THE BIG SUFFOLK

SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY

Every business is different. The fundamentals aren’t.

Take me to the questions!

Our Aim is Simple To Help Suffolk Businesses Succeed!

We Know That Better Evidence Leads to Better Decisions

Whether you run a sandwich shop, a software company, a marketing agency, a manufacturing business or you’re building satellites, many of the challenges are surprisingly similar.

Every business needs customers.
Every business needs to manage money.
Every business needs people, processes, technology and good decision making.

Yet too often, support is designed around sectors rather than the real challenges businesses face. That’s why we’re launching The Big Suffolk Small Business Survey

This isn’t just about digital. It’s about how modern businesses work.

Why We’re Doing This

At EMPOWERUS, we believe businesses should have a stronger voice in shaping the support, skills, events and communities that exist to help them grow.

Instead of guessing what people need, we’re asking

We want to understand:

  • What challenges businesses are facing today

  • What knowledge and skills they’re missing

  • Which technologies they’re adopting

  • What support actually makes a difference

  • Where existing business support falls short

  • What opportunities people see for collaboration

Who should take part?

If you’re involved in running, growing or supporting a business, we’d love to hear from you.

That includes:

  • Business owners

  • Freelancers

  • Sole traders

  • Start-ups

  • SMEs

  • Charities and social enterprises

  • Public sector organisations

  • Students and people starting a business

  • Employees with responsibility for digital, marketing, technology or innovation

What we’ll do with the results

Whether you’ve been trading for twenty years or you’re still working on your first idea, your experience matters.

We’ll use the findings to help shape:

  • Future talks and events

  • Workshops and learning programmes

  • Networking opportunities

  • Research projects

We’ll also publish regular insights so everyone can benefit from what the community is telling us.

  • Community initiatives

  • Business resources

  • Conversations with partners, education providers and decision makers

COMMUNITY MATTERS

Together we can create stronger communities, more relevant events and better support for businesses across Suffolk and beyond. Too often, decisions about skills, business support and local digital transformation are made without hearing enough from the people actually running businesses.

The Big Small Business Survey exists to change that.

By taking part, you’re helping build a clearer picture of what businesses genuinely need—not just what people assume they need.

Every response helps build a better understanding of the challenges, opportunities and ambitions of our business community.

Help shape better Business Support, Advice and Awareness

Whether you run a sandwich shop, build satellites, work for yourself, or lead a growing company, we’d like to understand the realities of running a business today. This survey takes approximately 8–10 minutes. Responses will be used to help shape future events, learning, research and business support through EMPOWERUS and our partners.

The Big Suffolk Small Business Survey 2026

Add your voice today!

Still not sure?
If you’d like to discuss this with one of our team we are happy to help. Pop your questions on our Contact page and we’ll see you soon.