Business advocacy is important because any lobbyist will tell you that business is inextricably tied to government. The candidates who are elected–and the laws that are passed–directly impact the business environment locally, across the state and the nation.
- But just how involved should a chamber of commerce be?
- At what point is involvement helpful to members?
- At what point does it become contentious and divisive?
- Most importantly, what can your chamber do to promote business advocacy in your community and with your local government.
We’ve got 16 examples of business advocacy from chambers of commerce across the country.
First, Manage Differences of Opinion & Changing Landscapes
Even in rather homogeneous communities, differences can be divisive if open dialogue and respect are not encouraged.
Plus, with COVID creating an environment where working from home is on the rise allowing for the portability of jobs and people choosing new areas to live in, you may be seeing a very different mix of opinions and people of different experiences moving into your community.
This can shake up even the most agreeable of populations. If you’ve always thought of your area as leaning toward a certain political party, take time to reevaluate the “prevailing” sentiment.
Regardless of your community “leanings,” it’s important to point out that political involvement and advocacy for member businesses of the chamber is not party-sided, but rather pro-business.
If you keep business advocacy in mind, your positioning will be less contentious.
The Value Behind Business Advocacy
One of the things that makes business advocacy so beneficial is that it is something that only a few members can afford to do for themselves.
It’s also the type of activity that requires years of relationship building and small businesses often don’t have that kind of established power.
Advocacy requires long roots. For instance, a new business owner who is having challenges with the zoning board may not have the same relationship established with the municipal leaders that the chamber has.
Going to bat for your members in an issue like that can be invaluable to the member, especially if you’re able to affect change for them and/or businesses in their predicament in the future.
16 Valuable Business Advocacy & Political Activities for Your Members
There are many ways for the chamber to get involved in creating a pro-business environment including:
- Hosting a candidate night/forum.
Be the convener that brings together those running for office and the voters. The chamber is in a unique position as the voice of business to get candidates taking abut what they will do to create a pro-business environment and help make your area more attractive to businesses. - Creating pro-business voting collateral.
Legislation can be confusing. Having someone summarize pending legislation and educating voters on the importance of that pending legislation from a business perspective can help ensure your members are able to vote on or support issues that will benefit their businesses. These collateral can include informative emails, brochures, web content and more. - Issuing pro-business ratings.
Some chambers rate candidates and elected leaders based on their pro-business criteria or report card. This can help business people understand who is serving them and whether they are looking not for their interests. The US Chamber endorses federal candidates every election cycle. - Navigating zoning issues and government challenges.
Some members need help navigating the bureaucratic process such as problems with zoning, licensing, etc. There may be a disconnect in what they expect or need or there may be a “translation” issue in speaking to government agencies to understand what is required for the process. Chambers often have relationships with government leaders that can help with communication.
- Writing letters of support.
From contests to grant applications, your members may have a multitude of reasons they require chamber support or a letter of recommendation. As a leader in the community, the chamber is well-positioned to help. - Writing editorials on issues.
Keeping abreast of legislation status isn’t on the top of most smaller business person’s to-do list but it can affect the future of their business. As part of the education process, writing editorials on behalf of the business community can be a strong way to communicate the chamber’s stance on an issue as well as encourage participation in the political process. - Facilitating dialogue.
If your community is one of diverse thoughts, the chamber may want to facilitate open dialogue on issues. The Ontario County Chamber of Commerce presents the information needed from both sides to help its members formulate their own decisions. - Establishing a legislative agenda.
The chamber’s legislative agenda should list the main priorities of the chamber for the legislative calendar or upcoming year. These issues will likely tie into the chamber’s strategic plan as well. - Creating coalitions.
Sometimes there are issues within your community or groups that require targeted advocacy help. In those situations, a coalition may fill the need. A coalition can help focus additional attention for a period of time. For instance, the Florida Chamber of Commerce created a coalition entitled “Autonomous Florida.” This coalition addresses the needs of the “next generation of transportation–autonomous vehicles.” - Reporting on the City Hall, Capital, or Hill.
Keep members abreast of what is going on behind the scenes locally, at the state and federal level can be invaluable. Most business people don’t have the time to spend in the government hallways, nor do they have the financing to pay someone to do it for them. This type of reporting is more in-depth than legislative calendars. - Visiting the Capitol.
Some chambers like the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce arrange for annual trips to the state capitol. There, business people can meet their legislators and discuss pertinent issues.
- Hosting watch parties.
For big issues and elections, some chambers host election night watch parties. This can be a wonderful event, especially if you have worked hard in advocating for a specific issue. - Voicing support for budget items.
If your chamber is plugged into the budgeting process for your area, you may see another need of advocacy–budgeting. If there’s something that is critical to business funding, you may be called on to advocate for its inclusion in the city budget, for instance. - Advocating for an appointment.
There are many appointed positions in government and some of them affect the business climate. The chamber may be approached to write a letter of support or advocate for an individual to be named to an agency or other appointment.
- Establishing environmental commitments.
A healthy environment is good for business. The chamber may want to create an environmental statement (or support of other quality of life initiatives) on behalf of member businesses. - Educating on the importance of participation.
It’s easy to let political squabbles and drama derail you from participation in business advocacy. But as a catalyst for change and a convener of people and ideas, the chamber should be there to remind business owners of the importance of policy, legislation, and advocacy to business.
Advocacy is a prized activity for member businesses but one they probably don’t think about on a regular basis. It’s out of reach of many of the business budgets for most members. Yet, it’s an activity that benefits chambers to become involved in.
Some members have a negative view on government and elections these days.
In a poll conducted by the Partnership for Public Service, 56% of respondents said they did not trust the government “much or at all.”
This type of negativity often causes people to check out of the process altogether. However, it’s important for them to remember the leaders we choose (and issues we/they support) directly impact business and workforce.
Whether you get directly involved supporting pro-business candidates or work behind the scenes for a better tomorrow, government is entwined with business and these activities are things your members will benefit from. Plus, they’ll value your role in business advocacy since it’s something they may not be able to do for themselves.
