A brief questionnaire for business owners, aspiring entrepreneurs, and small business counselors.
You are invited to participate in a research study titled “Succession Planning as Economic Development: Exploring Entrepreneurial Matchmaking Between Retiring Business Owners and Aspiring Entrepreneurs,” conducted by UNC Public Policy Capstone from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The purpose of this study is to investigate succession plans within entrepreneurial environments across North Carolina.
Approximately 82,000 small businesses in North Carolina are owned by individuals age 55 or older, collectively generating $165 billion in annual revenue. Yet, there is limited public data on what happens when these owners retire: Do their businesses sell, close, or transfer to new owners? And are there aspiring entrepreneurs locally positioned to take them over?
What You Will Do: If you decide to participate, you will be asked to complete an online survey. The survey will take approximately 6 minutes to complete.
Risks and Benefits: There are no known risks or direct benefits to participating in this study, other than contributing to the understanding of a policy problem.
Confidentiality: Your responses will be kept confidential. Data will be stored on secure, password-protected servers.
Voluntary Participation: Your participation in this study is completely voluntary. You may exit the survey at any time without penalty or loss of benefits.
The responses will help us better understand succession planning across North Carolina and identify where communities may be most vulnerable to business closures as owners retire.
To take the survey, please visit unc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2tcjFkSFJYtq9ds
If you have questions regarding your rights as a research participant, contact the IRB Office at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill at (919) 966-3113.Â
