Entrepreneurship is very appealing to women in leadership. You get to be your own boss and the challenges of building your own business can be exciting. Is entrepreneurship something that you have considered? Perhaps the idea of working for yourself sounds appealing, but you don’t know where to begin. Maybe you’ve worked a full-time job all of your life and are afraid of what working on your own might mean. Here are some things to consider as you think about entrepreneurship.

1) Get your spouse’s support: Starting your own business will take a lot of mental and physical stamina. You will work long hours and will likely spend many days and nights away from home networking, marketing and building your business from the ground up. Be sure to discuss what entrepreneurship will mean with your spouse and get his/her buy-in. Having your spouse’s support and partnership as you take on a new endeavor will provide you with the extra fuel that you need when the going gets tough.

2) Get your financial house in order: Entrepreneurship is rewarding, but also very risky. In fact, many small businesses spend more than they make the first year of business. Before you take the plunge, work to clear your consumer debt and create a nest-egg that you will be able to rely on. Perhaps you want to cut back on your hours at work to ensure that you still have some steady income and health benefits while you develop your small business.

3) Plan and prepare: According to the Small Business Administration, 50% of small businesses fail within the first year. One of the primary reasons they fail is lack of planning and preparation. Take the time to get advice from the Small Business Administration or local economic development corporation. You may even decide to invest in a business coach who can help you develop a solid business plan and marketing strategy.

4) Stay focused: Entrepreneurship requires self-motivation, stamina, persistence and focus. You will need to program your mind for success. In order to do so, surround yourself with other like minded individuals. Join your local Chamber of Commerce or join a mastermind group. Both will offer you the opportunity to network with other entrepreneurs who can share in your experience, provide helpful advice and even offer strategic partnership opportunities.

There is a lot to consider before becoming an entrepreneur, but if you plan and prepare it can be extremely rewarding and fulfilling.

Ellie Nieves, Esq. is a Speaker, Writer and Leadership Coach. Through 55-minute telephone coaching sessions and live seminars, she helps women develop leadership skills, set strategic goals, bolster effectiveness and create a personal brand. To learn more go to http://www.LeadershipStrategiesForWomen.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ellie_Nieves

Venue: The first important requirement for a successful trade show. It has to be a central or prominent location, which the intended participants will have no hesitation in coming to. For example, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Seattle and other major cities across the US, are popular destinations for conventions and trade shows. What makes these venues popular is the fact that they are well connected with the rest of the country, are well-known tourist centers and usually have a pleasant climate. In addition, accommodation for a large contingent of visitors is available easily in these places, given the large number of hotels, motels, inns, etc, to suit every pocket; plus, bulk booking rates are very attractive!

Participants and visitors: A successful trade show should have a central, underlying theme, based on a product or service or consumer requirement. Once your theme is decided upon, choosing the profile and number of participants for the trade show becomes much simpler. Here, it is important to note that this planning will need to be done several months in advance. Contact the list of potential exhibitors or participants and provide them with the relevant information, solicit opinions and suggestions from them on what they would like to have included, to make the trade show a success and profitable for them.

Media and PR: If no one knows that you are organizing a trade show, then you are guaranteed a definite failure! Hence, a comprehensive marketing and PR campaign, making use of the different kinds of media available – print, radio, television, the Internet – will ensure that your trade show is well publicized and the crowds flock to it.

Endorsements: Getting trade associations, chambers of commerce, guilds or other similar collective entities to endorse your trade show, will give that extra boost to your publicity campaign. If you’ve conducted a trade show before, get testimonials from satisfied participants and visitors; word-of-mouth advertising is a very effective means of promoting your upcoming show!

