Ipsos Survey

1. Ipsos Survey A study of the Business Section of the Your Europe Portal.

2. Table of Content • Objectives & Methodology of the Survey • Audience & Archetypal User • Topics: Existing & New • Sectors of Interest • Countries & Languages of choice • Awareness, Relevance and Use of the Portal • Information Channels & Modalities • Conclusions

3. 1. Objectives & Methodology of the Survey • Objectives • Contact 1800 companies in the 27 EU Member States • Create a potential user/audience profile • Find out concrete fields of interests • Understand communication behaviour • Assess the current awareness of the portal.

4. 1. Objectives & Methodology of the Survey • Methodology • Kompas Database + Online Access Panel • Cati To web Approach • 15215 Contacted • 5918 Recruited • 2181 Connected

5. 2. Audience & Archetypal User NMS10 M:63% W:37% EU15 M:69% W:31% • Audience • Average 42,4 years old • 66% Men >< 34% Women • Company size: Very Small 37%, Small 28%, Medium 21%, Large 14% • In Country side: 73% • Near a border: 80% • Already carrying out business abroad: 59% • Sectors: Services 51%, Industry 28%, Trade 21%

6. 2. Audience & Archetypal User NMS10:Age: 40,46 EU15: Age: 43,74 Archetypal User • 42,4 years old Man • From Small Company • Established in the countryside • Near a border • Already carrying out business abroad • In Services Sector ?

7. 3. Topics: Existing & New • Existing Topics • Not very clear for many respondents. • Ranking of existing topics: • Access to Finance: 68% (NMS10: 67,17% - EU15: 61,67%) • Start a Business: 54% (NMS10: 38,92% - EU15: 58,73%) • Market information: 50% (NMS10: 59,83% - EU15: 50,47%) • Funding / Bank Loans: 45% • Buy a Business: 45%

8. 3. Topics: Existing & New Business Collaboration NMS10: 94,58% EU15: 78,73% • New Proposed Topics • Business Collaboration: 84% • Labour Market: 82% • Information for Cross-border service providers: 78% • Training and Education for businesses: 75% • Suggested • Topics • Taxation • Comparisons Between Countries • Business Collaboration • Recruitment • Import / Export

9. 3. Topics: Existing & New One-stop ShopNMS10:77% EU15: 75% Cross Border Services (Concrete information about how the so called Services Directive will be implemented by December 2009) One-stop-shop and online services for completing all formalities in each EU Country: 75% Personal advice/Contact information for cross border services: 74% Personal Advice NMS10:78% EU15: 72%

10. 4. Sectors of Interest Wholesale NMS10: 50,25% EU15: 35,20% • Most Important Sectors • Wholesale and retail trade: 37% • Transport, Storage and logistics: 27% • Tourism and wellness: 22% • Informatics technologies: 21% • Business Consulting: 20% • Other Sectors: 17% Transport NMS10: 26% EU15: 28,67% Tourism NMS10: 17,17% EU15: 20,87%

11. 5. Countries & Languages of choice • Countries of choice for doing business abroad • EU15 Countries: • Germany 38%, France 29%, Italy 27%, Spain & UK 26%. • Neighbouring Country (examples): • Belgium with Luxembourg, Netherland, France • Denmark with Germany, Sweden • Czech Republic with Hungary, Slovakia • Latvia with Sweden, Estonia, Lithuania

12. 5. Countries & Languages of choice • Languages of choice for doing business abroad • English: 72% are happy to use English (Followed by 37% German) • National Language: Many respondents chose their own language. • Neighbouring Country Language: Hungary chose Romanian, Bulgaria opted for Greek and vice versa, Portugal and Italy chose Spanish etc...

13. 6. Awareness, Relevance and Use of the Portal • Awareness & Use of the Portal • Aware: 7% - User: 2% - Non-User: 93% • Cross Border info is: • Exists & easy to find: 17% • Exists but hard to find: 62% • Info not available: 21% • Relevance of Portal • Important: 64% • Practical: 41% • Not practical: 32% • Don’t know: 27%

14. 7. Information Channels&Modalities • Looking for information • Google: 59% • Chamber of Commerce: 38% • Country Embassy Abroad: 27% • European Business Networks: 26% • EU Brochures, Leaflets, publications, Poster: 24% • Go directly to EUROPA: 19% • Go directly to Your Europe – Business: 11%

15. 7. Information Channels&Modalities • Receiving Information • Email: 73% • Postal Mail: 23% • Seminar, Events: 19% • Website Widgets: 17% • Don’t Know: 10% • Other: 2%

16. 8. Conclusions • Profile: • Young male business professionals working in the Services sector, established near a border, with most probably experience in cross border activities. • Existing Topics: • Relevant but not always clear • Higher interest in Access to Finance, Starting a Business, Market Information, Taxation.

17. 8. Conclusions • New Topics: • High Interest in: Business collaboration and Labour market. • Services Directive: One-stop-shops and public online services and Personal advice/contact information. • Suggestions: Taxation, Comparisons Between Countries, Business Collaboration, Recruitment, Import / Export. • Sectors: • High interest in: Wholesale and retail trade, Transport, Storage and logistics, Tourism and wellness (and other...).

18. 8. Conclusions • Countries: • EU15 countries (Especially Germany) • Neighbouring country • Languages: • National Language • English • Language of a neighbouring country

19. 8. Conclusions • Portal Awareness, relevance and Use: • Relevant but low awareness and use • Not always practical • On the whole, information is judged as hard to find • Information Channels and Modalities: • Internet (Google, Email, Widgets etc...) • Chambers of Commerce • EU Publications and brochures. • Frequency for receiving information monthly to weekly.

20. Thank you.