Your annual subscription to Haslemere Chamber costs just 16.4p per day, making it arguably your best investment of the year. Membership includes opportunities to meet three basic business needs: finding customers, finding suppliers or service providers, and finding staff.
Here’s how to make every penny of your subscription work for you.
1 Build your profile
Use the Chamber website to raise your business profile, communicate with the local market and to drive customers to your own website or into your shop, office or workshop. The website is public, so the more that members use it to post their news, special offers, events and jobs, the more reason there is for local residents and other businesspeople to use the site as a source of valuable commercial information.
2 Network
Chamber events give you the opportunity to meet other members in a relaxed social environment. Exchange business cards, chat about areas of common interest and get a deeper insight into what’s happening across the local business community.
3 Training
From time to time the Chamber arranges special events that combine networking with topical presentations by guest speakers including politicians and business leaders. There are also more directly instructional talks presented by specialists in various fields, such as best practice in online marketing and social media. Use these opportunities to broaden your knowledge.
4 Feedback
Chamber activity is led by the Committee, based on what it perceives to be in the best interests of the members. While the Committee has a pretty good grasp of the local business climate, to be fully effective it needs members to provide input on specific issues or suggestions for the Committee to consider. The Chamber is the members – not just the Committee. So, please be vocal.
5 Local business development
A primary aim of the Chamber is to foster growth in the local economy. When you can, please share your time, skills and experience to support this cause – either by working alongside the Committee or, indeed, by standing for election to a future committee. You will almost certainly reap great rewards.