the community support each other and mutually enhance each others' well-being. Not only do businesses want customers from the community, local businesses often have a stake in the same things that the residents do -- security, jobs, stability. Businesses profit from neighborhood stability and, therefore, from having close links with their neighbors. While the goals of business and community are not exactly the same, the two are close enough to warrant their working together. The question is, how can the neighborhood support the businesses and the businesses support the neighborhood? This survey gives some clues about how to do that.

There are three assumptions that underlie the recommendations made in the next section: first, the multiplier effect is good for the community; second, any efforts made for change should capitalize on the community's strengths or assets; and third, special efforts should be made to ensure that everyone in the community has the opportunity to profit from economic improvements.

The Multiplier Effect
Money comes into a neighborhood in the form of wages or benefits. If the person earning the money buys all of his or her food, clothing, and services outside the community, then the money that comes into the neighborhood goes right back out again and does not benefit the community. If, on the other hand, the money is used to purchase goods and services in the area, then it serves as a kind of investment in the neighborhood's stability. It strengthens local vendors, who will be able to stay in business and potentially hire more local employees. The more times a dollar is spent in an economy, the better it is for that economy. This is called the "multiplier" effect -- because it multiplies the value of the financial resources that come into a community. It is important for both the residents of Asylum Hill and the merchants to keep this in mind as they work to strengthen their community.

In the same way that local purchases strengthen a community, local hiring, local investment, local ownership, and local involvement all multiply the effect of a financial transaction.⁷ While choosing to buy a dress in Asylum Hill may not have as profound an effect on the neighborhood as hiring someone from the next block, individual choices do add up. By supporting local businesses and enhancing inter-community linkages, residents can increase the multiplier effect and increase the capacity of their neighborhood economy A significant amount of wealth comes into Asylum Hill, and keeping as much of it in the area as possible is good business. While local vendors will not be able to compete with mass marketers or meet all of the residents' purchasing needs, they can provide many basic necessities. A cooperative partnership between the residents and area businesses should be beneficial to both.

Asset-Based Initiatives
Too often urban neighborhoods are known only for their problems. Focusing only on problems leaves a community with nothing on which to build. While taking problems and needs into account is an important part of problem solving, focusing on assets is ultimately more profitable because it is on assets that we build. Assets can be found in a variety of places: individuals, government agencies, churches, unused space, businesses, non-profit agencies, and even the streets themselves. AHOP may or may not want to conduct a formal assessment of its neighborhood's capacities and strengths. It may want to make an informal assessment. Regardless of how it measures its strengths, it should be consistently looking for advantages, strengths, unused resources and underutilized capacities.

Some of the things that AHOP should be sure to include are local businesses, underutilized residents' abilities, the neighborhood's proximity to the Hartford College for Women and Capital Community Technical College, churches, closeness to downtown Hartford, the beautiful homes in the area, the diverse ethnic/educational/income mix of the residents, and quick access to Interstate 84. This list is by no means a complete list of Asylum Hill's assets: it is rather an illustration of the types of things for which neighborhood leaders should be looking.

Community Economic Development
The most vulnerable members of the neighborhood, single-parent families with children, are faced with reductions in the welfare system without certainty that there are sufficient employment opportunities to balance their need. The immediacy of their need is striking when one considers that 68% of the families in Asylum Hill living below the poverty line are headed by single females with children. Job opportunities in this situation have to be a major concern for all neighborhood organizations. But in order for job opportunities to be meaningful, childcare and transportation needs of the residents must first be addressed.

Recommendations

As the primary community-based organization in the Asylum Hill neighborhood, AHOP faces a unique opportunity to coordinate, support, and advocate for economic improvements in the community. The ethnic, educational, and income diversity of Asylum Hill creates opportunities and challenges. Community leaders should be watching for unused assets in the area that can be tapped to increase the neighborhood's well-being.

I. Promote local business
AHOP has already shown its commitment to aiding local businesses through its role in fostering a loan pool for area merchants, in the creation of a business coordinator position, and in its support for an association of area merchants. The results of this survey point to some other ways that support can be funneled. While many of the long-term needs uncovered by the business survey should be the responsibility of the business association, some common interests can bring the neighborhood and business community together.

a. Security -- Security is a high priority for both residents and businesses. Coordination of neighborhood block watches, businesses, and local police should be an important part of AHOP's agenda. AHOP should foster programs that bring residents and police officers together informally, e.g., police/neighborhood sports. Foot and bike patrols have been shown to be effective. AHOP should advocate for more accessible police.

