Membership and Small Business

Purpose:  Position the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce as the region’s leading economic development agency and business advocate; enabling the Chamber to increase membership through services, benefits and educational programs.

Action Items:

New…Evaluate the current membership application and make appropriate changes – add an indicator for nonprofit status. Evaluate categories and update as appropriate.

 New…The Committee will conduct 12 monthly meetings per year. Meetings will be held the last Tuesday of the month. Committee members are required to attend 9 of the 12 meetings.

 New…Committee members will assist in the continued development and growth of the Membership Development and Retention Committee through the recruitment of new member volunteers.

 New…Committee members will assist on a quarterly basis with development of new member leads.

 New…Conduct a Membership Drive in the early fall of 2008. Committee members will be required to actively participate in Membership Drive functions.

 …Mail a nine month follow up letter from the Chairman of the Board.

…Create an indicator for New Member Badge for Chamber events.

…Create a recognition sign listing new members at Chamber events.

…The Committee will distribute new member packets to all new members and follow up in the new member’s second month with two Free PM Exchange Certificates.  A six month retention follow up call will be made by Committee Volunteers or the Development & Retention Coordinator using a provided script and form.  The Retention Form will be evaluated on a quarterly basis to determine if updates need to be applied.

…Send out a thank you note within one week of receiving the new member’s application.

…The Committee will host 2 New Member Orientations each year, May and November.

…Committee Chair, Co-Chairs will present each PM Exchange host with a Certificate of Appreciation.

…Schedule and support PM Exchanges by providing two committee volunteers to work at each exchange greeting new and existing members, distributing nametags and recording the names of guests not pre-registered. Attending committee members may be called upon to facilitate in networking with new members.

…Provide committee volunteers to attend ribbon cuttings and grand opening events on behalf of the organization.

…Examine any member benefit proposal using a SWOT analysis to determine the viability and appropriateness of each proposal and make a recommendation to the Board of Directors.

…Develop new and innovative ways to promote our Member Benefits.

…Review benefits on a periodic basis to ensure that they are meeting the membership needs.

…Support small business initiatives and the small business sector of the membership by providing information programs that the Chamber and community have created.

…Offer, and where appropriate, partner in offering business seminars and programming to the membership.

…Promote and select the Small Business of the Year and Emerging Business Awards.