When I speak to small businesses about their local chamber, the businesses that have let their memberships lapse often make it sound like a gym membership. “I didn’t really use it.” What they’re missing when they make comments like that is the behind-the-scenes benefits of chamber membership. Just as your Read more…
If you walked into a crowded room and asked the question in the title of this article, what would you expect to hear? The chamber of commerce is like the government, right? No, it keeps track of business complaints. No, they’re like greeters for the community. Like the Welcome Wagon. Read more…
If you’re old enough, you likely remember your parents addressing the issues of group think. Maybe they said, “Monkey see, monkey do.” Perhaps you were trying to win an argument by telling them how you’re the only person not allowed to do something, to which they replied, “If everyone jumped Read more…
Why Should You Attend a Networking Event? You either love networking or hate it, right? But networking events can be invaluable opportunities for you to expand your professional network, forge valuable partnerships, learn of opportunities before anyone else, and ultimately grow your business and/or career. Plus, they can be fun. Read more…
Many small and medium-sized business owners think that workforce development isn’t in their “lane.” They leave it to the big guys to work with the chamber and community leaders to ensure the large businesses have the skilled employees they need for the future. But unless you are a business of Read more…
Periodically, the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) gurus come out and tell everyone some <insert noun> is changing SEO forever. Add that to the nearly constant adjustments search engines are making to their algorithms and hitting the moving target of organic ranking success becomes as impossible as winning a giant stuffy Read more…
Many small businesses overlook the importance of team culture. They might do so because they feel they have a transient workforce and people won’t stick around. It’s possible they believe they’re simply too small and team culture is for larger companies like Nike. But that’s not the case. A team Read more…
It’s that time of year when businesses start thinking about summer help. Could you use an intern this summer? Here are several things you need to consider before bringing on your first intern. 5 Things You Need to Know About Hiring an Intern for Your Business Times have changed. If Read more…
The Hidden Value Behind Chamber Membership Traditionally, a chamber of commerce was a membership organization that supports the interests of its business members. It is not affiliated with the government, nor is it a charity. The chamber is separate from the Better Business Bureau. Now that we’ve explained the traditional Read more…
In addition to networking events and ribbon cuttings, the chamber offers a lot of benefits that you can’t do for yourself, and chamber benefits can save you a lot of money. If you’re like most business owners, you could really use some cost savings these days. Before we go into Read more…