When you run a small business, it’s easy to stay in the studio and wait for the phone to ring. Getting involved with your local chamber of commerce gets you out the door. You meet people, and you get a chance to promote your business at the same time.
I’ve been to several events for the chambers I’m part of. Those connections have led to radio and YouTube features, and more recently, a short video on the Orange County Chamber’s Instagram.
Why I get involved
It’s important to get involved with your chamber. As a small business, I’ve found chambers are a way of networking, connecting, and engaging with the community as a business. I’m a member of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce and the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce.
I’ve learned that the chamber gives me the ability to meet business owners I’d never cross paths with otherwise, and to find out what’s happening right in my own backyard. Those conversations turn into referrals, collaborations, and sometimes a feature like the ones below.
Small Business Spotlight
One of the benefits of being an Orange County Chamber member is the Small Business Spotlight, a radio interview the chamber offers its members for free. Mine aired on WALL Radio with Kate Brannan, and the chamber shared it on its YouTube channel. You can watch my Small Business Spotlight here.
Turning an interview into a photo shoot
I’ve been a member of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce for about a year. They reached out and said, we’re doing a little campaign to introduce some members who are fairly new. You came up. Would you like to be part of it? We’ll come to your studio, make a video, and you can talk about your business.
I said that would be great, and I appreciated it. But to make it a little more interesting, and definitely easier for me, I asked if they could send somebody I could photograph while we did the interview. That way I wouldn’t be just another talking head.
They loved the idea. They sent the person doing the video and audio, along with Frank Marino, who handles marketing and connecting members with each other.
Afterward, Frank picked three images, and I retouched them. He said, my God, thank you very much. These are great. I love it.
So the people who came to feature my business got to experience a session for themselves. And instead of watching me talk about headshots, people watching the video got to see me take them.
What came out of it
You don’t always know who sees these things. But after the video went out, a realtor started following me on Instagram. Now I see her business card at the coffee shop I go to all the time. So it did reach people, and that’s how it starts.
Local matters in the Hudson Valley & Orange County
There are hundreds of businesses across both chambers I’m part of. So if you want to support local, that’s a good place to start.
The whole point of a chamber is encouraging everybody to shop local. When you need a service or a product, you ask, who in the area does great work? That goes for your accountant, your lawyer, your photographer, and more.
That’s harder than it sounds. We live in a world of delivery after delivery, and it’s easy to forget the businesses down the street. But there are people doing great work close to home, and when you hire them, the money and the relationships stay in your community.
If you own a small business, my advice is simple. Go to the events. Say yes when they ask to feature you. And find a way to show what you actually do, not just talk about it.
Supporting small businesses starts with knowing who’s out there. Both of my chambers keep a member directory, so the next time you need a service or product, look there first.
Orange County Chamber of Commerce member directory
Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce member directory
You’ll find me in both, if you ever need headshots. And if you see me at a chamber event, come say hello.
