As businesses seek shelter from the economic storm, increasing numbers of businesses are pursuing membership in business associations and chambers of commerce. 
These groups are useful to members in more ways than hosting networking breakfasts or lobbying with legislators.  They offer continuing education or skills-development programs, consulting and mentoring services, and business leads that could spring from a mere listing on a chamber website. 
Costs are not going to go down so businesses need to try new innovative things to weather the economic storm.  Getting involved with organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce can offer you a low cost method of advertising your businesses and gaining insight on other ways of doing business.
The Rolla Chamber of Commerce has a very aggressive calendar for2009 offering anywhere from 4-7 events each month focused on business.  We do a superb job of referrals, fielding phone calls daily on services offered in and around our community and more than 40,000 hits a month on our Web site, www.rollachamber.org.
We have seen more and more of our members getting involved and attending the various functions we offer throughout the month.  Our programs are more crowded than they have ever been as people realize they need more contacts during these times. 
You never know what you might gain out of attending business functions offered by the Chamber of Commerce.  Sometimes you gain helpful ideas and tips for our guest speakers but you also gain potential customers from the people you meet.  The individuals you meet may or may not be looking for the services you provide, but they will refer you to others as will you.
Some people might think that the Chamber membership isn’t affordable for their business, but the majority of our members pay the base rate of $165 annual dollars. 
This annual amount can be paid monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually. 
If your business is not a Chamber member, now is a perfect time for you to join.  Join today and be a part of something great in the community. 
You can reach us at 364-3577 or rollacc@rollachamber.org. 
When you invest in the Chamber, you are making an investment in your community.  Look for the Rolla Chamber on www.facebook.com and www.linkedin.com/in/RollaChamber.
Some helpful Web sites for businesses include:
www.business.gov – this site has launched a new online community for business owners that includes online forums, news on small business programs, and resources
www.sbrg.irs.gov – you can find the 2009 Small Business Resource Guide on this site.
www.irs.gov – this site has information on tax changes for businesses and business tax credits.
 
Please join us tomorrow for our Quarterly Breakfast at Zeno’s at 7:30 a.m.  Our guest speaker will be Brad Jones, the Missouri State Director of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).  Brad will address the crowd on what NFIB has been working on for your business.
Brad will address the crowd on the NFIB organization, the state of the economy from their prospective, what today’s business person should be looking out for and doing to stay competitive. 
The cost of breakfast is $10 per person.  You don’t have to be a Chamber member to attend but you do need to RSVP by calling the Chamber at 573 364-3577.
(Stevie Kearse is executive director of the Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce. Her column appears weekly in the Rolla Daily News.)