Scott Swanson
Chamber of Commerce officials are continuing to rebuild the organization, with emphasis on re-establishing a solid membership base and effective communication with that base.
That was the main thrust of a general membership meeting held Thursday, Sept. 27, at the chamber.
Interim Chamber President George Medellin told attendees that chamber leaders are focusing on continued improvement of its financial and organizational structure, particularly in providing services to members, and on increasing its value to the membership.
“We want to get to the point that the necessity of your business name not being in the chamber database means you don’t exist,” he said.
Membership Chair Dave Bauer said improving communication will be critical.
“I’m excited about getting the membership base re-established, but we need to work on our communication,” he said, outlining strategies that included collecting emails of people who should be getting chamber communications and making the chamber’s communication efforts more regular. He said part of the difficulties in that area have been due to staff changes.
“We want to provide members with not only confidence, but something they can invest in.”
Attendees suggested that chamber officials use social media and The New Era to publicize its activities and services, particularly Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter, noting that Lebanon and Albany chambers do so with success.
Medellin and Bauer said that the chamber has a two-month goal to establish a solid website and Facebook presence.
The goal would be to distribute community news, business news and happenings around town, which would be updated daily on Facebook before the end of the year, they said.
Also on the agenda are hiring an office manager, which Medellin said should happen within the next week. That person, he said, will be “experienced in social media.”
He also said the chamber is planning to transfer its bookkeeping in-house, but to have it checked by an outside, independent bookkeeper at regular intervals.
He said chamber officials have discovered that many current members have not been billed for 2018, resulting in posted income from business memberships of $1,012 from some 220 members as of August. He said that was because the chamber’s current Lebanon-based bookkeeper, Koopman Consulting, lacked information necessary to send out invoices. That problem has been resolved, he said, and money is beginning to come in.
He said the chamber’s total assets, as of Aug. 31, were $24,742.88, enough for four months of operation, but that another $10,000 is expected from the City of Sweet Home before the end of the year, funding for the chamber’s operation of the Visitors Center.
Medellin also said he is engaging with other chambers in the area to determine how best to serve members.
He said efforts are in progress to establish regular Greeters and After Hours get-togethers for members and other interested participants. He noted that the chamber Ambassadors have consistently held ribbon cuttings for new businesses through recent years.
An inaugural Greeters is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9.
He said chamber officials want to offer monthly lunchtime business classes through a partnership with Linn-Benton Community College.
LBCC will offer two classes in upcoming weeks.
One, on the morning of Oct. 17, will focus on “Conflict Management and Resolution.” The other, on the morning of Nov. 14, will focus on “Strategic Thinking – Developing A Future Focus” for business owners “to jumpstart your strategic vision” and “create employee egagement and accountability.”
For more information and to register, call (541) 917-4840.
Also on Oct. 9, the chamber is launching a Rural Entrepreneur Community “accountability” group that will meet for 90 minutes weekly. For more information, call (541) 367-6186 or contact Medellin at (209) 419-1019.
Medellin said another emphasis is representation by the chamber board members in the community, noting that such is happening with the Rotary Club, the city, Sweet Home Active Revitalization Effort (SHARE), the Regional Accelerator & Innovation Network (RAIN) and the Commercial Exterior Improvement Program (CEIP).
He said the chamber is seeking people interested in getting involved in planning local events, including the chamber’s Awards Banquet, Sportsman’s Holiday, the Christmas Parade, beautification efforts, the Health Fair, and other forms of community outreach.
He said groups are already forming to plan the Awards Banquet and next year’s Sportsman’s Holiday.