Become A Member

WHY BE A MEMBER OF THE FENTON REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE?

Business Growth Opportunities: Money Makers
Reduce Your Cost of Doing Business: Money Savers
Tackling the Tough Issues: Making Things Happen

Online Membership Application

Memberships may be paid by Visa, Mastercard, Cash, or Check.

ADVERTISING & NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

Business & Community Information Guide: This full color annual mini-phonebook provides the most comprehensive community profile and business guide to the greater Fenton area. As the most widely used buyer’s guide to the local busi-ness community, this guide lists only Chamber members (businesses listed alphabetically and by classified category). This provides broad exposure at no cost above the Chamber membership investment. Display advertising is available to members at affordable rates.

Internet Exposure: (www.fentonchamber.com) the Chamber website is the premier information source for area business and community information with an average of 2,000 visitors each month. This user-friendly site features a vast scope of data in-cluding: community and Chamber programs, business re-sources and helpful links including the Michigan Chambers’ legislative updates. New members are displayed on the site’s opening page and all Chamber members are listed for each selected category in the consistently updated searchable business directory which links prospective customers to Chamber member businesses. Mini-profiles including links to each member’s own website are all available to Chamber members. Members can increase their online presence beyond their free listing with affordable website enhancement packages.

News Updates: The Chamber is an excellent source for business and community information and news. It consistently publishes information pieces such as:

• Chamber Journal is the 8 page newspaper insert that runs six times each year in the Tri-County Times reaching a readership of over 20,000. Packed with community and Chamber events updates and photos, this digest also pro-motes new and current Chamber members.

• Social Media: On the Fenton Chamber Facebook page, Twitter, Linked-In and YouTube members can share infor-mation, offer specials or get ideas from others that will help with their business. These virtual networking tools also feature events updates.

• Weekly eMail update reaching 500 area businesspeople, this digest summarizes the weeks’ events and member news.

High Exposure Advertising: Fenton Regional Chamber mem-bers are given multiple mass marketing opportunities at a fraction of the cost of doing it themselves:

• Community Expo features a wide variety of vendors show-casing their products and services with over 130 booths. More than 5,000 visitors enjoy FREE admission to his Sat-urday and Sunday event held each March at Fenton High School. Chamber members have found this venue an ef-fective and inexpensive opportunity ($345) for one-on-one marketing to a broad audience. Non-members may pur-chase a booth for $644. Pre-event publicity and mailings including newspaper coverage providing broad advertising exposure for participants and sponsors at no additional cost.

• Direct Mail Full Page Ads distributed to 500 leading Fenton area businesspeople for the equivalent of $.15 each …a saving of $190 in postage alone (plus the Chamber does most of the work and has the best mailing list in town!) Reserve your spot in an upcoming Chamber Journal mail-ing to promote your product or service inexpensively. Max-imum 4 flyers per issue.

• eMail Full Page Advertisements: Your exclusive marketing message distributed electronically as a customized full page display ad emailed to our entire Chamber member-ship and community leaders. With a limit of two flyers sent out each week, be sure to reserve your spot early. $50 total cost.

• Map: The Fenton area map is published every few years with a circulation of 10,000. Only Chamber members can advertise on this publication. Join now to have the oppor-tunity to be in on next edition!

• Member Advantage: Chamber member businesses who participate in this member-to-member discount program are provided high exposure advertising in the Chamber Journal and the Chamber website. Discounts available to you & all your employees.

• Webpage: Chamber member business can create a web page on the Chamber website. Contact the chamber for details.

• Band of Locals: Do you want your business promoted in thousands of brochures distributed to local businesses and on the Chamber website? 5,000 wristbands are being distributed throughout the area directing shoppers to the 50+ businesses who participate in this Shop Local pro-gram which includes a variety of retail, restaurants, healthcare, home and business services. No fee for Chamber member businesses to participate and benefit from increased patronage.

• Program Sponsorships: High visibility and advertising val-ue is offered to members who sponsor a Chamber pro-gram or event such as the Community Expo, Golf Scram-ble, Networking @ Noon, Taste in Fenton, etc.. Pre-event publicity affords them broad advertising exposure at no additional cost above their sponsorship fee.
• Ribbon Cuttings, Grand Openings: These ceremonies, which increase the visibility of new businesses, business expansions, relocations or businesses under new owner-ship, are provided to Chamber members only. Extensive pre-event Chamber website calendar, weekly email up-date and post-event publicity (photo with mini-article) are included in the Chamber Journal, and Facebook. Grand Opening banner & tips on how to advertise your event.

Networking @ Noon: Hosted by different Chamber members from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 pm on the third Thursday of each month. These casual, friendly networking events attract a crowd averaging 80-100 who have found these get-togethers to be a wonderful resource for making contact with both current and prospective clients. New members are introduced, 3 members reserve the opportunity to give a 2 minute commercial about their business. A reference list of all attendees is published in the Chamber Journal, not only providing a free spot of advertis-ing, but the list reminds everyone who their new contacts are.

