The Cape Cod Commission and the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce issued a business impact survey to evaluate the timing and extent of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the local business community. Over 350 businesses responded across a variety of industries and from all 15 towns on Cape Cod.
Results from this survey can be explored using these dashboards.
To see results by town, please use the “select town” dropdown menu in each dashboard.
The industries representing the majority of respondents are accommodations, retail, and restaurants, catering, and food/beverage services—which are the top industries in Barnstable County based on employment. The number of years respondents have been in business on Cape Cod ranged from less than 1 to 100; the median is 18 years and nearly ¾ of respondents’ businesses operate year-round.
Respondents experienced significant impacts to their revenue stream, compared with 2019. Business owners expected to see continued revenue losses in the following six months, and the majority in the region estimated they had financial reserves to continue operating only three months or less.
The majority of businesses indicated declines in customers/clients and sales, or were temporarily closed due to social distancing and safer-at-home guidelines in Massachusetts.
Cape Cod has one of the highest unemployment rates in the state, disproportionately affecting the workforce in Accommodations, Retail, and Restaurants.
The survey also asked businesses about their forecasted impacts and anticipated needs. The majority of respondents in the region anticipated 50% or more loss in revenue in the next six months, and most respondents anticipate operating another 1-3 months with existing cash flow and reserves.
