Chamber of Commerce Crash Course

The name “Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce” can be intimidating to anyone. I know when I found out I was interning here I was so worried that I had gotten myself in way over my head! I had so many questions and I definitely could have used a quick chamber crash course. This being said, I’m hoping that if any of you are feeling a little bit like I did, my “chamber of commerce crash course” will help clear up any questions you may have and give you a pretty good idea of what goes on here at your friendly regional chamber of commerce.

• What is a Chamber of Commerce?
  A chamber of commerce is a business organization whose main purpose is to help other businesses in the community! Companies join the chamber so they can have a bigger voice in the community, as well as to grow their business through the many events the chamber puts on. Being a chamber member allows a business to attend policy meetings and councils. This enables them to express their business needs, and what they would like to see be changed or reformed. The chamber also provides many opportunities for business networking, whether it’s through coffee breaks, ribbon cuttings, or even holiday parties!

• Who makes up a chamber?
  The Chamber is comprised of its staff and members. Ruthe and Jessy are the only two full time Chamber employees. They handle all the day to day stuff, as well as plan all the events, and meet with all the members. The chamber also has two interns, Jordon and Megan (the author of this blog). Jordon works mainly with policy and legislation, while I help with social media and marketing. But the Chamber would be nothing without its supportive members. The DCR Chamber is lucky to be a part of such a wonderful business community, allowing us to have approximately 500 local businesses working with us. Our members enable us to have an influence in our government, as well as grow our communities business potential! Without them, we would not be able to do all the things we do!

• How does the chamber affect your life?
  Everybody, no matter who they are, has something to gain from the chamber. In my personal experience, being a part of the chamber has opened my eyes to the huge business community around me. In all honesty, Eagan is such a great place to live. There are so many huge businesses centered in the Eagan community, as well as tons of small, independently owned businesses. I have only been here a month and I have already met so many great, inspirational people in the business world. There is no doubt that this experience, and the people I meet here will help me tremendously in the future. Apart from me, anyone in the business community could absolutely benefit from being a part of the chamber. The chamber offers so many opportunities for improving leadership skills, pushing out of your comfort zone, and enhancing your business practices.

Overall, I hope this helped give you a little background on the DCR Chamber and all that we do. If you have any other questions you would like answered, feel free to comment! Thanks so much for reading and don’t forget to add us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or join our social circles on Google Plus.

Hope to be hearing from you soon!

Megan Towle