Penobscot Bay — Membership in a chamber of commerce is a great investment. For all but the very largest businesses, annual membership dues work out to less than the cost of a cup of coffee a day, and even then flexible payment plans are usually available. The value returned on that dues payment bears thinking about once in a while: it is quite incredible!

With that dues investment a chamber member gets a great range of services. There is the immediate access to marketing and promotion through the website, social media, the regional guide, and information centers in Camden and Rockland: all three tools provide great exposure and referrals for all businesses, regardless of size or industry. There are the Chamber staff and volunteers, tireless advocates for your business with customers both near and far. There is the business-to-business effect of members recommending members and doing business with members, or getting together to network at a Business After Hours, a dinner, a golf tournament, or the Business Expo. There are the educational opportunities too: through Chamber-sponsored seminars or through connections to programs, classes, and events that come to the region and partner with us to provide you with the tools to keep the business edge. In the same vein, there’s the weekly email Friday Report, special updates, the member blog and pages on the website, and a quarterly print newsletter.

Through your Chamber membership your business or organization can qualify for exclusive programs like Anthem’s Chamber Blue Options health insurance plans, a new Long Term Care insurance discount, and other service-, supply-, and purchasing discounts.

Thanks to your Chamber membership you are also part of the 4^th largest chamber in the state of Maine, albeit one that keeps an intensely local focus. Our non-partisan educational efforts serve to advocate for our members in local government and at the state and federal level, while our connectivity to statewide organizations and government at all levels means as a member you have access to timely, helpful information on programs and initiatives designed to help you prosper.

It is also important to note that a series of national studies have shown time and again that consumers consider businesses that are members of a Chamber of Commerce in a more favorable light.

But with all these things, your dues investment won’t do you any good unless you take advantage of the services you have purchased with it. Think of your Chamber membership as being akin to a gym membership: you can pay it every year but unless you work out occasionally you aren’t going to be in any better shape. The Chamber is there for you to make use of: you are paying for it, after all.

Some of you may be fairly new to the Chamber world while others of you may have belonged for decades. No matter how long your participation however, there are always new things on offer to engage with as part of your Chamber membership. As we tell prospective and new members, we are here to help you expand your reach, expand your visibility, expand your knowledge, expand your power, and- most importantly- expand your business. Start working those Chamber muscles today.

For more information on joining the Chamber, contact Robin (596-0376 or robin@penbaychamber.com) or Karen (236-4404 or karen@penbaychamber.com) or visit us online at http://mainedreamvacation.com/content/why-join-our-chamber