Chamber of Commerce make good business sense

By Barret Dokis
The Anishinabek Nation’s Economic Blueprint calls for the establishment of an Anishinabek Business Association, which would be like a chamber of commerce.
Most municipal-based chambers are not launched or operated by the municipality, but instead by a number of local businesses.  This doesn’t mean the municipality doesn’t support the chamber, Most municipalities are members of their local chamber and often host events or provide discounts for using municipal facilities for events.They may also sponsor events hosted by the chamber.
So in the case of an Anishinabek chamber of commerce, we might see First Nation communities become members, along with organizations such as the Union of Ontario Indians, the Tribal Councils, related non-profits, the Aboriginal Financial Institutions, and other relevant organizations.
When I envision what an Anishinabek Nation Chamber of Commerce might look like, I picture it being comprised of many local independent chapters that are started by businesses operating within that region.  These chapters could duplicate the Anishinabek Nation’s four regions or in some cases may have an even more localized focus, targeting, say, Manitoulin Island or North Shore membership.
Regional chambers could then help drive formation of a Nation-wide association focused on building a stronger Anishinabek Nation Economy.  An annual business conference could be hosted that brings together the regional chambers or associations to network, share success stories, and also help drive economic policy at the Anishinabek Nation level.
Some of the benefits that such a chamber could provide Anishinabek businesses include:
•    Joint sharing of marketing costs (an example of this is the Great Spirit Circle Trail which helps promotes member businesses).
•    Discounted purchasing: many chamber affiliates offer Member-to-Member discounts, which helps save money and promotes mutual support.
•     Many chambers stage networking opportunities through events such as after-hours business gatherings.
•    Dental & Health Benefit Programs: small businesses are often challenged when it comes to offering benefits to their employees.  Chambers often offer benefit programs for small businesses by treating members as a group to reduce premiums.  .
•    Other benefits: benefits offered by chambers may differ and are dependent on what each chamber can negotiate for its members. Examples include banking discounts, gas purchasing discounts, and advertising discounts.
An Aboriginal chamber of commerce could also include non-aboriginal businesses in the area which offer services of interest to Aboriginal businesses. For example, having a major banking institution as a member could provide banking discounts to chamber members.
A Chamber’s founding members need to be very dedicated, often volunteering their own personal time as well as having credibility so that others are willing to entrust them with managing the chamber’s finances. A good place to start is to host a meeting and try to recruit a dozen or so business owners with an interest in the establishment of an Aboriginal chamber of commerce within your geographical region.
Helpful information is available by Googling “starting up a chamber of commerce”. Professional advice is available, but comes at a price.
Any groups interested in started a local First Nation chamber of commerce in their area are invited to contact me at barret.dokis@anishinabek.ca
Barrett Dokis is Economic Development Coordinator for the Anishinabek Nation, working out of the Union of Ontario head office on Nipissing First Nation.