BY SANDY JONES
Director
Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce
In my previous role as a business advisor, I often encouraged clients to join their local Chamber of Commerce. Often I would be asked, “Why join, when I don’t have a lot of money?” My answer would usually include some or all of the following:
1) A membership is an entry into a network of professionals who could become strategic partners, mentors, employees, employers, or funders for you. But simply joining is not enough. Membership is like many things, you get out of it what you put into it, so being actively engaged is most beneficial.
2) You don’t know who you don’t know. A redundant cliché, but so true! When you participate in a chamber event, you may meet someone who has a breakthrough idea for your business or a product that could increase the efficiency of one of your processes.
3) It’s the best promotional dollar you can spend. In Los Alamos, our chamber dues are extremely low. We have events year-round where there are opportunities to promote your service and/or product.
4) Chamber membership adds credibility to your business. Consumers often associate membership as evidence a company cares about the local community.
5) Access to timely business information.
6) It is an investment in the business ecosystem. During COVID, many businesses relied upon their chambers of commerce for critical advice on navigating the pandemic emergency.
7) People like doing business with people they know.
8) We can advocate for you with government and the more members we have, the stronger our voice.
9) Studies show that consumers are more likely to view a business favorably if they know it is a Chamber member, leading to increased customer loyalty and patronage.
One of the unspoken benefits is that our members are people who understand you. They often face the same stresses, challenges that you face and live to fight another day. That can be a powerful source of motivation and inspiration.
So now that I am a part of the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce, I will be asking, “Why
not?”