WHAT IS THE COWETA CHAMBER?

The Coweta Chamber is an organization of businesses & people who pool their time, talent, & financial resources to build a better Coweta through progress & projects that increase employment, profit, & opportunities. We strive to maintain & enhance the quality of life for all who call Coweta home.

It is not a governmental agency, but it is supported largely by membership investments of the business, professional & non-profit community. It is not an organization that represents any one segment of business however, we work to enhance growth opportunities of both small & large firms in the entire Coweta area.

IS THE CITY OF COWETA AND THE COWETA CHAMBER ONE ORGANIZATION?

This is a fairly common misconception in many communities. Certainly, Chambers of Commerce and City Government must work together for the benefit of the community, especially in terms of economic development issues. However, they are two very separate entities.

The Chamber is a voluntary group of businesses and individuals that work together to improve the business and quality of life climate in a community and the organization is funded through membership investment dues and fund raising. Chambers are prohibited from endorsing political candidates, although they may takes sides on ISSUES.

The City is a governmental agency - they are responsible for running the city - infrastructure, construction issues, financing projects, etc.

I don't have time to be involved.

Most of our members don't have spare time. That's why the Chamber exists; for busy business people who don't have time to monitor legislation, attract business, etc. How much time would it take you to monitor all the issues that affect your business daily?

You don't have to attend any of the events or functions unless you want. You can pick and choose the activities your company might be interested in. Whether you participate or not, the investment you make in the Chamber works for you.

Timing isn't good for me to join right now. My business is new and is not established yet.

Actually, the Chamber has ways to help you become well established like helping you make valuable business contacts at our various networking events. We can also schedule a ribbon cutting to help you get some additional publicity.

I belong to too many clubs already.

You probably do, and it's time you weighed the return you gain from each. Consider weighing the advantages of the Chamber membership to your bottom line and see what kind or a return we can give you for your investment.

There is not another organization like the Chamber that represents business concerns. You don't have to be involved personally to be a good Chamber member; you might have someone from your company represent you, but either way the dollars you invest in the Chamber will repay you many times over.

I don't agree with some of the things the Chamber of Commerce does.

The only way the Chamber could avoid disagreements would be to adopt a 'do nothing' policy. You wouldn't want that kind or Chamber. By being a member, your voice can be heard when you disagree. Otherwise, Chamber leaders only have the voices of current members.

The Chamber represents the general business community, which means that many different views are taken into account on every issue. And sometimes the issues are hard ones because the Chamber is an action organization. The members are dedicated as a group to be democratic; although occasionally we may not do what you want, in general our programs do help your business progress.

I would like to volunteer to help with the Chamber activities.

To inquire about volunteer opportunities, please contact the Chamber office at 486.2513.

I don’t have time to become heavily involved in Chamber activities. Does that decrease the value of my membership?

Not at all. In fact, only about 15% of our members participate actively in volunteer positions with the Chamber. Your membership is designed to give you a tremendous return on your investment even if you do not have the time to get heavily involved. Of course, if you DO have the time, you can certainly reap extra benefits.

It seems like the Chamber is always trying to raise funds and is always asking for donations. What does the Chamber do with all that money?

Without membership investments, fund raising revenues and other sources of income, we are not able to represent the best interests of business and community as well as our members expect us to. Those funds are used by the Chamber to deliver quality programs and resources that our members not only expect, but deserve.

Doesn’t the Chamber really just serve the needs of the larger businesses in town?

That is a common assumption or perception. Actually, you may be surprised to find that at least 85% of chamber members are SMALL businesses with fewer than 25 employees.

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