Adopted Business Plan

The 2023-2024 Business Plan is our roadmap for achieving our chamber’s Vision and Mission for 2023-2024. To address and accomplish these objectives will take adequate resources, both financial and people. As a member of MACC, we encourage your participation and leadership to help us achieve these objectives.

STRATEGY I:     BUSINESS and ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT

Business Development is crucial to the mission of the Montcross Area Chamber of Commerce. To assure the growth and sustainability of our community, we must effectively assist businesses to develop, grow, and create quality, good paying jobs for our citizens. We also understand that entrepreneurial development and small enterprises are the driving force of our business community. To ensure that our small businesses have every opportunity for growth, success, and profitability, we must provide meaningful programming and support that will assist them with ongoing challenges and help them grow their businesses.

Objective 1: Create the Entrepreneurial Council to provide support and serve as a point of contact for small businesses seeking to grow their business, while providing a mentoring environment.

Objective 2: Through the chambers innovative Montcross Emerge initiative, promote and support small business by engaging in and addressing the Four Core Areas: Marketing and Communications; Small Business Recovery and Growth, including an emphasis on DE&I for a small businesses success; Wealth Creation and the recruitment of Remote Workers; Promote and Support Health and Social Impact, to include the creation of a “Healthy People-Healthy Business” web page.

STRATEGY II: CREATING OUR BRAND-TELLING OUR STORY

An earned, solid reputation and image are critical to our effectiveness as a Purpose Driven Chamber of Commerce. Good communications will be key to telling our story and to providing timely information that can help our members more efficiently and profitably run their businesses. To effectively communicate our programs, events, services, and value, we will develop a stellar brand and implement a meaningful communications, marketing, and public relations program.

Objective 1: Determine our brand.

Objective 2: Develop and implement a comprehensive communications plan that will be executed and delivered to our members and our secondary audience including the media, governmental elected and appointed officials, and the general public.

Objective 3: Create and deliver an internal Image Campaign for MACC to make citizens more aware of the brand and positive accomplishments of The Chamber and the community, past, present, and future.

Objective 4: Develop an excellent working relationship with media in the regional market to include Gastonia and Charlotte to establish a “Go To” or “Top of Mind” status for interviews and information on all business-related issues in our area.

STRATEGY III: MEMBERSHIP ENGAGEMENT, GROWTH, AND INCREASED REVENUE

 Our members are the lifeblood of the Montcross Area Chamber of Commerce. For us to accomplish the strategic objectives in this plan, we must reach our full potential in terms of membership growth and financial resources. We will create a mindset among the business community that investing in The Chamber is a wise business decision. We will maintain a strong connection between the business members and their chamber of commerce.

Businesses compete in a far different environment today than existed just a few years ago. It is an environment where the only constant is change. The Chamber must adapt to the environment in which our businesses reside. That environment is characterized by these elements among others:

Time Challenge. Covid was a game changer. Businesses do not have the staff to commit to volunteer efforts as they once did. There is time famine among business owners and managers. We must create relevant programs and meeting structures that are worth their time and that, indeed, save time for our members.

Return on Investment. Members are looking for “ROI”. We must determine the value proposition. How can we help our members work less stressfully, more productively and more profitably? We must be able to demonstrate how their investment is paid back. Remember, the value Proposition evolves.

Objective 1: Place emphasis on member relations that includes good communications, excellent service, and a memorable customer experience.

Objective 2: Initiate the Legacy Partners Program to generate program and member service revenue, in addition to annual dues, to provide branding and marketing opportunities for those members who choose to participate. These funds will serve to strengthen member programs and services to grow the legacy of MACC.

Objective 3: Through member input, surveys and listening tours, determine what relevant programs are needed and should be offered.

Objective 4: Everyone Belongs at the MACC, so we will utilize DE&I strategies in all our membership focus areas.

Objective 5: Continue our transition to the recently adopted Tiered Dues Investment schedule, to accommodate all members.

Objective 6: Grow the membership dues base of the chamber through new member recruitment, aggressive retention, resulting in a net increase of 100 new members by December 2025.

Objective 7: Achieve and maintain a retention rate of 88% annually, the top 10% of chambers in the country.

STRATEGY IV: THE VOICE OF BUSINESS

To ensure that our members have every opportunity for success, the Montcross Area Chamber of Commerce will serve as the voice of business and, when appropriate and pertinent to our members and the communities we serve, play an active advocacy role with local, state, and national elected and appointed officials. We will become the “Go To” organization to bring disparate groups together for conversation and debate on issues of critical importance to our businesses and the community in general.

Objective 1: Establish the Public Affairs Committee as an active, meaningful committee that will be charged with the responsibility of executing the objectives of this area of focus.

Objective 2: Grow and nurture appropriate relationships to build trust and allow The Chamber to effectively serve as the convenor and the “Voice of Business” throughout the Montcross Area.

Objective 3: Develop the public policy agenda of The Chamber and actively advocate for key business-related issues while educating our members and citizens for our policy position.