LOS ANGELES—Ron Adams is the volunteer president of the West Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce.
Adams and the chamber have been putting more effort, during this economic downturn, into finding new opportunities for their local business members and helping other chambers. The chamber claims to be one of the largest in the country. Founded in 1945, it has served area businesses for 65 years.
Linking local resources to government contract opportunities has been seen as one of the key opportunities for local chambers to help their members. Adams said, “Usually, our local members find out about these many projects right before the deadline or after the deadline.”
The chamber has developed a system to “insure that our members get information about these opportunities well in advance, so they know when the bids are going to open.”
The chamber is also working to support smaller local chambers to fulfill their missions. Adams mentioned that usually most businesses are focusing on the big state bids, but the chambers are now refocusing on local opportunities and working with local politicians in the process. “We are also working with our sister chambers, like Culver City, so that collectively, the smaller chambers could have a better opportunity where it can be accomplished.”
Regarding the challenges local chambers face, Adams said, “I guess what our main focus is in these times to band together with the rest of the big family (chambers) to accomplish what we need to accomplish. Of course, we have the seasoning and dedication until we get out of this together.”
As for local chamber activities to support businesses, resources is a major challenge. Mr. Adams said that one of the big challenges for the chambers is the “big disconnect,” the chambers have been doing their own thing [for so long] and trying to find the right people in the community to work together to make things cost effective,” is needed.
Adams addressed the need for unity, and also the characteristics to bring chambers together: “As you start to work together, it forges a relationship and to talk about other things we need for the future.” As for the best case scenario in this process, “The most important thing to bring this together within the overall (chamber) community is, for the two groups to have an open mind when they come to the table, discuss the facts, figure out how everyone benefits, and everyone gives a little bit, and come(s) up with something we can all live with.”
Adams and the chamber have been putting more effort, during this economic downturn, into finding new opportunities for their local business members and helping other chambers. The chamber claims to be one of the largest in the country. Founded in 1945, it has served area businesses for 65 years.
Linking local resources to government contract opportunities has been seen as one of the key opportunities for local chambers to help their members. Adams said, “Usually, our local members find out about these many projects right before the deadline or after the deadline.”
The chamber has developed a system to “insure that our members get information about these opportunities well in advance, so they know when the bids are going to open.”
The chamber is also working to support smaller local chambers to fulfill their missions. Adams mentioned that usually most businesses are focusing on the big state bids, but the chambers are now refocusing on local opportunities and working with local politicians in the process. “We are also working with our sister chambers, like Culver City, so that collectively, the smaller chambers could have a better opportunity where it can be accomplished.”
Regarding the challenges local chambers face, Adams said, “I guess what our main focus is in these times to band together with the rest of the big family (chambers) to accomplish what we need to accomplish. Of course, we have the seasoning and dedication until we get out of this together.”
As for local chamber activities to support businesses, resources is a major challenge. Mr. Adams said that one of the big challenges for the chambers is the “big disconnect,” the chambers have been doing their own thing [for so long] and trying to find the right people in the community to work together to make things cost effective,” is needed.
Adams addressed the need for unity, and also the characteristics to bring chambers together: “As you start to work together, it forges a relationship and to talk about other things we need for the future.” As for the best case scenario in this process, “The most important thing to bring this together within the overall (chamber) community is, for the two groups to have an open mind when they come to the table, discuss the facts, figure out how everyone benefits, and everyone gives a little bit, and come(s) up with something we can all live with.”
