Membership Toolkit
Resources for existing members to make the most of membership benefits!
Your online member portal can be used for multiple things:
- Keep your online business directory listing up-to-date
- Post job openings and member-to-member discounts
- Contact other members
- Pay invoices
To access your portal, click the Login button at the top of our Charlevoix.org website or visit https://business.charlevoix.org/login. If you do not already have a username and password, or you have forgotten yours, contact us and we will get you access!
For more detailed instructions, view our Member Portal Instructions document.
One of the most successful programs of the Charlevoix Chamber is our weekly Biz Blast e-newsletter. This has become a highly visible community resource, sharing business news and events. As a member of the Chamber, you are granted the exclusive opportunity to share your information in this newsletter.
You can view past editions of the newsletter here.
To submit content for the newsletter, fill out the Biz Blast Submission Form.
For additional exposure, consider a Sponsored Biz Blast or a Dedicated Blast! A Sponsored Biz Blast puts your news graphic at the top of one week of the newsletter. A Dedicated Blast sends your news graphic directly to the newsletter distribution list. See more about our digital promotion opportunities here or contact us to learn more.
A very popular program that the Chamber hosts is the Charlevoix Chamber Check local gift certificate program. Chamber members are able to participate in the program, all it takes is your ability to accept checks as a form of payment! We promote all members as participating (unless directed otherwise by a member).
Chamber Checks work like a normal check. A buyer will buy the check from the Chamber and redeem it at a local business. The business deposits the check for the full amount it is written out for.
Chamber Checks can only be used locally, ensuring dollars stay within our community. They make great gift ideas. We see approximately $25,000 in Checks purchased annually.
For more information on purchasing, redeeming, and participating in the program, click here.
The Chamber Ambassador Committee is a great way to increase your involvement and exposure. This Committee serves as the Chambers volunteer arm, lending their time and expertise at our events and with our membership reach. Overall, being an Ambassador means you are championing the Chamber and what we do! In return, you gain knowledge and connections, become first-points-of-contacts for new members, and further the reach of your business.
To learn more about being an Ambassador, visit our Ambassador webpage or contact us!
Charlevoix uses a one-of-a-kind shared community events calendar, launched in partnership between the Chamber, Visit Charlevoix, and the Charlevoix Downtown Development Authority. This calendar allows for a one-stop-shop of community events from either organization it is accessed through, with events filtering based on organization audience and membership. What does this mean for you as a business and member? It means one place to enter your event to be promoted across multiple avenues!
To view the Community Calendar and submit your event, click here.
Note: The Community Calendar on the Charlevoix Chamber's website will only show member events; only members are allowed to add to this calendar. The Calendar on Visit Charlevoix or the Downtown Development Authority websites may show other events if those events are within those organizations audience or membership base.
Membership opens up a handful of exclusive advertising and promotional opportunities:
Email & NewsletterÂ
The Chambers email distribution list is strong and relied upon! Here is how members can increase their exposure:
- Sponsored Biz Blast: Sponsor the weekly biz blast enewsletter and receive your event or news in a graphic form at the top of the newsletter. One slot available per week, $50 to sponsor per week. Dates are reserved on a first come, first serve basis.
- Dedicated Email Blast: Receive your event or news in graphic form sent directly to our enewsletter subscribers. One slot available per week, $100 to sponsor per week. Dates are reserved on a first come, first serve basis.
Area Guide Publication
In partnership with Visit Charlevoix, the Chamber publishes the annual Charlevoix Area Guide and Business Directory. This is a highly sought after area guide publication, with over 45,000 copies distributed locally, state-wide, and across the US.
Advertising is available and can be reserved anytime throughout the year for the next upcoming publication (discounts apply for early-bird ad reservations!). For more information, visit the Area Guide webpage.
Website Banner
Our website, Charlevoix.org, receives a lot of viewers! Anyone looking for business recommendations, area events, relocation information, or visitor information finds us! We feature website banner opportunities where members can promote their business through scrolling banners on our homepage and business directory. Five slots available per month, $150 per month, reserved on first come, first serve basis.
For questions or to reserve any of these opportunities, contact us!
Similar to a gym membership (the more you use it, the more you get out of it!), the more you engage with our Chamber programming, the more benefit you'll start to see! One way to do that is attending and participating in our events.
Events range from networking, team building, educational, celebratory and more. Our signature events include:
- Business After Hours - monthly networking gatherings at various member businesses. Attend, sponsor, or host one!
- First Friday Coffee Connections - monthly morning connections at various member businesses. Attend, sponsor or host one!
- Annual Awards - celebrating businesses and individuals going above and beyond to make Charlevoix a great place to live and work. Attend, sponsor an award recipient, or sponsor the event!
- Business Expo - showcasing businesses and highlighting area restaurants. Attend, register for a booth space, or sponsor the event!
- Golf Outing - an afternoon of fun, friendly competition. Attend, sponsor, donate items for giveaways, or sign up a team to golf!
- Art Shows and Festivals - we host three annual art festivals to increase economic activity to downtown and provide vital fundraising dollars for our organization. Sponsor in various capacities!
- State of the Community - an educational forum featuring timely updates from across the area. Attend or sponsor the event!
- Downtown Promotions - in partnership with the Downtown Development Authority we host various shopping and place-making events within downtown Charlevoix. We encourage creative participation and sponsorship from any business in these events!
View the full event listing and sponsorship opportunities for each event here.
Are you interested in local and state advocacy for the betterment of the Charlevoix area business environment? The Government Relations Committee may be a good spot for you!
The Chamber's Government Relations Committee is a shared committee with the Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce. The Committee consists of members from either organization, and the mission of the Committee is to inform, advocate, and encourage our community and its leaders about the importance of workforce development and a sustainable community economy which makes it easier for businesses to work. The Committee does this through strategic discussion and direction of Chamber efforts that involve economic development and advocacy at both local and state levels.
The bulk of our state level advocacy is done through our partnership in the Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance, which exists to advocate for rural northern Michigan and move forward rural-centric business policy. The Government Relations Committee aids in the decision making the Charlevoix and Petoskey Chambers make within their role in the Alliance.
To learn more about the Committee, contact us!