What is the point of a Chamber Membership?

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A Chamber of Commerce is a unique thing. Many people think we are a town tax funded entity. Not true although the town does  give us a generous stipend. We do rely heavily on membership dues and event profits.  

 

Many people think we are a marketing agency. Not true although we do provide marketing services through our social media page.

 

Many think we are Downtown event planners. Not in our job description although we do believe our community is enriched by having regular activities to enjoy.

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At the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce we consider ourselves to be customer service professionals.

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We exist to serve our business members, school districts, individual members, non-profit partners, and the residents and visitors of our communities. Those communities total 27 at last count.

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We provide word-of-mouth referrals on a daily basis.

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We manage a social media presence with a broad reach.

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We create networking connections and new partnerships.

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We help your grandad find the phone number he can’t find in the old yellow pages.

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We help high school kids navigate the steps of their community service project.

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We mail packets to out of state people interested in moving to or visiting our area.

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We also encourage them to stay in our motels, give out restaurant recommendations sometimes even pointing out the best things on the menu!

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We help newcomers settle in by giving them useful resources accompanied by a sincerely warm welcome to the community.

 

We are an information hub, working closely with municipal leaders, downtown merchants, State agencies, Small business development centers, and more so we can stay in the know of things that could benefit or damage our communities.

 

We are in a constant state of event planning and are regularly brainstorming new things for families to do, because the truth is, if nobody enjoys living or visiting our communities, our businesses will not thrive the way we want to see them thrive.

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If you ask, “What’s the point of joining the Chamber?”, we can rattle off a list of things we can do for you/your business. I’ll explain that, in some ways, we are like a gym membership – the more options you choose the more benefit you will see. No two people will use the exact combination of equipment as we are also recognizing that no two members will seek the same results. Like a gym, the Chamber cultivates a healthier community.

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A Chamber is many things. We are flexible and ever evolving because that’s what it takes to be forward thinking and relevant. We offer a mix of tangible benefits and intangible benefits to our members but a vibrant Chamber is GOOD for a vibrant community.

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Before you dismiss a Chamber as non-essential for your business, please consider that Chambers are essential to the communities they serve. Supporting your Chamber means helping to build the quality of life in the communities where you live work and play. That is most definitely , the point.