By Joe Kirchmyer
When I meet with people regarding membership in the West Seneca Chamber of Commerce (WSCC), I always tell them two things: 1. I don’t pressure anyone into joining. It has to be right for you. Go home and sleep on it, or join us at our next event and see if it feels like a good fit. 2: Joining a chamber is like joining a gym. If you join and then don’t go to any of our events, you likely won’t get much return on your investment.
But what is the real value of membership? Is there a way to put a price tag on it? We asked a local CPA that question, and asked him to try to attach a dollar value to West Seneca Chamber of Commerce membership. Here’s what he had to say:
Let’s compare what you get to what it costs. For starters, you get marketing opportunities far in excess of what they might cost if purchased a la carte. Here is a comparison of what you might spend …
Membership in other business-focused organizations will cost you between $240 and $1,500 annually. And then you need to attend meetings and do “meet-and greets” to get a return on your investment. In that way, Chamber membership means that you also plan to participate regularly to maximize value to your business.
The Chamber annually sponsors four One-minute Networking Events usually attended by 25+ unique businesses. Most referral groups charge a fee of $15 to $20 per event. But your attendance as a Chamber member is free.
Other networking opportunities include the annual Vendor Showcase, golf tournament, sports and social events at locally owned venues, and speaker events. These have an added separate cost, but you basically spend what you want for the opportunity you are seeking.
Some organizations offer access to membership lists, but this can cost between $30 and $300. Access to a B2B list of Chamber members is free. Like any other mailing list, you need to contact people to let them know you.
Showcasing your business name on the Chamber’s website, which reaches a local market of 40,000 residents and more, as a member is free. Or, you can become a website/social media sponsor for $275 per year, which comes with additional benefits.
Access to highly trained business advisory, financial, insurance, banking and investment professionals can cost $100 to $300 per hour. But Chamber members will often offer initial meeting opportunities to fellow members for free.
The Chamber will advertise major events such as grand openings and ribbon-cuttings for local businesses. Pulling legislators, board members and people from the community can cost $250 to $900 just for the marketing and organizing of the program. The cost to a Chamber member for this service is free. Typically, the showcase event includes minor snacks, paid for by the business.
The well-attended West Seneca Farmers’ Market offers vendor booths for $225 per season. This event attracts thousands of individuals from throughout Western New York for up to 16 warm Thursday summer nights. Typically, the Chamber piggybacks off of free music events sponsored by the West Seneca Lions at the nearby town bandshell.
And the Chamber works in collaboration with multiple other civic groups annually for the annual Christmas/holiday events, awards dinner, trade show and more.
By just adding up the items which are free, you can get membership opportunities worth between $2,000 and $9,000. Your initial annual investment in the West Seneca Chamber can be as low as $115 for a for-profit business, which is 30% to 40% less than five surrounding Chamber organizations.
We were certain that Chamber membership was a wise investment … but seeing those numbers is even better when you receive them from someone with a great deal of financial experience.
A new year is right around the corner, so please consider giving your business or organization the gift of Chamber membership this holiday season that will pay dividends for years to come. We’d love to have a conversation.
In the meantime, happy holidays, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of our friends in West Seneca and beyond!
Joe Kirchmyer is executive director of the West Seneca Chamber of Commerce.
