So why you should you join your local chamber of commerce when the chamber
might mean more time away from the office? I’d like to share with you reasons chamber participation is not a fruitless burden or time but rather a
true benefit to your business and your life.
Relationships
This isn’t about networking — this is about gaining friends, associates and
even advocates. The people you get to know may or may not do business with you,
but the social and emotional return in building meaningful, lasting
relationships can be more meaningful than the financial return you seek. As you
attend events, serve on committees and interact with people outside your normal
routines, you will have the opportunity to interact with all types of people.
This in turn will create better relationship building skills that can crossover
to improve non-business aspects of your life as well.
Visibility
The age-old adage applies here — “out of sight, out of mind.” While many
companies are looking to be seen in the cyber world and are doing a very good
job of it, nothing sells your business better than being in front of people
face to face. Business is so much more than simple transactions of money for
goods/services with its root in relationships.
You are the business; the business is you. The client is more likely to buy
when they know you are the brains behind the operation and have seen you
regularly participating in non-transaction based functions. Chambers provide so
many opportunities to spend time with potential friends (read: potential
clients) in non-transaction based functions that you will be top of mind when
they or someone they know is looking for your product/service.
Promotion
Chambers offer a wide-range of advertising options and sponsorship packages. A
business can sponsor entire programs or events through a chamber. Beyond the
paid advertising options, chambers also have ways to provide additional
business promotion for free through monthly and annual awards, social media,
regular newsletters and even printed materials.
Amazingly, even some member businesses do not take advantage of the free
marketing opportunities provided through chambers of commerce. Many chambers
have weekly or monthly newsletters including “member news” sections or flyers
from local businesses advertising sales, discounts or special events. (Our
chamber even has an ability to provide a free landing page online for your
business with any level of membership.)
Chambers are always looking for member-related news to share with the community
through their own advertising networks and social media. Chambers rarely spend
money advertising the chamber as an organization; they spend on advertising
opportunities that members can utilize.
Community Connection
Some business leaders in large companies have expressed the feeling they’re too
big or not local enough to need local chambers of commerce. One flaw in that
thinking is they and their employees are very much a part of the local economy,
regardless of the number of franchise locations they have in other states.
Chambers are not-for-profit organizations desired to lift the economy. They
work very closely with governments to provide a representative business voice
when needed. Participating in a chamber provides business with an avenue to express
their legislative policy questions directly to the legislatures.
Sometimes being a good “corporate citizen” means being the community partner
that all the “little guys” expect you to be. If a major player in the local
economy isn’t involved in discussions about the local economy, then the
conversations (and potentially decisions) are missing a key point of view.
Ongoing training & education
For companies that do not have a large training budget, getting to national
conferences or bringing in experts is out of the question. Chambers provide an
inexpensive way to bridge the gap between no training and topic-expert
training. There may not be better organizations at providing relevant speakers
and guest trainers in a timely manner than chambers of commerce.
Based on member surveys and ongoing member communication, chambers can provide
speakers at events or links to expert articles through emails and newsletters
that members specifically request.
Business leaders are essentially enrolled in a continuing education course in
business management provided through the chamber — they simply need to attend.
Programs and events
Membership in a chamber of commerce provides access to all of their programs
and events, which are many. As a chamber director, sometimes I feel like all
I’m doing is event planning.
Chamber events include business training luncheons, networking specific events,
awards banquets, golf tournaments, city celebration events and many others
specific to each chamber.
All of these events are designed to build your business in some fashion,
whether through training, promotion, networking or community service and can
the perfect addition to the other methods a business employs for building their
business
Because of these six reasons, and many others, chambers are known to stimulate
business-to-business commerce in the local economy. Research shows that a major
part of small business typically comes from business-to-business services, so
participating in local chambers of commerce as a small (or large) business is
an easy way to increase local visibility, build credibility, and expand your
contacts.
I must point out the importance of the word participate. Joining a chamber is
great. A business receives many benefits visibly and behind the scenes.
However, joining only gets you so far. Participating is the true key to
receiving the benefits of chamber membership. It is similar to sitting in a
college algebra course for an hour all the while posting to social media. You
are no better off than if you didn’t attend.
Only through attending events, talking to members you’ve never met before,
serving on committees, and taking advantage of the advertising opportunities
presented will your membership become more than another calendar item you will
avoid to create time for “more important” or “more urgent” business and truly
become the benefit to your business you’ve been searching for. It’s up to you!
Ensure you Join a Chamber of Commerce Today!
To Join Our Chamber of Commerce and enjoy business updates, business partnership, business counsel, Advocacy, Trade tourism, business education, international recognition and a whole lot of others. please call or visit our office at:
Abuja.
Edo house, Abuja
Suite 5-05, fifth floor,
Central business district,
09033131552
09074484983
08124066664
Rivers state.
No. 6 Omerelu Street,
GRA phase 1, Port Harcourt.
08161261262,
07010882314,
09074569808,
09080088327
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