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FAQs

1. How long will the census take?
   1. The census should take between 3 and 5 minutes to complete.
2. How long will the census be open?
   1. The census will be open from April 2024 until the end of the summer 2024. We will begin by calling businesses in April and will visit businesses who have not yet responded in person later in the summer.
3. Who is leading this effort?
   1. This effort is led by District government agencies who work with our local small business community. BBC Research & Consulting (BBC), as well as Pantera Management Group (Pantera), Tiber Hudson (Tiber), and survey research firm Davis Research were selected to conduct this census.
4. Who should participate?
   1. Businesses should participate if they are contacted by the census team and are headquartered in Washington, DC. If you have questions about whether you should participate, please reach out to us at [email protected].  
5. Why are we asking for demographic information?
   1. Business owners of all races and genders are encouraged to participate in the census – we ask demographic questions to enable us to better understand who makes up our small business community. As District government agencies, we are always looking for new ways to ensure that DC is a place where business owners of all backgrounds can thrive. For example, in our 2023 – 2027 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (Comeback Plan), we set a goal to increase the number of minority-owned employer businesses to 33% by 2028. We’ve made progress towards this goal, but we have more work to do. This census is a first step, not a last step, towards continuing to build a more inclusive small business economy in the District.
6. How will my data be used?
   1. The data you provide will be used to:
      1. Share District government grant, contract, training, and networking opportunities with more businesses;
      2. Improve our understanding of what types of small businesses exist in the District and what communities they are located in to assess how well our economic incentives are supporting our economic development goals;
      3. Increase inter-agency collaboration to streamline small business’ interactions with District government, and
      4. Track progress against our economic development goals.
   2. If you have any questions about how the data you provide will be used, please reach out to us at [email protected].
7. Can I take the census in a language other than English?
   1. Yes! The census is also available in Spanish, French, Amharic, Korean, Vietnamese, and Chinese. Let our census callers and street team know your preferred language to connect with our interpreters over the phone.
8. What if I don’t have exact numbers on my business’s revenue or number of employees when the census team calls or visits?
   1. Estimates are allowed, but a staff member with knowledge of your business’s revenue and total number of employees should respond to the census for your business.
9. Can I be paid for completion?
   1. No Small Business Census participants will be compensated for their participation in the census.
10. Will my information be public?
    1. No information about your business’ revenue or number of employees that you provide as part of the Small Business Census will be made public. Please reach out to the project team with questions at [email protected].  
11. Will the results of the census be made public?
    1. As part of the DC Small Business Census, BBC Research & Consulting will draft a white paper and presentation summarizing the information collected during the census. This information will be made available to the public upon the completion of the census.
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