The Chamber of Commerce is a Waste of Money!

About a year ago I was contracted by a local Chamber Commerce to facilitate their annual leadership retreat. Since they were very interested in membership growth, who isn't, I suggested we conduct a survey to obtain some feedback, BUT not a typical survey of the membership. I asked them to provide me with a list of their current members, ten names of those who USED to be members and had since left the chamber and finally ten names of those who they just didn’t understand why they haven't joined the chamber.

I set up appointments with the two groups of ten to interview them personally and then we sent the online survey out to the members. The intent was to get some real understanding about chamber membership and there were a number of interesting results, but number one was a clear leader.

The most common comment of discontent with the chamber was how the previous member or those who didn't join viewed their return on investment (ROI).  Now if we stopped there a chamber might begin to do a lot of finger pointing at leadership and programs. Except I asked a follow up question, “Have you participated in the various chamber events?”

It turned out that the only way a chamber was a waste of money was, when the member failed to do anything with the chamber.  That's right it was that simple. While a member enjoyed the initial welcome of their chamber and had a bump in sales shortly after a ribbon cutting, the excitement quickly diminished. But when I asked if the member had participated in various chamber activities and events the answer was almost always, no. They stood there and waited for business to boom because they had joined the chamber of commerce.

While I am a member of a couple different chambers, I am not on the board of a chamber of commerce, nor do I have any family members employed at a chamber. It is a simple point of fact, that if you want to see an impact in your business because of joining the chamber of commerce you MUST participate. Get on a committee, be an ambassador, get involved. You will then build a reputation of value and commitment to the community.

I call this the Field of Dreams syndrome of business owners.  "If I build it they will come."  While no one will say it aloud, a business owner can be so in love with their product or service.  They can be so optimistic that it can be blinding to the truth that you need to consider how you are driving business.  A chamber of commerce can be a huge boon to start up companies in getting them introduce to the community.  But to really feel the benefit, participate, donate, walk up to strangers and introduce yourself.  Especially new small business owners can feel very alone and have trouble seeking advice.  As a chamber member it gives you access to some of the best long standing company's counsel.