The Nelson & District Chamber of Commerce presently has over 500 members.
Membership is open to businesses, professionals, associations and private individuals and offers a wide range of benefits. The Chamber year is from January 1st to December 31st.
Being in business can be challenging. Let’s face it, generating sales, meeting payroll, serving customers, maintaining inventory, and doing all of this well enough to earn sufficient profit to keep operating, takes a lot of skill and energy. But what makes it easier is being connected to a business organization that understands those concerns, and works daily on your behalf.
That’s why we would like to thank you for your interest in becoming a member of the Nelson and District Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber is a volunteer, not for profit organization, that is a strong credible voice for more than 500 small and medium sized businesses in our area. Our goal is to foster growth, and healthy econonomic development, and to work as our members’ number one “business booster” through our advocacy efforts and economic development initiatives.
There are many misconceptions about what a Chamber really does. Many believe the Chamber gathers statistics, prints brochures, visits new business, answers community enquiries and advertises what a great place the Nelson region is to live and work. They’re right, but the primary function goes deeper. The Chamber volunteer board and membership work together for the common good of the community. A better community means better business conditions.
Working with all levels of government and our community partners, we want to be, and are involved in activities that can give your business, or organization the opportunity to succeed.
Through the Nelson Economic Development Partnership we continue to focus on business retention activities, investing in initiatives like the shop local campaign, promoting and developing business educational workshops on succession planning, business valuation, business productivity and human resources issues. We will continue to act as the first point of contact and to build on the Invest Kootenay website, an opportunity for business owners to connect with interested investors, and to provide key economic development and relocation information for those considering, moving or investing in our region.
Throughout the year, the Chamber will continue to offer events designed to benefit our membership, including the popular Business after Business networking events, speaker based programs and educational opportunities.
Check out the benefits that are included with your membership.
They include the very best small business group insurance plan on the market, super competitive Visa/MC/Interac rates that can save a business a small fortune each year, savings on motor fuels & natural gas, to name just a few member benefits.
Again, thank you very much for your ongoing support of the Nelson & District Chamber of Commerce. Without members, a Chamber of Commerce simply would not exist. Working together, we can help build a stronger Chamber, and in turn a stronger economic region.
The Chamber has been a great support system for our small business over the years! I love the way it brings local business owners together to grow our community and economy. Plus, the group benefit plan is affordable and easy to navigate.
We’ve been Chamber of Commerce members for over 60 years, and have been well-served by the Chamber’s benefit package for many years too. It’s a great package, and is very easy to use, if you have any questions at all, because it’s administered locally.
The Chamber works hard for the small businesses in our community and takes the extra time to personally check-in with each of their members.
My favourite part of being a Chamber member is going to (or hosting!) the monthly ‘Business After Business’ event — they’re really fun and provide a great opportunity to learn about other business in town and connect with their owners!
Our family’s businesses signed up with the Chamber even before we opened Bia Bora. We’ve been members for more than 20 years. The benefit plan has provided extended health and dental coverage for our families, and it’s been great to be able to offer those same benefits to our staff.
The Chamber has also been very active in town through the pandemic, when there was a lot of confusion over emergency programs. They did some of that ground work for us. They’ve got their finger on the pulse of the business community, it’s good that they’re there.
We like to support the community anyway we can. And for a very small business, the Chamber’s benefits package is a really good program. Being a part of the Chamber’s business directory is nice too!
We at Kootenay Crate Co. have found our membership with the Nelson Chamber of Commerce incredibly valuable, prior to, and during the pandemic. The supportive elements of the Chamber include connection to our business community, invaluable promotion of our small business through print and social media, and a sincere care and concern for our personal and professional well-being during the pandemic right from the start. Thank you for this opportunity to express our gratitude for our Chamber’s efforts during this especially challenging time. We look forward to the future as we begin to reconnect in person!
Like the Chamber, Spearhead is engaged with the region’s small business community. We work with partners in local industry, building supplies, contractors and other Chamber members. They and Sutherland Associates Financial Services run a tight ship, and that’s why we’ve worked with them for years. We’ve always been very happy with their support and their services.
The Martin Hospitality Group is a member of the Chamber of Commerce because it’s our community’s voice for business. it has supported us in a multitude of ways. Advocating for the needs of businesses, especially in the past few years through the pandemic, has been paramount. The Chamber also puts on fantastic networking events such as Business After Business and the Gala Auction which are a lot of fun to attend.