Logistics and preparation: For exhibitors and visitors to rave about your trade show and to get a repeat audience, it is critical that the logistics of holding the trade show or convention are well thought out and prepared in advance. This will include preparing the venue, arranging a layout, which is not only easy to access, but also attractive to participants and visitors, alike. Other points to work on: (i) transport facilities to and from the venue, covering routes to the airport, hotels, any special outings, etc; (ii) communications – telephones, fax, Internet facilities at the venue; (iii) customer services – conveniently located helpdesks or service points, spread around the venue, personnel to guide visitors or help them out in any way; (iv) ample security in and around the venue and places where participants and/or visitors are put up, and (v) miscellaneous and ancillary services such as first-aid, lighting, emergency procedures, etc.

These are just some of the most important factors, which you need to pay attention to, in great detail. Have a blueprint drawn well before the event, incorporating all these requirements and you are well on your way to organizing and holding a successful trade show.

About The Author

Tiffany Provost writes about marketing and other business tips for HowToDoThings.com.

Let’s take a look at what an expert really is. It is not some mythical stature, achieved by a select few. The Oxford Dictionary defines an expert as “a person who is very knowledgeable about or skillful in a particular area.” Nowhere does it state that you have to be the absolute best at what they do. Take Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees, for example. Is he an expert hitter? You bet. Is he the best hitter to ever play the game? No, but that doesn’t make him any less an expert. Is Dr. Arun Singh at Rhode Island Hospital an expert cardiothoracic surgeon? Definitely. Is he the best in the world? Most likely not, but he is one of the very best in the New England region.

How to be recognized as an expert

First and foremost, you have to decide that you are, or will be, an expert. If you need additional knowledge, skill, or experience, get it. Read, take courses, give free services … do whatever it takes to overcome what it is that keeps you from being an expert. Perhaps all you have to overcome is your fear of sounding pretentious. Don’t give this a second thought. By using the word judiciously, this isn’t a problem.

Although considering yourself to be an expert is the first step, being considered an expert by your target audience requires consistent demonstration of your expertise. Following are some of the ways you can accomplish this.

Here’s one caution. Do not try to become an expert at everything. I often here people say, “I specialize in all aspect of my profession.” I highly doubt that’s true. Even if it is, does it benefit them? Would you want to have brain surgery done by a doctor who told you he is a neurosurgeon, cardiologist, otolaryngologist, and proctologist? Probably not.

Speaking

Speaking is an excellent way to showcase your knowledge, accomplishments, and abilities. The opportunities are almost endless. They include being a keynote or breakout speaker at conferences. You can produce your own seminars or do so with the help of your local Chamber of Commerce or other organization. The same is true for workshops. You can serve on a panel at your industry’s meetings — local, regional, or national.

Because there are so many opportunities, you might not know where to begin. My suggestion is that you look at your industry or a related field. If there are monthly meetings, do they have speakers? Are there special events where speakers are featured? Do chambers in other areas of the country invite people in your profession to speak, and if so, on what topics? Once you begin investigating, you’ll be surprised at the number of possibilities that exist.

Writing

When I mention writing, people think of newspapers, magazines, and books and that their chances of getting published are slim. Even if that were true, there are many more avenues available to those who want to write about subjects they know well.

Let’s discuss writing articles. To begin, you don’t have to look any further than the Chambers of Commerce. They are often looking for well-written articles that they can use in their newspapers. You can also provide articles to your local newspaper and industry journals. Of course you can publish your own newsletter or write for someone else’s. The correct option is the one that works for you.

Above are some of the outlets for articles on paper. Online vehicles offer you a completely new set of tactics. Just like the paper versions, you can write for your own newsletter (often referred to as an ezine) or for someone else who already has a list of subscribers or recipients. Another venue for articles is online article depositories and distributors. These are places where you submit your articles for review. If accepted, the articles are included in the databases. From there, people can either read them or actually use them in their online publications. This is done at no charge. How does this help? The people who use the articles agree to include your resource box. This is where you let readers know how they can benefit from your services or obtain additional information — much like my resource box at the end of this article.

Writing a book or books is an extremely powerful way to demonstrate that you are an expert. Whether published by publishers or yourself, a book has long been the epitome of writing. Even accomplished news columnists are compelled to write books. And it’s not as difficult as you may think. Let’s say you have written a number of articles. Then you have the basis for several chapters in your book. And a book does not have to be lengthy. It can be as short or long as necessary to get its point across. You can also write an e-book, which is a short book that is made available for downloading online.

