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What does the la salle business association do? |
To help organize our largest event, Jazz’N the Street and BBQ-n-Blues in early September. This two-day event covers First Street with tasty food vendors and booths hosted by various community organizations.
To help beautify the downtown and surrounding streets with over 100 wonderful flowering planters, planter boxes and sidewalk plats, festive holiday greens as well as the maintenance and watering throughout the year. The speaker system along First Street was a joint project with the City of La Salle and can be expanded in the future.
To help promote and organize the nationally recognized Small Business Saturday, which takes place the last Saturday of November each year. Small Business Saturday encourages consumers to shop locally and promote small businesses in their community. Over 50 businesses in La Salle participate in this event.
To help maintain the LBA website and social media outlets, which includes an interactive map, landing page for each of the member businesses, e-blasts and shares to promote member businesses and events, and promote regional events to attract visitors to your business.
To host member events throughout the year such as the spring Awards Banquet that honors a Business of the Year and a Businessperson of the Year. A Holiday Party is also organized each year in early December and open to all La Salle businesses and businesspeople.
Organize December’s Christkindlmarket that help to bring people into La Salle. This two day event offered shoppers and visitors live entertainment, hand selected vendors selling unique and holiday themed wares, as well as authentic food and drink. This event utilizes many non-retail businesses.
Host community centered events such as the Farm to Table Dinner held in October at the beautifully renovated St. Roch’s Cathedral.
To help identify projects around town which represent the true spirit of the La Salle Business Association and its members.
Completed projects: Outdoor speaker system to promote a welcoming atmosphere to visitors and shoppers, work with the City of La Salle to receive Downtown Historic District designation which includes federal tax incentives for developers and owners, install permanent park benches
2019 Goals: utilize new marketing techniques to attract visitors from the Starved Rock area and surrounding parks, help to install a large mural in the downtown area, establish a City-wide gift card program, plan a the north-end and/or non-retail businesses event, membership and event survey, continue to revamp our website and send out more eblasts to continue to promote La Salle and LBA members on social media.
The local chamber takes on the tough issues and opposes new regulations, taxes, fees, assessments and costs directed at small businesses. It also helps protect the principles of free enterprise and aids businesses in being treated fairly.
As a new member of the chamber, you may be listed in the chamber newsletter, e-newsletter, on Facebook and can have the opportunity to be highlighted in other chamber publications. You also can grow your business by advertising with the chamber and sponsoring events.
You can increase positive perception among consumers and business owners when you’re identified as a member of a chamber of commerce. If you make it known that your product or service makes great client or employee gifts, you could wind up with a very nice flow of business from your fellow members.
With a chamber membership, you can reach potential clients through member exclusive advertising and opportunities for business-to-business advertising and publicity.
Chambers have numerous committees and serving on one of them provides numerous networking opportunities as well as professional leadership development. You can build your business while promoting developments of keen interest to local businesses and the community at large. |
Chamber events and programs provide members with great opportunities to get to know new people and expand their prospect base. Chamber events are innovative and fun ways to help members meet potential customers, clients and vendors.
The chamber’s fundamental mission is to generate more business activity for the community. The chamber initiates more business-to-business commerce and more opportunities for networking and connecting local professionals than is available through most other local organizations.
Use various discount programs help save money. These differ from chamber to chamber. For example, a member-to member discount program where a chamber member will receive $10 off any phone or accessory purchased from the other local business which is a member of the chamber.
Every day, your local chamber receives calls from individuals and businesses looking for potential vendors, and chamber members typically recommend chamber members.
Newsletters provide new member information, interesting information about operating a local business, articles about the local community, a community calendar and details about up-and-coming chamber events, among other things. But don't send more then 2-4 letters a week, it could be annoying. |
Gain a voice in government
Increase your visibility in the community
Membership brings credibility to your business
Promotion and publicity
Create networking opportunities
Chamber events and programs
Make business contacts
Access to members-only discounts and services
Acquire customer referrals
Receive chamber newslettersIf you still don’t think you have time to join and participate in your local chamber of commerce, consider the following:
- Most consumers think that being active in the local chamber of commerce is an effective business strategy overall. It’s for communicating to consumers that a company uses good business practices and communicating that a business is reputable.
- If a company shows that it’s highly involved in its local chamber (e.g., sits on the chamber board), consumers are more likely to think that its products stack up better against its competition.
- When a consumer thinks that a company’s products stack up better against the competition because the company is highly involved in its local chamber of commerce, it is because he or she infers that the company is trustworthy, involved in the community and is an industry leader.
- When consumers know that an insurance company is a member of the chamber of commerce, they are more likely to consider buying insurance from it.