Written by Mike McMullin
The local business community has been enjoying the support of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce since 1924. Today over 700 businesses are listed on the Chamber’s website and, as they approach their 100-year anniversary, this is a good time to look at some of the benefits of membership.
Businesses grow and thrive on relationships. The events that the Chamber presents are all designed to introduce you to new people, to reacquaint you with established friends, and to broaden your network of connections. There are approximately 70 Chamber events every year and all of them are designed to educate and to build relationships. These events are varied in topic, venue, size, day of the week and times, so that all members can find some that are convenient to attend.
Considering the many benefits of belonging to the Chamber, it is best to attend one of their regular Member Orientation meetings that act as a Chamber 101 class. Whereas the Chamber website lists the numerous benefits, a guided orientation is an excellent way to get up to speed on the perks that come with membership. Members, and those interested in membership, are welcome to attend. Benefits like the Chamber’s Energy Co-op, that saves you the cost of your membership investment, to the online business directory, where you can post your contact information and all your social media links, are reviewed in depth.
The Chamber offers monthly PM Connections that are hosted in a member’s business location from 4:00 – 6:00PM and serve as a time of networking and relationship building, but all other Chamber events also have relationship building time built into them. Since business is grown through long-term relationships, it is helpful to attend some of the events.
A brief sample of Chamber events can be seen below:
- The monthly breakfast or luncheon meetings feature local elected officials and business experts.
- The annual Outstanding Teacher Awards honor over 500 CCPS teachers and eight are chosen to compete for Carroll County Teacher of the Year.
- The annual Public Safety Awards recognize local police, fire fighters and first responders.
- The annual Carroll Biz Challenge has over 50 startup applications and the top five entrepreneurs are selected to pitch their business idea to a live audience and a panel of judges, as they compete for over $25,000 worth of prizes and cash.
- The annual Drug and Violence Awareness Expo has Carroll County 8th graders come for an informative and sobering look at the dangers of drugs in their community.
- The long-standing Leadership Carroll program takes a class of approximately 40 local business leaders and gathers them monthly, from September to June, and educates them about numerous different aspects of business and life in Carroll County.
From Agribusiness Day to State Government Day, Leadership Carroll is perhaps the best example of long-term relationship building that the Chamber has to offer.
