In Q1 & Q2 2011, GrowthPath conducted a survey of Melbourne SMEs investigating responses to change in the business environment.

We conducted the survey using Google Docs, and also used it for analysis and drawing charts as an experiment in its capabilities.

{mooblock=Review of our Google Docs experience for surveys and analysis}

As a online survey tool, Google Docs is a good option. The surveys offer a good range of question types, and it's reasonably easy to do conditional questions: show or skip questions based on a previous answer.

Answers are recorded in a Google Docs spreadsheet. Respondents found it easy to use, and it caused no problems for the survey designers. In many cases respondents were given the option of completing the survey online or using a stamped return envelope; the online survey was very strongly preferred.

The biggest disappointment is the lack of an easy way to make a look-alike hard copy for a multi-page questionnaire. This is quite a manual process. It also made it obvious that there is no automatic question numbering.

We also did statistical analysis and charting using Google Docs. As a spreadsheet, Docs is already quite impressive, and features are being added all the time. We found the ability to use regular expression formulas very useful in summarising data, since the results of the survey submissions are raw data.

Our expectations with the spreadsheet module were exceeded, and even a hard-core Excel user (Tim) was pleasantly surprised in his first serious use of Docs number-crunching.

Charting is average. On the plus side, it's easy to embed the charts on a website. This article uses two methods: embedding the chart as a picture, and embedding it as an interactive object. They both work well.

The charts don't have enough formatting options. We were consistently annoyed with the formatting of labels, which don't provide enough room for descriptive labels.

However, Google will address this problem, and changes become available with little to no rework required to take advantage.

Overall, another good experience with Google docs.

{/mooblock}

In this set of survey results, we highlight some results on change-related questions.

Drivers of change

What is the expected impact of the following changes on your business in the next two to three years?

Positive answers indicate an average view that the change will be favourable.

 What's most likely to help my business grow in the next two to three years?

Mouse-over the data to see the full name of the data point.

Positive answers indicate an average view that the change will be favourable.

The most important driver for growth is central to GrowthPath's approach to taking advantage of change. Know your comparative advantages with respect to competitors (the survey question was worded "Knowledge of strengths and weaknesses vs competitors"). Change magnifies the differences between businesses which seem similar; these widening gaps provide opportunities (or threats). This analysis is a key step in GrowthPath's Focused Agile Business program. It's the business application of the Theory of Comparative Advantage.

Respondents by Role

Respondents by Turnover

Business Type