What is a Chamber of Commerce?
A Chamber of Commerce is a voluntary organization that unites businesses and professional people in an effort to expand the economy of an area. It must be understood that a Chamber of Commerce is PEOPLE. There is a place in the Chamber for members to get involved and accomplish collectively what no one of them could do alone, thereby creating a pool of resources from which to draw ideas, energies and finance. Today, Chambers of Commerce have become community organizations which recognize all the factors that affect their community and adjust their programs accordingly.
The Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce is an association of more than 450 businesses, professionals, and industries. It is non-profit, non-partisan, non-sectarian, and non-political. Though the Chamber often works with large public agencies, it is not a department of any government organization.
A Chamber of Commerce is a professional affiliation of local businesses, often associated with other civic organizations such as the Visitors and Tourism Bureau. Membership in a Chamber of Commerce is generally voluntary, although most local businesses do find strength in numbers. The Chamber of Commerce does not have a watchdog function over its membership, however, and is not associated with the Better Business Bureau. There are local, state and national Chambers of Commerce, with members ranging from small ‘mom and pop’ stores to major corporations. The main function of a Chamber of Commerce is to promote interest in local business possibilities. If a major automotive manufacturing plant was considering building a new plant in Huntsville, Alabama, for example, the Huntsville Chamber of Commerce would most likely arrange a meeting with the corporate representatives. This meeting would promote the number of products and services available within Huntsville, including engineering firms
By Gail Parker As President/CEO of A Chamber of Commerce, quite often I am asked, “What exactly is a chamber of commerce?” And “Why should I join?” More times than not, those questions are a challenge to justify and validate in relation to the services the chamber provides, and the fees it charges. Not long ago I researched the topic on the Internet, and found some interesting historical information on chambers, while at the same time realizing that we are not so different from our counterparts of four centuries ago. History of Chambers of Commerce – And in the beginning . . . As long as commerce has existed, traders have banded together for the common protection against enemies, to govern the conduct of trade, and later to exert influence on legislation. The first known use of the term “chamber of commerce” was documented in Marseilles, France, where such an organization was established by the city council in 1599. From this beginning, chambers of commerce spread to Germany, and then
