Why Join the Chamber of Commerce?
Why Join the Chamber of Commerce?
(This post is borrowed from Frank J. Kenny's Blog, and is written by Christina R. Green)
Are you thinking it’s time to join the Chamber of Commerce? Are you wondering if it’s worth the investment? Or maybe you haven’t considered it at all because you think it’s the kind of thing that only insurance agents do. Maybe you think your business is too small or chamber membership isn’t necessary in today’s world.
Don’t fool yourself. Read on for 20+ reasons you should join the local chamber of commerce, from obvious to subtle benefits.
What Does a Chamber of Commerce Do?
Contrary to what some people believe, the Chamber of Commerce is not a government entity; nor are they some super, secret business fraternity, nor a country club for business people. They also are not the Better Business Bureau (although we’ll get into that more in a bit).
A Chamber of Commerce is a membership organization that advocates on behalf of local businesses. It is backed by a board that is comprised of business people from the local community. The chamber is a resource, advocate, and connector for business.
A Word About Chamber Membership and Advocacy
Before we get into why you should have a Chamber membership for your business, it’s important to know that the Chambers of Commerce on a local, state, and national level are advocating for your business (and other businesses in their area) even if you never join the local chamber.
Most people don’t realize that.
Chambers have a legislative agenda that reflects the needs of businesses in their area. This advocacy is happening on your behalf at no cost to you.
But…
If you want your specific concerns and voice to be heard, being a member is a good way to do this.
If you aren’t a member, the Chamber is still a tireless advocate for business.
Besides being an advocate for business, why should you join the Chamber and does it make sense for your business? You can decide after understanding some of the benefits of joining the Chamber.
Is Chamber Membership Right for My Business?
Have you wondered if you should join the local Chamber? Is membership is right for your business? Below are twenty reasons to consider it. However, before you begin reading over all of the many benefits of joining the chamber, consider the main struggle you encounter in your business.
What is it that troubles you most?
Where are you in the life-cycle of your business (i.e., just starting out, looking to take that next growth leap, or considering a sale of your business). Chambers have programs and solutions for all stages of business.
But knowing what you’re struggling with and feeling confident enough to share it, will help a Chamber staff person suggest solutions that fit you and your business best.
Plus, it’s important to note that most of the reasons and benefits to Chamber membership listed below are available to your employees as well. This perk alone can make Chamber membership worth it. For instance, if you want to get more involved in social media and your person who will be handling it doesn’t know how to do it, you have two options for training:
- place the onus on your employee to learn or
- pay for the training yourself.
A more cost-effective solution is to check when you join your local Chamber of Commerce to find out if they have a seminar on the subject.
That’s a pretty nifty perk but what else makes Chamber membership a great value?
Reasons to Join the Local Chamber
While specific benefits vary with each specific Chamber, when you join your local chamber, your membership gets you:
- Are a part of a like-minded group dedicated to helping businesses.
- Can become a mentor to a new business.
- Seek assistance or mentorship from established business people.
- Be part of a CEO or mastermind group.
- Advise the Chamber of the needs of your particular industry.
- Can shape the future of education in your area by working with the leaders in business, government and education.
- Are part of a group that helps its members in ways you might not think of, like providing office space should something happen to your physical location.
- May be eligible for member-to-member discounts.
- Will be made aware of legislative issues facing your business. There’s a lot that goes on in the local, state and federal levels, too much for the average business owner to track on their own. The Chamber will help keep you informed about issues that could affect you like taxation, legalization, and permitting issues.
- Can be informed about changing trends in marketing and social media. These areas and practices seem to change on nearly a daily basis. Most chambers offer some sort of programming or committee that can help provide the assistance you need to stay on top of these important concepts.
- May be a part of free “How To’s” and other learning session topics to help your business like workplace safety or taxation.
- Might be able to lead a session in your area of expertise to better position yourself as an industry expert and put you in contact with the types of people who need your business or service.
- Might be a part of a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Chambers may also help with other special business milestones like anniversaries and expansions.
- Can be part of their shop local campaigns.
- May be on the receiving end of some of the Chamber’s web traffic as an online banner sponsor or being listed on their site in some capacity.
- Can be a part of the chamber directory. Some chambers have online, printed, or both forms of online directories that may help your business get more traffic and customers.
- Will benefit from the Chamber being a resource for the community. If you’d like help connecting to a certain part or person within the community, the chamber may just be able to help.
- Access to online resources.
- Will likely receive referrals from the Chamber. You’d be surprised how many people contact the chamber for opinions on local businesses. You have local citizens and travelers who see the chamber as a reliable source for information.
Speaking of which…
How Your Business Can Benefit When You Join the Local Chamber of Commerce
Chamber benefits vary by chamber, but one thing that is true of nearly every chamber is its positive influence on business reputation.
Many people are unclear as to what exactly it is the Chamber does.
Some even confuse them with the Better Business Bureau.
And in a lot of ways, they are similar. They are both outstanding organizations concerned with business.
Many Chambers have been in their communities for a while. During that time, they’ve likely developed an impressive reputation for being the voice of business. This reputation has had an impressive effect on member businesses.
Consider this…
Your business can benefit from the Chamber’s stellar reputation. In a study done by the Shapiro Group and Market Street Services, they found that when someone knows a small business is a member of its local Chamber of Commerce, they were “44 percent more likely to think favorably of it and 63 percent more likely to purchase goods or services from the company in the future.”
But that’s not all they found.
59% of consumers polled believed being active in your chamber is an effective business strategy. For companies that can show they are active in the chamber, 12% of consumers are more likely to think the business’ products or services stack up better than their non-member competition.
On membership alone!
Pretty impressive.
Some industries will also be happy to know that Chamber membership plays an even bigger role in whether someone will buy from them. For instance, in the insurance industry perspective buyers were 43% more likely to buy from a Chamber member. Another example of how Chamber membership affects purchasing is seen in restaurant franchises. Potential customers reported they were 40% more likely to dine at a franchise if they knew it belonged to the Chamber of Commerce.
The Only Reason That Matters in Ch
amber of Commerce Membership
Even though the Chamber of Commerce offers countless benefits to members, there’s no reason to read a list of benefits in order to make a decision. The answer to whether you should join your local chamber comes down to a few questions.
Do you want to be a part of something larger than yourself in your community?
Would you like more customers?
Do you need help in some area of your business?
If you answered “yes” to those questions, the Chamber may be able to help.
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Do you have a business need? Would you like to get plugged in to great member specific benefits? Do you want to boost your reputation both in the community and with potential costumers?
Don't hesitate - Join the Chamber today! Start by taking this brief survey to help us get to know you and your business a little better...
