Celebrated annually on the third Wednesday of October, this Wednesday, October 16th is National Support Your Local Chamber of Commerce Day. The purpose of chambers of commerce is to represent the business community and their needs. Here at the Ardmore Chamber, we work hard for southern Oklahoma, but our efforts are only effective with your support!
The more effort you put into interacting with your local chamber, the more you can gain. So here are some ways to support your local chamber of commerce any time of the year:
- Support other Chamber members – Visiting Chamber member businesses strengthen community ties, boosts the local economy, and creates professional relationships among members. Next time you need anything from a realtor, accountant, bank, or place to lunch, make sure to check out our Membership Directory or look for the Chamber of Commerce membership plaque on display!
- Get involved – Being a member of the Chamber means getting to participate in events, attend meetings and help make decisions on issues that are pertinent to the small businesses in your community. Read our newsletter, watch for the e-blasts, and follow us on social media to keep up with everything that is going on at the Ardmore Chamber of Commerce. If you are interested in deeper involvement, consider applying to be a Chamber Ambassador. The Ambassadors are a dedicated group of volunteers who functions as the welcoming arm of the Chamber, serving our members at events, and being active in many aspects of Chamber activity.
- Volunteer – Volunteers are vital to ensuring that we are able to provide the services and events that benefit our members and community. Check out our upcoming events calendar to see your opportunities to get involved. Coming up soon is our Annual Festival of Lights Auction. This event is a fundraiser, and proceeds go towards the maintenance and expansion of the Festival of Lights Drive Through. Committee members will soon be calling businesses requesting donations for auction items, so please consider donating to this worthy cause! If you are interested in volunteering for the event, email jshelton@ardmore.org to find out how you can get involved.
- Encourage other businesses to join – Two-thirds of consumers believe that chamber of commerce members are more likely to use good business practices, are reputable, care about their customers and are involved in the community, according to a national study conducted by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. If the Chamber of Commerce has served you and your business, make sure to spread the word! Invite other business owners to attend the next Chamber 101 meeting on October 29th to learn more about membership, or stop by the Chamber office at any time to meet us and find out how we can help them.
- Communicate! – Chambers of commerce exist to support their communities and bolster business growth. If there are services, information or training you need to aid productivity, don’t hesitate to reach out to us to see if they can help find a solution. Your membership is a powerful resource. Odds are, if your business is struggling with a problem, other business are as well.
In observance National Support Your Local Chamber of Commerce Day, we invite everyone to our office at 410 West Main on Wednesday, October 16th. We will have some goodies and information about membership. Stop by, say hi, and let’s have some good conversation on the future of Ardmore and what opportunities you have to help us develop that future!