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Tis the Season for Membership Renewal

By January 6, 2016January 20th, 2016Uncategorized

Tis the Season for Membership Renewal
We hope that you had a wonderful holiday season. With the New Year comes membership renewal time at the Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce. Your Package is in the mail for your 2016 membership. If any contact information or conditions have changed in your business please let us know so we can update our records accordingly.
Click here to check your website listing.
Along with your renewal notice we wanted to provide you with some timely suggestions for maximizing your Chamber Membership in 2016 and getting the best return on your investment possible. If you take advantage of even a few of these offerings your Chamber membership can pay for itself many times over.

Maximize Your Online Presence
We get more than 3,000 visits every month. That’s a lot of traffic that can follow the link to your website. Keep in mind that the majority of consumers prefer to shop and
do business with chamber members. A basic listing on the website comes free with your membership and includes your logo, your contact information and a brief description
of your business. Make sure your information is correct and that you present your business in the best possible way. Potential customers will notice.
Consider taking advantage of our enhanced listings which will help you stand out from the crowd. It provides large feature images of your business, more text, social
media links and more. We’ll even help you with it, coordinating a professional photo shoot and helping you with your business description. It’s like having an additional
mini-website to attract potential customers to your business. For only $45 per year (less than $4 a month), it’s a great solution for advertising budgets that are already
stretched thin.
Take Advantage of our Discounts
Running a business is costly. Running a business with the help of the cost-saving discounts the Chamber has arranged for you is smart. Your membership can easily pay
for itself just through the money you’ll save when enrolling in the Chamber of Commerce Group Insurance Plan. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a one-person operation,
work from home or have your own shop. The Plan covers all industries. And the contracts are customized and renewable — guaranteed. You can also save on your credit
card processing, gas purchases, hotel and car rentals, payroll reporting and more. All those values add up significantly over a year. For more information about the
discount programs available click here or call us at 250.245.2112.
Get involved!
There’s no better way to maximize the benefits of your membership. Here’s the connection: A consumer study shows that participation in local Chamber activities is a
good strategy for small business owners. In fact, it can be your competitive advantage. When your company promotes that it is highly involved in its Chamber (as one of our
board or committee members, for example), consumers are 12 per cent more likely to think that your products stack up better against your competition.
Involvement with your Chamber also infers to buyers that your business is trustworthy and an industry leader.We’ve got plenty of opportunities for participation:
Attend our monthly activities, including General Meetings, Roundtable Discussions, Networking Mixers, and Workshops – attending can be informative, educational, and
create referrals and new business for you.
Volunteer for one of our committees, participate in our Roundtable Discussions, and take part in local events to plug into your community. It’s great for your business reputation.
Participate in our educational workshops and seminars to gain knowledge critical to the success of your business.Want to learn more about getting the most from your membership? Contact us.
Promote Your Business
Here’s your competitive advantage: buyers know and trust Chamber members. They can’t say that about Internet web sites, or about Big Box stores out of town. Working
together with the Chamber and other members can turn that trust into sales for you.
First, promote your Chamber membership. Make sure it’s in your ads, on your signs, and on your business cards. People trust businesses that belong to the local Chamber.
Second, look to generate and send referrals with the Chamber Office and fellow members.
The Chamber Office and Visitor Centre get calls and visits from people who are looking for goods and services every day – make sure you’re a part of that referral network.
Also, get to know your fellow Chamber members and send referrals their way. Let your fellow entrepreneurs know when you send them some business; they’ll likely be only too
happy to return the favour.
Third, set up cross-promotions with other merchants and service providers. Can you create a package that combines your product or service with something complementary
that another Chamber member sells? A B&B, for example, could team up with a restaurant or recreation outlet to offer a package of pampering or adventure.
Finally, take advantage of the many opportunities the Chamber makes available for you to directly market your business. Make sure that you take advantage of the
Chamber newsletter and the Take 5 “Commerce Connection” to let people know about anything special happening at your business. Better yet for only $20 you can post an
individualized “e-blast” to the 400+ participants on the Chamber communication network. Maximize your presence on our website – call us to find out how. Sponsor an
event – sponsorship is a very affordable way to get exposure for your business and to build credibility (and customers) through your association with the Chamber of Commerce.
Sponsorships are now available for the Spring Home and Business Show and for the 9th Annual Chamber Golf Tournament in June.
 Happy New Year
On behalf of the Board and Staff of the Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce we wish you a happy, safe and prosperous New Year. We thank you for your patronage and
hope the New Year brings us more wonderful opportunities to work together.