The Small Business Survey (SBS) is a large scale telephone survey commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) as a follow up to the Annual Survey of Small Businesses 2007/8. The main aims of the first SBS survey in 2010 were to:

• monitor key enterprise indicators (e.g. employment, turnover, finance, business growth) and how these have changed in comparison to previous surveys. In particular the survey measures characteristics of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) such as the proportions which are women and minority-ethnic led, and the proportions applying for and obtaining external finance


• gauge SME intentions, needs, concerns and the obstacles to fulfilling their potential
• provide evidence for possible Government interventions to assist SMEs
• create a database which can be used for follow-up studies among the general SME population, or sub-groups within it

The main aims of the next survey in 2012 were to:

• monitor key enterprise indicators and how these have changed in comparison to previous surveys, the 2010 SBS in particular
• create a database that can be used for follow-up studies among the general SME population, and sub-groups within it.

From 2015, the survey methodology has changed to include a longitudinal tracking element. The Longitudinal Small Business Survey: Secure Access is available under SN 8261.

Linking to other business studies
These data contain Inter-Departmental Business Register reference numbers. These are anonymous but unique reference numbers assigned to business organisations. Their inclusion allows researchers to combine different business survey sources together. Researchers may consider applying for other business data to assist their research.

The second edition (August 2014) includes data from 2012.

SB: IL: Finance: PC: Introduced New Unplanned data was reported at 3.400 % in 11 Apr 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 2.900 % for 04 Apr 2022. SB: IL: Finance: PC: Introduced New Unplanned data is updated weekly, averaging 3.400 % from Feb 2022 (Median) to 11 Apr 2022, with 9 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.600 % in 28 Feb 2022 and a record low of 2.300 % in 28 Mar 2022. SB: IL: Finance: PC: Introduced New Unplanned data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by U.S. Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.S047: Small Business Pulse Survey: by State: Midwest Region: Weekly, Beg Monday (Discontinued).

Abstract

The Future of Business Survey is a new source of information on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Launched in February 2016, the monthly survey - a partnership between Facebook, OECD, and The World Bank - provides a timely pulse on the economic environment in which businesses operate and who those businesses are to help inform decision-making at all levels and to deliver insights that can help businesses grow. The Future of Business Survey provides a perspective from newer and long-standing digitalized businesses and provides a unique window into a new mobilized economy.

Policymakers, researchers and businesses share a common interest in the environment in which SMEs operate, as well their outlook on the future, not least because young and innovative SMEs in particular are often an important source of considerable economic and employment growth. Better insights and timely information about SMEs improve our understanding of economic trends, and can provide new insights that can further stimulate and help these businesses grow.

To help provide these insights, Facebook, OECD and The World Bank have collaborated to develop a monthly survey that attempts to improve our understanding of SMEs in a timely and forward-looking manner. The three organizations share a desire to create new ways to hear from businesses and help them succeed in the emerging digitally-connected economy. The shared goal is to help policymakers, researchers, and businesses better understand business sentiment, and to leverage a digital platform to provide a unique source of information to complement existing indicators.

With more businesses leveraging online tools each day, the survey provides a lens into a new mobilized, digital economy and, in particular, insights on the actors: a relatively unmeasured community worthy of deeper consideration and considerable policy interest.

Geographic coverage

When the survey was initially launched in February 2016, it included 22 countries. When the survey was initially launched in February 2016, it included 22 countries. The Future of Business Survey is now conducted in over 90 countries in every region of the world.

Countries included in at least one wave: Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas (the) Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bolivia (Plurinational State of) Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands (the) Central African Republic (the) Chad Chile Colombia Congo (the) Curaçao Cyprus Czechia Côte d'Ivoire Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic (the) Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Faroe Islands (the) Fiji Finland France French Polynesia Gabon Gambia (the) Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kenya Korea (the Republic of) Kuwait Lao People's Democratic Republic (the) Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malawi Malaysia Mali Malta Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Monaco Montenegro Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nepal Netherlands (the) New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger (the) Nigeria North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands (the) Norway Oman Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines (the) Poland Portugal Qatar Romania Russian Federation (the) Rwanda Réunion Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten (Dutch part) Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands South Africa Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Tanzania, the United Republic of Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turks and Caicos Islands (the) Uganda United Arab Emirates (the) United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the) United States of America (the) Uruguay Vanuatu Viet Nam Virgin Islands (British) Virgin Islands (U.S.) Zambia.

Analysis unit

The study describes small and medium-sized enterprises.

