Does joining my local chamber of commerce affect the bottom line for my business? Is there any real value to my chamber of commerce membership? Is my local chamber of commerce membership an effective business strategy? Will my chamber membership really help my small business?
As a local chamber of commerce executive, I have long believed the answer to these questions, and many more, is a resounding YES!
No one will argue that local chambers of commerce have a direct positive impact on the communities they serve. However, when pressed to provide quantitative data to support that claim, chamber executives have often found themselves hard-pressed to produce a reply.
At the end of last year, the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) commissioned a follow-up study to look at “The Real Value of Joining a Local Chamber of Commerce.” In partnership with Insperity, the Schapiro Group, Market Street Services and the Western Association of Chamber Executives, the study removes the subjectivity of an “opinion” poll to provide statistically significant answers that can determine the real value to businesses of joining a local chamber of commerce. As any businessperson will tell you, real “value” is measured in terms of consumer outcomes. The study answers the question: “do consumers really support businesses because they are chamber members?”
The conclusion, whether a business is large or small, a franchise or locally owned, is well established or just-opened, membership in a local chamber of commerce provides value to any business. Chamber membership truly does make a positive impact!
I hope you will take a look at the entire study. It is included here for your reference. There are more than 120 local chambers of commerce across the great State of Alabama that stand ready and willing to help your business succeed. With your help, we truly can be a “united voice for business.”
The Business Council of Alabama and Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama (CCAA), through a unique relationship known as The Partnership, together represent the interests of some one million working Alabamians through its member companies and more than 120 local chambers of commerce.
– Jeremy L. Arthur President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama (CCAA)