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What Is the U.S. Chamber of Commerce?
What Is the U.S. Chamber of Commerce?
The United States Chamber of Commerce has been around since back in 1912.
But what is the U.S. Chamber of Commerce? And why is it beneficial to join the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, or chambers of commerce in general?
Read on to find out what is the U.S. chamber of commerce and why it's important.
What Is the U.S. Chamber of Commerce?
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is a lobbying group. It represents the interests of American businesses, and it's the largest lobbying group in the country. President William Howard Taft encouraged smaller chambers of commerce to band together and form the group.
The current president of the Chamber is Suzanne P. Clark, who has worked for the organization in various roles on and off since 1997.
The Chamber has persevered despite both World Wars and every conflict that continues even to this day. It's actually become more active since the 1970s, since it's become more active in fighting for cases in the Supreme Court.
The group supports or opposes different pieces of legislation that could affect businesses. They tend to support legislation that will help things like free trade and globalization.
However, they sometimes support or oppose legislation that doesn't directly impact business, like climate change, women's rights, and other legislation.
There are also smaller chamber of commerce groups. They may have evolved over the years, too. Some chambers of commerce are members of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and some are not.
Benefits of Joining the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
There are benefits of joining the U.S. Chamber of Commerce specifically, and other benefits of joining a local chamber of commerce.
Networking is one of the top benefits of joining the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. You'll have more connections with other members, so you have more options of people to work with in the future.
Being a U.S. Chamber of Commerce member gives you access to exclusive conferences and other events, so you can hear the experts give you important information about the business landscape in America right now. This will also give you the opportunity to meet other members up close and in person, providing even more options for networking.
You can also brag about being a U.S. Chamber of Commerce member. This is something helpful to put into your marketing, and something you can tell others about. This will make it more likely that people will trust your business and consider it more highly than non-Chamber of Commerce businesses.
Of course, different levels of membership within the Chamber of Commerce have different benefits. So, you'll have to weigh the pros and cons before you commit a lot of money to a perk level you may not necessarily need.
You can also get yourself involved in the political influence of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, if that's of interest to you. But, you'll need to think carefully about how the time investment may help or hurt your business.
Also, there are different levels of membership you can have when you join the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. So, it's important to understand the costs and benefits of different levels to figure out what you need. You may simply need access to newsletters, calls to action, and the general network.
Or, you may have the means to invest more extensively in your business, so you may want to bump up your membership to a level that offers briefings, discounts, and so much more.
Ultimately, you may not think the costs of joining the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are worth it. That doesn't mean a chamber of commerce in your area might not be helpful for your business.
Joining a Chamber of Commerce: The Benefits
If you're wondering about the specific benefits of joining a local chamber of commerce, your experience may differ based on the ones available in your area. Some may offer events, for example, and some might not.
Chamber of commerce members is encouraged to support fellow chamber members. This helps supports the economic growth of our communities through their relationship with the Chamber and the opportunities provided to give back.
Some chambers of commerce offer discounts to their members. Or, you may be able to join raffles to win different prizes.
You'll have access to the directory for the chamber of commerce, which is particularly helpful for business-to-business companies. Plus, being a member of a chamber of commerce helps you get your name out there. The more people that are aware of your business, the more successful it will be, as a general rule.
Just having the opportunity to list a chamber of commerce on your business's website will make your business seem more credible. This will encourage more customers to try out your business.
Plus, when you join a chamber of commerce, you'll have a bigger ability to influence your local government.
So, if you're worried about a potential government snafu that could influence your business - or could even influence your personal life - it might be time to put your money where your mouth is and make sure that you have protections in place for your business.
What Is the U.S. Chamber of Commerce? Now You Know
Hopefully, you now understand what is the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and how they interact with smaller chambers of commerce across the country to benefit business owners.
If you're in the Allen Fairview area, consider signing up for our chamber of commerce today.
