#LoveMyChamber - The Return on Investment on my Chamber Dues - The Shop Local Program

Use your chamber membership directory and patronize the Chamber's member businesses. Be sure to inform them of your membership and their business will come back to you. Many chambers offer the "Chamber Check/Credit Card"  program. The "Chamber Check/Credit Card" program encourages community members to shop local at out member businesses.

The Warrenton Missouri Chamber received the Award for Excellence from the Chamber of Commerce Executives of Missouri for our “Think Local, Be Local, Buy Local” campaign. This campaign
promotes all businesses in the community and encourages doing business in the Warrenton
area. Jan Olearnick, executive director of the Warrenton Chamber of Commerce spearheaded a campaign with the local newspaper to put door hangers on every house in the Warrenton area. Billboards and other promotional messages were also used.

The Lee's Summit Chamber (lee's Summit, Missouri) and president Nancy Bruns used a $5,000 budget from the village to lead a campaign to "Keep Your Money Where Your Heart Is". Residents brought in three (original) receipts from local businesses for a chance to win a $1,000 local Shopping Spree. Village officials got a big return on investment when local sales receipts for the contest period totaled almost $400,000.

Maureen Martino, executive director of the Lakeview East Chamber (Chicago, Illinois) led a chamber debit card program that produced over $500,000 in annual local store and entertainment spending. The spending also could be tracked by individual member. The card could also be reloaded by visiting the chamber. One added benefit of using the chamber debit card: the Lakeview East chamber collaborated with the city of Chicago to allow the chamber card to be used for Chicago parking meters, a huge convenience for local shoppers in a busy neighborhood.

Become a chamber member - get more business!

Source: Meeting notes, CCEM Fall 2013

Reasons to #LoveMyChamber: The Chamber Membership Value Proposition - Chamber of Commerce annual dues: Around $250. Value of the Chamber of Commerce benefit #14 - the Shop Local Program; $500 - Return On Investment Features #1-#14 = $6800; Total Return On Investment for Annual Chamber Membership - 2720%.

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John Dussman is Midwest Manager for VillageProfile.com, working with chambers in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Missouri. More than 1500 U. S. Chambers of Commerce have trusted Village Profile to produce their Membership Directories, Community Profiles, Economic Development magazines and Chamber of Commerce Maps. Contact John at jdussman.vp@villageprofilemail.com or (800)-600-0134 x239.