president's letter
Dear Business Owner,
Market research has shown that, if given a choice, consumers will shop with a chamber member rather than a non-member, because chamber membership says to the consumer that the member business is trustworthy, is involved in the community, cares about its customers, is successful, and is a leader in the business community. The Hills Chamber of Commerce was organized for the purpose of advancing these positive images among consumers for greater growth and development in the Hickory Hills & Palos Hills communities. It encourages the expansion of existing industries and businesses, while giving assistance to individuals and entities looking to create new businesses in our local and surrounding areas. At the Chamber of Commerce we work very hard to help our members achieve all their business goals each year, and we measure our success by our members’ success.
“When consumers know that a small business is a member of their local Chamber of Commerce, they are 44% more likely to think favorably of it, and they’re a full 63% more likely to purchase goods or services from that company in the future.” Kathleen Lanza – Columnist for Money News Now
Your membership in The Hills Chamber offers you the exposure of both the Hickory Hills and Palos Hills communities and includes:
· Advertising opportunities through the chamber’s email list of members. We are also working on compiling a list of those residents who would like to subscribe and be informed or upcoming events, etc.
· Gain visibility and drive traffic to your business through the chamber’s social media campaigns and advertisement opportunities throughout the year.
· Tap into the power of networking through sponsored chamber events e.g., Monthly Business After Hours and General Networking meetings.
· Gain massive visibility and drive traffic to your business through the Chambers sponsored events e.g., Hickory Hills Street Fair, Business & Community Expo, Trunk or Treat/Scarecrow Decorating Contest, etc. Members can promote their business through the use of sponsorship opportunities, providing literature for distribution, etc.
“Your local Chamber of Commerce is still one of the best ways to network with other entrepreneurs in virtually any community.” Tim Parker – Writer for Yahoo! Finance, Benzinga, Business Insider and Forbes
We are already beginning to plan for our 4th Annual Business & Community Expo. Last year was our biggest to date with a combined 100 local businesses, vendors and crafters participating. Our reason for inviting vendors and crafters is that it has proven to draw in more visitors to our event and make it more beneficial for everyone.
We are excited to announce that we have secured Conrady Junior High School, 7950 W. 97th Street, Hickory Hills for our next Expo. It will be held on Saturday, March 21, 2020, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.
The chamber is a volunteer organization. Our board members volunteer their time and expertise to help us better serve our member businesses and we appreciate your support. Our annual membership in the Hills Chamber is $90 which remains one of the lowest, if not the lowest cost, for membership compared with other chambers.
With new members come new ideas. We are open to hearing your suggestions on how we can make our Chamber more helpful and beneficial to its members and their businesses. If you have an idea for an event, fundraising opportunity, project, or anything else you think would help our business community, we want to hear from you! You can email your ideas to info@thehillschamber.org or call the chamber office (Monday thru Friday, 9 am to 3 pm) at (708) 233-6860. We are always looking to advance the general welfare and property of The Hills Chamber of Commerce community so that its citizens and all of its business community shall prosper.
Together, we can make a difference. We welcome your membership and look forward to working with you to ensure success and prosperity of our local communities.
“Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together.” James Cash Penney – Founder, JC Penney
Respectfully,
Phyllis Majka
President
