Welcome to the first ever Ada Area Chamber of Commerce blog! (insert applause here!) Since this is the beginning, I felt it appropriate to cover a topic that has been pondered for generations...What does the Chamber really do?
The question as to “What benefits does my Chamber
membership provide me?” is one that is often asked.
The majority of communities really don’t have a good understanding
of what their local Chamber actually does. Many
believe we are somehow tied into the city government and call asking for
information on local community events such as when the fireworks show is or
when the city wide garage sale will be. Though
these are not Chamber events, we do try to have the information available to
provide to callers. Others think we are
like the BBB and are looking for reference information on a local business.
Still others feel the main objective of the chamber is to promote retail. While that is a priority in our scope of work, retail businesses comprise only approximately 10% of our overall membership.
The truth is that the Chamber is a membership
organization with a mission statement of “Providing able community leadership
that will encourage and work for economic growth in business and industry,
attract visitors and advance the civic and cultural life of the Ada area,
thereby improving and increasing job opportunities and the quality of life
for all.” As with most mission
statements, this is broad and general.
Personally, I feel it is our goal to help local businesses and our
community in general to grow and prosper through the implementation of training
programs, hosting events to bring in potential retail clientele and providing
knowledge based programs that present information needed by business owners and
managers to help them be better informed on issues that affect their businesses.
Through interaction with our members and staying informed on
federal, state and local government and legislative issues, the Chamber can
provide a unified voice of advocacy to let our elected officials know how our
community feels about the issues that affect us. A single voice alone easily goes unheard, but
the voice of over 400 community leaders is harder to ignore. Topics such as the phasing out of the state
income tax, employer insurance changes and 4-lane highway access are things
that could have a direct impact on our local businesses. Through our monthly legislative luncheons, we
were able to provide a forum in which our members could hear details, give
opinions and ask questions of the people setting these policies. That is why it is so important that our
members stay engaged in events. Your
input is invaluable in providing guidance to these leaders.
The legislative luncheons are just one of the many programs we
currently offer. I have listed several
others below. If you would like more
details on any of them, I would be happy to provide it.
▫
Chamber Blue – Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance
– affordable insurance for your business
▫
Chamber website with member pages
▫
Weekly email blasts to all members with upcoming
events, programs and member deals
▫
Chamber bucks to promote “shop Ada!” – only
taken at chamber member businesses
▫
Referrals – only chamber members get referred to
when people call the office for contractors, restaurants, hotels, retail stores
or specialty stores
▫
Opportunity to advertise in the Business
Directory and Chamber map– over 3,000 each given out each year!
▫
Networking opportunities at Business After
Hours, ribbon cuttings, legislative lunches and events
▫
Educational training on software and services
available to help manage and promote your business
In the end, the Chamber is a membership organization and
the level of our success is easily measured by the involvement of our
members. We have some incredibly
knowledgeable and experienced volunteers and elected officers that provide
guidance and leadership to our organization.
We strive daily to improve our programs and services on all levels. I would love to hear from you regarding your
ideas and suggestions on how the Chamber can help your business or organization
to be successful. If you have any
questions or would like to discuss this further, please do not hesitate to
contact me. I look forward to hearing
from you.
Thank you for your support!
