I was at a ribbon cutting recently and someone asked what the benefits of being involved in the Asheboro / Randolph Chamber are. Chamber involvement has been huge for our business, so I thought I’d share why I think it’s crucial for local businesses to be involved. The keyword here is involved! The chamber weekly newsletter gives insight into what is happening in the community and offers you a chance to share promotions and announcements for your business, but if you want to get the most out of it, you’ve got to get out there!
AN ARMY OF ADVOCATES
People do business with people they know and trust. Particularly for local and business-to-business relationships. A powerful part of building a presence within the chamber is that you now have an army of advocates for your business. When other chamber members see you pouring into the community, they are likely going to recommend you when someone in their network needs your services, and that starts at the Chamber.
IT’S ABOUT THE PEOPLE
It is not all about getting new business, it’s about gaining a network of trusted professionals so the next time your business needs an accountant, an insurance professional, a new employee, an office, a loan, etc. you have a trusted connection and know you are going to get great service because you’ve learned the people behind these services.
BE ACTIVE
All of this is dependent on how involved you are, a lot of what you get out depends on what you put in. However, even if you don’t have a ton of time to put into it, in my opinion it is still worth it. You get a profile page on the chamber which can be great if you don’t have a website and want a web presence (check out our web development packages if you need a website). If you already have a website the backlink from your chamber profile to your website can help with SEO. You can take advantage of the weekly free email promotions, or just benefit from Chamber only promotions that other businesses offer.
THERE’S MORE
There is NextGen for young professionals – part social, part development, part networking, and all worth it! RPN 1 and RPN 2 are industry exclusive networking groups within the Chamber. There are tons of events throughout the year and sponsorship opportunities that can get your name out to a very targeted group of businesses.