Value of Chamber membership

Now is the time of year when many Chambers ask businesses to reinvest in their business through membership in the Chamber of Commerce. As the Director of the Urbandale Chamber, the most common response I get from those who are interested in dropping from the organization is that they just can't make it to events.

Lets think about this for a minute. When did a Chamber become an organization thats only benefit is networking? A Chamber of Commerce is the voice of the business community. It is an action organization that helps businesses grow and thrive through advocacy, promotion, education and of course networking.

Networking is vital to EVERY business. People do business with those they know, like, and trust and a Chamber is the vehicle to get people to connect, but it isn't the only benefit.

Take advocacy for example. Retailers in Urbandale are now able to display temporary A-Frame Signs or banners for 100 days per year. Without the Chamber advocating on behalf of the business community, this would not have happened. Memberships help fund these efforts as well. How valueable is it to Urbandale's retail businesses to be able to promote their company through temporary signage? According to the members who we spoke with, it is vital to their business. Vital!

How about referrals. The Chamber only refers member businesses. We sent out nearly 2,000 referrals in 2009 alone. Non-members miss out on these - how important are referrals to businesses?

Benefits in Chambers differ by Chamber, but they are all working hard for business members. An investment in a Chamber of Commerce is an investment in your business. The question isn't if you can afford membership in the Chamber, it is whether you can afford NOT to be a member in the Chamber.