SODA SPRINGS — A group of local citizens recently restarted the Soda Springs Chamber of Commerce, raising hope for business owners who look to gain more tools to help grow the local economy.
Traditionally, a Chamber of Commerce is an organization, separate from city government, composed of local businesses and business owners, that operates as a non-profit corporation. Membership offers multiple advantages, such as increased networking, cost-effective advertising, as well as access to professional development opportunities. Members of the chamber can establish greater credibility and visibility within the community, while also gaining the chance to give back to other local businesses.
It's been five years since Soda Springs had a Chamber of Commerce, and for some, five years is far too long.
Since the revitalized Soda Springs chamber's inception in January, anywhere from 20 to 30 community members have met multiple times, laying the groundwork for the chamber for what they hope will be prosperous years ahead.
Leading the charge is Debbie Dumont, who when asked about the group’s progress stated, “I’m excited about it. I anticipate it's gonna be really good. Within a year, I think we’ll have a lot of businesses join…. I think they’re gonna see that we’ve got good plans and we’re a pretty solid group.”
Dumont’s excitement to see the Soda Springs Chamber of Commerce succeed is only surpassed by her extensive experience. She is a business accountant by trade and has also served many years on the community development board as well as on the board of tourism.
“I have a lot of experience with similar groups,” said Dumont, “and writing bylaws and finding grants and funding for different things…. It's a place for me to serve the community so that’s what I did.”
Dumont explained one of the chamber’s plans involves a strong emphasis on keeping dollars within the community whenever possible. She said, “Our new motto is to 'Shop Local'… and to help businesses advertise and get exposure and make sure everybody knows that they are there.”
One way to achieve this is to increase collaboration between local businesses, from giant corporations such as Bayer or Itafos, all the way down to the smallest food truck or boutique.
“We really want our board to have a good representation of the community as a whole,” stated Dumont, “and what I hope to see in the future is businesses really working together to help each other out, to create a sense of community among the businesses, and working together whenever we can to advertise, to get people coming, to take advantage of the tourism season, and share ideas.”
This week the chamber is electing five board members to serve the interests of the group. Soon, subcommittees will be created to tackle a host of responsibilities.
A Soda Springs Chamber of Commerce website is in the works, with plans to create a local business directory with job postings and upcoming local events, including workshops and training sessions for business owners. Another project involves the creation of “New Community Member” and “New Business Owner” packets to assist both residents and businesses who are new to town. The chamber plans to take part in several annual community events, such as Fourth of July festivities, while also undertaking the creation of a few new events, such as a social hour to get to know local business owners, a golf scramble, as well as ribbon cuttings to celebrate pivotal anniversaries and grand openings for local businesses.
Dumont is optimistic about the direction the revitalized chamber is heading and is hopeful that even more local businesses will contribute to the positive effect that the group will have on the community.
She said, “We’d like everybody to jump on board and be part of the Chamber of Commerce.”
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