Foundation launches small business survey

In an effort to bolster the region’s business landscape, Pinellas Community Foundation and JPMorganChase are partnering to host a regional survey to assess the experiences of small business owners and entrepreneurs.

The 12-page, online survey is aimed at understanding a range of experiences in starting and growing businesses in Tampa Bay. The initiative, set to run through Oct. 1, is designed to identify the strengths and gaps in current entrepreneurial support systems and generate ideas for future investments in programs and resources.

The survey is funded by the Pinellas Community Foundation‘s Diverse Ventures Fund, which received a $250,000 grant from JPMorganChase. The collaborative goal is to strengthen and diversify the path to entrepreneurship and business ownership, with a focus on increasing support for underrepresented entrepreneurs, including women, and Black and Hispanic business owners.

“Effective entrepreneurial ecosystems across the U.S. share some key qualities,” said Duggan Cooley, President and CEO of the Pinellas Community Foundation (PCF), in a prepared statement. “They advocate for entrepreneurs, measure their progress, and connect and collaborate toward common goals. Establishing a baseline understanding of the current experience of entrepreneurs in Tampa Bay will help us work together to build a stronger system of support.” 

The online survey asks small business owners with 250 employees or fewer to share details about their experience with various aspects of their entrepreneurial journeys, including financial stability, talent and human resources, network, scalability, barriers to development and more.

PCF tapped Economic Impact Catalyst (EIC), a  Clearwater-based firm with a mission to “provide economic developers with tools to catalyze the ability of entrepreneurs to build wealth, autonomy and improve opportunities for their communities,” to design and conduct the survey. David Ponraj, Founder and CEO of Economic Impact Catalyst, said EIC has worked in communities throughout the United States to build systems of support for startup ventures and improve opportunities for entrepreneurs to access mentorship and capital.

“Small business owners are the backbone of our country. If we are to provide meaningful resources that can help them, we have to hear their voices,” Ponraj said. “This survey sets out to do just that by elevating the voices of the smallest of the small businesses so that we can provide equitable and durable solutions to help them.”

Ponraj said the survey employs a mixed-methods approach, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques.

The survey’s results will be shared at an event for entrepreneurs, support organizations, investors and business leaders Oct. 30. PCF has not announced a venue for the event yet, but it will be open to the public. The survey and event insights will also help inform Diverse Venture grant investments for 2025, marking the second year of the program.

As Tampa Bay continues to grow as a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship, leaders at Pinellas Community Foundation and JPMorganChase hope the survey will become a crucial step in ensuring the region’s business ecosystem evolves to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse cadre of entrepreneurs.

By participating, local business owners have the opportunity to directly influence the future of business support in Tampa Bay as nonprofits and private companies alike aim to shape a more robust, inclusive and thriving entrepreneurial landscape.

Small business owners can take the online survey at this link.

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