CONTACT US

 Bend Chamber
 777 NW Wall St, Ste 200
 Bend, OR 97701

 Phone: (541) 382-3221
 Fax: (541) 385-9929
 info@bendchamber.org
 www.bendchamber.org

Bend Chamber Weekly
May 29, 2009
By Courtney Linville, Communications Coordinator

This Week's Highlights

• Introduction

• ROI on membership

• Tools to maximize your Chamber membership

• Keep members informed through Member Focus

• Check out the Bend Chamber on Facebook

• Face Time

• Free Ways to get the most from your Chamber Membership

• Upcoming Events

Introduction

     We often hear members ask what they can do to maximize their membership with the Bend Chamber. Whether it’s networking, advertising, or getting the word out, there are several things members can do. In this week’s special edition of the Chamber Weekly, we will focus on some of the answers to those questions.
If you have a specific question regarding your membership, please don’t hesitate to contact us at anytime at 382-3221.
 

     There is, finally, light at the end of the tunnel and no…it’s not the train! We are now almost midway through 2009 and we are beginning to see the glimmer of hope that was forecast at our Economic Forecast Breakfast a few months ago. You can help the process along as well. Simply choose not to take part in the recession mentality. Our positive attitudes will be catching. Regardless of the economic conditions we find ourselves in, we still have families to support, children to raise, lives to lead and businesses to run.
     A major part of running a business successfully is membership with the Bend Chamber, but not just membership. To use an acronym from the banking world, it is important to evaluate your ROI (return on investment) and there is a direct correlation between the amount of ROI received and your level of involvement with the Chamber. The vast majority of our members are members for about 66 cents per day. I can think of very few things you can purchase for 66 cents and receive such a vast return besides Chamber membership. 

• First, we connect you to a dynamic group of business people that make up one of the largest Chambers in the state of Oregon.
• Second, we help you market to potential clients outside our immediate service area by giving you an Internet listing on our Web site that ranks high on the Google searchability scale.
• Third, we help you grow your business and avoid obstacles by providing you with a large number of networking and educational opportunities every month.
• Fourth, we help you market your business to the Bend business community by providing you a wide variety of advertising opportunities.

     The best part of all this? It is all customizable to your individual circumstances. If you are not taking full advantage of your Chamber membership, you are leaving money on the table! Contact Ann Gates today at ann@bendchamber.org or 382-3221, to make sure you are getting the best ROI possible!
 

     Here are a few of things you can use to maximize your membership:
     1. Use the Members on the Move section of the Business Journal. Let us know when something changes with your business, you bring on a new employee, or have an event that everyone needs to know about. Utilize it, it’s free advertising! The deadline for this feature is the 10th of the month and details should be sent to courtney@bendchamber.org.
     2. Utilize the E-coupons on the Web site. The coupons receive about 300 views a month, and again are free to set up. Utilize your username and password in the Member’s Only section of our Web site to access your information, and create your own E-coupon. These are available for public viewing, and we direct visitors and members to them to look for special savings.
     3. Come to the networking or educational events that we offer. Between the Business After Hours, Young Professionals Network, Town Hall Forums, Professional Development Series, Entrepreneurial Sessions, Non Profit Forums, and Good Morning Bend, we have a networking or educational event for everyone. In fact, we have between 13 and 16 events per month that you can participate in. If you are not sure what event to attend, give us a call and we can point you in the right direction.
     4. Open doors to new contacts. Introduce yourself to our new or renewing members by sending them a little introduction note of what your business is all about. Their contact information can be found in the paper every month, and you never know how it may work into an opportunity benefitting the both of you.
    Please contact Greg Ford for more information at 382-3221. As a Chamber member, you become our client, and our organization works for you. Our business is serving your business!
 

    While many Chamber members submit information for the Members on the Move section of the Business Journal, another great avenue to take advantage of is the monthly electronic newsletter, Member Focus. This publication is emailed to at least 2,600 individuals representing over 1,500 different member businesses.
     The What's New section of the Member Focus allows you to share more about your business, upcoming event, or recent accomplishments. Submissions should be no more than 100 words and are due by the 5th of the month.
     Do you have some great general information you want to share with Chamber members? Consider writing a short, 400-word article for Member Focus. This not only gets your name out to the membership, but it is also a way to share information you feel is valuable.
     If you have something you would like to submit, please send it to courtney@bendchamber.org.
 

     Add the Bend Chamber of Commerce to your Facebook Page! Yes, that’s right. If you haven’t heard, the Bend Chamber of Commerce is on Facebook and looks to keep members even more up-to-date with event information, photos, and more.
“We understand the importance of social media and want to provide the latest information to our members,” said Tim Casey, Executive Director. “Facebook is just another opportunity for our members to stay connected with each other and the Chamber.”
     While on Facebook, make sure to check out some other highlights including the Bend Chamber’s Young Professionals Network group. It has photos from recent events, upcoming event information, and so much more!
     If you are a Leadership Bend alum, don’t forget to connect with fellow classmates on the Leadership Bend Alumni Network page. Here you can get up-to-date information on what’s happening with the current class of Leadership Bend, look at photos from previous classes and reunions, stay informed on upcoming events, connect with classmates, etc.
 

     Does your business need "face time" with potential clients? Would you like the opportunity to talk with decision-makers? If you answered yes to these questions, you need to be a sponsor at the Bend Chamber's Summer Opener golf tournament.
     This year, the tournament will be held at the beautiful Broken Top Club and looks to have a full complement of golfers. The sponsorships we have available are as follows: TITLE, Cart, Dinner, Driving Range and a few Tees. The rest of the spots are filled so don't delay!
     This is your opportunity to market to all of the golfers and other sponsors at this fabulous event. Contact Ann Gates at the Chamber to discuss your needs and ask her to find the perfect fit for your business. Call 382-3221 or email  ann@bendchamber.org. 
 

     June 9 – Professional Development Series – Preventing & Detecting Small Business Fraud – Do you know if your business has been a victim of fraud? How about employee theft? In today’s economy, these are the realities many businesses are facing. Many business owners are now looking at a variety of measures they can use to detect and prevent fraudulent activity. In this session, representatives from Jones & Roth CPAs will provide a myriad of information on fraud and fraud prevention. Attendees will get the chance to look at statistics of the prevalence of fraud, reasons for the activities, and typical employee profiles. The presentation will include example cases that point out the long term nature of fraudulent activities spanning years and decades. It is often not large amounts, but small amounts over years of time that impact businesses. The Jones & Roth representatives will also cover a variety of no cost/low cost preventative measures business owners or managers can implement today to prevent and detect fraudulent activities. Please RSVP for this event by noon on Monday, June 8 at www.bendchamber.org. If you have trouble signing up, call 382-3221.

     June 16 – Professional Development Series – “11 Ways to Avoid Social Media Hype and Increase Your Networking Productivity” Everybody’s talking about your company…behind your back. Social media is rapidly changing the way business is done. As people jump on the bandwagon and invest heavily in this technology, fortunes continue to soar and freefall with just the click of a mouse or a Tweet. As a business owner or key executive, how can you adapt to this shift, reduce the time consuming tasks of managing multiple social networks, avoid the risk of damaging your company’s reputation, AND protect important business relationships? In this informative session, Lisa Nirell from EnergizeGrowth will show you. She provides a fresh look at the benefits of deploying a social media strategy—and how today’s business leaders must protect themselves from its hidden pitfalls. “Lisa’s Tried and Tested Tools List” and case studies will save you from wasting networking effort and marketing dollars. If you would like to attend this session, please RSVP by June 15 at www.bendchamber.org.