Other ideas

The list could go on, but I will conclude with just a few more ideas. People who are interviewed by the press are looked at as experts. By prudently sending out press releases and becoming known to the press, you better your chances of being one of the people they turn to. Speaking of interviews, you may also make yourself available to other experts who are writing their own books or articles and need opinions and personal viewpoints.

Tips sheets and special reports make wonderful products that you can give to your prospects and clients or use as add-ons. These are generally rather short, but they once again indicate that you have sufficient expertise in your field.

Now you have several ways to be a recognized expert in your field. It’s time to jump in and start swimming!

About The Author

Peter George is the marketing coach and recognized expert who helps self-employed professionals attract more clients, make more profits, and have more time to enjoy life. Immediately download 101 Ways to Attract More Clients at http://MoreClientsMoreProfits.com

Business cards are the staple of most advertising work, and a good business card is a great way to get your name and business out to individuals in your community. The reason that business cards work so well on a local level is simply due to the fact that they are so personal in nature. They usually have your name, phone number, address and company logo, but the best part about your business card is that they closely connect to you. Either you personally gave the card to your prospective customer, or they received the card from a friend who has used your company and have been pleased with your services. That intimacy is incredibly valuable in finding people who will not only show up at your business, but who will also continue to do business with you. Another way to use business cards is to post them in popular local restaurants and retail establishments. Many communities treasure their home grown locations for food and entertainment, and seeing your business card connected to such establishments can be wonderful press. Local success is all about building relationships within the community, and business cards can help to accomplish that goal.

Another way to promote your business well on a local level is with post cards and brochures. On the surface, brochures are distant and impersonal, but a well-established brochure can function as an extension of a personal meeting with an individual. The key to using brochures well is found in the method of distribution. Leaving them in a plastic container at your receptionist’s desk is going to do little for you. Instead, find a way to get those brochures out into the community. The same goes for post cards.

A few good ways to get post cards and brochures out into the community would be to attend your town’s community day parade and have a company float that connects your business’ services to the intimacy of the town. Have employees, friends, and family walk around the float handing out brochures with candy attached for the children, and you will have created a great marketing attraction. Town events are an excellent way to get your name and face out into the community. However, if all you ever do at these events is talk about your business, you may gain a reputation as something of a self-promoter. Be sure to take some time to let your guard down and enjoy the festivities. Do not just be a distant business person who sits aside watching the community while trying to get money from them. Become part of what is going on around you. Personal involvement in the community can become some of the best publicity.

A way to enhance your involvement in the local business community is by getting involved in your town’s chamber of commerce. The chamber of commerce, to an extent, has its finger on the pulse of the town’s economic activity. Becoming personally involved in the work that is done by your local chamber is a great way to establish yourself as trustworthy and credible. It also will help you stay up to date with what is going one with other businesses in the community. Using the chamber of commerce to your advantage can be invaluable to a small, local business owner.

While doing all of this to develop relationships out in the community, you need to also maintain the utmost in professionalism back at the office. Spend the money for customized stationary. A letter with your company’s letterhead on it looks a lot better than one on regular printing paper. Make sure you have a high quality sign printed at the front of your building as well. It is easy as a small business to neglect these kinds of details because the budget is usually limited. If your business does not give the impression of a well established, well financed operation, customers will usually stay away. Finding the right combination between professionalism at the office and intimacy in the community will help your small business flourish in the local sphere.

Establishing local roots for a company can be a daunting task. With the internet providing such easy access to consumers everywhere, it can be very challenging to show the people around you why they should stay close to home. In order to get them to notice that you are offering products and services that are significant, it is important to reach out to them on a personal, relational level, while also staying professional. Using business cards, brochures, and post cards well is a great way to establish you and your business as a part of the local community. At the office, using custom stationary and other custom printing will allow you to give the appearance of a professional institution. Maintaining both ideals is a great way to find your niche with local consumers.