Universe

The target population consists of SMEs that have an active Facebook business Page and include both newer and longer-standing businesses, spanning across a variety of sectors. With more businesses leveraging online tools each day, the survey provides a lens into a new mobilized, digital economy and, in particular, insights on the actors: a relatively unmeasured community worthy of deeper consideration and considerable policy interest.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

Twice a year in over 97 countries, the Facebook Survey Team sends the Future of Business to admins and owners of Facebook-designated small business pages. When we share data from this survey, we anonymize responses to all survey questions and only share country-level data publicly. To achieve better representation of the broader small business population, we also weight our results based on known characteristics of the Facebook Page admin population.

A random sample of firms, representing the target population in each country, is selected to respond to the Future of Business Survey each month.

Mode of data collection

Internet [int]

Research instrument

The survey includes questions about perceptions of current and future economic activity, challenges, business characteristics and strategy. Custom modules include questions related to regulation, access to finance, digital payments, and digital skills. The full questionnaire is available for download.

Response rate

Response rates to online surveys vary widely depending on a number of factors including survey length, region, strength of the relationship with invitees, incentive mechanisms, invite copy, interest of respondents in the topic and survey design.

Note: Response rates are calculated as the number of respondents who completed the survey divided by the total number of SMEs invited.

Sampling error estimates

Any survey data is prone to several forms of error and biases that need to be considered to understand how closely the results reflect the intended population. In particular, the following components of the total survey error are noteworthy:

Sampling error is a natural characteristic of every survey based on samples and reflects the uncertainty in any survey result that is attributable to the fact that not the whole population is surveyed.

Other factors beyond sampling error that contribute to such potential differences are frame or coverage error (sampling frame of page owners does not include all relevant businesses but also may include individuals that don't represent businesses), and nonresponse error.

Note that the sample is meant to reflect the population of businesses on Facebook, not the population of small businesses in general. This group of digitized SMEs is itself a community worthy of deeper consideration and of considerable policy interest. However, care should be taken when extrapolating to the population of SMEs in general. Moreover, future work should evaluate the external validity of the sample. Particularly, respondents should be compared to the broader population of SMEs on Facebook, and the economy as a whole.

More than 200 million businesses use Facebook globally. The goal of Meta’s quarterly Small Business Surveys is to learn about the unique perspectives, challenges and opportunities of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

The Future of Business (FoB) Survey is conducted biannually in partnership with the World Bank and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) across nearly 100 countries. The target population consists of SMEs that have an active Facebook Business Page and include both newer and longer-standing businesses, spanning across a variety of sectors. Meta also conducts the Global State of Small Business (GSoSB) Survey bi-annually in partnership with various academic partners across approximately 30 countries. Similarly to the FoB Survey, the target population is active Facebook Page Administrators, but also includes the general population of Facebook users.

Survey questions for all surveys cover a range of topics depending on the survey wave such as business characteristics, challenges, financials and strategy in addition to custom modules related to regulation, gender inequity, access to finance, digital technologies, reduction in revenues, business closures, international trade, inflation, reduction of employees and challenges/needs of the business.

Aggregated country level data for each survey wave is available to the public on HDX and controlled access microdata is available to Data for Good at Meta partners. Please visit https://dataforgood.facebook.com/dfg/tools/future-of-business-survey to apply for access to microdata or contact dataforgood@fb.com for any questions.

This survey shows an assessment of small business owners on what the most important challenges for small business owners in the United States were in 2020. In the survey conducted in November 2020, about ** percent of the surveyed small business owners stated that their most important challenge was the impact from the coronavirus.

Abstract

To gain a deeper understanding of the perspectives, challenges, and opportunities for small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic, Facebook and partners collaborate to collect and share timely information with the broader community. The State of Small Business (SoSB) Survey surveys SMBs, employees, and consumers from approximately 30 countries across the globe. This combination of survey respondents allows us to evaluate how the impacts on SMBs, their employees, and their clients have developed throughout 2021.

Geographic coverage

Argentina Australia Belgium Brazil Canada Colombia Egypt France Germany Ghana India Indonesia Ireland Israel Italy Kenya Mexico Nigeria Pakistan Philippines Poland Portugal Russian Federation (the) South Africa Spain Taiwan Turkey United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland United States of America (the) Vietnam

Analysis unit

The study describes small and medium-sized business owners, their employees and consumers.

Universe

The survey uses a random sample of SMB leaders with Facebook Page administrator privileges and of the general population of Facebook users. Therefore, the sample covered in the survey is representative of SMB leaders surveyable through Facebook at the country level.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The survey reaches a random sample of SMB leaders with Facebook Page administrator privileges and of the general population of Facebook users. A random sample of firms, representing the target population in each country, is selected to respond to the survey. To achieve better representation of the broader small business population on Facebook, Facebook also weights our results based on known characteristics of the Facebook Page admin population.