b. Parking -- The city planning department has recently conducted a survey of parking problems along Farmington Avenue. Their study indicated that there was underutilized off- street parking. Deciding how to utilize that space and open other space, if necessary, is a process that AHOP can encourage and should participate in. Parking problem solutions are complicated because they must balance the needs of consumers and merchants with traffic- flow requirements and community interest in neighborhood appearance. This is especially true along Farmington Avenue when the best opportunity to catch commuter traffic (rush hour) is also the time when on-street parking is most problematic.

c. Beautification and Facade Improvements -- The revolving loan program for Asylum Hill/West End does not allow facade improvements unless the business owner also owns the building being improved. If monies for facade improvements are going to be made available, AHOP may need to encourage the City Council to renew its support of the facade program and encourage the Council to lobby the state for bonding monies.

II. Increase Business/Community Links
By indicating a need for more advertising, merchants in the survey are expressing a need for more customers. Advertising may not be something that AHOP should try to do -- but it does have an interest in helping increase resident commercial traffic. Businesses can increase their sales volume by creating ongoing relationships with local patrons and gaining the good will of the community. Businesses typically generate this kind of good will by sponsoring Little League teams, working with area youth in school-to-work projects, or some other civic-minded activities that can have windfall effects in improving the overall quality of life in the neighborhood.

III. Encourage Local Employment
While there is a relatively high percentage of community households with earnings from wages (78%), 12% of the households report income from assistance programs. Increasing neighborhood employment would help strengthen the community. However, none of the businesses surveyed cited low-skilled employees as a long-term need. Since a high percentage of Asylum Hill's population (55%) have either a high school diploma or less, AHOP must develop a plan for increasing employment opportunities for low-skilled workers apart from the local small businesses. PAVE, part of the AHED committee, has already begun working with some of the larger employers in the area on projects like resume writing and job placement. These efforts should continue. In addition, the committee may want to investigate solutions to three obstacles to employment: lack of access to jobs, lack of transportation, and lack of training.

a. Job Bank -- AHOP may want to start a coordinated skills bank or temporary pool to help connect residents to jobs. A "Temp" agency would function better if it were run by community-minded people who were honest about the program's limitations. Temporary jobs can only be a small part of an overall solution. There are job centers presently in Hartford that Asylum Hill may want to work with rather than starting their own.

b. Transportation -- Mayor Peters has initiated a regional and legislative attempt to address problems that urban workers have in reaching suburban jobs. AHOP should monitor and contribute to that process to ensure consideration. AHOP may also want to look into the feasibility of making employment and transportation agreements with suburban employers in need of labor.

c. Training for Residents -- The clear lack of need for low-skilled labor by the surveyed merchants is part of a regional trend. AHOP may want to collaborate with Hartford High School in programs designed to help keep students in school and to support positive educational reforms that come out of the Sheff v. O'Neil case. AHOP and the local business association may want to initiate programs that link students to area employers. In addition, AHOP may want to work with local educators and training programs, such as Capital Community Technical College and Capital Region Career Services, to help residents access local training.

IV. Encourage New Businesses
Efforts to find employment for residents will be successful only insofar as there are jobs available that match residents' skills. While helping residents find jobs is essential, it will not be sufficient by itself to meet the employment needs of Asylum Hill without job creation. Efforts should continue to maintain and grow those businesses already providing goods and services to the area. But it is necessary to try to encourage other businesses. The first step in this process would be to determine where there are gaps in goods and services that could be filled by targeting appropriate businesses when vacancies or new development occurs. Second, an assessment needs to be made of the skills that are underutilized in the area so that job creation can be coordinated with neighborhood capacities. Local assets for encouraging business creation include the Hartford College for Women's entrepreneurial program, the HEDCo loan fund, and the Farmington Avenue Business District Association.

a. New Businesses in the areas zoned for industrial uses -- At one time Hartford was a center of manufacturing production. As cheap labor costs pulled manufacturing plants first to the south and then overseas, Hartford was left with numerous underutilized manufacturing sites. The former Veeder Root building in the north and the Hawthorne Center in the south are two such sites. A coalition of private and public parties is trying to reenergize the old Veeder Root building. The AHED committee has been active in advocating for neighborhood hiring with the Veeder Root project. It hopes to begin working with the owner of the Hawthorne Center. With I-84 acting as a major artery to outside markets, the labor pool in Asylum Hill should be able to attract businesses to the southern industrial area of the community -- either as for manufacturing, warehouse space, or completely revamped into some other use, such as an entertainment complex.

