Appendix C: Response Rates on the Business Demographics Section of the Survey Instrument
Following are summary statistics for section D. of the survey for the 258 completed questionnaires received.
Percentages may total 99% or 101% due to rounding.
D1. How would you classify your business? Check only one category below.
33% Lodging: Motel, Hotel, B & B, etc.
13% Retailing: Gifts, Sporting Goods, etc.
11% Food, Beverage Stores, Restaurants
4% Guide, Outfitter, Livery, etc.
3% Attraction: Amusement, Museum, etc.
3% Boating: Sales, Rentals, Service, etc.
2% Automobile: Fuel, Service, Sales, etc.
2% Construction
2% Services: Electric, Plumbing, Real Estate, Insurance, etc.
28% Other or Unknown. 57 business operators selected other, however the majority wanted to indicate
that they fall into more than one category. Other included campgrounds, general stores, convenience stores and a variety of services (e.g., travel agency, graphic artist, pharmacy, veterinarian, theatre, newspaper)
The lodging sector comprises one-third of the respondents, while retailers are 13% and food and beverage are 11% of respondents. Without an inventory of the tourism infrastructure in the region it is unclear how this distribution compares to the distribution of all businesses in all the communities in the study area. It does appear that tourism-related business owners were more likely to answer the questionnaire given its tourism focus. In addition, the respondent could select only one category, thus the high rate of "other" and the possible under reporting on some of the other categories when a lodging business also includes, food service, retail sales, outfitting, etc.
D3. What is your role with this business? Check one below and insert # of years.
71% I am both the owner and manager: avg of 14 of years (28% for only 5 years or less)
15% I am the owner or co-owner: avg of 17 of years (21% for only 5 years or less)
10% I am the manager: avg of 10 of years..
4% Other
The findings show that owners and co-owners have a long history in their positions, averaging 14 to 17 years. Between one-quarter and one-third have been owners for five years or less.
D5. Number of years this business has been operating in the area?
Average of 28 years. 5 years or less: 16%. 3 years or less: 11%. 2 years or less: 7%. 1 year: 4%.
With an average of 28 years in operation, and an average owner/manager term of 14 years, it appears that the average business is on its second owner. One-fifth of businesses (16%) are less than five years old, while 4 percent are on their first year.
D6 Which of the following best describes the residence of the owner(s)?
84% Owned and operated by a year-round resident of the Adirondacks.
11% Owned by someone whose permanent residence is outside the Adirondacks.
5% Other
D7 Which of the following best describes the ownership of the business?
78% Owned primarily by an individual or family.
1% It is a business franchise operation.
3% It is one facility in a larger chain of businesses.
3% It is a non-profit corporation.
15% Other: _____________________________
Business ownership is heavily in the hands of Adirondack residents and they are predominantly family-based businesses. As shown in the next item, the average business is entering it’s second generation of family ownership, with an average ownership of 1.5 generations. One-quarter of the business have been in the ownership of the family for two or more generations.
D7a1. If your business is family owned:
For how many generations has it been owned by your family: 1.5 generations
2 or more generations: 26% of multi-generational businesses
D8. Is your business open:
67% Year Round 23% Seasonally (95% summer, 2% winter)
10% no response 3% no response
Approximately two-thirds of the businesses in the study communities are open year-around. Of the seasonal businesses (comprising about one-quarter (23%) of the total, the vast majority are open during the summer season.
D9. How many employees, including yourself, did you employ during peak months in 1997?
10 employees on average (If 2 or more continue with D9a – e, if one, skip to D10).
D9a. How many of these "peak month" employees, noted above, were:
Women: 5 Part-time 3 Full-time Employees
Men: 4 Part-time 4 Full-time Employees
D9b. How many of these total employees were members
of your family?
2 Family Member employees on average
D9c. Do you offer health benefits to your employees?
50% No 16% Yes à D9d. After 13 months of employment, on average.
34% no response D9e. Employer pays 73% of cost.
Close to 2,000 employees were reported by the study participants for the peak season of 1997. The average number of employees for all businesses was ten employees, however businesses with four employees represent the center point of business employment. About one-fifth (22%) of businesses have only one employee, while about one-quarter (27%) have two to three employees. Employment was split about 50 / 50 between male and female employees. About 57 percent of businesses reported have two or more family members employeed. Only 16 percent of the business operators reported providing health insurance to their employees, and that is after an average of 13 months of employment.
D10. Over the past three years has your total number of employees:
19% Increased 9% Decreased
56% Stayed about the same 6% Business didn’t exist 3 years ago
10% no responseAbout one-fifth (19%) of the business operators reported an increase in employment over the past three years, while about one tenth (9%) reported a decrease.
D11. Which of the following best describes your current employment situation?
55% This business is my only job
33% I work one or more jobs in addition to this business
4% Other, please explain:______________________________________
8% no response
A little over one-half (55%) rely on their business as their only form of employment.
D12. What was your personal gross salary from this business in 1997?
48%: less than $25,000 27%: $25,000 – $74,999 7%: $75,000 or more
no response 18%
The average salary in the United States was $26,000 and was $22,000 in the North Country region of New York State in 1993 (Rural Services Institute, 1995). The respondents were asked to indicate very generally what their gross salary was from their business in 1997, and over 80 percent complied. About one-half (48%) selected the lowest category of "less than $25,000." Close to one-quarter (27%) of the business operators reported a business salary above the average, in the $25,000 - $75,000 range. Seven percent reported relatively high salaries of %75,000 or more.
D13. Approximately what percent of your family’s gross annual income is contributed by your business.
33%: less than 25% 11%: from 25% - 49% 13%: from 50% - 74% 30%: 75% or more
no response 14%
A bit under one-half (43%) of all business owners reported that their business contributed 50 percent or more of their family’s gross income.
D14. Before you started with this business, how did you last make your living, and where?
In Adirondacks Elsewhere
9% Owning or working for a tourism business 75% 25%
21% Owning or managing another kind of business 42% 58%
58% Other employment 38% 62%
no response 12%
More than half of the business operators (58%) preceded their ownership or management with employment for someone else. Of those, about two-thirds (62%) worked outside the Adirondacks. Only about one-tenth (9%) worked for or owned another tourism business before their current one, and of those the majority (75%) received their training within the Adirondack Park.
D15. Would you say you are a:
89% Year-round resident, for 25 years on average (11% for 5 years or less)
6% Part-time resident, for 26 years on average.
no response 5%
Close to 90 percent of the respondents reported being year-round residents, with an average residency in the Adirondack Park of 25 years. About one-tenth (11%) have been residents for five years or less.
D16. How old are you? 50 years of age on average.
The mean, median and mode age are all 50 years of age for this group of business operators. Their ages range from 21 to 78.
D17. Are you: Female (41%), Male (59%)
D18. Highest level of education?
20% High school or less 30% Some college 25% College grad 21% Grad +
no response 4%
This group of business operators is highly educated, with 46 percent reporting a college degree or more advanced degree, compared with approximately one-third of the general population.