Mode of data collection

Internet [int]

Research instrument

Questions cover a range of topics depending on the survey wave such as business characteristics, challenges, financials and strategy in addition to custom modules related to regulation, access to finance, digital technologies, reduction in revenues, business closures, reduction of employees and challenges/needs of the business

Response rate

Response rates to online surveys vary widely depending on a number of factors including survey length, region, strength of the relationship with invitees, incentive mechanisms, invite copy, interest of respondents in the topic and survey design. To achieve better representation of the broader small business population on Facebook, Facebookwe also weights our results based on known characteristics of the Facebook Page admin population.

Note: Response rates are calculated as the number of respondents who completed the survey divided by the total number of SMBs invited.

Sampling error estimates

Any survey data is prone to several forms of error and biases that need to be considered to understand how closely the results reflect the intended population. In particular, the following components of the total survey error are noteworthy: Sampling error is a natural characteristic of every survey based on samples and reflects the uncertainty in any survey result that is attributable to the fact that not the whole population is surveyed.Other factors beyond sampling error that contribute to such potential differences are frame or coverage error (sampling frame of Page owners does not include all relevant businesses but also may include individuals that don’t represent businesses), and nonresponse error.

Note that the sample is meant to reflect the population of businesses on Facebook, not the population of small businesses in general. This group of digitized SMEs is itself a community worthy of deeper consideration and of considerable policy interest. However, care should be taken when extrapolating to the population of SMEs in general. Moreover, future work should evaluate the external validity of the sample. Particularly, respondents should be compared to the broader population of SMEs on Facebook, and the economy as a whole.

The NCRCRD collected data about small businesses in the North Central Region. The dataset includes 1,287 responses from small business owners, including information on owners, health and wellness in the workplace, and more.

SB: IL: Challenges (CH): Difficulties Hiring Employees: Yes data was reported at 33.200 % in 11 Apr 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 31.900 % for 04 Apr 2022. SB: IL: Challenges (CH): Difficulties Hiring Employees: Yes data is updated weekly, averaging 32.400 % from Nov 2021 (Median) to 11 Apr 2022, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 35.700 % in 15 Nov 2021 and a record low of 26.600 % in 03 Jan 2022. SB: IL: Challenges (CH): Difficulties Hiring Employees: Yes data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by U.S. Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.S047: Small Business Pulse Survey: by State: Midwest Region: Weekly, Beg Monday (Discontinued).

This survey shows the Wells Fargo / Gallup U.S. Small Business Index from 2011 to 2020. In the fourth quarter of 2020, the small business index score was 72, an increase of 12 points from the third quarter of 2020, but a significant decrease from the first quarter of 2020, when the index had a value of 132.

Abstract

The Future of Business Survey is a new source of information on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Launched in February 2016, the monthly survey - a partnership between Facebook, OECD, and The World Bank - provides a timely pulse on the economic environment in which businesses operate and who those businesses are to help inform decision-making at all levels and to deliver insights that can help businesses grow. The Future of Business Survey provides a perspective from newer and long-standing digitalized businesses and provides a unique window into a new mobilized economy.

Policymakers, researchers and businesses share a common interest in the environment in which SMEs operate, as well their outlook on the future, not least because young and innovative SMEs in particular are often an important source of considerable economic and employment growth. Better insights and timely information about SMEs improve our understanding of economic trends, and can provide new insights that can further stimulate and help these businesses grow.

To help provide these insights, Facebook, OECD and The World Bank have collaborated to develop a monthly survey that attempts to improve our understanding of SMEs in a timely and forward-looking manner. The three organizations share a desire to create new ways to hear from businesses and help them succeed in the emerging digitally-connected economy. The shared goal is to help policymakers, researchers, and businesses better understand business sentiment, and to leverage a digital platform to provide a unique source of information to complement existing indicators.

With more businesses leveraging online tools each day, the survey provides a lens into a new mobilized, digital economy and, in particular, insights on the actors: a relatively unmeasured community worthy of deeper consideration and considerable policy interest.

Geographic coverage

When the survey was initially launched in February 2016, it included 22 countries. When the survey was initially launched in February 2016, it included 22 countries. The Future of Business Survey is now conducted in over 90 countries in every region of the world.

Analysis unit

The study describes small and medium-sized enterprises.