About The Author

Nick Kakolowski is a freelance writer who writes about business and networking, often describing is specific aspect of networking such as utilizing business cards .

The Small Business Administration has offices in most parts of the country. Although getting face-to-face assistance has become a bit more difficult in recent years due to budget cuts ordered by the Bush administration, the Small Business Administration also has a website packed with helpful information, forms, tutorials and online courses. Small business owners can count on the Small Business Administration for accurate information on laws affecting small businesses, tax and social security information and small business statistics.

The Small Business Administration’s sister organization, the Service Corps of Retired Executives provides mentoring and in-person courses for small business owners. The Service Corps of Retired Executives was created by a group of retired executives from large corporations who wanted to continue using their business skills after retirement to mentor small business owners.

Local Chambers of Commerce are another excellent resource. Chambers of Commerce typically serve two functions: Promoting the business climate of the area to outside investors and serving as a networking hub for existing businesses. However, due to the rise in entrepreneurship, many Chambers of Commerce are beginning to offer seminars to start up business owners including marketing, bookkeeping and other topics. They may also offer special networking events geared toward new businesses just getting started.

Once you get your business started, there is no better resource for networking than your local Chamber of Commerce. The annual fee is typically modest and covers your attendance at more functions than you could possibly find the time to attend. For example, the Chamber of Commerce in West Palm Beach, Florida offers networking breakfasts, lunches, cocktail hours and dinners. They also offer special networking events targeted at certain business sectors, sponsorship of corporate events and a member directory with advertisements from their membership.

About The Author

Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Business, Real Estate, and Employment

It is every American’s dream. To own and operate their own business, to be their own boss, to be in charge of their life! Every new business is started by someone who gets an ‘entrepreneurial seizure’. That is, they believe they have an idea for a service or product that is better than, faster than and of better quality than what some others can do. In a fury, they quit a job and start their own business haphazardly and end up getting in a jam because they didn’t follow the natural order of beginning their own business. This article will explore what those steps are, and how, if they are done correctly will greatly benefit the one taking them.

•I. Check your State’s Business Website for possible conflicts in naming your business.

When you choose a name for your business it should be unique, and yet say something about what you do. Some have chosen the route of using humor to get their point across. “The System’s Down” for a computer repair business, “He’s Not Here” for a bar infamous for refusing to tell wives where their husbands’ are. What you don’t want to do is give your business the same or almost the same name as another company. Check the local sites and make sure you can legally use the name you choose.

•II. Get your EIN number.

It’s as easy as logging on to the IRS.gov website and filling out the online form to receive your EIN instantly, don’t check the box to wait for it to come in the mail, you want to get started ASAP, so make sure you get the number and print the page it appears on. You will need that number before you finish any of the next steps.

•III. Incorporate your business. (What forms you will need.)

In order to incorporate correctly, a lot of people have used online help. It’s not cheap, but it is far cheaper than the possibility of making a mistake and having to dissolve a new corporation and begin again. Unless you have done this before, you can leave it to the experts and skip a few of the next steps entirely. The next question is what kind of incorporation do you need? You have two choices for an incorporated business. There is the S-Corp, by far, the most popular option because of the taxation advantages. And then there is the C-Corp, which does have its own advantages which the double taxation drawback can sometimes more than makes up for. The other option is not incorporating at all and sticking with either a sole proprietorship or partnership. Both are easier to deal with at year end and cheaper to get taxes prepared but can leave the business owner open to getting personal property taken if there were a bankruptcy or lawsuit. In my humble opinion, the form of business with the most headaches is a partnership and the best form is the S-Corp. But that’s just my opinion.

•IV. Create your Article’s of Incorporation.

The cheap way to do this is to cut and paste another corporations’ Article’s of Incorporation and replace their name with yours. You can do this legally, but as I am not a lawyer, I would take the safe road mentioned previously and get an expert to do it for me.

•V. Create your company’s Charter.

