The Chamber of Commerce is known to attribute these core values for its long-standing success in helping businesses everywhere in the United States not only have a chance to earn a profit but thrive. Curious about what they are and how they can positively impact your business? In this article, we will talk about each value and why it is still applicable today for promoting business growth and economic vitality.
Excellence
The Chamber's first core value probably seems obvious to most business owners. After all, if you want your business to flourish, you naturally expect all employees to strive for their best performance and you probably spend a great deal of time analyzing that performance with tools like quotas and productivity measurements. But, did you know excellence does not merely stop after producing your best work while manufacturing a product or performing a service? It goes much deeper than that. Striving for excellence in the Chamber applies to every aspect of the organization. From greeting new members and promoting local businesses online to hosting networking events or lobbying for changes to laws that affect its members, your local Chamber of Commerce board will keep reaching for the highest level of expectations.
Stewardship
There is a catching and inspiring by-product from working to serve both your customers and those around you in your community. Members of your Chamber of Commerce set aside the time and resources to learn about and address the concerns of the community both within the Chamber and the surrounding area at large. This is because these individuals want to live in a safe and growing community and they understand the community around them is directly linked to the profitability of their own businesses. Therefore, pulling together to support those in need is considered not only a duty but also a privilege.
Integrity
Does your business model hinge with being upfront with your employees and customers about your products and services, even when there are known concerns? Being honest and trustworthy is not just about the fair pricing of your items. One reason people trust business owners that are members of the local Chamber more than other business owners is that the Chamber has earned a reputation for being committed to honesty across all areas of business.
Vision
You may have a five-year or 10-year plan for growing your business. However, the Chamber of Commerce takes its vision goal a step further to reach outside of the box and incorporate the concerns within the community as well as the projected opportunities for future legislation to devise strategies for optimum business profitability and community improvement. In other words, your Chamber is founded establishing actions that make what is possible now happen while leaving room in the plans to embrace future advantages that are not yet available. If you had a vision like that for your business, what would it look like and how can you work towards attaining it?
Inclusiveness
If it's one thing Chamber members have believed since the beginning of the Chamber's initial formation it's that you cannot do it all on your own. Your Chamber of Commerce purely exists to serve the needs of its members. Hearing about those needs, relying upon members to brainstorm effective strategies to combat the challenges, and enabling members to represent the Chamber throughout the community and within the legislative branches are the primary functions of this organization. The application is the more you listen to your customers, employees, community members, and Chamber mentors the easier it will be to discover those areas that need your attention and a plan for improvement that will then lead to an increase of productivity, sales, and profitability.
Courage
This may not be the first thing that jumps to mind when making a list of core values to apply to an organization. That said, it takes courage to initiate a change for improvement you know is healthy for the area that may not be a popular opinion. There may be opposition based on personal interests or a lack of understanding that could hinder your community's growth and/or the success of your business. You may have people you respect tell you that the business you have chosen is not going to take root and turn a profit. It takes courage to stand against that adversity and take action to promote a concept you envisioned just as your Chamber of Commerce has done since 1912.
In short, your Chamber of Commerce applies core values that can propel your business forward and help you achieve the success you desire. Excellence, stewardship, integrity, vision, inclusiveness, and courage are all six goals that every business owner should incorporate into their business model to optimize their ability to serve their customers and take advantage of today's opportunities as well as plan for what's possible in the future. To get a first-hand example of these success-building values while taking advantage of all your Chamber can offer, join your local Chamber of Commerce today.