Traverse Connect conducted its final 2025 Business Growth Barometer Survey of investor and member businesses to provide a snapshot of our regional business sentiment, outlook, and current challenges. Quarterly surveys inform the organization’s strategic priorities and help it respond to the needs of the business community.
Ninety-six percent of respondents agree that the Grand Traverse region is a good place to grow their business, maintaining the positive sentiment from the summer survey. Respondents’ sentiment about an improving business environment decreased by 21 points from the third quarter of 2025 and is 24 points lower than their responses to the previous question. Traverse Connect attributes the difference to affordability concerns related to inflation and capital access costs, and to decreases in state and federal funding from fourth-quarter budgets and the clawback of work project funding from Michigan’s 2024-2025 budget.
As the new year begins, 29% of respondents cited finding and hiring talent as their primary barrier to growth, an 11-point drop from the previous quarter. While concerns about attainable housing also decreased from the previous quarter, staff skill gaps, access to capital, and inflation concerns increased.
Traverse Connect’s accomplishments for the fourth quarter of 2025 are summarized on the second page, with advancement on a diverse set of strategic initiatives focused on economic development, talent retention and attraction, and advocacy. The final page of the update previews Traverse Connect events scheduled for the remainder of the first quarter.
Read the full report by clicking the image below:
