Why businesses should join Chambers of Commerce

The American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) association recently participated in a study that businesses – particularly small businesses – should review. It helps answer the question that many small businesses have pondered over the years: “Is there any value to me in belonging to a chamber of commerce?”

The answer, according to the study, is a resounding “Yes!”

The study, conducted by The Schapiro Group, surveyed consumers to determine what value, if any, they attached to a business belonging to a chamber of commerce. That information should be of particular interest to businesses that compete with each other for consumer loyalty.

Here are some of the study’s findings:

• Some 59 percent of consumers believe that being active in a chamber of commerce is an effective overall business strategy.

• Chamber of commerce membership increases by 29 percent the effectiveness of a business communicating to potential customers that it uses good business practices and makes it 26 percent more effective in communicating that it is reputable.

• If a business can illustrate that it is highly involved in a chamber, consumers are 12 percent more likely to think that its products stack up better against the competition’s.

• When consumers know that a restaurant is a member of a chamber, they are 40 percent more likely to eat at the franchise in the next few months.

• When consumers learn that an insurance company is a chamber member, they are 43 percent more likely to consider it when buying a policy.

• Overall, when consumers know that a small business is a member of a chamber, they are 44 percent more likely to think favorably of it and 63 percent more likely to purchase goods or services from it.

One of the major components of successful marketing and advertising is the concept of branding. Consumers associate certain attributes with the image that a company portrays to the public.

This image, for better or worse, gives customers recognition of certain intangibles about a business. It can indicate that a company stresses quality in its products, safety for its workers, support for schools and the community, and honesty in its business dealings.

It is often very hard for a small business to have the resources necessary to get its “brand” out into the public domain. Most don’t have large advertising budgets or money to hire public relations experts to counsel them on messaging.

One way for smaller businesses to affiliate themselves with a positive brand, identity, and message is to affiliate with a chamber of commerce.

For a relatively small annual investment, businesses can obtain considerable bang for their buck with consumers by affiliating with a chamber. The chamber brand is one of the strongest in America. The ACCE study confirms that it tells consumers that a business has standards, believes in giving back to the community, and is not a fly-by-night operation.

Chambers of commerce are often asked by potential members to state specifically how a business will get more value from its membership dues paid than the face value of that investment.

The ACCE study helps answer that question. The chamber of commerce brand opens doors to consumers by providing some strong indications that a chamber of commerce affiliated business will treat them fairly and provide them with quality goods and services.

Every business can add to its value and bottom line by joining a chamber of commerce. The smart ones already belong. The others should join them and reap the same advantages.