Let’s face it; before I started my own business, I wasn’t sure what someone would be looking for in a Charter. It basically spells out the days for board meetings and who will succeed who should there ever be a vacancy. Again, I would prefer to put something like this in the hands of someone who does it regularly as they will know who to ask what and put it together for you professionally. A lot of online services have popped up; make sure you deal with a reliable one if you go that route.

•VI. Open your business bank account.

his is the step that most people START with. Then they learn that the business name they chose is taken, or that now they are incorporated, they need a different kind of bank account. The most important thing to remember with the business bank account is that it is supposed to forever be separate from your personal accounts. This is to protect the corporate veil, i.e. that layer of protection afforded to you in a potential lawsuit.

•VII. Register with the state to pay for unemployment taxes, sales taxes, etc.

Each state will have its own site to pay taxes online, in Florida; before you register you are given a brief quiz about the kind of collecting you will do in your business. Are there vending machines involved or fuel subsidies? Etc. Most businesses will only have to worry about the SUTA or State Unemployment Tax. Paying online is important as the states are usually stricter than the federal in collections. Fines and penalties are what build a lot of bridges in this state.

•VIII. Register with EFTPS to pay payroll taxes online.

Every pay day you have, you must set aside half of your employees’ payroll taxes out of your account and half deducted from your employee’s pay, along with the Federal Withholding. Using the online payment option at the EFTPS site means you won’t have to be sending checks that could get lost or late. Register now even if you don’t have employees yet and get your internet passwords written down.

•IX. Build your company’s website.

These days a company without a website is not a company. Simply put, if you cannot point potential customers to a site featuring your work and some information about your business, those potential customers will go elsewhere. The internet today is what the Yellow Pages were 20 years ago. Often, if you get email, your internet provider will give you internet space for free. For example, EarthLink will give you a certain amount of space for free, and using the Trellis builder allows you to build, change, and update your site easily. Go to a hosting site, such as Go Daddy and pay for a redirect to your email free site. (Don’t pay for the hosting, just the redirect!)

•X. READ articles on promoting your site through QuickBooks, Google, and Yahoo search engines.

I don’t know about you but my Yellow pages books are under my old couch, holding it up where the legs are uneven. When people are looking for services today, they use Google, Yahoo, or Craigslist. A lot of advertising can be done through your QuickBooks software by clicking on the Google Marketing Tools icon. Read all you can about successful people using these sites. It is not necessary to pay for a pay per click campaign when you use some FREE common sense steps to market your business to your clientele.

•XI. Start your marketing campaign. (Business cards, postcards, etc)

If you are struggling to put together the green after paying to incorporate, etc you may not exactly have the ability to market your business with essentials. (Business Cards, Post Cards, Brochures, etc.) All of these can be found for reasonable prices online, I use Vistaprint as the specials they have with 250 free cards, 500 free postcards, etc have filled out my marketing ammo for nothing but shipping. I prefer not to use the Office big box stores as they don’t sell quantities less than 5000 and I took a while to find a professional design that worked for me, you will too, don’t worry about that.

•XII. Build your clientele.

Remember that if you are following this step by step, you are still gainfully employed somewhere. You have to build a clientele slowly, possibly spending your first year as a part time corporate president, until you have enough regular clientele that you can comfortably ease up on your day job. Your clientele are more than just a source of immediate income, they have friends, relatives and neighbors that you don’t have. So on to the next step.

•XIII. Ask your satisfied clientele for referrals.

A satisfied client can gloat on you; just make sure that you deliver the goods when they do. Then, you have two satisfied clients. Ask them to fill out referral forms so you can tap into their market and do the same for them as well.

•XIV. Finally, as soon as the money is rolling in regularly quit your day job.

You didn’t start this business thinking that you want two jobs forever. As soon as you can pay your bills comfortably, and perhaps have somewhat of a surplus in your business account, fire your boss! Use the spare time you have now to promote your business and its’ services with the following tips.

•1. Join a local chamber of commerce. – My membership at the Kissimmee chamber has paid for itself a hundredfold and more. Become an active participant and join a leads group. You will get more clients out of the relationships you make than you will in making a hundred sales pitches.

