Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce

Thanks for this event and making me feel welcome. Im very much looking forward to being a part of this group and I feel this event gave me a chance to introduce myself.

Thanks Again

Posted by Victoria Mason on May 11, 2007 02:34 PM.

This event gave us a fantastic opportunity to discover what members feel we are doing well at the Brighton & Hove Chamber, and also what we could improve. The evening ended with series of pledges from members saying how they will help us spread the word about our local Chamber.

Here's what we found during the evening:

WHAT MEMBERS LIKE ABOUT THE BRIGHTON & HOVE CHAMBER:

• “Enables me to connect with businesses in the City”
• “Makes me feel part of the business community”
• “Interesting and meaniful talks”
• “A good place to get in contact with other businesses”
• “Enjoy the events and learn from them – they ‘further’ me”
• “Opportunity to put something back into the community”
• “The diverse groups of people. Great networking.”
• “It’s the people. They help me with my business challenges”
• “It feels comfortable”
• “Wanted to join a tribe, some people follow a team I support the Chamber”
• “Opportunity to grow my business”
• “Helps me find new clients”
• “Represents local business interests”
• “Opportunity to meet people –running a business can be lonely”
• “Interesting speakers at events”
• “Helps me build my business”
• “The price. Great value for money”
• “Training opportunities”
• “The friendly welcome I get”
• “The informality”
• “Great e-newsletter”
• “Vibrancy”
• “Good community of like-minded people”
• “Felt part of the community straight away”

WHAT MEMBERS FEEL THE CHAMBER COULD DO BETTER:

• Quite a number of people mentioned that we're 'invisible'!: ''Bettter promotion of the Chamber'', ''Finding the Chamber is hard – need to improve the visibility especially to new businesses'', ''Increase the Chamber exposure'', ''Bring more people in by being more visible'', ''More social networking events.''

• Many of you asked for more networking events: ''More networking opportunities, please!'', ''Combining network events in the region'', Better links to members websites'', ''Speed networking events / guided & facilitated networking'', ''More opportunities for members to present themselves'', ''Delegate lists at events'

• Some of you told us about other ways we could help your build and grow your businesses: ''More events on business growth & development'', ''Mentoring'', ''E-newsletter – more frequency'', ''Clarity of what the Chamber does'', ''*How the Chamber can help with my business issues and how can I my business support the Chamber?'', ''Try and buy from a fellow member'', ''Encourage members to buy locally'', ''Search engine on the website for ‘types’ of business'', ''RSS feed on website advertising members''

• You gave us ideas about how we can improve our visibility ''Promote the Chamber – flyers, cards, website link, car stickers'', ''Glass panel stickers for BHCC members'', ''Bring a guest to Chamber meetings and events''

HERE ARE SOME OF THE ACTIONS MEMBERS PLEDGED TO DO TO HELP DEVELOP OUR CHAMBER:

• Help out in the Chamber office more, put a hyper link on my website, organise day sessions, social networking.
• Invitation to all my clients to join the Chamber – personal email/letter
• Do more personal invitations to join the Chamber, invite my clients to join, link to chamber on my website.
• Reference my membership on my website – with a link to the Chamber site, participate in the member-to-member benefit scheme.
• Talk about the Chamber to non members and put a link on my website.
• Promote BHCC with colleagues and clients.
• Bring a guest who might join, publicise membersip of Chamber on my website.
• Provide Camber documentation in our reception area, link on our website.
• Put link on my website, put a Chamber flyer in with my invoice.
• Add business review to chamber offering, participate in events, sales and marketing, help develop BHCC as the fount of all knowledge on Brighton & Hove.
• Promote the chamber in our office and on website, bring a guest.
• Pass on membership joining forms to colleagues, put a link on my website, put note about Chamber membership on my email footer.
• Target of gaining three new members by September.
• Link on the website to allow people to join the chamber, put flyers in info packs about the Chamber .
• Add link to the Chamber at the bottom of emails, try to bring a guest to every meeting, link to Chamber on my website, act as an introducer for new members and guests.

SO, WHAT NEXT?

After all these fantastic ideas and pledges, what are we going to do, now to move forward?

Julie Stanford, President of Brighton & Hove Chamber says, ''This was a great opportunity to find out what our members really think. Since we were elected in March the Vice Presidents (Lorraine Bell, Ed Carr and Julia Chanteray) and I have been working on our strategy for the future of our Chamber.

We will be meeting next week so that we can now take action! We will keep you all informed through the e-newsletter. The first thing we will do is produce a logo for all of you to add to your websites and email newsletters; other definite actions will follow... I promise! It's not going to be one of the those meetings where you give your opinion and then nothing happens. I promise!''

Posted by Julie on May 13, 2007 01:51 PM.