Excellence in 2008

Contributed by Dale Steenbergen, President and CEO
Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce
January 2008

The end of the year is a busy time at the Chamber of Commerce. We are busy with budget planning, program of work, gift certificates and end of the year finances. Through all of this hurry the basic tenets of the chamber’s existence sometimes get lost in the administration that is necessary as the year draws to an end. It’s important to slow down and gain a perspective on the events and happenings of the past year and what their impact will be on the future.

The year 2007 was the chamber’s centennial. The chamber celebrated with special events and publications including the painting and mounting of our own big boot outside the depot. We had more than 500 members attend the CFD kick off lunch where we celebrated with our Hawaiian friends who will soon be celebrating the centennial of the Waiomina (100 years since a Hawaiian won the steer roping at CFD). The chamber had a transition of staff, too, as I came on board as CEO of the chamber and Susan Kruse joined us shortly after as Membership Director. There were many exciting events in the past year but perhaps most exciting of all was the renewed commitment to the core values of the chamber and how we intend to make these core values a reality in our chamber and our community. The items below are how we as a business organization intend to improve your business and your community in 2008.

The chamber has a renewed spirit in 2008 with effort to more clearly outline our business plan on an annual basis. We are committed to having a working document with specific goals that you as members can review and make suggestions about. We have streamlined staff function at the chamber to insure that the program of work is carried out and that our staff is responsive to member needs and concerns. We have backed our program of work up with a budget that is based on the activities of the committees of the chamber so that our organization can truly say that our handling of your finances is methodical, careful and meaningful.

The structure of the chamber has also been revived for 2008. We will have a member of your board of directors that is responsible for each committee and activity of the chamber and they will be monitoring and facilitating the activities of the chamber’s committees to make sure that we are moving forward with the goals of each segment of the chamber. We have streamlined every segment of administration in the chamber from technology and software to staffing so we can give you the most return for your investment dollar.

Creating a strong local economy has a new meaning in the chamber for 2008. We are adamant about moving beyond the usual paper filing of statistics that is common with chambers and becoming a one stop service for all of your business needs.

We want to be your first stop for business startup, business expansion and business questions. In 2008 you will see us more effectively use our partners like LCCC and the SBDC to become a one stop resource center for all of your business needs and questions. The newly formed alliance with the U.S. Chamber will also be a great help to small business members. This new partnership will provide small business members the tools and information they need to be more successful in 2008. In addition to the business services we will provide the chamber is also constantly facilitating the environment needed for our people to do business. Creating a desirable place to live work and do business has always been a primary goal of the organization and we are determined to remain steadfast in this pursuit.

The chamber will roll out a new website and marketing campaign after the first of the year. The new site will be a marketing centerpiece for community promotion but it will also provide added exposure for our businesses throughout the campaign. Community promotion is extremely important and I think you will like the new efforts that the chamber is exerting.

The year 2008 will mean many of the same important networking opportunities that you have come to expect. There will be some new twists to some of these events as we try to keep these meaningful and profitable for you. Your feed back through surveys tells us that networking is one of the most important aspects of the chamber.

The chamber will have a reinvigorated role in business advocacy and political action. The chamber is committed to carry the issues of our business community to the forefront of attention at local, county, state and government levels. Our promise to you is that we will advocate business to government in a way that is respectful of our friends and partners who are elected to represent us, but also boldly so that the needs of the business community are articulately presented.

Our new Action and Advocacy committee will work diligently to insure that we disseminate important information to our membership so that they can be informed well versed citizens regarding issues of importance. The role of Action and Advocacy in any chamber is to capitalize on the partnerships with our elected officials to help further the needs of the business community. We pledge to insure that our member’s needs are represented and that they can count on us as their #1 advocate.

The Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce has much to be proud of and yet we have much work to do. Our goal, as we work toward excellence in our chamber, is to work toward a better brighter tomorrow while never forgetting the principles and character that got us this far. If we can achieve that notion our chamber our region and our members will prosper both financially and socially.

I hope you had a Merry Christmas and enjoy a
Happy New Year.