Before we tell you about the why, we would like to thank you for your interest in becoming a member of the Pender Island Chamber of Commerce.
The Chamber is a volunteer non-profit organization that is made strong by its credible voice of more than 80 small businesses on Pender Island.
The Pender Island Chamber of Commerce is here to help support and grow your business. Perhaps you’re here to learn how to make a business out of your passion or hobby, or you’re here to take your business to the next level – whatever it may be we’re here to help!
Membership is open to businesses, professionals, associations, non-profits, artisans, farms, charities and private individuals and offers a wide range of benefits for varying business needs. Being a member of the Chamber opens the doors to many business advantages including discounted shipping rates, access to the Chambers Group Insurance Plan, payroll solutions, gas discounts, contact management systems, credit card processing preferred rates, affordable advertising opportunities and more!
We understand that being in business is challenging and even more so on Pender Island. Let’s get real – staffing, generating sales, meeting payroll, answering customer inquiries, bookkeeping, marketing, website building while trying to ensure that your business makes enough profit to keep operating takes a lot of skill and energy. But it’s made easier when you’re connected to a business organization that understands the challenges and works non-stop to help lighten the load.
Our goal is to help businesses thrive and we do this through advocacy, benefits and connections.
There are many misconceptions about what the Chamber is and what it actually does on Pender Island. Many assume that the Chamber’s efforts stop at brochures, answering community enquiries, operating the local visitor centre, and telling people what a great place Pender is to visit, live and work. Though these are part of what we do, the Chamber’s function in our community is much more profound. The Chamber’s staff, volunteer board and membership work tirelessly for the greater good of the Pender community. With a stronger membership the Chamber can do more to not only enhance the business environment on Pender, but the community as a whole. A strong and more resilient community means a better overall quality of life on our beautiful little island.
DID YOU KNOW? consumers are 80% more likely to buy goods and services from a company that they believe is a member of the local chamber of commerce? – Shapiro Study
Top reasons to be a Chamber Member:
#1 – Business Presence: Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Staying present and in the public eye is essential to ensuring the success of your business. With your Chamber Membership, you receive complimentary business listings on our website.
#2 – Connections: When you’re part of a Chamber of Commerce, you’re connected to it’s entire membership. The Chamber of Commerce hosts frequent social events to support business connections and maintains active social media channels for Pender Chamber and Southern Gulf Islands Tourism.
#3 – Learning: As well as social events, the Chamber of Commerce hosts business skill development events. These events include everything from basic bookkeeping skills, leveraging social media, best practices for employee retention, to succession planning and selling your business.
#4 – Sense of Community: Local Business and non-profits are the backbone of the local community. Stay connected and be part of something bigger by participating in the Chamber’s community focused initiatives.
#5 – Advocacy: The Pender Island Chamber of Commerce’s voice in advocacy is well respected at all levels of government, among community partners and within our Chamber network. When issues facing business and our community are brought forth, the direct connection and long standing relationship that the Chamber of Commerce has with elected officials and allied organizations is key to ensuring that the voice of local businesses is heard.
#6 – Save Money: There are several cost saving programs and benefits that Chamber members have access to. Click below for a list of Chamber Benefits.
