UPDATES: Chambers of Commerce Information & Resources
Biggest Bang for Your Marketing Dollar
There’s a marvelous way to expand your client base, get peer advice and feel connected even in this time of disconnection. All for about $1 a day. Chambers of Commerce.
We’ve built our business through the Chambers. They gave us legitimacy in our community when we started out. Our client base is entrepreneurs and those who serve them. Those people are in the Chambers. The Chamber makes introductions to larger B2B members as well. The generous sharing of Chamber staff and members about how they deal with business problems from clients to CRM has been invaluable over the years.
When the pandemic hit and gathering was curtailed the Chambers stepped up to increase their programming through technology. PJ Weiland, The Action Coach, a member of several Chambers taught us all how to Zoom so we could keep meeting. Her free and excellent step-by-step classes through Chamber channels made it possible for Jerry S. Pearlstein Insurance offer free Zoom seminars every Wednesday at 1pm for those who’ve lost their jobs and health insurance. These are client opportunities we would have missed without the encouragement and education provided by Chambers.
The Chambers have been on top of changing rules, laws, compensation programs that affect their members. They have put out notices as soon as the information was available. If you need help knowing what to do, they’ll get you a guy and you’ll get what you need. Fast.
We reach members by moderating Network Now, a joint Skokie, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove and Niles meeting third Thursday morning every month. Skokiechamber.org. And the Deerfield Bannockburn Riverwoods monthly luncheon dbrchanber.com.
Here are just a few of the things Chambers are still doing:
Referrals – Chambers receive dozens of requests each week from people in their townand they only refer their Chamber members!
Networking – Events available to Chamber members morning, noon and night by Zoom.
Educational Seminars to get and give – Designed specifically to meet members’ needs. A chance to deliver your expertise.
Website linking – Members are listed with a link to their website and email for no charge. Some Chamber websites are linked to the town library and government.
Unique Promotional & Advertising Opportunities – Gain visibility by Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, newsletters, Hot Deals blasts, community guides and through sponsorship of activities and meetings.
Most basic Chamber memberships are about a dollar a day.
Check to see if the Chamber you want to join has a year-end deal.
Join a Chamber. If you’re a member but aren’t active, check in and find out what your membership can be doing for you. In nearly 20 years we haven’t found a better bang for our marketing dollar.