Share Your Ideas For the Chamber of Commerce.
November 10, 2009 15 Comments
If you were given carte blanche by the powers that be to create a new Chamber of Commerce, what would it do for it’s members?
I’ve volunteered to head up what I’ve aptly named the Membership Services Group at the Chamber. They’ve asked me to cut or modify stuff that’s not adding value to members, and to identify new value added services that we can be offering. This might mean putting more resources into existing high value programs as well.
I’d love it if you’d help me brainstorm some ideas of what you think the Chamber could do that would be a value-add for you or your business.
One guideline for your suggestions:
The Chamber should not offer any product or service that could be purchased from a Chamber member. For example, the Chamber would not provide Quickbooks training, as there are already member businesses that provide that kind of service for their livelihood.
I look forward to your ideas. One rule of brainstorming- no restraints. Assume unlimited resources and universal buy-in from all decision makers.
Business, Chris Nordyke, Community
Chris,
A brand new Chamber, huh? Hmm. Interesting idea.
- First, a new website. There are still references to something going live in 2007 on the current one. It also needs to really articulates why a business should join the Chamber. Right now it says it’s because the Chamber “Does Collectively What No Business can do on its Own.” What exactly does that mean? (A personal gripe is the weird capitalization, but that’s just me.)
- Stop “hosting” things and start branding things. City Club is “hosted” by the Chamber. Why isn’t it a Chamber program? How many Chamber members are attending? How many new members has the Chamber obtained through City Club?
- Hire a dedicated member outreach and retention coordinator. Touch each member once a year, and not just to get them to renew their membership, buy an ad, or sponsor an event.
It’s good to see so many more people attending meetings and getting involved in the Chamber, but I still have a feeling that there is no Chamber “presence” in Corvallis. I’m sure part of that is due to the number of business organizations.
Why don’t you invite some of us to coffee so we can brainstorm face to face?
I just called Marcy and scheduled a meetup at the Soup Shop on Monroe next Monday at 1130am.
Anyone who would like to join us is welcome. The soup is great!
Here’s a link to their google page:
http://maps.google.com/maps/place?um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=soup+shop,+corvallis,+or&fb=1&gl=us&hq=soup+shop,&hnear=corvallis,+or&cid=3763743601989584630
I’d like to offer some additional criteria:
1. Bonus Points: The new service integrates the products or services offered by multiple members, thus contributing to member collaboration.
2. Bonus Points: The new service takes advantage of existing experience and skills found within Chamber staff.
3. Bonus Points: The new service is scalable. Or the same resources are needed to deliver 1 unit and 1000 units of the service.
Loyan,
Do you mean in point 2: Chamber staff or perhaps the more expansive Chamber volunteer members? The Chamber runs off its volunteers. Staff is quite limited and very over-committed.
Marcy,
Would love to have a dedicated outreach and retention coordinator.
Key issues to address:
Would it be worth additional dues for all members to support such a role?
Or if invested in, would it have a positive return on membership investment? (would retentions and memberships be higher than the cost of salary and benefits?)
Or can the volunteer members and board serve effectively in the same role for outreach and retention? If so, what kind of training would it take?
Katherine, after thinking about it I mean just chamber staff. Requiring volunteers is a “withdrawal” made by Chamber of its community. “Deposits” into the community are worthy of bonus points.
Certainly the Chamber like any community organization can be expected to utilize volunteers. But the “account” should always have a positive balance.
Would you invest into a start-up business that depended on volunteers to deliver value? I believe the Chamber can benefit by acting like a small start-up business.
Start-ups deal with conditions where staff is quite limited and very over-committed.
Would posing the question to Marcy like this…
“Would it be worth additional dues for all members or reassigning existing Chamber resources to support such a role?”
…allow for a wider range of possible solutions?
It would widen the question. However, the tendancy in Corvallis when you widen the question, or in any case for that matter, is to ask for everything with not reassignment of resources. The answer over the past 4 years has been, just add it to the plate. But as we all know, if you’re juggling too many balls, not just one get dropped, all of them do.
So, since I know Marcy will hear the entire question…
“would it be worth additional dues for all members, or reassigning resources to support such a role? If you choose reassigning resources, what resources would you reassign?
Let me ask a few questions in response and then give my 2 cents worth:
- Is the Chamber allocating resources to that are not “branded” as Chamber programs? (e.g., Prosperity that Fits and City Club)
- If so, are those activities funded by special assessments or contributions? And, does the effort that goes into those programs contribute positively to the general memberships interests and reasons for belonging, or does it seem to take resources away? Are those programs generating new members and therefore new revenue?
I pay $131 a year to belong to the Chamber. That gives me access to their website and the ability to attend events (for a fee) and participate on committees if I choose. Would I pay more? Probably, especially if I received greater benefit for an increased investment. (Who came up with $131 anyway? I’m a fan of round numbers.)
