Taney County businesses determine area’s strengths, threats

SBJ Staff

Posted online October 5, 2005 | 11:00 pm

A recent survey shows that businesses in Taney County cite name recognition as the area’s key strength and affordable housing as its top-priority weakness.

About 35 businesses were asked to identify and prioritize the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that face their businesses in Taney County. The survey was conducted by the Taney County Industrial Development Authority and the Taney County Office of Economic Development.

Other top strengths listed were quality of life, the county’s natural beauty and entertainment. Businesses also mentioned good schools, higher education, Internet capability and a low crime rate as strengths.

Second to affordable housing in the county’s weaknesses was a lack of a trained work force, followed by uncompetitive wages and a seasonal tourism-based economy. Other weaknesses included local governments not working well together, a lack of marketing funds, a lack of a comprehensive plan to attract new businesses and a poor work ethic among employees.

Businesses identified the opportunities in affordable housing, attracting and retaining a quality work force, the county’s long-range plan and convention business, which would change the visitor profile. Entertainment for a younger generation, passage of a tourism tax, marketing the area as a retirement community and untapped technological resources also were mentioned.

The top threat to the business community was a limited labor pool, followed by a lack of affordable housing, a lack of unification between political entities on local issues and drug-related criminal activity. Other threats included a need for a comprehensive safety plan, countywide lack of a coordinated plan, deterioration of water quality, wages and lack of industry diversity

“The analysis gives us a means of measuring long-term changes in the county’s economic well-being,” said Cy Murray, IDA president, in a news release. “It identifies issues that are important to local businesses, and it gives us a baseline to measure our progress in providing for those businesses’ needs in years to come.”

The businesses surveyed were not tourism-related.[[In-content Ad]]