Getting Connected

One benefit any chamber of commerce can offer a homebased business owner is the chance to gain a larger presence in the community. In Alabama, for example, the 1,100-member Gadsden Area Chamber of Commerce offers programs including a matchmaker business expo, where members set up booths to establish contacts with local corporate heads and purchasing agents.

"We also have a consumer service department, where people in the community who have misunderstandings with one of our members can call," says chamber president Tom Quinn. The chamber tries to reconcile the two parties by phone, written communication or, if all else fails, arbitration. It's a win-win situation: Consumers know they have recourse, and entrepreneurs get help in avoiding the bad publicity that can result from unsatisfied customers.

Homebased businesses can also benefit from the discounts most chambers of commerce offer to their members on products and services ranging from health insurance to long-dis-tance and cellular phone service. Many chambers conduct educational and business exchange programs that members can attend at low or even no cost, and some even help you obtain credit card merchant status.

This article was originally published in the February 1996 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Getting Connected.