A View From 90 E. Second St.
This is the second part of my State of the Chamber address.
One of the chamber’s goals this year is to become THE communication and promotion facilitator for our members. We hope to create dialogue between the business community and non-profits, locally and regionally. We also want to enhance the chamber’s established partnerships.
The first objective under this goal is to hold a Non-profit Round Table Summit. The chamber also wants to educate members and the community with a community calendar, improve communication, provide services to our employers and facilitate assistance by businesses to non-profit organizations.
The second objective is to measure the first objective’s success through surveying our members. The third objective is to enhance the collaborative efforts that began in 2006, especially between the Morgan Hill and Gilroy chamber of commerce organizations, the Morgan Hill Economic Development Partnership and Gilroy Visitors Bureau.
The fourth objective is to implement the board-approved schedule of activities between the Gilroy and Morgan Hill chamber of commerce organizations and continue to execute the South Santa Clara Valley Tourism Partnership Action Plan for fiscal year 2006-07.
The fifth objective is to begin planning for fiscal year 2007-08.
The sixth objective is to enhance partnerships between the chamber and the City of Morgan Hill, the Economic Development Partnership, the Downtown Morgan Hill Association, Silicon Valley Economic Development Alliance, Central Coast Marketing Team and Central Coast Tourism Council.
The second goal is to increase chamber membership by 100 by Dec. 31. The first objective under this goal is to establish a membership task force to articulate “value proposition” by March 28, based on market research, with measures for future membership sales and evaluate existing programs. The second objective is to conduct regular surveys of chamber members and do a “gap analysis” to determine what’s missing and possibly utilize an outside audit. The third objective is to turn the information received into action to better meet chamber members’ needs. The fourth objective is to promote and market the chamber’s benefits and services to potential new members and current members and the community at large. The fifth objective is to explore creative ways of working with the MHDA and the other Morgan Hill shopping centers. The sixth objective is to utilize the services of board and ambassador members to communicate regularly with members.
The seventh, eighth and ninth objectives are to hold (new) member orientations four times during the year, hold mayor/city government luncheon series and hold small-business “how to” seminars.
The third goal is to establish a financial reserve and be prepared for future expenses. We hope each program will increase its net revenue. Reeserves will be increased by $125,000 in three years or by Jan. 1, 2010.
This is the State of the Chamber: Our membership is down from last year. Our financial status is better than where it was a year ago and the chamber has established significant partnerships and enhanced its membership business opportunities.
Dan Ehrler has been serving as the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce executive director for two years and has been the chief executive officer for various chamber of commerce organizations in California for more than 20 years. Contact him at de*****@********ll.org or at (408) 779-9444.
