February 20-24 is Chamber of Commerce week. It is a week in which to celebrate your local Chamber of Commerce. There are 125 Chambers of Commerce in British Columbia which support and advocate for local business leaders.
The first Chamber of Commerce was created in France in 1599 and since then they have been an integral part of doing business. They advocate for businesses with government agencies, help cut red Tape when dealing with regulations and laws, provide training and assistance, provide discounts on business necessities and give local business leaders the chance to learn from each other and grow their referral networks.
The British Columbia Chamber of Commerce regularly provides networking opportunities to its members such as networking breakfasts with government officials, an annual Premier and Cabinet luncheon, and an AGM and Conference every May in various member communities.
To many, the most important part of belonging to a Chamber of Commerce is the networking aspect. Networking is an integral part of doing business and the Chamber makes it easier. Those who attend the networking events make sure to arrange for business card printing in advance so they will have lots of cards to hand out to their peers at these events. Most networking events held by the BC Chamber are also learning opportunities. Vancouver hosted several of those events in 2011 such as the BC Chamber Energy Summit and the Future Premier Panel.
While some do not feel they should pay to belong to such an organization as their local Chamber of Commerce, those who do will get any money they invested in their membership back in referrals and training. Becoming a member is a smart thing to do.
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