2023 has been a great year for the Chamber of Commerce. Through the hard work of our team, guidance of our Board, and support from volunteers, members, and partners like you, we can feel the momentum building. These successes are not circumstantial, in addition to all our regular programs and services, we’ve adopted and have begun to implement a strategic plan to refocus and guide our work over the next few years and beyond.

The first item we tackled was related to the direction identified in our plan as “Clarify who we (the chamber) are and what we do.” We started this work by revisiting our mission and vision statements. Through many hours our team looked at our services, listed important words both to our organization and our members, and ultimately crafted the following statements we are very excited about: “Our Mission is to build vital connections, provide professional resources, and champion our local businesses in Chautauqua County.”

Our Vision is that “The Chamber of Commerce is a critical partner in achieving consistent economic growth, resiliency, and prosperity to increase the collective opportunity for local businesses and organizations in Chautauqua County.”

With these guiding statements and strategic plan in mind, we are constantly evaluating programs and services to ensure we are meeting the mission and providing the best value for our members with the limited resources and time that we have.

Many in the business and leadership world may be familiar with the book “Good to Great” by Jim Collins. One concept described in the book is called “The Flywheel Effect.” What Collins’ team found in its studies is that successful companies that made the leap from good to great would build momentum over time. To illustrate, he describes a huge flywheel on an axel. Getting the flywheel to move can be very difficult at first. It takes a lot of effort to get the wheel to move. Each push of the flywheel in the same direction builds upon the last, making it easier and easier to increase momentum. Then, at some point there is a breakthrough where the momentum of the flywheel is in your favor, working for you with almost unstoppable momentum.

Contrary to the transformational companies, research showed that comparison companies often had an opposite experience which they coined “the doom loop.” These companies had no overarching direction and instead of the quiet, deliberate and decisive actions that flywheel companies would take, doom loop companies would frequently launch new programs seeking a quick fix, then pivot quickly to the next silver bullet, never able to build and sustain momentum.

This concept illustrates where we currently are at the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce. As a staff and board, we are cautiously evaluating our services and programs to make sure they’re on mission and turn the flywheel in a positive direction. We are also aware that each activity or item we spend time on that is ineffective or counter to the mission, slows our momentum and risks falling into the doom loop.

Our success is not only dependent upon our staff and board. Each of us can help push the flywheel and maximize our impact on the community. Everyone who decides to attend a Chamber event during the year has given a push to the flywheel. Anyone who sent another person from your organization because you were personally too busy, pushed the flywheel. If you sponsored a Chamber event or donated, you pushed the flywheel. Even seemingly small actions like purchasing a ShopLocalCHQ Gift Card or commenting to a store owner that you noticed the Chamber Member sticker on their door, pushes the flywheel forward.

Building momentum is tough, but that challenge eventually turns into maintaining momentum. We will keep working hard, and it won’t always be easy to have tough conversations and decisions. We hope you’ll keep all of this in mind as we move forward together, and that you’ll help us push the flywheel. The more we push together, the easier it is for all of us to build the momentum for our local business community.

Join Us for Business After Hours at Splash October 18

The Chamber of Commerce has added another Business After Hours event this fall! Join us Wednesday, October 18 at Splash, 60 Lakeside Drive, Bemus Point! This wine and tapas bar opened this year and is quickly becoming a local favorite. If you haven’t been yet this is the perfect time to try it out!

Business After Hours is designed as a networking opportunity for local businesspeople. Conveniently timed to meet your needs between workday and evening activities. The Chamber’s Business After Hours runs from 5-6:30pm, featuring appetizers, a cash bar, and a brief program that lets you know who’s who in the room. Remember to bring business cards for networking.

Chamber member businesses can send two people at no charge. For non-members or anyone above the two-person limit, the price is $10. Advance registration is not required but is appreciated for our planning purposes. Sign up online now through our web calendar at www.chqchamber.org. Business After Hours at Splash is sponsored by Splash, DFT Communications, Jamestown Community College, Media One Radio Group, National Grid, OBSERVER, and The Post-Journal.