Here’s an example of how we could revisit out dues and benefits of membership: When I was at HP, we were members of the Portland Business Alliance. I think they hav done a great job making investment in the PBA an “opportunity.” Their dues structure is not based solely on business size, and looks like this:
Sole proprieter: $400
Business Level: $700
Investor Level: $1000
Partner Level: $1500
Director Level: $2500
Executive Level: $5000
Each level is given different “opportunities” for sponsorship, participation, etc. In other words, the more you pay, the more access you have to being an influence in the direction of the business community in Portland, and the more benefits you receive. (Here’s the URL to their benefit comparison chart: http://tiny.cc/Iz1fi ) For example, you only get to use their conference room (2 – 3 times/year) if you are a member at the partner level or above; you may have company information inserted in Alliance relocation packages for 6 months if you are invested at the Executive level. ($1800 value.)
I find it interesting that only investors at the Partner level and above are considered to join the Board of Directors. Don’t think that would fly in Corvallis.
Anyway, my point is that by restructuring dues to refkect value added benefits could enable the Chamber to expand their staffing and provide valuable programs and services that matter to members.
Sorry about the typos. I usually pay more attention to my keyboarding flubs.
Marcy: “Prosperity That Fits” is not a Chamber Coalition program. It is not offered by the Chamber Coalition as a member’s benefit for paying dues. The Prosperity That Fits (PTF) Committee contracts with the Chamber Coalition for it to provide fiscal agent and administrative and communications support services. I believe that, internally, this is housed in the “Coalition” part of the organization – Economic Development – rather than the “Chamber” side of the house – business member services. I believe City Club is also a part of the “Coalition” part of the business. But don’t take my word as gospel on that point. Best for you to go straight to the people in the know, who work at the Chamber Coalition.
The Chamber could help us understand things better. To all Chamber staff, please engage with us here. We are your members. We care. We need you.
Curtis,
You are right, but my belief is that rank and file members don’t know that. Do they think that the resources at “the Chamber” are going to the right things? Do they make a distiction between the “Chamber side” and the “Coalition side?” I know there is a difference, but I’ve been involved with the Chamber for almost 20 years.
Where I was going with my comment is that the PTF and City Club are highly visible activities that are administered by the Chamber. I asked if the activities “seem to take resources away.” (Accent on the “seem” part) I am not of the belief that the Chamber shouldn’t be doing this, I just think they need to be clear as to why they are engaged, how it benefits the membership, and then find a way to brand themselves to it if it’s a value added activity.
I don’t mean to be difficult. I just want to raise awareness of how the Chamber may be perceived and ask if that’s what members (and potential members) value.
Marci,
Curt is right. Chamber membership dues do not fund EVP operations or City Club.
However, Chamber membership dues do help pay for the infrastructure, like the chamber’s reservation and accounting systems that allow the overhead for these activities to be shared, reducing costs for all involved. This shared and reduced overhead is a big part of the intent of the “coalition” part of the chamber coalition. When we merged the Economic Development Partnership and the Corvallis Chamber of Commerce, reducing the overhead for each of the organizations was a big goal, to be more efficient and allow more of the resources to flow to the work that needs to be done.
City club: The chamber “coalition” does facilitate city club. As I understand it, City Club is financially self-sustaining, with the exception of a little staff support at events and “hosting” of the registration process on the Chambers’ event planning and registration system. Importantly, City Club was championed by the chamber coalition as a way to get Corvallis to engage in real, in-depth, conversations about things that matter to the community (sound familiar Loyan and Chris?), and bring folks together to recognize where there is common interest, so that the conversations about important topics don’t devolve in to shouting matches.
Prosperity that Fits– CBCC is the hired fiscal and administrative agent, that’s true, but the economic development arm of the chamber coalition is also the lead partner for some 13 of the 42 Action items,and some of the largest ones. Those leadership activities related to PTF are funded by the city’s economic development dollars, the county’s ED funding (when it was there), and private donations to further economic development, which are still being raised. (contact me if you are interested in donating to help fund the efforts that John Sechrest leads). These activities include Economic Gardening, Traded sector business recruitment, and the “blue ribbon” panel to help remove barriers for businesses working with city and county planning departments.
Marcy’s thoughts on membership levels are in line with the Chamber Coalitions. We have been working for the 3 years since the merger on strengthening the financial ship, and understanding our membership and their needs. As a non-traditional town with a non-traditional chamber, we need to tailor what we offer, but there are/were lots of sacred cows. This is one of the reasons that Chris was asked to chair membership services. To help us find out what services are needed that aren’t being provided, and what services are there, but not valued. Anything we can do on or off this forum to better understand that would be welcomed.
On membership structures, the Chamber Coalition’s board is meeting in December to review a proposal to adjust membership structures to be more benefit based, based on benchmarking and research done by the Chamber staff over the past 9 months. It is not a move to be done lightly, but has significant advantages. I am personally concerned that given the large number of very small businesses in Chamber, how will a different membership structure impact their ability to participate in growing their business with the chambers support.
Katherine Cleland
Board Member, Corvallis-Benton Chamber Coalition
Katherine, would preliminary feedback from the community on the proposal to adjust the Chamber membership structure be valuable? Is there a window into that proposal that can be shared? Perhaps some good ideas may come from an early discussion?
Participation and feedback from membership is a huge part of anything the chamber does. Mysty makes it a high priority. I believe the process proposed by the committee is:
A. benchmark best practices, develop proposed direction
B. Share benchmark and direction with board, obtain support (this is where we will be in the next few weeks)
C. review with membership, get feedback.
D. revise and determine direction.
E. Go.