Over many years, chambers of commerce have proven a valuable resource for small businesses within a defined geographic area. They act as a collective lobbying voice for businesses while empowering small businesses to seek and share advice, join events and network with peers.
Unlike many other referral networking groups, a chamber does not limit the number of people who can join from any one profession or industry, thereby providing a broad membership base which members can rely on.
However, chambers are more than just networking or referral opportunities where members try to solicit business from each other. Networking and matchmaking should be seen as one support structure of the chamber.
A chamber is also a platform where members should be willing to share their knowledge, skills and expertise to improve, impact and change someone’s situation. A platform for knowledge or information sharing, I believe, will result in more business and trade.
When we talk of knowledge sharing, we mean sharing of publicly available data, not that which constitutes a valuable intangible asset of the business which is used to create and sustain a competitive advantage over one’s competitors.
As an example, let me illustrate what happened recently. I was in a meeting and we were discussing a variety of issues about a particular business concept. Towards the end of the discussion the conversation meandered and I mentioned a newsletter that I write for our chamber members.
I remarked that to design the letter I use CorelDraw, which can be cumbersome. The quick response was why not try a different program (name was provided). I was given an overview of what the program could do for me and when I returned to the office, I googled it, which opened up a whole new understanding of newsletters for me.
A simple bit of information sharing.
Sharing information does not mean divulging company strategy, but merely offering or suggesting a solution.
As businesses become more digital, owners have access to a great deal of information, and the concept of knowledge sharing becomes critical, not only for the internal communication between owners and employees, but also to ensure that we move forward together, helping each other to be equipped with the right tools. A diverse range of opinions allows for objective decisions to be taken quickly.
It might seem obvious why knowledge sharing is important, but not all companies get it.
Contact Vincent Marino of the Aerotropolis Chamber of Business and Commerce on 010 285 0313 or at vincent@eacci.org.za
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