Reconstructing old manufacturing sites is costly and time consuming. Nevertheless, it is in the long-term interests of the neighborhood groups around them to invest in them and to ensure that appropriate attention is given to the neighborhoods' needs prior to either reconstruction or demolition for rebuilding. AHOP should advocate for indepth consideration of the best and most financially feasible use of the old Veeder Root building and the Hawthorne Center so that strategic space is not lost to the Hartford community.

b. New businesses along the Farmington Avenue corridor -- Some businesses that might attract consumers to the area and take advantage of commuter traffic are restaurants, bookstores, bakeries, green cleaners, or nightclubs. Also, the neighborhood lacks a hardware store, a fact noted by nine of the businesses surveyed. When advocating for new businesses, community leaders should keep in mind that significantly fewer profits from national retailers and restaurants will be reinvested in the community than locally from owned establishments.

V. Childcare
Among the new businesses that might find a market in Asylum Hill are childcare facilities. AHOP has established that there is a need for more childcare in the neighborhood. If AHOP can encourage the growth of childcare facilities, including home childcare, it can increase local employment and keep money circulating in Asylum Hill, while providing much-needed services. However, childcare businesses can only provide good jobs when there are enough parents who make enough money at their own jobs to pay reasonable childcare rates. PAVE is working with Saint Francis and Mass Mutual to create a facility to meet some of the need. This is the kind of creative collaboration that is necessary if there is to be a solution. AHOP may also want to investigate:

a. Training programs -- Hartford College for Women and Capital Community Technical College have training programs for childcare. Helping residents take advantage of these opportunities could increase neighborhood capacities.

b. Advocacy -- State policies are important in determining how much money is available for childcare support in order for low-income mothers to seek work. AHOP may want to connect with the Connecticut Association of Human Services, which does childcare advocacy at the state level.

VI. Local Purchase
The health and overall attractiveness of the neighborhood are important to business owners who want customers to feel good about being in the area of their business and to residents who want to feel safe in their community. One way to improve the health of the area is to support local businesses by purchasing supplies, whenever possible, from local vendors. This is as true for businesses buying office supplies as it is for residents buying clothes. While not all purchasing needs can be met in Asylum Hill, the community should be educated about the importance of making local purchases whenever possible.

Future Questions

Albert Einstein said that as the circle of light expands, the circle of darkness around it grows even greater. The more we know the more we know we don't know. Here are some questions worth asking as the planning process continues:

a. Commuter Traffic -- How much of the business along Farmington Avenue is commuter business, and in what ways could that be increased?

b. Resident Spending Patterns -- What kinds of things do residents regularly buy outside of the neighborhood? Are they things that could be made available in the area if a business were recruited?

c. Alternative Systems -- How open would residents be to alternative systems of exchange, such as bartering, using community dollars, or making other cooperative arrangements?

d. Human Capacity -- A survey of the assets, abilities, and resources of residents would help AHOP determine what the most employable, unused skills are in the area and to aid in coordinating inter-neighborhood sharing and recruiting of employers.

Appendix

Business Survey

Farmington Avenue Corridor Study
Asylum Hill Organizing Project -- Economic Development Committee

BUSINESS SURVEY

Hello. My name is _________________ and I'm working with the Asylum Hill Economic Development Team (AHED). This survey is intended to provide information to create an inventory of businesses in Asylum Hill and identify issues of concern to local businesses. The survey should not take longer than 10 to 20 minutes. May I proceed?

GENERAL INFORMATION:

1. Name of business:_________________________________________________

2. Type of business:
___Retail - Type__________ ___Finance/Real Estate ___Service - Type_____________ ___Restaurant/food service ___Insurance ___Medical ___Manufacturing ___Wholesale - Type_________________ ___Warehouse/distribution ___Construction ___Other (please explain) ____________

3. Address:________________________________________________________

4. Zip Code: ____________________________

5. E-mail address: ____________________

6. Telephone Number:____________________

7. Fax Number: _______________________

8. Name of Owner: ______________________

9. Name of Manager: ___________________

10. Year Founded: ______________________

11.Years in area: _______________________

12. Hours of Operation:__________________

13. Days of Operation:____________________

14. Does the owner of the business own the building it is located in? Yes___ No___

14. a. If no, when does your lease expire? Month_____________ Year__________

15. What is the approximate annual rent you pay per square foot? $_____________ (net or gross)

16. What is the approximate total floor area you are occupying? _______________ square feet

17. Do you expect this business to be relocating in 2 years? Yes___ No___ Don't know___

5 years? Yes___ No___ Don't know___

18. If yes, where will you relocate? ___within Asylum Hill ___West End ___outside the city ___Other____________

19. WHAT ARE THE LONG-TERM NEEDS FOR YOUR BUSINESS? (check all those that apply) a. Security___ b. Advertising/Marketing training___ c. Business planning training___ d. Beautification/facade improvements___ e.Skilled employees___ f. Parking___ g. Employee training___ h. Business loans___ i. Lower costs for inventory___
j. Low-skilled employees___ k. Other: (please explain in space provided)________________________________

