A Great Time to be Part of the Chamber

Contributed by Dale Steenbergen, President and CEO
Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce
December 2007

The holidays are a great time to reflect on how lucky we are to live, work, and do business in Cheyenne and the surrounding region. I never cease to be amazed at the dedication that our citizens have to this community. Motivated members are the dream of chamber staffers everywhere and in Cheyenne we certainly have them. I am always pleased at how well our members attend the different events that the chamber hosts. Last month we had a very large crowd at Business After Hours and a great showing of support when we unveiled our boot and the artwork for 2008. Although we always have great support at our social events, our support for more serious affairs is excellent as well. Woody Allan has a quote that says (and I paraphrase) "90% of life is just showing up" and I think it has quite a message for all of us. Whether it be paying attention to the details in our business, helping the community prosper through volunteerism or just supporting our neighbors by attending the events sponsored by their organizations, our community always shows up.

I am so excited about the possibilities for our chamber and our community in the coming year. I would like to share with you a few of the neat projects that are on tap for the next few months. One of the first changes you will notice in 2008 is our new web presence. We will have a fresh new web site and a powerful new membership software tool to reinforce the site. The new site will be a tremendous boost to your businesses by providing cutting edge technology coupled with professional marketing. You and the community will be a part of a web "map" that will send you to what you are looking for with the fewest number of clicks. Pertinent information will be more easily found on the site and the images used on the site will be designed to inspire positive response from the browser. The new web site will have updated calendars, blogs, chat room opportunities, links to business and government entities and more user friendly accoutrements. The new site will be color coded to quickly drive traffic toward their intended destination.
With new pictures, sights, and sounds the site is sure to a popular web destination and a partner to increase the bottom line for your business. The software driving the membership services of this site is no less impressive. Members can use the software to define how their business is represented to the world through the chamber. Members will be able to register for chamber events online, pay their dues through ACH, manipulate their personal information, update business information, post jobs, post specials and offer specials to chamber members. The web and marketing opportunities offered by the sight will be second to none!

The chamber is also embarking on a new partnership with the U.S. Chamber entitled the U.S. Chamber Federation Partnership. This new program allows our small businesses to receive the benefits of U.S. Chamber membership by being a member here locally. Many of you will receive newsletters, federal legislative updates, access to hundreds of small business tools (marketing, planning, budgeting and banking tools examples) to improve your bottom line. You will also receive opportunities to express your opinion about how we at the local chamber and the folks at the U.S. Chamber can help you improve your bottom line. The Federation Partnership Program provides you as local small business the opportunity to reap the benefits of US Chamber membership without added cost burden.

The chamber is also proud to announce its intention to become an accredited chamber of commerce. Accreditation is the benchmark by which chambers are measured and then recognized for excellence. The accreditation symbol is a that your chamber is efficient and effective and is working toward the high standards of integrity and responsibility you expect.
I am thankful, thankful to live in a community that believes in their ability to change the destiny of their business and community. We are blessed that we have a great partnership like the chamber to facilitate our hopes and dreams and work toward greatness for our community and our business