A business that invests in a Chamber membership can get $12 out of every $1 they invest in the organization. The Chamber provides services designed to help build and strengthen local businesses. As a member/investor in the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce our local businesses are part of one of the largest business associations in Western New York. By pooling the investments of our members the Chamber is able to provide a variety of services that help to drive foot and internet traffic to member businesses, connecting business to business, providing cost saving solutions for employee benefits and human resources compliance, advocating on behalf of the business community, and supporting tourism, workforce development, and economic development. Through all of this service, Chamber members businesses get a significant value for the low cost of their investment.

The Chamber helps its member/investors increase sales by driving foot traffic and internet traffic to their business. Through offerings such as the Gift Card program and local event programming the Chamber drives customers directly to the doors of our local member businesses. The Chamber’s gift card is accepted by 150 local retailers and restaurants, the Gift Card has had a more than $3 million impact on our local economy. Through a network of community chambers a variety of local event programming is delivered, with a focus on helping bring customers in the door of local businesses. The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce offers a unique system that promotes community-based programming to meet the needs of local businesses in Dunkirk, Fredonia, Hanover, Jamestown, Mayville-Chautauqua, and Westfield-Barcelona. By operating six Community Chambers of Commerce under a single umbrella, resources are maximized, and each local community gets the attention it deserves to encourage business success.

Watch for an announcement coming soon on new ways the Chamber can help local businesses increase their sales!

The Chamber has long been a leader in providing health insurance for local businesses and employee groups, and now has even more to offer through a variety of carriers, including health and ancillary insurance products. For medium and large size businesses we partner with Lawley Benefits Group to offer innovative cost saving insurance solutions.

Through an accessible online platform local companies can also meet human services requirements through the Chamber. We provide a human resource management platform and a learning management system to provide helpful tools to keep your workplace compliant with Federal and State regulations. The system has also been expanded now to offer courses for employee groups on COVID protection measures for the workplace.

The Chamber is an advocate for business. When businesses were forced to close this year due to the spreading threat of COVID-19, the Chamber ramped up its communication and advocacy roles. We worked to provide timely and fact-based information for all types of businesses, and to make the re-opening process as easy and transparent as possible.

Working with a number of partner organizations the Chamber builds relationships that foster workforce development programs, help to support and promote local tourism, and create an environment for business expansion.

To learn more about the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce, visit us online at www.chautauquachamber.org.

CELEBRATE AWARD RECIPIENTS WITH THE CHAMBER’S VIRTUAL AWARDS EVENT

Each year the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce recognizes the dedication and efforts of people and organizations countywide during our Annual Awards Banquet. This year we will do the same, but we will do it online.

The Virtual Awards Banquet is October 8 at 6pm. We will pay tribute to a number of individuals and organizations as follows: Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce Person of the Year Award will go to the Small Business Revolution Committee and the Business Selected for Season 5; the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Award is going to The Chautauqua Center. Community Service awards from each Community Chamber of Commerce will go to: Dunkirk – Roberto Fred; Fredonia – Michele Joy; Hanover – Betty Valvo; Jamestown – Russ and June Diethrick; Mayville-Chautauqua – Burl Swanson; and Westfield-Barcelona – James “Shaggy” Ruch.

The Chamber Virtual Awards Banquet is sponsored by Community Bank, County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency, Digitell, DFT Communications, Lawley Insurance, Media One Radio Group, National Grid, OBSERVER, and The Post-Journal.

We encourage all participants to get a delicious takeout meal from one of our many local restaurants or caterers and enjoy your own private ‘banquet’ experience while you watch our awards presentation online. To learn more visit our web page at www.chamberrsvp.org.

ENROLLMENT SEASON IS COMING: CONTACT THE CHAMBER FOR HEALTH INSURANCE

The Chamber has a demonstrated history of providing strong customer support along with a variety of health insurance plans and ancillary benefits to our members. For some businesses the New York State of Health is the best fit for their needs. In some cases, a better fit is for us to work directly with the carrier to help facilitate the insurance your business needs. We are constantly looking at and implementing innovative ways to lower costs and provide the most cost-effective insurance possible for our members. To learn more about the Chamber’s health insurance and ancillary offerings please contact our Director of Finance and Insurance Services, Holly McBride, at 499-6607 or hmcbride@chautauquachamber.org.