•2. Join a BNI – like a chamber of commerce, just less formal.

•3. Volunteer time (or services) at the local YMCA; sponsor a team with shirts or equipment.

•4. Spend that extra time you have with family, because as busy as you may get, you want to have the joy of watching your kids grow. And if you don’t have any kids, spend that extra time in making yourself more successful by taking time OUT of business and reinvigorating yourself. Take classes, go to seminars and LEARN!

Conclusion

Success is not a goal for the future. It is a journey, doing something you love doing and getting paid for it. I’ve met many a wealthy person who would trade it all to take that risk they never took and enjoy their lives and work all the more. Good luck all of you.

About The Author

Homesoon Accounting, ten years experience in tax prep, bookkeeping and fraud prevention, located in Kissimmee and servicing St. Cloud and Orlando areas. Call David Roberts for help in Quickbooks, tax preparation or fraud prevention at 407-968-5241

At the chamber show there were booths ranging from home improvement to local banks. There were SEO companies, restaurants, technology based companies, and cell phone companies. All there with the same purpose and for the most part the same strategy of networking.

From my study of the folks at the show here is how it works and why it works. First of all, everyone there for the most part was a member of the Chamber and they all had a booth. Second, each booth would send sales people out to go around to other booths and repeat a pretty simple pitch.

“Hi Marty”, (everyone had name tags), “What do you and your company do?”

That’s it! With that simple question people would share what they do and why they do it. Then the wandering rep would just have to decide if THEY could help that booth with their business. I couldn’t believe it! I would think that your booth was set up to draw business while in reality the booth was just a place for others to pitch their service to you!

While wandering myself I spoke with a few local companies that perform SEO services and web services more or less to see what others in my industry where up to but I noticed the real use of the selling to booth strategy when I walked up to a booth that stages homes before sale.

As a strategic person I understand the importance of staging a home and I am planning on selling my house in the next 5 years so I approached the TBJ Home Staging Impressions booth. As I chatted with Gayle she told me that this is a new adventure for her and that she was having a website created as we speak. CHA-CHING! Now she was talking my language and I knew how I could help her. I explained that I am into that type of work and that I offer web hosting all the while I grabbed one of her business cards and slipped it into my wallet right next to my own business card which I handed to her.

Now, I might not hear from Gayle about hosting but the importance of networking is still there. I may need to stage my house and I only know one person who does that and she may need to host her site still, where I am sure I will be fresh on her mind.

Think of networking like lottery tickets. The more tickets you pick up the greater chance you will have of winning! Even though the chance is minimal, the reward is worth it.

Join online social groups, go to shows and conferences, and talk to anyone that will listen. You’re only helping your business when you do!

About The Author

DJL has offered web solutions for a number of years that include everything from printing to programming. In 2007 DJL shifted their main focus into web hosting and hosting education to teach others the in’s and out’s of an ever changing industry.

http://www.djlsolution.com -   http://www.how-2-host.com

Well, that’s what should be happening anyway. When it comes to validating your business plan it’s not a bad idea to apply the following rule and see what the outcome is:-

1. Halve your revenue expectations
2. Double your costs

If you’re still making money then you really could be in with a shout of starting your own business and having a viable business to boot. Congratulations!

The serious point to this however is if you now look at your costs and try and find ways to reduce them, then this should be a really useful exercise. How many businesses go bust in their infancy due to “cash flow problems”? Taking control of your costs in this way will really ensure that you give your business every chance of success.

One of the biggest costs that any new business has is advertising and marketing and a great frustration is that to the inexperienced professional it can be a bit hit and miss in terms of its success and if you find it to be more miss than hit, then the odds are that your going to find it an expensive business too.

One way to get targeted advertising in a relatively low cost environment is business networking and if you’re really lucky you may find that there are a local business networking events in your area. If you’re not having success in this area then consider contacting your local chamber of commerce.

