The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce will officially kick off its 2011 Membership Drive at 8 a.m. tommorrow, April 26, its office on Main Street.
Chamber President Lynn Freeman and Director of Membership and Special Events Kelly Bermingham will be joined by board members Lori Stupp and Chad Zambito for the kick-off, which will include an overview presentation for volunteers.
Five years afo, the chamber had nearly 1,000 members. That number has dwindled down to less than 800 today. Freeman believes that the current economic conditions have contributed to the decline.
“In today’s business climate, business owners are looking to trim expenses, he said. "Unfortunately, they sometimes fail to realize that a chamber membership can add to your bottom line in the long run so the campaign is really focused on educating the public on member benefits."
According to Freeman, the most popular benefits include the ability for chamber members to purchase health insurance for themselves and their employees. The chamber also offers “Member 2 Member” discounts which provides a 10 percent discount to chamber members and their employees at local businesses like Turnbull Heating and Air, Oliver’s Candies and Alex’s Place.
Freeman also said the chamber is currently working on an additional savings program that he believes will be very popular with members. Bermingham expects to train more than 20 volunteers who, along with chamber staff, will then visit nearly 200 perspective businesses during a three-day blitz scheduled for May 10-12.
“It’s been a while since we have done a membership drive and we are really excited to get out in front of perspective members and explain our benefits,” Bermingham said.
Along with health insurance and the “Member 2 Member” program, the chamber provides business promotion, consulting and advocacy. If you are interested in participating in the drive or in joining the chamber, contact them today at 343-7440.
