Northern e-commerce survey.

• Author: GOULIQUER, DIANNE
• Position: Brief Article

The Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce is eager to learn just how widespread e-commerce is in the city, and a survey going out to its membership in early February may offer the insight the business agency is looking for.

Funded by the chamber of commerce, FedNor, the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade and Human Resources Development Canada; and conducted by the Institute for Global Entrepreneurship and Electronic Commerce (Confederation College), the survey is aimed at identifying current e-commerce trends in Thunder Bay. Primarily, the survey will attempt to measure the extent and level of e-commerce usage by city businesses, and to summarize their experiences to date.

Although the survey will be distributed to member businesses through the chambers monthly newsletter, chamber of commerce President Mary Long Irwin says participation isn't limited to chamber of commerce members.

"It's for members or any other business," Long Irwin says; "We're looking at trying to find out how many businesses use e-commerce and how much is purchased in. Thunder Bay, in Ontario, in Canada and out side (the country)."

For the purpose of the survey, Long Irwin says "e-commerce" is being defined as any task done via the Internet for business purpopes, whether it be buying, selling or searching for business opportunities.

"If an organization is involved in carrying out business-related tasks we want to know what types of business (is being done)," she says. "We want to know who has Internet access and e-mail and how much it is used. What are they using it for? Are they searching for suppliers?"

The surrey, she adds, will allow the chamber to get a handle on how many local firms are using computers for business regularly, how many occasionally use computers for business, and how many don't use computers at all.

She says more and more businesses are turning to the Internet to buy and sell their products, and Thunder Bay firms...