Vermont Business Magazine The Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce has released results from its annual State of the Commerce economic survey, offering a detailed snapshot of business conditions, challenges, and optimism across Bennington County and beyond. The survey drew responses from over 100 businesses and organizations respondents representing a wide range of sectors and communities, reflecting both resilience and concern in the current economic environment.
Community Representation
Respondents represented a broad cross-section of Southwestern Vermont. Bennington accounted for 60% of responses, followed by Manchester at 28% and Dorset at 8%. Arlington, Londonderry, and North Bennington each comprised 5–7% of responses.
Industry Sectors
The data highlighted the region’s diverse economic base:
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Retail: 18%
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Nonprofit: 16%
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Attractions/Art/Culture: 11%
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Lodging, Dining, Housing/Real Estate: 10% each
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Education/Childcare: 9%
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Manufacturing: 8%
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Advertising/Marketing: 6%
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Architecture and Entertainment: 5% each
Additional sectors represented included accounting, consulting, finance, healthcare, technology, automotive, energy, government, and law.
Business Ownership & Longevity
Ownership diversity continues to strengthen:
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Family-owned: 33%
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Woman-owned: 26%
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Young professional-owned (40 and under): 6%
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Veteran-owned: 2%
Other respondents identified as BIPOC-owned, LGBTQI+-owned, disabled-person-owned, and immigrant-owned.
When it comes to longevity, 60% of respondents reported being in business for more than 20 years, while 21% have operated between 4–10 years. Thirteen percent have been active for 11–20 years, 6% for 1–3 years, and 1% less than one year.
Top Challenges Facing Businesses
The top current challenges cited include:
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Rising costs: 24%
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Recruiting and retaining workers: 19%
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Marketing and gaining customers: 17%
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Employee costs (healthcare, benefits, insurance): 11%
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Financial limitations: 10%
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Tariffs: 3%
Other concerns included start-up growing pains, housing for staff, competition, Act 250 and local permitting, supply chain, technology, climate change, and lack of vendors/suppliers. No respondents selected jobs for spouses, globalization, remote work, cybersecurity, or rent/space costs as their top challenge.
Looking ahead 12–18 months, respondents identified managing economic uncertainty such as inflation or recession (24%) as the greatest anticipated challenge. Staffing (16%), growing customer or donor bases (11%), and fatigue/burnout alongside financial stability (8% each) followed closely.
Workforce & Staffing
When comparing staffing to 2024:
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32% reported some form of employee growth (down from 40% the prior year)
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52% reported no change (up from 42% the prior year)
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16% reported a loss of employees
Workforce models revealed that 64% are fully in-person, 31% are hybrid, 5% operate seasonally/variably, and none are fully remote.
Seventeen percent of respondents reported significant difficulty hiring, 34% some difficulty, 15% no difficulty, and 34% reported no open positions.
Financial Health & Outlook
When asked for a letter grade to indicate how healthy they felt their organization or business was doing, ranging from A (excellent) to F (closure imminent), 64% ranged from B (successful) to A (excellent) down from 70% a year prior. The other portion, B- (temporarily successful) to D (not doing well) made up 33% up 3% from a year prior. Three percent gave themselves a D- or fear of closure, while no respondent indicated closure was imminent (F).
When asked about their business's financial performance compared to one year ago, a portion of respondents, 40%, reported that their businesses were doing better. Twenty-seven percent indicated that their revenue stayed about the same, while 32% of respondents mentioned that their business's financial performance was worse compared to 2024. However, when asked if they felt if their organization was doing better than five years prior (2020), 53% indicated that they were doing better, 22% indicated worse, 18% indicated about the same, and 8% indicated they weren’t in business five years ago.
Vermont & Regional Sentiment
A strong 90% of respondents said Southwestern Vermont is a good place to operate, up 3% from last year, though slightly down from 94% in 2023. At the state level, 89% said Vermont is a good place to do business, a 19% increase from the previous year.
When asked about the next three years:
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75% believe Southwestern Vermont will be a better place to operate (down 2 points from last year)
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69% believe Vermont overall will be better (while 31% believed it would worse)
Twelve percent of respondents reported plans to retire or close their business within 1–3 years, up 5% from 2024.
Business Needs & Support
Respondents identified the following as services that would best support their growth:
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Better destination marketing of the region: 39%
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Improved cellular service: 27%
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Improved internet and Wi-Fi: 23%
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Transportation and infrastructure improvements: 22%
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Improved connections with other business owners: 21%
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Health and wellness programs for employees: 21%
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Access to professional consulting services and AI/digital tools training: 17% each
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Property rental options, market research, and tech upgrade support: 16%
Additional responses included streamlining regulatory processes (13%), succession and transition planning (12%), marketing training (11%), increased capital availability (11%), workforce development, sustainability resources, and mentorship programs.
Chamber Leadership Perspective
“We view feedback as a gift and a critical tool for making data-driven decisions,” said Matt Harrington, Executive Director of the Southwestern Vermont Chamber. “These insights help us focus our energy on what matters most: supporting the business community through both challenge and change.”
Harrington added: “What strikes me most about this year’s survey is the mix of realism and resilience. Yes, rising costs and staffing remain front-and-center, but optimism about our region and state is still strong - nearly 9 in 10 say Vermont is a good place to do business. That tells me there’s confidence in our long-term potential. At the Chamber, we take seriously the call for better destination marketing, stronger connectivity, and access to capital and training. These are the levers that can unlock growth, attract new talent, and ensure that even in uncertain times, Southwestern Vermont remains a place where businesses and communities thrive together.”
The Southwestern Vermont Chamber’s mission is to promote, lead, and advocate a unified effort, on behalf of our business and nonprofit members, to maintain and improve a healthy business climate and rewarding quality of life for the entire Shires of Southwestern Vermont.
The Chamber’s 2027 vision is to cultivate a vibrant regional economy driven by innovation and collaboration, where commerce thrives in harmony with the stunning natural landscapes and welcoming, diverse communities.
SOUTHWESTERN VERMONT, Wednesday, September 10, 2025. SWVTChamber.com
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