Wednesday, October 21st, 2020 is National Support Your Local Chamber of Commerce Day

Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 21st, 2020, we celebrate the invaluable work being done by chambers of commerce nationwide to strengthen the economy, business community, and local enterprises of all sizes. A primary objective of the West Orange Chamber is to strengthen local businesses of all sizes. The best way to honor this organization is to use the services of our Chamber Member businesses. The WOCC aims to advocate for the business community, deepen professional relationships by hosting networking events and workshops, and promoting local services. Through these efforts, we create a stronger community and a stronger economy.

2020 has been a year full of challenges and uncertainty for businesses worldwide, but especially here in West Orange County. In an effort to respond quickly to the needs of our community, the WOCC has worked tirelessly to become a “go-to” resource for not only our member businesses but also our community. We offered educational opportunities for our members to best move forward through the pandemic and the shutdown including how to get federal aid including the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans, as well as securing Personal Protective Equipment. We created a dedicated COVID-19 page on the Chamber website with local, state, and municipal resources and other important information. 

We also added another dedicated COVID-19 Restaurant Guide on our website to provide information and updates on restaurant hours, delivery platforms, carryout options, and promotions. In addition, we ran two social media campaigns to encourage community members to visit and support Chamber Member businesses. The first was our Support Small Business Challenge in May, inviting the West Orange community to join us in strengthening our local Small Business community during the COVID-19 shutdown. The second was the “Here’s the Deal, Dining Deals” promotion for our committed 2020-2021 Best Fest Food and Beverage members to encourage the community to support our members! In addition, we have continued to offer virtual events to bring educational opportunities directly to our members and continue relationship building while physically distanced. 

As we continue to deal with the pandemic, we must also remember to focus our attention on the upcoming General Election.  During this election cycle, you will find six (6) state constitutional amendment questions and three (3) county charter amendments on your ballot. The West Orange Chamber has reviewed all of the amendments and their impacts on businesses; however, we would like to focus on Amendment 2 – Raising the Minimum Wage. The chamber is a leading business advocate, who values all individuals being gainfully employed at a fair starting wage.  Amendment 2 would become a part of our state constitution and not be driven by the free market, furthermore, this amendment would increase the starting rate of $15/hour annually with no recourse to adjust for economic conditions on a real-time basis due to being mandatorily tied to inflation.  To learn more about the negative impacts of Amendment 2, please click here.

To review all the amendments and what a Yes or No vote would mean, click here.

As our community moves forward in these uncertain times, the West Orange Chamber will continue to support and advocate for our Members through referrals for your business, marketing, and visibility opportunities, and of course, networking opportunities as allowed. Your membership and your sponsorships enable our team to continue to work to meet the needs of the West Orange business community. Show your support tomorrow, October 21, 2020, and every day, by continuing your membership investment and encouraging other businesses to join the West Orange Chamber.

You can also show your support by sharing the graphics on this page on your social media networks. Tell us why you are a member of the West Orange Chamber and tag us! Use the hashtags: #SupportYourLocalChamberOfCommerce #ChamberStrong #ChamberProud!

More Ways Members Can Celebrate:

  • Encourage someone who is not a member to join our Chamber
  • Attend the next virtual event hosted by your chamber
  • Post a photo on social media about why you support your chamber using #ChamberStrong
  • Write your favorite chamber professional a thank you note
  • Make sure your membership is current with your local chamber of commerce
  • Sponsor a WOCC Membership Today
  • Use the hashtags #WOChamber #FacilitatingOpportunity  #BetterTogether #ChamberProud