Chambers of Commerce
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Brendan Burgess
Founder
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It's years since I was a member.
I went to a few meetings and it was all about people giving you business cards to sell photocopiers and life insurance. To be fair that might have been the point of the meeting. But as I was promoting the services of a recruitment agency for accountants, I didn't find any potential clients.
They produced a magazine which had the about 50 pictures of the president in chains.
The only good thing that I know that they do is that the Dublin Chamber sponsors the Dublin Economics Workshop. But apart from that, I don't know what they do.
Brendan
I went to a few meetings and it was all about people giving you business cards to sell photocopiers and life insurance. To be fair that might have been the point of the meeting. But as I was promoting the services of a recruitment agency for accountants, I didn't find any potential clients.
They produced a magazine which had the about 50 pictures of the president in chains.
The only good thing that I know that they do is that the Dublin Chamber sponsors the Dublin Economics Workshop. But apart from that, I don't know what they do.
Brendan
Steven Barrett
Registered User
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There are loads of different ones. The Dublin Chamber is by far the biggest.
I was a member of another one when I started out. Like with a lot of things in life, people expect immediate results. You'd get someone new making a presentation about what they did, never come back and cite a lack of response to their presentation as the reason. No one knows them. A Chamber is about getting to know people and maybe creating opportunities over the long term. I got bits of business from the Chamber. But I have made lots of contacts that I use to refer business to for conveyancy and tax advice. I work in an office share and met the guy who runs it from the Chamber.
If you want to get new business, and quickly, join a business network. But remember, everyone is looking for referrals, so you better give as well as take. If you want something that's a bit more slow paced, a Chamber can have its benefits and you will find people you connect with and can learn from. You make get business after a while.
When someone is giving a referral, they aren't doing you a favour, they are doing their friend a favour. They are also putting their reputation on the line by saying you are the best person to solve their friend's problem. They don't want to look bad if you mess it up so they will want to trust you and know you for more that 20 minutes before they are going to refer business to you.
I was a member of another one when I started out. Like with a lot of things in life, people expect immediate results. You'd get someone new making a presentation about what they did, never come back and cite a lack of response to their presentation as the reason. No one knows them. A Chamber is about getting to know people and maybe creating opportunities over the long term. I got bits of business from the Chamber. But I have made lots of contacts that I use to refer business to for conveyancy and tax advice. I work in an office share and met the guy who runs it from the Chamber.
If you want to get new business, and quickly, join a business network. But remember, everyone is looking for referrals, so you better give as well as take. If you want something that's a bit more slow paced, a Chamber can have its benefits and you will find people you connect with and can learn from. You make get business after a while.
When someone is giving a referral, they aren't doing you a favour, they are doing their friend a favour. They are also putting their reputation on the line by saying you are the best person to solve their friend's problem. They don't want to look bad if you mess it up so they will want to trust you and know you for more that 20 minutes before they are going to refer business to you.
They're also very good about telling us what business (not chamber members) people have already done in a town. Always make you feel it was the Chamber that achieved all the successes. Yes, they love the photographs, the media attention and who could forget the dangling chains. All we're missing in our part of the world at one of the Chairman's outings is the hairy chest, to go with the gold chain. Viva la Chambre 
Steven Barrett
Registered User
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What line of work doesn't need contacts and connections?
One that doesn't sell to members of the public or local businesses.
Enterprise Ireland is much more useful to me for developing contacts and connections.
Steven Barrett
Registered User
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Dublin Chamber of Commerce has large Irish and multinational companies as members, not just small local businesses.
Yes, but the people involved from those companies aren't the people I want to talk to or that want to talk to me.
There is an American Chamber of Commerce, aimed at US companies and those trading with them. Might be worth considering
AndroidMan
Registered User
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I was a paid member of Kildare and Dublin. Pretty pointless to be honest, especially if you are not part of the core group.
Don Gately
Registered User
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I was a member of the Ennis Chamber, unless you were a business in the town centre with an axe to grind about rates, pedestrianisation or something like that there wasn't much going on. My business is outside the town and no interest from them. Shannon on the other hand had a good few seminars etc back a few years ago and seemed to be more progressive. But then again any town (Ennis traders) that blames falling footfall on pedestrianisation during the lockdown probably hasn't a clue.