Questions? We've Got Answers.
CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS ASSESSMENT
We're asking you to share a little about your creative work, your business, and your experiences in Chattanooga. It's only fair that you know who's behind the survey, what we're doing with your answers, and how we'll protect your information.
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What's this survey all about?
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We're trying to get a better picture of Chattanooga's creative community. Who's out there making things, building businesses, and turning ideas into income? What's working well? What's frustrating? And what's missing?
We want to better understand our local creative entrepreneurs, the resources available to them, and the challenges they face.
Who's behind the survey?
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The Chattery commissioned this community-wide assessment, and the research is being conducted by Prospera Strategies and Rad Work, two Chattanooga-based consulting firms.
We're partnering with organizations like LAUNCH, ArtsBuild, TSBDC, and many others to reach creative entrepreneurs across our community.
Do I need to have an established business to participate?
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Not at all. Whether you're just getting started, running a side gig, or making a full-time living from your creative work, we'd like to hear from you.
You don't need a storefront, a business license, or a five-year business plan to have something valuable to contribute.
What will you do with my answers?
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Is this survey anonymous?
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We'll analyze the responses to identify common experiences, challenges, needs, and opportunities within Chattanooga's creative community.
The findings will be shared in a public report that local organizations, service providers, city leaders, and creative entrepreneurs can use to better understand our creative economy and make decisions about future programs, resources, and investments.
Your responses are confidential, but not necessarily anonymous.
You don't have to provide your name or contact information to complete the survey. If you're interested in participating in a focus group, you'll have the option to share your contact information so we can reach out.
Only the research teams at Prospera Strategies and Rad Work will have access to individual survey responses. The Chattery, community partners, and funders will receive findings and summaries, not your individual answers.
Will you quote me in the report?
Possibly! We may include anonymous quotations that help illustrate experiences or perspectives that are representative of our overall findings. We'll be careful not to include details that could identify you.
We will never publish a quotation with your name or identifying information without your permission.
Why are you asking about my revenue and personal information?
Fair question. We're asking about things like business revenue, race, ethnicity, gender, and other characteristics because we want to understand the full picture of Chattanooga's creative community.
These questions help us see whether different groups of entrepreneurs face different challenges, have access to different resources, or need different kinds of support.
We're interested in understanding the community, not evaluating individual businesses.
How will my information be protected?
The survey is administered through Tally, an online form platform that encrypts information during transmission and storage.
Access to raw survey responses will be restricted to the Prospera Strategies and Rad Work research teams. Raw data will be retained through the end of the project, expected in mid-2027.
You can learn more about Tally's data protection practices.
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Will I end up on a mailing list?
No. If you volunteer your contact information because you're interested in a focus group, we'll only use it to contact you about that opportunity.
We won't sell your information, share it for marketing purposes, or add you to any mailing lists.
Do I have to answer every question?
Participation is completely voluntary. You can stop taking the survey at any time before submitting your responses.
Will we get to see the results?
Yes! The final report will be presented publicly in May 2027.
This is a community-wide effort, and we want the findings to be available to everyone. We hope the report will give artists, makers, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, business support organizations, and city leaders a clearer understanding of the needs, strengths, and opportunities within Chattanooga's creative community.
We're also looking forward to sharing what we learn with the people who contributed to the research.
Have another question? Get in touch.
We're happy to answer questions about the survey, your information, or the project.
Melanie Silva
Rad Work
mel@radwrk.com
Kara Cotto
Prospera Strategies
kara@prosperastrategies.com