20. FROM THE ITEMS LISTED ABOVE, WHICH 3 ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT? 1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___

21. Have you had problems with city services? Yes___ No___ Don't know___

22. If yes, please check all that apply. ___Fire ___Police ___Zoning ___Waste disposal ___Public transportation ___Street maintenance ___Sewage disposal ___Code enforcement ___Health inspection
___Other (please explain) _______________________
Describe the nature of the problem(s):__________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

LOANS:

23. If you listed a loan as one of your priorities, how much money would you seek in a loan? ___less than $5,000 ___$25,001- 50,000 ___$6,000-15,000 ___$50,001- 100,000 ___$15,001-25,000 ___$100,001- 500,000 ___$100,000,000+

24. What would you seek a loan for? (Please check all that apply)
___increase/expand inventory ___increase market area ___property improvements ___installation of new/better security system ___developing new products ___building purchase ___other (please explain) __________________________

25. Would you need to hire additional employees as a result of the loan? Yes___ No___ Don't know___

26. EMPLOYEE INFORMATION:

a. Including yourself, how many employees do you have? _____
b. How many employees do you expect to have 1 year from now? _____
c. What kind of training, if any, do you need for your employees? _____

27. What is your annual salary budget? _________________________________

28. Do your employees receive benefits? Yes___ No___

29. If yes, what types of benefits are offered? ___Health insurance ___Vacation time ___Disability insurance
___Sick time ___Other (please explain) _________________

30. What kind of work do your employees perform? (Please include the number in each category) #___Administrative #___ Technical #___ Sales #___ Manufacturing #___ Clerical #___ Other - Please describe:_________________________________

31. What types of jobs have been most difficult to fill?
___Administrative ___Technical ___Sales ___Manufacturing ___Clerical
___Other - Please describe:_______________________________________

32. Where do your employees live?
Asylum Hill (# of employees) _______
Hartford other than Asylum Hill (# of employees) _______
Outside Hartford (# of employees) _______

MARKET INFORMATION:

33. Where do your customers come from? (total should equal 100%):
Asylum Hill residents (approximate %) _______
Other Hartford residents (approximate %) _______
Customers living outside Hartford (approximate %) _______
Don't know (approximate %) _______
Would like to know (Please check here) _______

34. Are your customers predominantly: ___people ___other businesses ___government ___not sure

35. Do you support the idea of a Business Association in Asylum Hill?Yes___ No___ Need more information___

36. If yes, would you like to see a merchant coordinator hired to run such an association? Yes___ No___ Need more information___

37. Are there other business people you know who would like to get involved in the effort to encourage Asylum Hill development? Please identify.
Name of Business:_____________________________________________________
Contact: ___________________________________________________________
Address: ___________________________________________________________
Phone #: ___________________________________________________________

Name of Business:___________________________________________________
Contact: ___________________________________________________________
Address: ___________________________________________________________
Phone #: ___________________________________________________________

38. What new businesses would you like to see expanded or created in Asylum Hill? ___ Restaurants ___ Manufacturing ___ Services (ie. dry cleaners, etc.) ___ Hardware store ___ Automotive ___ Clothing & accessories
___ Other (please describe) ___________________ ___ Grocery store ___ none of the above

39. Additional Comments:
_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________

Thank you for your assistance!

Endnotes

¹ From the Dun and Bradstreet Business CD-ROM, 1996. The figures are broken down by zip code and are based on postal addresses of businesses and therefore do not reflect all of the businesses in an area.

² Percentages are greater than 100 because some households had more than one form of income.

³ Households are defined as any residence in which an individual or individuals live. Families are households in which two or more of the members are related by blood or law. Household figures provide a more inclusive measure of the neighborhood: family figures give a better perspective on the circumstances of children.

⁴ Totals equal more than 100 percent because some businesses perform more than one function.

⁵ The remaining eleven percent did not respond to the question.

⁶ Also mentioned were marketing (7%), business-plan training (7%), and job training (4%).

⁷ J.P. Kretzman and J.L. McKnight in A Guide to Mapping Local Business Assets and Mobilizing Local Business Capacities, identify four areas in which communities and businesses can work together to the advantage of each.