History is filled with stories, some worth listening to and others not, but the fact remains that everyone loves the stories of wealthy businessmen. Who would have thought that business could help other business? Competition isn’t as fierce as it may seem.

What is a Chamber of Commerce?

A chamber of commerce is nothing more or less than a network of businesses in a designated locale. A Chamber of Commerce is a wealth of information about businesses in the area, services, economical information; it provides security for businesses, a voice for business owners and promotes tourism to turn profit for the locale.

The First Chamber of Commerce

The first “Chamber of Commerce” was established in 1599 in a small French port Marseilles. The Chamber of Commerce in Marseilles helped fisherman and brought more revenue to the city.

Nations soon learned of the successes and failures of similar groups like the Chamber of Commerce in Marseilles and began spawning their very own.

The First Chamber of Commerce in America

New York is the home of the first American Chamber of Commerce. Established in 1786 in New York City more than 200 year after the first in France.

The Chamber of Commerce’s stated objectives included “encouraging commerce, supporting industry, adjusting disputes relative to trade and navigation, and producing such laws and regulations as may be found necessary for the benefit of trade in general”.

New York’s industry flourished.

A National Chamber of Commerce

After New York established the first Chamber of Commerce, other offices in cities across America dubbing the same name began opening their doors soon after.

In 1912 the U.S. Chamber of Commerce was founded in Washington D.C. to meet the needs of these small Chambers of Commerce around the nation.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce persuaded the government to create a national budget, bringing legitimacy to the world of business, a secure future for the U.S. and business owners everywhere.

Our Chambers of Commerce Today

Today the Chamber of Commerce plays an important role to each community in which they serve. The Chamber of Commerce provides information that attracts commerce to the area.

New businesses always rely on the Chamber of Commerce before opening their doors in a community to make sure that there are employees to hire in the area, tax information, estimated population growth and etc.

People considering relocating use the Chamber of Commerce to find information about jobs, housing, schools, and information they need to make final decisions before moving.

And anyone considering a vacation should always contact the Chamber of Commerce for up to date information about things to do and places to stay.

Where would your community be without the Chamber of Commerce?

By: Lisa Gonzalez