Kaya,
I am amazed at the depth of what goes on behind the scenes here at the Chamber and to hear from so many stakeholders on how they would like to collaborate. It tells me the strength of the brand. It also tells me that we have a big responsibility to our members to strengthen relationships and outcomes.
Since beginning in the role, I am curious that many do not know what we do on behalf of our members, or indeed the value you might receive by being a member.
These are just some of the areas we work & focus on;:
• Advocacy
Having access to and being represented through advocacy is a great benefit. We have a foot in the door when it comes to discussing policy and by joining us as a member your interests can be reflected with any form of lobbying to both State and Federal Governments.
• Strength of Brand and Exposure
Chambers historically help businesses to connect to each other through association, whether it be by a directory, events or member to member advertising. We are launching an initiative in early March where our members will have the opportunity to promote their business through a dedicated ‘member to member’ advertising newsletter that will arrive in your email box every Friday. There will be a small fee to be included and with only 5 ‘spots’ available, we feel this will be a resource welcomed by many. Kalgoorlie CCI run this successfully which has given us the confidence our members will benefit.
• Information & Advice
We are the treasure troves of valuable information, whether it is for general business advice or HR/IR advice. Being part of the CCI membership you can access a range of free tools to help you in your business. Once you become a member with us, you receive a unique number to log onto the CCIWA portal to access. We collaborate with organisations such as IPS Business Advisory, who have the Small Business Development Corporation ‘Business Local’ contract to deliver free business advice from start ups to existing businesses in the South West.
• Workshops
To help build business skills and capability we will be developing a suite of workshops over the year that will be delivered by external specialists.
• Jobs & Skills
This is an area I am personally passionate about and will be actively engaged in bringing stakeholders together to plan out how we as a collective bring the best possible outcomes to you, the business owner/manager.
Our internal team is made up of administration, finance, events, marketing and membership coordinators. The roles are shared and delivered by Wendy, Amy and new to the team, Carlie. And of course, our team is only as good as the Executive Team who govern everything we do. Led by Danny Griffin as President, you will be hearing about (through our social channels) the Executives and who is leading the ‘Strategic Initiatives’ to ensure we deliver a vibrant and progressive organisation.
Our relationships with Local Government Partners will be continue to be inclusive and supportive with an emphasis on the ‘Geographe’ to ensure our services are for everyone in the Bunbury Geographe region.
Julie Broad - CEO
