CALL TO PROMOTE LOCAL BUSINESS
The President of the Chew Valley Chamber of Commerce has launched a 2005 campaign to support and promote local businesses.
Speaking at the Chamber’s Annual General Meeting, Jim King said it was important to highlight the benefits of doing business with local people. He also encouraged members to let their customers know about the Chamber in a bid to increase membership.
Chamber members have agreed to spend more time learning about one another’s businesses, allowing time at the quarterly meetings to give brief presentations about their own companies to ensure everyone was aware of the services offered by their fellow members.
“We are very fortunate to already have a large number of talented people running successful businesses in the Chew Valley. But I think we can do even more to draw attention to them so that people have a chance to do business with their neighbours. It makes sense in lots of ways – you don’t have to drive miles and you probably know the people you’re dealing with,” he said.
In his review of the past year Mr King pointed to a number of Chamber successes.
“Our efforts contributed to the speeding up of the process to upgrade local telephone exchanges for Broadband, we organised and ran a successful Enterprise Event with Chew Valley School and launched the eye catching Chamber car stickers,” he said.
Looking ahead to future activity he highlighted the continued building of the North East Somerset Chambers Partnership, which will informally produce a link with the Midsomer Norton and Radstock Chamber of Commerce and Keynsham Town Traders Association.
Meanwhile the Chamber continues to offer networking social events. The next one is an apple themed lunch at the Bear and Swan in Chew Magna on March 22nd when members will have a chance to hear from Julian Temperley from the Somerset Cider Brandy Company and naturally taste the produce.