Universe

The target population consists of SMEs that have an active Facebook business Page and include both newer and longer-standing businesses, spanning across a variety of sectors. With more businesses leveraging online tools each day, the survey provides a lens into a new mobilized, digital economy and, in particular, insights on the actors: a relatively unmeasured community worthy of deeper consideration and considerable policy interest.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

Twice a year in over 97 countries, the Facebook Survey Team sends the Future of Business to admins and owners of Facebook-designated small business pages. When we share data from this survey, we anonymize responses to all survey questions and only share country-level data publicly. To achieve better representation of the broader small business population, we also weight our results based on known characteristics of the Facebook Page admin population.

A random sample of firms, representing the target population in each country, is selected to respond to the Future of Business Survey each month.

Mode of data collection

Internet [int]

Research instrument

The survey includes questions about perceptions of current and future economic activity, challenges, business characteristics and strategy. Custom modules include questions related to regulation, access to finance, digital payments, and digital skills. The full questionnaire is available for download.

The questionnaire was pretested by the target audience, as well as experts from the area of research interest. Additionally, steps were taken to translate the survey in order to reduce sensitivities to cultural response bias: - Respondents were given the option to respond to the survey in any of fifteen languages native to the countries in which it was conducted. - Translations were done only by native speakers, with two rounds of additional online checks in the context of the survey environment. - Translators were provided with context material for this survey (e.g., the Facebook for Business website) in order to understand the context of the survey. They were also instructed to take the English survey at least two times before starting with the translations. - Translations were discussed in a group in order to ensure a common understanding of questions and items. - The tone (formal vs. informal) of the survey was based on cultural conventions, e.g., Facebook usually uses an informal tone, while in cultures such as the Japanese this is very uncommon and thus a formal tone was used there.

Response rate

Response rates to online surveys vary widely depending on a number of factors including survey length, region, strength of the relationship with invitees, incentive mechanisms, invite copy, interest of respondents in the topic and survey design.

Note: Response rates are calculated as the number of respondents who completed the survey divided by the total number of SMEs invited.

Sampling error estimates

Any survey data is prone to several forms of error and biases that need to be considered to understand how closely the results reflect the intended population. In particular, the following components of the total survey error are noteworthy:

Sampling error is a natural characteristic of every survey based on samples and reflects the uncertainty in any survey result that is attributable to the fact that not the whole population is surveyed.

Other factors beyond sampling error that contribute to such potential differences are frame or coverage error (sampling frame of page owners does not include all relevant businesses but also may include individuals that don't represent businesses), and nonresponse error.

Note that the sample is meant to reflect the population of businesses on Facebook, not the population of small businesses in general. This group of digitized SMEs is itself a community worthy of deeper consideration and of considerable policy interest. However, care should be taken when extrapolating to the population of SMEs in general. Moreover, future work should evaluate the external validity of the sample. Particularly, respondents should be compared to the broader population of SMEs on Facebook, and the economy as a whole.

This dataset holds responses from 1,839 face-to-face interviews with micro, small and medium enterprises in Uganda on their nature (ownership, legal status, sector etc.) and scope (sales, employee numbers, years of operation, access to finance etc.). Drawn from Uganda Bureau of Statistics' census of business establishments, this sample is nationally representative. Nathan Associates did the data collection between March and August 2014, with funding from Financial Sector Deepening Uganda. The African Centre for Media Excellence uploaded the data here.

The Survey of Small Business and Farm Lending (SSBFL) is currently comprised of the Survey of Terms of Bank Lending to Farmers (FR 2028B), Prime Rate Supplement of the Survey of Terms of Lending (FR 2028S), and the Small Business Lending Survey (FR 2028D). The FR 2028B collects information on farm loans made by commercial banks during a representative week. The collected data include price and nonprice terms. The respondents provide information on the stated rate of interest on the loan and the frequency with which interest is compounded, and other important loan terms, including loan size, commitment status, maturity, collateralization, the purpose of the loan and loan risk ratings. The FR 2028S, a companion report, collects institutions' prime interest rate for the days reported. The FR 2028D collects information on the availability and cost of loans to small businesses from domestically chartered commercial banks during each quarter. The survey provides unique quantitative and qualitative information on small business commercial and industrial (C&I) loans, including amounts, interest rates, terms, bank credit standards, applications and quality of applicants, and loan demand. The Survey of Terms of Business Lending (FR 2028A) has been discontinued. The final data collection for the FR 2028A was for the May 2017 survey week.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The Longitudinal Small Business Survey (LSBS) is a large-scale telephone survey of UK small business owners and managers, commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). This survey is the latest in a series of annual and biennial Small Business Surveys (SBS) dating back to 2003. From 2015, the survey methodology changed to include a longitudinal tracking element. A large sample size was recruited in Year One (2015) to establish a panel of businesses that will be re-surveyed in subsequent years. This will allow a detailed analysis of how combinations of factors affect business performance.

