Is membership worth it?

I remember when I thought spending my much-needed funds on my local chamber of commerce was a waste of my money. I had no comprehension of the value the chamber was to my business.

Every year we joined and wondered why, but we felt the inclusion in the chamber guide to advertise our business was sufficient to warrant the expense of membership. We never attended the meetings and eventually we quit renewing our membership.

In 2009, I became part of the Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce and discovered why it was important. I am now a member of the Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce as well and thrilled that I participate in both.

Some people think of their chamber of commerce as a social club. I didn’t like hearing that in the beginning, but I have made peace with it. Chamber is where we meet, get to know other business owners in the community, support each other, build strong ties and referral bases, find out about trends in the economy and marketing and find out what is affecting us in our communities and state. People talk about what works and what doesn’t work for them. So yes, I guess you can say it is a social club. It is a social club I have come to rely on for a network of people that help our business in more ways than I can express. At chamber I am constantly finding new ways to grow our business.

When you have membership in your chamber of commerce, attend the meetings and use all of the benefits available to you through that membership. There is no greater bang for your advertising buck.

Jessica McGill Berberich is the treasurer of the Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce and a board member.