6 Popular Misconceptions About the Chamber That Could Be Limiting Your Business
Richard Scully • March 4, 2018
Chamber membership is good for business because it influences the community's perception of you. However, many business owners don't know exactly what the chamber does and so they don't take advantage of the help and resources it offers. For a minimum investment, the chamber can help your business grow in ways that may be difficult for you to do on your own. But if you believe these popular chamber misconceptions, you've likely put off joining and that could hurt your business.
1.Membership Costs a Lot of Money
Each chamber prices their offerings differently. Some use a tiered pricing structure based on the activities and interests you have. With tiers you are paying for mainly the services you use. Other chambers price their offerings based on the size of your company, giving breaks to smaller companies and expecting larger, megabrands to contribute more because they have more employees participating in the chamber activities and using their resources.
2.Membership Is Just for the Owner
One of the most popular misconceptions is that only the person signing the dues check is the only one who can participate. This is generally not the case. There's a lot to be gained from membership for all employees. A company can use chamber learning resources to help its employees learn more about timely topics like social media and multi-generational communications. Using services for one employee or twenty doesn't cost the company more money. In fact, even under a fair share pricing structure that is based on number of employees, the company is paying the same price regardless who uses the chamber's services.
3.The Chamber Is Boring and Old
Many people wrongly see the chamber as something their parents or grandparents belonged to but one that doesn't hold any interest for them. If you feel that way, you may not realize what today's chambers do. Many of them have young professionals groups that help with mentoring and feedback, as well as professional development that most employers don't have time for these days. Some chambers host "Taste Of" events, business expos, wellness seminars, and a myriad of other activities that are very pertinent to all ages and interests.
4.They're Part of the Government
The chamber is not a government entity or agency. While some may get grants from government organizations for specific projects they're working on (like a downtown beautification project), they are not linked to government funding. They are, however, uniquely situated with contacts in the private and public sectors that allow them to act as a connector for the community.
5.They Don't Know Anything About Your Business
Many of today's entrepreneurs think the chamber wouldn't have any idea how to help them grow their business because it's not a retail space on Main Street. The chamber does a lot more than that and is very knowledgeable about what it takes to improve a business in today's challenging markets. If, for some reason, they don't have the knowledge about your particular business growth struggles, they are well-situated to put you in touch with others who can help.
6.They Are Just Concerned with the Town
Chambers are advocates for business, all kinds of business. Yes, the community is a large part of what they do but they also advocate on a state and national level. Many chambers offer overseas trips to introduce and strengthen relationships between local business people and their counterparts in other countries. Don't let a misperception about the chamber keep your business from growing. Get to know all the ways they can help. Even if you've been a chamber member for a long time, it's always beneficial to talk with someone periodically to ensure you're using the chamber member benefits to their fullest. The chamber is always willing to help.
Christina R. Green teaches small businesses, chambers, and associations how to connect through content. Her articles have appeared in the Midwest Society of Association Executives’ Magazine, NTEN.org, AssociationTech, and Socialfish. She is a regular blogger at Frankjkenny.com and the Event Manager Blog. She’s a bookish writer on a quest to bring great storytelling to organizations everywhere. (Chamber Nation purchases rights to repost from Frank Kenny)
At the WACE conference - Speaker WSI NextGen Marketing - FREE AI Prompting Book that May Be Helpful for Chamber Leadership
System Changes/Improvements for week of 23 Aug - 4 Oct Elections: Election Confirmation Emails are now sent to the voter. Now allows for CKEditor (WYSIWYG editor) on all Election Questions. File Archive:Mass-delete tool now shows file upload date, and no longer deletes files referenced by other records. Projects & Committees:Added new configuration option to require minimum Committee participation during renewal. When configuration option "Update File Date When File is Reuploaded" is enabled, includes an informative note below the file date field. Event Registration:Added numeric field quantity information to event registration receipt. Added sorting to transcript alternate layout to sort by date and time. Member Database:Cross Reference-Allow parent to approve Pending Members. Classified Ads:Added option to make paid ads free for members and added an extra custom verbiage spot. Tour System:Added an option to show email from member record instead of tour record on output report.
Soon you will begin to see Ai images in various areas of your membership management system.
To serve your members better we have implemented an all new MULTILINGUAL Ai Assisted member support center.
Interested in Automating the Creation of Blog Posts and Website Pages?
Altadena Chamber Partners with Chamber Nation for Bringing Altadena Back
This is how the Greater Nephi Chamber Launched It's New System With it Members!
Clear and Con cise New Member Presentation on Strategy for Commerce!
We Want to Help You Sell More Membership Add-Ons in 2025!
Members can harness a robust tool to link to their websites for gathering customer feedback. By including their Google Place ID, they can also boost their Google reviews.
Chamber Nation
Chamber Nation, a branch of EcTownUSA, LLC., is a tech company specializing in membership management automation and digital media solutions tailored for Chambers of Commerce and membership-based organizations. Our cutting-edge automated marketing platform empowers local businesses to engage with their target audience both online and in their communities through a blend of display, video, social, and mobile channels. Furthermore, our platform gives local businesses the ability to efficiently control their online display advertising in real-time utilizing our community marketplace and local welcome center ad distribution network.
When your Chamber of Commerce invests in membership services, Chamber Nation invests in you. Redirect the funds currently allocated for a database and website towards exceptional membership services, and we will include the database and related technologies as part of our low pricing.
GET IN TOUCH
PO Box 466 Conroe, TX 77305
Chamber Nation is a division of EcTownUSA, LLC.
Accounting Department:
PO Box 61626
Reno, NV 89506