September 2014
Business Advocacy - We Mean Business! By Sara Guild Inform. Educate. Advocate. Through these three actions, the Chamber’s Business Advocacy Committee (BAC) strives to show our members that “We Mean Business!” When I started my position as Government Affairs Director last fall, I quickly learned that these actions are the keys to remaining an indispensable resource in the region and have worked to ensure that everything the BAC does is with one or more of these in mind. However, I have also learned that not all of our members fully understand what is meant when we say that the BAC “informs, educates and advocates” for its members. Therefore, during the next few months, I am going to use this platform to clarify what each of these points mean to advocacy and, more importantly, how the BAC is implementing these actions for the benefit of its members. This month, we will focus on Inform. Inform: to communicate information or knowledge. This is the first step of advocacy. The Chamber believes that business is best prepared for success
In this issue . . . • • • • • • •
Member News Ambassadors Featured Member Volunteer Spotlight New Members Ribbon Cuttings Chamber Volleyball Tournament
when members are aware of what is happening in government and can use that knowledge to benefit their businesses. Knowledge empowers business owners to make informed decisions about how to best support their business, which is a win for everyone. We all know that the “red tape” of government is wrapped around every business, large or small. It can either hold a business together or tie it down, and that often depends on how informed a business is about its options. That is why the BAC strives to “inform” its members. A recent example of how the BAC has worked to inform its members is through last month’s electionsrelated communications. Members were notified in early August that the Chamber has dedicated a portion of its advocacy website to Elections Education. Members can visit this site to get informed about who is running for the offices impacting this region and quickly find links to information like campaign websites, Facebook pages and media interviews. Of special importance, members can also read each candidate’s responses to an extensive survey created by the BAC in July 2014. Candidates were asked to state exactly how they plan to address some very specific business-related issues that our members said were most important to them during a June 2014 survey. The BAC will continue to update this website and send out important elections(continued)
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