The LSBS is intended to:

• improve the understanding of what drives and constrains business performance and growth by addressing evidence gaps relating to the lags between many business activities and associated performance outcomes
• provide improved data on current business performance and the factors that affect this. The larger survey size will provide more reliable findings for key sub-groups of the business population and in relation to activities such as seeking finance which are only relevant to part of the sample.

The data currently available includes a panel data file, also including the cross-sectional data and weights, for respondents from Year One (2015) to Year Seven (2021). Further information and research reports are available on the GOV.UK Small Business Survey reports webpage.

Variables available in the Secure Access version
The Secure Access version of the LSBS datasets include additional detailed variables not included in the standard End User Licence (EUL) version (available under SN 7973). Extra variables include:

• Postcode district
• 3 and 4 digit SIC codes
• Inter-Departmental Business Register reference numbers for linking to other business surveys

Prospective users of a Secure Access version of the LSBS will need to fulfil additional requirements, commencing with the completion of an extra application form to demonstrate to the data owners exactly why they need access to the extra, more detailed variables, in order to obtain permission to use that version. Secure Access users must also complete face-to-face training and agree to Secure Access' User Agreement (see 'Access' section below). Therefore, users are encouraged to download and inspect the EUL version of the data prior to ordering the Secure Access version.

The cross-sectional Secure Access data for 2010 and 2012 is available under SN 6856.

Latest edition information
For the eighth edition (March 2024), the data and documentation have been updated to include Year Eight, completed in 2022. The study consists of only one data file which includes both panel and cross-sectional data for years 2015-2022.

Main Topics:

The survey measures:

• the characteristics of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) such as their type (number of sites, number of owners, whether they have separate business premises)
• the characteristics of their owners and leaders
• recent turnover and employment growth
• capabilities (in terms of their ability to innovate, export, train staff)
• experience of accessing finance
• use of business support
• expectations of growing turnover and employment
• the major obstacles that prevent SMEs fulfilling their potential

Findings of the Small Business Survey on the performance of small and medium-sized businesses with employees and with no employees.

Source agency: Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Designation: Official Statistics

Language: English

Alternative title: SBS

Research ICT Africa (RIA) is a non-profit, public interest, research entity which undertakes research on how information and communication technologies are being accessed and used in African countries. The aim is to measure the impact on lifestyles and livelihoods of people and households and to understand how informal businesses can prosper through the use of ICTs. This research can facilitate informed policy-making for improved access, use and application of ICT for social development and economic growth. RIA collects both supply-side and demand-side data. On the demand-side nationally representative surveys are conducted on ICT use and demand in African countries. This survey dataset consists of data collected by household and business surveys in thirteen African countries in 2011-2012.

SB: IA: CH: SC: Difficulty Locating Alt Foreign Suppliers data was reported at 9.700 % in 11 Apr 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 3.300 % for 04 Apr 2022. SB: IA: CH: SC: Difficulty Locating Alt Foreign Suppliers data is updated weekly, averaging 8.000 % from Nov 2021 (Median) to 11 Apr 2022, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 12.100 % in 06 Dec 2021 and a record low of 3.300 % in 04 Apr 2022. SB: IA: CH: SC: Difficulty Locating Alt Foreign Suppliers data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by U.S. Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.S047: Small Business Pulse Survey: by State: Midwest Region: Weekly, Beg Monday (Discontinued).

During a April 2022 survey, 21.6 percent of surveyed small businesses in the United States claimed that the COVID-19 pandemic had a large negative effect on business. In comparison, only 1.7 percent of respondents said that the pandemic had a large positive effect on their business.

The datasets come from two surveys of Jamaican businesses conducted between May and June 2020. Two sets of self-administered surveys were conducted using Survey Monkey. A very small sample of financial institutions was surveyed to gain perspective on the challenges facing financiers as a result of the pandemic, and their efforts to respond to such challenges. Nine financial institutions completed this survey, and the results were used to complement the information derived from the second and major survey. The second survey targeted non-financial businesses operating in Jamaica. The sample of firms was selected from a list of all registered Jamaican firms, obtained from the Companies Office of Jamaica. A stratified random sample was used based on firm type, region, and sector. Some firms may have also participated in the study through contact made by their respective affiliations, which were approached to endorse the study and encourage their members to engage. A total of 390 firms completed the second survey. A significant degree of representation was achieved across size, type and age of business, sector and location of operation. Good gender representation was also achieved.