Networking After Hours: For casual, friendly networking simi-lar to Networking @ Noon but held after the end of the business day, these gatherings of 60-80 business leaders are held each spring and fall. Speed Networking: We partner with 7 other Chambers in Ge-nesee Co. offering our members a chance to make connections with business leaders through out the county. You have a chance to make these connections quarterly. They are held at a different business location each time.

Member Benefit Update: Held quarterly to update the new & existing Fenton Regional Chamber members, review all of the member benefits, as well as reinforce and assist all in atten-dance how to utilize their membership to the fullest extent. These casual, low key gatherings are held at the Chamber of-fice from 9:00-10:00 a.m.

Committees: Members may participate in any of our active, dynamic committees covering a wide range of interests such as Ambassadors, Business Development/Marketing, Career Con-nections, Political Action Team, Governance, Finance and Events.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

Marketing Tools: The Chamber makes it easy & affordable for its members to get their message in the hands of the communi-ty by:

• Mailing Labels: Over 550 Fenton region business con-tacts on labels are available to Chamber members for a small fee. This facilitates a members' special mailing or can help to develop a prospect list of other top area businesses.

• Bulk Mail Permit Use: By taking advantage of the Chambers’ bulk mailing permit, a member mass mail-ing can be done without the individual permit cost and each piece can be sent at a greatly reduced price.

Business Referral Service: Each year the Chamber responds to thousands of inquiries asking for referrals and information about products and services available in the greater Fenton area. We refer only Chamber member businesses to tourists, those interested in relocating to the area, the business commu-nity and the general population (all potential customers).

Mass Marketing-Savings Programs: The Fenton Regional Chamber created several programs to allow even the smallest local businesses, the opportunity to participate in a group mar-keting and savings program that can only be achieved with the clout of many businesses working together.

• Member Advantage: Current Chamber members can offer fellow Chamber members and their employees a discount on products and services. This assists mem-bers in increasing their customer base while promoting patronage of Fenton Regional Chamber members, not to mention providing advertising exposure to member participants. There is no fee to the 80+ participating businesses which include restaurants, home, personal and business services. 8,000 key tag cards have been distributed to Chambers and their employees. Discounts are listed on the Chamber website and are advertised in every Chamber Journal.

• Band of Locals – Look Local First: The Chamber Ambassadors have distributed almost 5,000 wrist-bands throughout the region to encourage shop local patronage at the 50+ Chamber member businesses of-fering specials. These merchants receive increased sales traffic and much free publicity in the program’s promotions.

Resources & Small Business Assistance: The Chamber is the focal point for securing a broad spectrum of FREE direct assistance to help build successful area companies. For example:

• The Chamber sponsors a wide variety of information sessions on topics of great interest and importance to the greater Fenton area. Annually there are business seminars such as Customer Service- The Disney Way, being held in the fall.

• SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) free pri-vate one-on-one business counseling and assistance to potential and existing small business owners. Satellite location at our Fenton Regional Chamber office.

• Organizational Resources: The Chamber maintains in-formational resources such as: community demograph-ics, Business Start Up kits and SBA publications, state and local maps and phone directories, major employ-ers/industrial directory, clubs and organizations lists, and much more.

• Chamber Meeting Room usage: Our well-equipped Chamber boardroom can be made available to mem-bers for their use free (limited availability). Not made available for non-member use.

Tax Deductibility: Membership in the Chamber is 97% deduct-ible as a customary business expense.

Advocate for Business - Strength in Programming: The Chamber exist to be a strong advocate from members busi-nesses through services and resources, while fostering the economic vitality and prosperity of our region.

• Acknowledges and promotes businesses with the Out-standing Customer Service Award program and the Brick Awards for improvements to their businesses and the community.

• Promotes programs for a strong education with real world business applications such as Career Connections Boys & Business and Girls & Business.

• Partners with other Chambers of Commerce of Genesee County for the B Green – Empowering Business program.

• Conducted and publicized over 30 grand-opening/ribbon cutting events, visited 30 Chamber members on We Care Wednesday and held more than 15 networking events with over 150 attendees designed to help our Chamber mem-bers establish professional relationships with fellow mem-bers and attract new business.

• Attends all City Council meetings and conducted multiple opportunities for citizens to stay informed as well as meet, mingle, and question government leaders and candidates. FRCC offers a Meet the Candidates Event, Annual Fore-cast Breakfast and sends weekly updates from The Michi-gan State Chamber on statewide business issues.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS & EVENTS

The Chamber sponsors (or actively participates) in many programs and events throughout the year:

• Annual Dinner with Community Awards
• More Than Just a Golf Scramble
• Fenton Freedom Festival
• Community Expo
• Taste in Fenton
• Linden Autumn Festival
• Jinglefest
• An Event So Good It’s Scary
• Career Connections: Boys & Business and Girls & Business
• Eggciting Event in Linden
• Annual Forecast Breakfast
• Meet the Candidates