What does a Chamber of Commerce do?

The purple fabric in tension waits eagerly as faces are reflected on the sharp steel. The silence screams, waits, and then the large scissors fall, cutting the purple ribbon, followed by a euphoric chorus of applause and celebrations, followed by drinks and conversations: this is the average experience at an inaugural ribbon-cutting of a chamber of commerce. The voice has always been welcome as a magazine in chambers of commerce, where it has generally allowed for illustrating the work of this magazine to an audience that may still be unfamiliar with it.

A chamber of commerce is an organization that brings together businesses, companies, and entrepreneurs from a specific region, city, or sector with the goal of promoting economic development, strengthening the business community, and representing the interests of its members. With a local focus, chambers of commerce support small businesses by creating a network of business contacts through monthly networking meetings, ribbon-cutting inaugurations, as well as workshops on finance, leadership, and business tools. Joshua Galow, community engagement director at the Dutchess County Chamber of Commerce, adds, "Visibility is also important. We have award ceremonies where we recognize organizations and individuals who are working for the community in an exceptional way."

For small businesses, chambers of commerce aim to create value for their members by recognizing that new entrepreneurs do not have access to all the resources and capital that an established business does. "In 2018, the state of New York issued mandates for mandatory sexual harassment training in the workplace," commented Galow. "Large companies have the infrastructure necessary. But small businesses may not have a human resources department within their organization, so we decided to offer that training for Chamber members."

Presence in the Community

Most of the 1,200 members of the Dutchess Chamber of Commerce are small businesses. While the Chamber cannot create direct connections, they are aware of the specific needs of their members. Joshua recalls the case of a member who was trying to connect with a local supermarket chain without success. When it came time to schedule a ribbon-cutting with the chain, Galow informed the entrepreneur: "Come to the ribbon-cutting, all the executives will be there." Today, that person is one of the egg suppliers for the supermarket chain.

Brianna Cataldo, bilingual membership representative at the Dutchess Chamber, explains that membership comes with the necessary support to help members make use of all available resources. "I always introduce Latino entrepreneurs to other businesses that speak Spanish. We also have our ambassador support program, where every new member of the Chamber is connected with another member. This helps our new members feel more comfortable, and they don’t have to enter a meeting with two hundred people where they don’t know anyone."

But a chamber of commerce does not exist only for its members; they must first be identified. Jess Davis, vice president of the Ulster County Chamber of Commerce, emphasizes the importance of being present in the community. "We have a small but powerful team," Davis stresses. "With more than 100 nonprofit organizations as members, and with key collaborations such as the Kingston Community Hub and the Broadway Bubble, which focus on offering English classes and supporting the most needy communities, we make sure to be present at every possible event."

While chambers of commerce have a membership fee (around $500 per year), Davis assures that the benefits outweigh the costs. "Anyone for whom the cost is a barrier, contact us. Our goal is always to give new entrepreneurs the opportunity to join. The only thing we ask is that you pick up the phone and call us. Tell us how we can help."

The experience of Chamber of Commerce members seems to reflect this effort. Ana Leyva, owner of Mi Pueblito restaurant in Kingston, says the Chamber has made her feel more connected within the professional community. "The mixers [business meetups] help you meet more people," Anna reveals. "I've gotten business from those meetings."

For her part, Mónica Lorca, owner of the bakery and restaurant Los Hornitos in Wappinger Falls, adds that the resources and meetings help stay connected in a world that has accelerated over the years. "I feel like we are getting busier," Mónica reflects. "I don’t know why. But time flies and often there are so many things that something always gets forgotten. That's why it's very important to belong to something like this." Los Hornitos will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a gala on February 18, 2025, where all the profits will go toward college scholarships for Latino students.

And while these resources are essential for small business entrepreneurs, Leyva points out that the members "are primarily English-speaking businesses, and there aren't many Latinos." Hispanic and Black business owners are significantly underrepresented in relation to their proportion of New York’s population. According to a report published in March 2024 by the New York State Comptroller, only 5.9% of businesses in the state are owned by Hispanics, far below the state’s Hispanic population of 19.5%.

Latinos in Business

Latinos in Business succeeding together (Latinos en negocios triunfando juntos) is a coalition of Latino entrepreneurs founded by Sandra Salguero, meeting every two months, mainly in Orange County, to exchange ideas and connect Latino professionals from different industries. Salguero explains that the goal of these meetings is to create a community that can directly provide the solutions another business needs. "It's hard to recommend someone for a service if you don’t really know them, if there’s no trust," Sandra clarifies. "So by coming to these meetings, trust is built, and you can say, 'Yes, I know the perfect person who can help with this.' And that’s how businesses grow and networks expand."

But Latinos in Business is not just focused on connecting established professionals. Salguero explains that a major component of the organization is education. "At the meetings, we do two things: one is networking, connecting entrepreneurs, and the other part is educational, with workshops on how to grow your business, what exactly networking is, how to build trust, and have those tough conversations necessary to succeed."

The coalition also supports student scholarships to amplify Latino voices in the business world and provide the necessary follow-up for the youth to become the business leaders of tomorrow. "All the funds we raise from our fundraising event, the Latino Expo, support Latino students, such as the Hispanic Scholarship Fund or extracurricular programs."

Latinos in Business just celebrated its 10th anniversary in May. Salguero reminds anyone starting a business, "You’re not alone. We know it’s tough, but here are people who can help."

Resources

Latinos in Business: facebook.com/groups/latinosinbusiness/media

Chambers of Commerce by County:

Albany-Colonie: capitalregionchamber.com

Capital Region: capitalregionchamber.com

Columbia: columbiachamber-ny.com

Dutchess: dcrcoc.org

Greene: greenecountychamber.com

Orange: orangecountychamber.com

Putnam: putnamchamberny.org

Rensselaer: renscochamber.com

Rockland: rocklandbusiness.org

Sullivan: catskills.com

Ulster: ulsterchamber.org