Mayor Brett Smiley Launches 2025 Business Satisfaction Survey
PROVIDENCE, RI – Mayor Brett P. Smiley today announced the launch of the 2025 Business Satisfaction Survey, which invites Providence business owners to evaluate their satisfaction with city services and share insights on their top priorities. This survey is a key component of the Smiley Administration’s commitment to ensuring Providence’s business community thrives and that City Hall continues to meet the needs of local business owners.
“We are committed to providing high-quality services that help our business community grow,” said Mayor Brett Smiley. “By engaging directly with business owners, we are hoping to better understand the challenges and opportunities they face. I look forward to collaborating with the business community through this process to ensure our investments reflect their needs and priorities.”
The Business Satisfaction Survey is designed to gather insights from businesses across the capital city, covering a range of topics, including beautification of public spaces, satisfaction with city services and other key issues. Last year’s business survey revealed that public safety was the number one concern for Providence business owners. In response, under Mayor Smiley, the Providence Police Department graduated their second academy in just two years, recruited 34 new officers and removed 300 illegal firearms from community streets, making every neighborhood in Providence safer.
The 2024 survey also showed that addressing the housing crisis and increasing affordable housing in Providence was a priority for residents. In response, Mayor Smiley launched the Housing and Human Services Office to better address both immediate and long-term housing needs. In conjunction with that office and the Providence Housing Trust Fund, the City committed over $55M to develop and preserve affordable housing, with plans to preserve or create over 1,600 new affordable housing units.
Improving education in the city was another priority from the 2024 survey. Last year, Mayor Smiley increased the City’s investment to the Providence Public School District by an historic $20M, demonstrating a strong commitment to the city’s students, teachers and families. Providence also invested over $146M in school construction projects, breaking ground on three new state-of-the art schools, hosted both comprehensive summer learning opportunities and hands-on career training programs and invested in mentoring opportunities.
“Our businesses are an essential part of our city, driving our economy and making Providence a destination,” said Council President Pro Tempore Juan Pichardo. “Through the 2024 Comprehensive Plan, we’ve committed to uplifting all local businesses — especially our smallest vendors. This survey is an important tool to help us understand what’s working and what we can do better. With input from our valued business leaders, we can continue to build a thriving, resilient local economy.”
Supporting local businesses has remained a key priority for the Smiley Administration. Last month, the City of Providence released its Life at Night Report, a comprehensive analysis of its vibrant nighttime economy, which revealed a contribution of nearly $1 billion annually from more than 630 nightlife businesses. The report includes key recommendations from local businesses that have informed a series of plans the City is developing to support and strengthen the nightlife sector. These plans include providing nightlife sound support, streamlining permitting and public infrastructure improvements.
To ensure accessibility and participation, the survey is available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Chinese, Khmer and Arabic. Business owners are encouraged to participate at providenceri.gov/survey. The survey will run from February 11 to March 11.
