Paying to join a business membership organisation when you’re starting out in business or running a business in tough economic times can seem like an extra expense, but running a business can be a lonely process and membership organisations, like Business West, can provide the support needed to help your businesses to thrive.
The first thing to consider when weighing up the pros and cons of joining your local Chamber of Commerce is whether the membership fee is really worth it. Will you get a good return on the money invested?
Chamber membership can be a smart investment, and here's three reasons why:-
1. Networking
It’s well known that networking is a great way to raise the profile of your business and capture new contacts, leads and customers over time. By developing a strong network and building enduring, mutually beneficial relationships you’re enabling your business to stand out from the crowd. People do business with those they know and trust.
Business West Chamber membership benefit:
Business West runs a range of networking events, attended by hundreds of businesses across the region each week. You don’t have to be a Chamber member to attend these events, however members make a saving on the cost.
Value: Prices can vary depending on the event because of venue or catering costs. For example, at our Gloucestershire Chamber Breakfasts, members pay £5 less than non- members, making a saving of £60 per year. At our Bristol Chamber Breakfasts, members pay £11 less than non-members, saving £108 over the year.
2. Professional Advice
If its advice and support you’re after, members of a Chamber are able to access expert information and advice instantly via various services.
Business West Chamber membership benefit:
The Business West membership team is on hand to point you in the right direction should you have a query, either able to respond to your question or sign post you to the right source of information.
We also offer a free professional advisory service, made up of handpicked experts who can advise businesses on a range of issues from legal to accountancy to HR, giving you peace of mind that the help you need is just at the end of the phone line.
Value: With an estimated minimum value of £50* per session, you can use this service as often as you need to on different issues. So if you used it just 5 times in a year you could have accessed £250 worth of professional advice.
*depending on the type of advice required
3. Marketing Opportunities
Chambers of Commerce organisations also offer a range of promotional opportunities for their members, helping them to raise their profile, target new prospects or markets, and capture leads.
Reaching the key decision makers of a company is vital to all businesses, especially whilst making sure you are maximising the potential of your marketing budget.
Business West Chamber membership benefit:
One of our most popular and high value Chamber benefits is 3 pre-prepared Marketing Data Lists which Chamber members can access free of charge. Members can also access tailored lists at a significant discount. The membership team can use their expertise to target the lists geographically, by number of employees, or by turnover, saving you time.
Value: Our 3 x free Marketing Data Lists have a value of over £650, providing approximately 1,200 contacts.
So does this equal a good return on investment?
Put simply, yes! Business West Chamber membership can cost between £250 and £650 depending on the size of your company.
The savings from accessing just these three member benefits alone is between £760 and £1006, so even the largest companies will get a return on their money.
And, that’s just the financial benefits. Think about all those new customers you’ve gained from fresh marketing data or the new supplier who’s willing to give you a better price because you’ve built a relationship at a networking breakfast. Think about the employment law advice you received, saving you a lengthy and expensive legal battle.
Business West Chambers of Commerce Membership
Of course there are lots of other benefits to joining a Chamber of Commerce. Via our Chambers of Commerce network, including Bristol, Bath, Gloucestershire & Wiltshire Chambers of Commerce, there’s a ready made network of contacts and potential new customers, the opportunity to raise your profile through our online Chamber Directory, bi-monthly magazine and member offers, and access to up-to-minute advice and information about funding opportunities or training courses.
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