Preliminary Results from Second Cape Cod Business Survey Released

HYANNIS – Preliminary results from the second COVID-19 business survey have been shared by the Cape Cod Commission.

Launched in partnership with the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, the survey was created as a way to follow up on their initial survey, which aimed to gather data and utilize it for economic aid for the region amid the pandemic.

“The second survey was intended to capture some new data and information from businesses, in an effort to dive deeper into the impacts of the pandemic during the Cape’s peak summer season,” Executive Director Kristy Senatori said during a recent meeting with the Cape Cod Reopening Task Force.

Nearly 400 businesses across all towns on the Cape have responded to the survey thus far, Senatori explained, with the vast majority being year-round businesses. The most popular industries to respond were in retail, dining, and accommodations.

A major takeaway from the preliminary data, Senatori said, is that roughly 7% of businesses that have responded are closed completely and that 55% of businesses are open in a solely limited fashion. Out of those closed businesses, 30% are unsure of their futures, while 4.5% are closed permanently.

The data also shows that 35% of respondents believe that they can only operate for six months or less with their current cash flow and reserve situations.

Enhanced cleaning measures have played a role in that, as Senatori explained that many businesses have brought up increased cleaning costs as a challenge.

Other challenges include enforcing virus prevention measures and the reduction in the number of customers, which has led to revenue drops across the Cape.

Even with all of these challenges, businesses made sure to thank local customers for what they’ve done in recent months.

“They were feeling very supported by the Cape Cod community,” Senatori continued, “so that’s a positive, certainly, for our region.”

Senatori said that going forward, businesses are looking for further economic and marketing aid, along with collaboration opportunities with other organizations.

The second survey will be open for about another week. To learn more, visit the Cape Cod Commission’s website by clicking here.

About Brendan Fitzpatrick

Brendan, a recent graduate from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, is one of the newest members of the CapeCod.com NewsCenter team. When not on the beat, you'll probably find him watching Boston sports.



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