THE largest survey ever conducted of businesses in Cumbria is being carried out over the coming months.

Business Link for Cumbria is behind the survey, which will involve more than 15,000 businesses countywide.The aim is to help businesses to identify their own require-ments for business and skills support.

The survey results will influence how future support is offered in areas such as skills and training needs, sales and marketing, e-commerce, overseas trade and legislation.

The survey will be distributed via a postal questionnaire to businesses in Cumbria with fewer than 250 employees. All survey respondents will have the chance to win a top-of-the-range handheld computer.

Brian Lightowler, chief executive of Business Link for Cumbria, said: “This survey is both for and about Cumbrian businesses. Part of my job is to constantly find new ways of providing publicly funded business advice and skills support throughout Cumbria.

“But my task is made more difficult by not knowing which businesses need support and how that support might best be delivered. The survey gives every business the opportunity to tell me their position on these issues so that future support and our communications will always be relevant and appropriate.”