As a business that is both new and community-oriented, Zavee is an active member of several Chambers of Commerce in South Florida. Some are large and well-established, others are smaller and haven’t been around very long, but they all operate on the same principle: that one of the best sources of new business is another business.
Our experience with Chambers has been mostly positive. We have met a lot of local businesses, some of which we hope will become Zavee merchants, and others we hope will be sources of referrals. We also learned a lot about the state of the small business economy in this market. On the other hand, we probably joined more Chambers than we needed to; next year we will prune a couple from the list.
All of the Chambers encourage networking, and some Chamber events are dedicated to nothing else. These events are a little like speed dating: you’ll meet a lot of people in not a lot of time, but you never know what might come out of it. Networking is like dating in another way: some people find it difficult to strike up a conversation, to break the ice. Our advice is to jump in and give it a try. After all, everyone in the room is there for the same reason, and many are as nervous as you.
Chamber events usually feature presentations on topics of interest to small business. They vary in scope, sophistication and promotional content, but some are outstanding. Recently, social media expert Jay Berkowitz gave a presentation to the West Boca Chamber of Commerce – one of the smaller organizations – that clearly and succinctly laid out the basics of YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. We saw a lot of people taking notes that morning.
Chambers provide many different ways to increase your visibility with members beyond simply attending events and exchanging business cards with your table-mates. There are abundant opportunities to sponsor events, although some sponsorships can be pricey. Zavee recently sponsored a breakfast at the West Boca Chamber of Commerce.
The Zaveeists
This gave us the opportunity to make a brief presentation about Zavee while increasing our visibility within the business community. This sponsorship wasn’t very expensive but the West Boca Chamber is small. Serving on Chamber committees is a less expensive, but more time-consuming, alternative. We are joining the Technology committee of several Chambers whose sponsorships would be too expensive for us right now.
We suggest you reach out to several Chambers in your market. They are always looking for new members so you can be assured of a timely response to your email or phone call. Talk to members as well as officers and decide which Chambers are right for you.
Have Chambers of Commerce helped you build your business? Have some advice for businesses that are considering Chamber membership? Let us know in the Comments!
