 |
|
Mary
Kurek
|
Ten
Tips
for
Getting
the
Most
from
Your
Chamber
of
Commerce
If
you
are
self-employed
and
must
network
to
build
your
business,
your
local
Chamber
of
Commerce
is
your
ticket
to
non-stop
connecting.
Memberships
for
self-employed
businesses
are
quite
reasonable
(often
in
the
$200-$250
range)
and,
in
some
cases,
you
can
swap
your
services
for
a
membership
or
negotiate
for
advertising.
Knowing
how
to
take
advantage
of
all
the
opportunities
that
come
with
membership
will
greatly
enhance
your
networking
and
marketing
success.
Here
are
ten
tips
to
help
you
get
the
most
from
your
membership:
1.
Ask
to
volunteer
to
work
the
front
door
at
Chamber
events.
You’ll
get
to
meet
everyone
who
attends.
2.
Sit
down
with
the
executive
director,
president
of
the
Chamber
or
the
membership
director
once
a
month
and
conduct
a
little
brain
picking.
These
are
the
“connectors”
of
the
Chamber.
They
know
local
business
news,
events,
upcoming
projects,
and
issues.
While
you’ve
got
their
attention,
inform
them
of
any
new
business
ideas
or
services
on
which
you
are
working.
Their
advice,
leads,
and
referrals
could
add
up
to
some
nice
results
for
you.
3.
Purchase
a
mailing
list
for
your
marketing
toolbox.
Most
Chambers
will
sell
their
membership
or
relocation
request
lists
to
members
already
on
labels.
4.
If
you
are
seeking
a
partner
or
collaborator
for
a
trade
show
or
business
project,
discuss
your
ideas
with
the
executive
director.
They’ll
have
inside
information
about
members
who
could
make
great
collaborators.
5.
Use
the
Chamber
conference
room
for
your
workshops,
meetings
or
trainings
if
you
don’t
have
space.
Most
Chambers
will
offer
their
space
free
or
at
a
discounted
rate
to
Chamber
members.
They
should
also
let
you
hold
your
own
ribbon
cutting
event
with
them
should
you
not
have
a
storefront
operation.
Here’s
how
it
usually
works:
The
Chamber
does
the
inviting
and
usually
contacts
the
media
or
gets
a
photo
of
the
event
into
the
local
paper.
You’ll
give
away
something
to
collect
business
cards
from
attendees.
The
Chamber
provides
the
nametags
and
you
provide
the
refreshments.
Some
Chambers
charge
a
small
fee.
6.
To
help
you
with
your
business
budget,
check
to
see
if
your
Chamber
has
partnership
arrangements
with
a
long
distance
carrier,
cell
phone
company,
or
insurance
provider.
Some
Chambers
engage
in
affinity
programs
and
group
plans
that
they
offer
to
their
members.
Also,
ask
if
they
offer
a
member-to-member
program
that
allows
for
discounts
on
goods
and
services
between
members.
7.
When
attending
Grand
Openings
or
Ribbon
Cuttings,
bring
a
small
gift
of
appreciation
for
the
host.
You
could
present
a
plant,
candle,
pound
cake,
or
box
of
note
cards.
Include
a
business
card
and
your
product
or
service
offer
if
appropriate.
Since
the
host
is
a
new
business
owner,
drop
by
for
a
courtesy
visit
a
week
later
and
offer
help
in
making
useful
connections.
8.
Your
Chamber
likely
has
the
marketing
research
that
you
need
to
write
a
business
plan,
make
location
decisions
or
create
a
sales
campaign.
You
should
be
able
to
obtain
local
traffic
counts,
city
populations,
high
school
and
college
populations,
property
tax
rates,
business
and
industry
breakdowns,
and
licensing
information.
If
you
are
starting
a
non-profit
organization
or
working
on
a
community
project,
the
Chamber
could
also
be
your
source
for
grant
information
and
a
contact
list
for
city,
state
and
congressional
legislators.
 9.
Find
out
who
the
“Ambassador
of
the
Year”
is
and
become
his
or
her
new
best
friend.
An
Ambassadors
Club
is
designed
to
increase
attendance
at
events
and
activity
among
members
by
allowing
them
to
collect
points
for
their
participation.
Those
with
the
most
points
at
the
end
of
the
month
and/or
year,
get
the
title.
Because
they
are
the
social
butterflies
of
the
Chamber,
they
tend
to
have
incredible
networks.
If
you
aren’t
as
social,
attach
yourself
to
a
point-hungry
Ambassador
and
have
them
introduce
you
around.
If
your
Chamber
doesn’t
have
an
Ambassador’s
Club,
maybe
you
could
make
the
suggestion
and
chair
the
club.
10.
Should
you
wish
to
expand
your
network
beyond
the
boundaries
of
your
own
community,
express
interest
to
the
Chamber
staff
in
becoming
one
of
their
appointed
representatives
on
a
regional
or
state
committee.
Chambers
are
generally
allowed
committee
or
board
positions
within
organizations
that
deal
with
major
issues
on
a
broader
scale.
Some
examples
would
be
tourism
development
councils,
economic
development
boards,
education
committees,
and
regional
industrial
commissions.
If
this
interests
you
and
you
are
a
new
Chamber
member,
get
active
as
quickly
as
possible.
Your
track
record
in
attending
and
chairing
functions
will
be
what
builds
the
credibility
needed
to
secure
an
appointment
at
this
level.
Your
network
of
valuable
resources
will
not
only
grow
in
numbers
but
in
capabilities
as
well.
|
Mary
Kurek
