What are the advantages of being a Walton County Chamber of Commerce member?
Monthly "Business After Hours", First Friday Breakfast and Luncheon Meetings. Your best networking opportunities! Come and meet other Chamber members in a relaxed setting. Sponsorship of one of these programs is a great marketing tool for your business. Call us about how to become a sponsor.
Listing in the Business Directory and Visitor's Guide published annually. This full color booklet is the main tool the Walton County Chamber uses to market its members and their services. Publication date is early spring.
Business seminars and workshops. The Chamber is currently offering two types of business seminars. In cooperation with the OWCC/UWF Institute for Professional Development, Dr. David Goestch presents our "Seminars for Success" covering such topics as "Motivating Yourself and Others", "How to Deal With Difficult Employees" among others. Discounts are available for Chamber members and employees. Each session is held in DeFuniak Springs and at Sandestin . A second group of seminars is held under the Small Business Support Network umbrella designed to inform business owners and their employees of better ways of doing business. The topics chosen generally come out of discussions among the participants and have included collecting funds on bad checks, and avoiding rip-offs and scams.
Monthly newsletter. "The Chamber Connection" is our publication to let you know what's happening in your Chamber. Printed by the Walton Sun and inserted in their newspaper, "The Connection" also serves as an tool for you to get your name before the membership at a very reasonable cost. Contact The Sun, 267-4555, for advertising rates. You may also have your flyer or brochure inserted in "The Connection" for $50.00.
Distribution of your brochures and information through our two offices. Be sure to supply our offices with your brochures for rack display as well as for mail-outs. Annually we mail 2,000+ packets of information, answer almost 10,000 telephone inquiries, and greet about 7,000 walk-in visitors. They need to know about your business!
Access to the Inquiry List. For an annual $100 fee, you receive a monthly listing of names and addresses of those who have contacted our offices requesting information.
Involvement with Chamber committees. Working through our Governmental Affairs, Military Affairs, Education, and Health Awareness Committees and Chamber Ambassadors you can keep informed on the issues and have your voice heard. Membership on the committees is open to all interested Chamber members. Only the Military Affairs Committee has membership fees ($50.00 one-time enrollment fee and $50.00 annually). Ambassadors may choose where they would like to serve, either in the Beach Area or the Lake/Bay Area. All committees meet monthly.
Business assistance through the "Small Business Support Network" Do you need advice or technical advice? Call on a Chamber member! We can put you in touch with a person to help you by using our network of business advisors.
Discounted long distance service. Through our agreement with ITC^Delta Com, the Chamber can offer its members long distance service for competitive rates with great service. Call either Chamber office (beach, 267-0683 or lake/bay, 892-3191) and we will put you in touch!
Access to the business resource materials you need: Demographics, traffic count maps, Walton County street map (updated annually, 10,000 copies!), Walton County Land Use Map, lists of elected officials, civic and service organizations, churches, World Wide Chamber listing, zip codes, R.L. Polk County/City Directory, telephone books, business reference books, state government guide, county profile, school information, relocation information, local historical information, etc.
Chamber membership list available. On paper ready to print your own labels, on labels ready to stick and mail, or on disk. There is a fee for the listings/labels and they are available only to Chamber members.
New Business Ribbon Cuttings and Groundbreakings. Remember to invite your Chamber Staff and Ambassadors to help you celebrate. We'll bring the ribbon, ceremonial scissors, the gold shovels and the media!
Membership Plaque. Hang it in a visible spot to let your customers know that you support your community and have been accepted into the membership of the premier business organization in the area!
Representation by your Chamber on the Walton County Economic Development Council, the South Walton Tourist Development Council, the School-To-Work Coalition, and many other area organizations.
The Walton County Chamber of Commerce "Helping business do business better"
