As your Vice President for Membership at the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce, my job is to recruit new members, help them maximize their membership benefits and assist them with becoming involved in the committees and events that will be most impactful for them personally and professionally.I recently read an article titled "Why you need your local Chamber now more than ever," that stressed the importance of strengthening your Chamber and the business base in your community. Sarah Hubbard with Acruitas wrote the piece and she captured these important points.
"No other organization represents the business community like a chamber of commerce. No other brand is recognized across the globe as an organization fighting for the rights of employers. And no other group balances the needs of the business community with the needs of the general community like a local chamber of commerce.
Joining your local Chamber of Commerce is essentially about your own business' growth, not just initially but well into the future. It's also about building relationships over time and that will have a tremendous positive impact on your professional and personal growth.
Right now, your chamber is trying to figure out how to navigate complicated government processes and protect your rights so you can stay focused on keeping your business afloat. Chambers are your businesses life raft in the troubled waters of COVID-19. They were the life raft for you during the great recession and they will be again the next time a crisis rolls around."
When the pandemic impacted our community earlier this year, your Chamber team immediately started researching and gathering relevant resources for businesses and organizations operating in our region. We surveyed our members to ask them what resources they needed and within a short time created The Wichita Resource Center on COVID-19. This page on our website provided timely information and useful resources to all area businesses and individuals.
Our members often ask me how the Chamber is doing during these challenging times and they also want to know, "How can we help the Chamber?" I always have some easy suggestions to share with them.
-Ask a friend or business associate to join.
-Share your positive personal experiences with the Chamber team, programs and initiatives with your colleagues.
-Support other Chamber members by patronizing their businesses, recommending them to others and writing positive reviews for them.
-Share your positive personal experiences with the Chamber team, programs and initiatives with your colleagues.
-Support other Chamber members by patronizing their businesses, recommending them to others and writing positive reviews for them.
The larger and more active your Chamber is, the more impactful the voice of business will be with local, state and federal government representatives and officials. At the same time, you'll benefit from a stronger Chamber by having more businesses to add to your list of contacts and resources. Helping your Chamber grow is a WIN-WIN!This week we've launched a "Refer-a-Member" initiative to make it easier for you to recommend others for membership. Check our website for a short referral form. I will personally be following up on all of the recommendations you send my way through this new form or by calling me at 316-268-1115.
Anyone can send us referrals. If you're reading this and you're not a current member, you can even refer yourself.
I thank you for your continued support, encouragement and help in making this a stronger business community!
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