Exec. Talk

By:
Steve Gilmore
CEO

Throughout the year we ask member business to reinvest in their business through membership in the Chamber. A very common response I get from those who are interested in dropping their membership is that they can't make it to events.

Let’s think about this for a minute, when did a Chamber become an organization that’s only benefit is networking? A Chamber of Commerce is the voice of the business community. It is an action organization that helps businesses grow and thrive through advocacy, promotion, education and of course networking.

Networking is vital to small business, and that is why the Chamber has over 80 networking events each year. People do business with those they know, like, and trust and a Chamber is the vehicle to get people to connect, but it isn't the only benefit.

Take advocacy for example. The Chamber has been extremely active on transportation issues, and if you travel north on I-5 you can see some of the results of our work, which is the construction of the auxiliary lane between I-205 and Wilsonville. We are also in the middle of working with the city on a variety of issues including the sign code, promoting/developing the Coffee Creek Industrial Area, and encouraging businesses to move to Wilsonville. It is vitally important the business community is at the table with all levels of government, because if we aren’t we will likely be on the menu. We are prepared to represent businesses on every level from the city up and truly be a unified voice for business in our region.

The Chamber receives thousands of visitors, phone calls, and visitors to our website each year and we only refer Chamber members. The Chamber’s award winning printed Community and Business directory is mailed to approximately 13,500 addresses in Aurora, Wilsonville, rural Washington County, and parts of Stafford. This directory is the go to place for business information in our south Metro region. Our website has nearly a thousand unique user visits each day, and that number continues to rise.

Benefits in Chambers differ by Chamber, but they are all working hard for business members. An investment in your Chamber of Commerce is an investment in your business. The question isn't if you can afford membership in the Chamber, it is whether you can afford NOT to be a member in the Chamber.

www.wilsonvillechamber.com