The Chamber of Commerce—The Mainline to Business Customers

As soon as you are up and running. Head down to the Chamber of Commerce and get signed up. If your business depends on working with other businesses, it is vital.

When your are starting out, you have to establish trust. The trust of others with whom you want to do business. People do not want to do business with the untrustworthy, so it takes a little time to earn that trust. It's a lot like dating. You have to go out with someone for a while before you establish that trusting relationship and business is no different. You just do it with heels and business cards.

The chamber sets your blind dates for you, through events, and you just have to participate, show up, and be friendly. The events are there to bring people, like you, together in a fun and organized environment, while you socialize and network. They take all the pressure off the meetings, so you just have to pay your dues, show up and enjoy yourself in the process. 

When your target customers start noticing you and you start to get to know people, the business will come. But you have to put yourself in front of them. You can't just join and not participate.

The dues are usually $250 and up depending on your market, how many employees you have and how many people belong to the chamber. I am lucky to live in an area with a great Chamber. They offer lower dues for people with home based businesses and are extremely active, so you can really get your money's worth.

Now lets talk about the other benefits of the Chamber. They offer discounts on services, there are usually several leads groups and networking groups within the Chamber for additional dates, and there are many resources. Classes, workshops and other ways to learn more about your business and everything that effects it.

If you're here in Brevard, We have several Chambers. The Melbourne Regional Chamber, The Greater Palm Bay Chamber, Suntree Viera Chamber of Commerce, Cocoa Beach Chamber of Commerce.