Eastern Shore business owners and leaders are more optimistic of the economic future than they were six months ago, according to a July 2024 survey by the Business Economic and Community Outreach Network (BEACON) at Salisbury University. The July 2024 results represent the seventh report released by BEACON, who has partnered with Salisbury University’s Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative (ESRGC), and many of the region’s economic and workforce development professionals to conduct these surveys. The first survey in the series was conducted in June 2021, with subsequent six-month follow-ups, and the most recent report in December 2023.
The survey included more than 50 questions, asking business leaders to weigh in on a range of topics, ranging from general business concerns to conditions in their own industries. Respondents evaluated business conditions locally, regionally, in the state and nationwide for the coming year. They also shared views related to their specific industries and on issues from labor supply to regulations.