There are two big chamber organisations in the USA and one in the UK

The British Chamber of Commerce

The British Chamber is a non-political, non-profit making organisation comprising of over 56 accredited Chambers all over the UK.

The fundamental aim of the British Chamber to ensure that UK business thrives and it does this by working with key decision-makers in government to try and influence policy.

It’s at the local level however where you will find support to the business community providing services, information and guidance to its members such as business networking events through free legal advice and reduced insurance.

The US Chamber of Commerce

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce was established in 1912 is still the world’s largest business federation representing over 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions. There are hundreds of associations and thousands of local chambers in the US and it also includes over one hundred organizations abroad.

Just as the British Chamber its primary goal is to”fight for business and free enterprise before Congress, the White House, regulatory agencies, the courts, the court of public opinion, and governments around the world.”

The US chamber provides a multitude of services from advice, information and education and again at the local level, support in the form of business networking information and events.

The U.S Women’s Chamber of Commerce

The Womens Chamber supports both female business owners and career professionals with the objective of creating business and leadership opportunities for women.

It provides numerous services to deliver government contracting opportunities and provide access to education and development programmes. It runs a variety of events aimed at bringing women together to learn about and discuss topical issues with other women.

So in summary there is a wealth of opportunity out there to promote your growing business with out spending a fortune and a great place to start is your local Chamber of Commerce.

About The Author

Louise Yates shares business networking information and business networking tips for generating referrals and free sales leads together with performance business coaching for your work, life and career development.

While the chambers in the US must be registered, businesses are not required but are encouraged to join. Large chambers that work together are better able to protect the interest of its members, sway local business trends and even change the local community for the better.

A chamber of commerce is able to highlight and support its particular local businesses such as startups which may help to pave the way for future success. Also, they can rally around a long standing company which may have deep roots but be experiencing hard times. On the opposite side chamber members can officially or unofficially blacklist certain local businesses or members they feel are counterproductive to developing a good strong local community, environment and economy.

With this power comes the responsibility to know your community. Know the foundations and the goals, and try to influence them for the good. Sometimes strictly looking at the business side of the community ignores such issues as the need to tear down a rundown building in order to build a community park. A farsighted plan is able to see the value in supporting something good for the communities which will in turn support the environment and the economy of that community.

The local environments are a difficult issue for local communities to tackle. The solving or correcting of bad business’ environmental problems is costly and sometimes painful to confront. It may mean turning to a longstanding member of the chamber and urging them to stop a certain practice or even pursing legislative action.

When focused on building these strong communities and healthy environments chambers are in turn building the local economy. Furthermore, strong economies only get stronger when surrounded by these healthy communities. Take for example a chamber of commerce which commences a revitalization plan for a dying downtown, if they clean up the area and promote a sense of community with its inhabitants it will consecutively foster more and more business activities in that community.

One great way for a local chamber of commerce to rally its members together and connect with the community is to put on a local chamber of commerce trade show. Almost every chamber now has these trade shows since they are a great way for business to connect and actually see what other services and products other members offer. These shows also allow non-members to see the value being a member and also meeting other local business people.

Often non-profit or local organizations can reserve a trade show booth so that they can let a broader audience know their concerns. And since businesses are usually able to make a bigger impact, bending the ear of local business people is a great way to further your campaign for change.

Another great way to connect is simply hosting non-formal social events, such as having food and drinks at a local restaurant on Friday afternoon. Hosting these events is a great way for business people to connect in a more laid back and welcoming environment. Hosting such events captures a broader interest so more members are likely to attend, which promotes a sense of community among business owners.

Building a stronger chamber of commerce through having social events or putting on a trade show will in turn help foster a better chamber community. And that better community will be able to build a better community at large, a cleaner environment and a stronger local economy.

About The Author

Andy Keeler is the owner of MODdisplays.com, an internet-based trade show booth sales company. While MODdisplays sells trade show products and exhibit accessories like trade show flooring on a national scale, the company is a strong supporter of local communities. They can be found online at: http://www.moddisplays.com .