2005 Survey Database Numbers

Table 1. Survey mailing numbers and percents, by state and totals.
 

State	Original number of firms	firms mailed survey	Valid firms surveyed	Adjusted valid total firms	Percent of state firms surveyed	state expansion factor	Eligible firms, percent of region
CT	3783	1722	1672	3683	45.4	2.2	3020 (28.9%)
ME	1385	711	635	1233	51.5	1.9	814 (7.8%)
MA	5786	2944	2773	5444	50.9	2.0	4519 (43.2%)
NH	1341	707	655	1237	52.9	1.9	891 (8.5%)
RI	865	446	418	809	51.7	1.9	688 (6.6%)
VT	749	378	354	701	50.5	2.0	526 (5.0%)
Total	13,909	6998	6507	13,107			10,458

The mail list was one used in 2002, updated with available industry lists and state specialist input. It is conservative and an underestimate for several reasons. It did not include purchased addresses from SIC code databases, so would not include many new firms over the last 3 years. As in previous surveys, it does not include those seasonal sales firms (such as hardware stores) or mass marketers.

Of those mailed the survey (randomly 50% selected from each state, adjusted to include the largest firms), the valid number surveyed is the total surveyed less bad addresses (even after a postcard mailing to eliminate most of these) or firms out of business. The difference between those mailed to, and the valid number, was multiplied by 2 to account for those not mailed to, subtracted from the original number, to result in adjusted valid total. The valid number surveyed, reflected as a percent of the adjusted valid total, was used to determine the state expansion factor. The valid total number, less the percent of firms not earning over half their income from this industry as determined from survey returns, gave the number of eligible firms. This number is conservative for the same above reasons.

Table 2. 2005 Survey returns, by state and totals.
 

State	Valid firms surveyed	Total returned 2005	Percent returned 2005	Percent returned 2002	Percent returned 1999	Response expansion factor 2005
CT	1672	163	9.6	13.1	18.3	10.3
ME	635	112	17.0	19.0	34.0	5.7
MA	2773	267	9.2	13.5	21.8	10.4
NH	655	99	14.4	20.3	28.3	6.6
RI	418	34	8.1	15.1	19.3	12.3
VT	354	91	25.1	31.0	40.3	3.9
Total	6507	742	11.4	15.7	24.1

Returns from first mailing: 499 (67% of total), from second mailing: 243 (33% of total).

Online responses (included above): 53

2002: 3918 mailed, 615 returned, 15.7 percent return

2005: 6507 mailed, 742 returned, 11.4 percent return

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