I’ve had “Join the Chamber of Commerce” on my To Do list for many months now. I don’t know why I kept putting it off. Yes, an up-front, out-of-pocket expense is required to get started, but the benefits of being a member are irrefutable.
The Ability to Change from One to Many
The way businesses are run has drastically changed over the last decade. Many people work from their computers, at home. They never go into an office and possibly never meet their coworkers face-to-face. (I’ve worked with one such virtual company for 3 years and have yet to meet a coworker in person!) This setup can be very isolating.
As soon as you join the Chamber, even before your first in-person networking event, you become a member of a group of business professionals. Business professionals who, like you, are interested in building relationships, growing their business, and supporting each other.
The Opportunity for Potential Business
It’s a given that Chamber members are serious about their businesses; otherwise, they wouldn’t have bothered to join. They wouldn’t invest their time by contributing to the Chamber or attending events. This “seriousness” automatically makes each of them attractive to do business with—to other Chamber members and to non-member potential clients.
By becoming a member, your business is placed in front of each of those fellow business owners (hundreds of them!), telling them:
- “Hi, I’m new here. It’s a pleasure to meet you!”
- “This is what I can do or offer. I can’t wait to hear what your business can do/offer, too.”
- “I take my business seriously. I’m a professional. I see that you are a professional, too. I can’t wait to find ways to work together!”
As a bonus, Chamber members are more likely to refer the services of fellow members over non-members!
A Method of Increasing Brand Awareness & Improving Brand Perception
Simply by being a Chamber member, you gain immediate credibility and are seen as professional and competent. You can go from being virtually unknown one minute to being known by hundreds of your local peers the next. Of course, you can still do that without joining the Chamber—one.client.at.a.time—but why not give yourself and your business an advantage, especially when that advantage is so readily available?
An Opportunity to Contribute, Learn & Improve
With all of these great minds in the same “room,” innovative ideas are bound to happen! I look forward to sharing my own voice and ideas for the betterment of my Chamber, which will only increase my experience and expertise, and to receiving feedback and ideas on how I can improve my own business.
I look forward to sharing these lessons in future blog posts—so be sure to subscribe!
Make Ripples!
If you’re the pebble, and your local potential client base is the pond, the Chamber of Commerce is the action of the pebble being tossed into that pond, creating infinite ripples, infinite possibilities. Once you’re in the pond, though, it’s up to you to keep that momentum going (just like with your website!). You have to be an active member. Don’t stand in the corner, collect dust, and watch your membership dues go to waste—use your membership to turn those ripples into waves!
As a Chamber of Commerce member, what results have you seen from your membership? If you don’t yet belong to a Chamber, what reasons do you have for not joining?
Amanda Mili
Your Business, By Design
Serving the U.S. and Canada
email: [email protected]
website: www.amandamili.com
Amanda, I enjoyed your blog and I agree with you about Chambers of Commerce. When I expanded my computer business from Washington, DC to the Richmond, VA area, the first thing I did was join the Richmond Chamber as well as the Virginia state chamber. I joined both with the goal of introducing myself to others; not to sell to them but for them to know my capabilities in the event that their customers might someday need me. The strategy paid off with a multi-year, six-figure-per-year contract. The individual I met worked as a sole proprietor out of her home; when she was contacted about work that she knew she was not qualified to perform, she referred them to me. I paid her a finder’s fee, which she was not expecting, and it was worth every cent. Does the local Chamber you belong to have breakfast, lunch or after-hours meetings?
Hi, Trish. Thanks for reading and commenting. The story you shared really shows the true power of networking! Joining the Chamber for the sake of introducing yourself and your capabilities, not to sell, is an important point. Thank you for making it so that others who read this post can make note of that as well.
In answer to your question, yes, my local Chamber has after-hour meetings, though I’m not sure any are happening during the summer months. This is my first time belonging to a Chamber, so I am looking forward to discovering all that is has to offer, how to make the most of it from my end, and how I can contribute something in return.
I know there are also committees and task forces that Chamber members can involve themselves in as well. Did you ever go that route? And if so, did you find value in it?
Amanda, thank you for responding. Yes, I have joined committees and task forces and participated in special projects. It was a mixed bag for me. I discovered the key before participating at those levels was to ask myself how I anticipated it helping me further my company goals. It might mean asking more questions of those who had participated in the past, and assessing whether it aligned for me. I’m looking forward to more of your posts!
Thanks for the additional insight, Trish. I certainly want to get my bearings before jumping into a committee, etc. I intend to share any lessons learned in upcoming posts. Thanks again for reading, and I look forward to hearing from you in the future!