Benefits, Bonuses & The Bottom Line

We Pack the most value into your Chamber membership by taking advantage of the opportunities we offer. The Chamber is all about member success.

 

 

Marketing Opportunities from the Chamber offers ways you can promote your business at no  charge and excellent values in advertising-- the perfect ways to stretch your marketing dollars.

 

Free Listing on the Chamber's Web site. Your business will be listed in a searchable directory with a hotlink to your business Web site. Our site may get more than 5,000 hits per day.

 

Free Listing in the Chamber's Membership Directory & Buyer's Guide. We distribute 6,000 copies of this valuable resource to our Members and others who use it to find the products and services they need. Additional listings and advertising are available for a fee. You are also listed on the Membership Directory CD-ROM.

Business Referrals. The Chamber fields calls from people looking for services. We refer our callers and visitors only to our Member businesses. You could get hundreds of referrals each month.

Brochure Display. Our brochure has a members-only display area for your marketing information.

Member-to-Member Marketplace. Offer a discount to your fellow Chamber members, and your business gets a place on this much-visited part of our Web site. It's searchable and links to your Web site.

CHAMBER Web Site is the perfect opportunity to promote your products, services and events to the rest of the business community. Readers include more than 1,400 service businesses, more than 350 financial, insurance and real estate members, more than 200 trade industry businesses, more than 180 government and nonprofits and 100 plus construction, utility and transportation providers. Ads prices start at only $75 for a business card size ad.

Relocation Sponsorships. Put your company's name before businesses and individuals who request information about moving to Astoria. The Chamber receives requests for our standard relocation package. If you are targeting newcomers, there's no better way to stretch your marketing dollars.

Guides and Directories. Our beautiful publications—the Membership Directory, the Astoria Newcomers' Guide,  Real Estate and Business Meetings & More are incredible advertising opportunities. The Chamber's exclusive publisher, Steven's, has sales representatives to acquaint you personally with the best way to reach your customers. We get hundreds of requests for these publications each week. Contact: K.K. Stevens Publishing Co., 309-329- 2151.

Build Your Business
 

Make the most out of your membership by attending the wide variety of events we hold for our Members! You want to be even more involved? Consider sponsoring an event. The exposure for your company will be invaluable!

Members Only Networking Events
During the year, the Chamber offers its Members, and only its Members, the opportunity to network and make new business contacts. Whether you choose to take advantage of the Networking After Hours or the Breakfast Club events, be sure and bring enough business cards to keep you networking.

Networking "How To" Events
Make your networking efforts work for you and your business—advice from the best and time to practice what you learn.

Leads Groups
Sign up to participate in the Chamber's Leads Group! Participants meet twice a month during lunch to gain leads and referrals to help build their business. Professional Leads Group

Small Business Council
Want the absolute latest best tips and innovative management information? Each Small Business Solutions Seminar features a nationally know speaker plus the opportunity to learn from your business colleagues. These meetings provide a perfect place for small business owners to learn and discuss best practices and business promotion.

Small Business Issues Forums
Stand up and be heard! If you are a small business, these events are an opportunity to learn from top policy-makers and to voice your concerns. These forums bring policy-makers before small business owners to discuss the unique issues facing small business.

Competitive Edge Workshops
These low-cost half-day workshops are taught by Spoon River Community College business faculty and designed to provide in-depth information on critical business skills to small business owners and employees in an interactive seminar setting. Topics include human resources, marketing and sales.

Greater Austin Chamber/IBM Education Roundtables
These provocative quarterly sessions brought to us by IBM provide top-level information on the critical developments in education. The informal breakfast setting allows participants to ask the experts and discuss issues.

Annual Meeting
Each year, Chamber Members honor the Astoria Person of the Year, thank the previous year's Chamber Chairman and welcome incoming officers. With attendance of more than ?? guests, this is a great opportunity to meet other Chamber business leaders. Your company can benefit greatly from the exposure sponsoring this event offers.

Annual Business Awards Event
The Chamber annually recognizes its non-profit, small, medium and large business members who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in education, community service, innovation and customer service. Just a nomination for one of these prestigious awards brings recognition to your company. Or consider the attention for your company from sponsoring this event.

Chamber Councils, Committees and Task Forces
Want to meet other members who share your interests? Volunteer for one of the many Chamber groups working to make Greater Astoria greater.

Tools for Your Business

Leads and Lists. The Chamber has a variety of leads lists that you can use to build your business, deeply discounted for our members. Available in the format you choose labels, diskettes or print.

Business Resource Center. Periodicals, business publications and a computer to serve you with a view of Astoria Town.

Newsletter Updates. The Chamber keeps you ahead of the news with electronic updates on economic development, public policy, education and workforce development through our weekly e-newsletter, and our monthly print newsletter.

All of our resources are available through our Chamber Store! This includes all our guides and directories, including our Newcomer Guide, Business Meetings & More Guide, Commercial Real Estate Guide, Membership Directory, and more.

Promotion for Your Business The Astoria Chamber will promote your business in many ways.

Free Business Listings The Astoria Chamber of Commerce has helped promote regional businesses, and our member listings are just one way that we can help you. The Chamber's publications, listings, and on-line database can help generate leads for your company, while informing a large audience about your products and services. The Business Referral Directory, for example, allows you to list your business alphabetically, by industry and by zip code.

To find out more about more about taking advantage of this and other listing services like the Member to Member Discount program, contact Member services at the Member Services hotline: 309-329-2617.

Buy From A Member The Chamber's "Buy From a Member" program encourages all Chamber members to be sure to patronize other Chamber members. It's a way to ensure that business stays "all in the family" and it's another way your Chamber membership pays you back. The Chamber receives phone calls, e-mails, letters, and walk-in visitors who ask where to buy certain products and services. Of course, the Chamber recommends only its member businesses!

Ribbon Cuttings What better way to show off your new or newly re-modeled business than with a free ribbon cutting! You pick the date and time, we do the rest. We will take a picture for the newsletter and send notices to the Board, Ambassadors? Club and City officials to get them there so that you can show off your fabulous location!

Chamber Website On the site you will find: chamber events, chamber membership with free links to their websites, information on the board of directors and Ambassadors Club, visitor information and much more.

Membership Certificate Identify your business as an Astoria Chamber of Commerce member by proudly displaying your Chamber membership certificate! Chamber membership certificate are free to Chamber members and since we encourage member-to-member business, make sure you display yours so everyone can know you support the Chamber.