Thanks to a face-to-face meeting with the city, brokered by the Chamber, we’re now confident that when a City contract comes up for quote or tender, we’ll be in with a good chance to win the work. It really helps to have an organisation like the Chamber of Commerce going in to bat for you.

DYCCI has provided both tangible benefits through the web of support and advice, and intangible benefits through networking and local market intelligence. Importantly, the Chamber has been there to advocate on ABEC’s behalf, voicing our concerns or support for local matters. As a specific example, members of the Chamber’s committee advocated proactively on behalf of ABEC, to increase our profile with City of Busselton Officers. This was mutually beneficial, it allowed ABEC to offer the City services that would be otherwise procured from outside of the local area, and assisted the City expend ratepayers’ funds within the region.

I’ve found the comradeship that comes with being a member of the chamber invaluable. Being a small business owner can be quite isolating, so being with other like minded business owners to problem solve and support each other is fantastic. Plus, the range of training workshops the chamber runs are terrific, particularly around the ‘dark art’ of social media. For such a tiny investment, the bang for buck is terrific!