What Have You Done For Me Lately?

What have you done for me lately?  At the Chamber, we get that a lot.  I talked with a long time member and friend last week.  He was calling to give me a hard time about his membership renewal.  His business is very established and he is very well connected.  He knows everyone.  He wanted to know why he should renew his membership.  You may find this hard to believe, but I get that question a lot. 

I asked him if he thought the Chamber was doing anything that had a positive impact on Georgetown County.  Without hesitation, he said “yes”.  I then asked him if there was something he expected the chamber to be doing for his business that we weren’t doing and again without hesitation he said “no”.  Then he continued on to say that he just didn’t need the Chamber the way he did when he first opened his business.  Now that he was established and had more experience, he didn’t get as much out of his membership as he once did.  He is right, sort of.

What he had not considered was that early on in his business, the chamber helped him build his network and learn from more experienced business people.  He also admitted that early on he considered the chamber a great return on the investment.  I then pointed out that he had transitioned from a new guy in business that needed help to a guy that had the experience that could help others.  It was time to “pay it forward”.  Every organization has “takers” and “givers”.  He had gone from being a “taker” to a “giver”.  We need our “givers”.  Without their support, we cannot operate!

I also asked him to consider why chambers of commerce exist.  Do you know why chambers exist?  Let’s turn back the clock.  The first chamber of commerce was formed in 1599 in Marseille, France.  The first English speaking chamber was in New York City in 1768.  This Chamber was formed in 1917!  Why were these organizations formed?   They were formed to serve as a unified voice for the business community.  The chamber was, and continues to be a conduit for businesses to collectively solve problems or address common concerns.  This core mission often gets lost (by members and even some chambers) among the events and networking, but it is no less important today than it was 400 years ago.

For the Chamber to accomplish this core mission we need support from the businesses that we represent and serve. We need financial support and we need input from members regarding local and state issues and concerns.  To be “the voice” of the business community, we need to better understand what you want to say.  Ideally, every business would lend their financial support and their voice to the Chamber. 

Every single business in Georgetown County benefits from the work the Chamber does, either directly or indirectly.  Some of our work is very visible, but a lot is very tough to see in the short term. Much of our time is spent addressing long term needs such as infrastructure, education, workforce development, economic development.  The more members we have the stronger and louder we can be. 

A strong chamber is the cornerstone of a strong business community.  There is strength in numbers.  We need you and your business to be a part of what is going on at the Chamber.  Obviously, we need your financial support, but your input is essential.  Please call me (843-546-8436) or email me at btucker@visitgeorge.com for more information about joining with us to be an even more energetic voice for businesses in Georgetown County.