The “30 Second Answer”

My first boss drilled into me the importance of being able to tell people what you do in 30 seconds. You can imagine how frustrated I was when I came to the Chamber and tried to come up with the 30-second answer to this question.

Think about it. The Chamber is involved in many aspects of life in North Augusta. We plan events, make referrals, follow City Council, County Council, State Legislature, plan and organize workshops, coordinate city events, operate as a visitor’s center, etc., etc., etc.

After 9 months, I quit worrying about the “30 second answer”. I had a handful of answers depending on the audience, but a couple of months ago Judy came back from a workshop and suggested that we give it another try.

This is what we came up with – The Chamber Promotes, Educates, and Advocates for our members, Citizens of North Augusta, and the CSRA.

We PROMOTE

This function is what most people think of when they think about the Chamber. We promote our members through office referrals, networking functions like AM connection, Business after Hours, Women in Business, Business Expo. etc. We like to think of ourselves as the HUB at the center of the wheel.

We also promote North Augusta. In many cases, people looking to relocate either call or come by to gather information. Our Community Guide, Map, and member information area are all designed to help newcomers get acclimated to North Augusta. The Chamber functions as a visitor’s center on a weekly, if not daily, basis.

Second, we EDUCATE

The primary area of focus is our professional development workshops.

Many of our members own or manage very small businesses and tend to be very good at what they do, but they don’t usually have a background in running a business. They are learning as they go. On the job training so to speak.

Because many of the attendees are representatives of our smaller businesses, we have tried to offer the workshops at no cost to members, and thanks to the generous sponsorship and gracious support of Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, we have been able to do just that.

Finally, we ADVOCATE

We serve as eyes and ears for our members at City Council, Planning and Zoning, County Council, and even the State Legislature. We want to make sure that the decisions made help create a better business environment.

The key to the Chamber’s effectiveness is a strong, broad base of committed, engaged members. We need your input on ways to provide more value and benefit to our members. We are always looking for ways to better serve our current members and to reach out to other businesses in our community.

A larger membership roster means a larger network for promotion, more experienced expertise to draw on when educating, and a louder voice when advocating.

Thank you all very much for your loyalty and support.

Brian Tucker, President
North Augusta Chamber of Commerce

Chamber News . Local Issues