Chambers have a number of ways to raise non-dues revenue but one of the hottest ones out there currently is learning opportunities for your members. Here are a few examples on how you can monetize your business knowledge.
Ideas for Non-Dues Revenue Learning
Online Community
Many entrepreneurs are creating private online communities with a monthly entry fee where people are able to access learning sessions and exchange ideas with like-minded business people.
Pro: Good source of non-dues revenue that comes in monthly.
Con: Lots of work to create content and manage the community. Competition for this type of community is global and content must be top notch.
Learning Library
Some groups produce how-to videos and post them in a learning library. You can charge per course, offer a monthly subscription fee, or give one free as a sample and then charge after that.
Pro: Becomes a good resource for the community. Doesn’t have to be something for members only.
Con: Time spent creating the resources and ensuring they are updated if anything changes and new ones are added periodically.
Webinar
You can charge for webinars as well as either part of a series or one-offs. They can also be recorded and added to your learning library.
Pro: Great resource for the community and easily accessed no matter where you are.
Con: There are many free webinars out there. It has to be exclusive information for people to pay.
Certification
You can create a certification course on something like social media that would be recognized in your town.
Pro: The chamber reputation is a good one and that can be translated into a certification program plus you work with local businesses and understand what they need in employees.
Con: The coursework would need to be several hours long and you’d need to take the time to create it and then market it. This would likely involve adopting a learning management system.
Virtual Conference
Assemble some of your town’s great thought leaders and have them give presentations on topics that appeal to business.
Pro: Incredible resource and opportunity to speak to thought leaders to get them on board (nonmembers too).
Con: Getting them on board and their presentations completed in time for you to film their presentations can be an administrative headache.
Most business professionals understand the importance of staying on top of professional development. But these days things are changing so quickly that becomes tough to do. That’s why if the chamber can provide bite-sized ways to stay current, there’s real value in that for your membership and your community at large.
