Having a voice is good. Having one that can be listened to is way better, and that is just part of the value proposition of being a member of the Jersey Chamber of Commerce
As the Jersey Chamber membership renews its subscriptions for the year, many might think it is ill timed and that the last thing a business needs is a reminder of another cost which needs to be met.
But, oddly, during the past year, a record number of businesses have joined Chamber – right in the teeth of lockdown, restrictions and record low trading. We moved from an average 540 businesses as members pre-Covid to over 600 to date.
I’m certain that part of the reason for this uplift lies in the value of Chamber – particularly during these difficult times. A conscious decision to intensify our output to match the predicted hunger for relevant Covid-related information was made quickly in February 2020. Most important was to provide the mechanism and conduit for businesses and government to have access to the thinking and needs of each other, giving a vital flow of information and feedback that has, on review of the past 15 months, moved the needle in
influencing the actions of both sides.
While there are many variables and moving parts to consider, when in the centre of the Covid arena, the priority for Chamber has, and continues to be, based on keeping the wheels of business turning. There is plenty that could distract that focus. In a year of Brexit, the Island Plan consultation, retail strategy, the rise of much-needed wellbeing thinking and a population and migration policy, there have been several challenges.
Chamber must, of course, keep these issues under its watchful eye, while scanning the horizon for employment legislation changes and even the elections just ten months away. But all that will count for little without an economy.
One thing lacking from our calendar has been the Chamber lunches. These are outwardly what Chamber is best known for. In reality, they are a small part of the day-to-day work we do. I estimate that I have an average of ten to 12 meetings with any given government department per week.
With eight Chamber sector representative committees, all with three or four working groups looking at different aspects of their own industry, that number of meetings comes as no surprise to me. That said, the networking aspect of the lunches, along with delivering information and the questioning of our decision-makers, meant that Chamber needed an alternative outlet when the restrictions prevented those sessions from happening.
And that is when we adapted to technology with online webinars. Since we began this approach we have delivered some 30 Chamber Webchats, usually with a panel on screen and a question-and-answer session for those Chamber members registered and watching – sometimes with as many as 180 attending.
That is over double the number of potential lunches that we’ve not been able to hold. That delivery of essential, often-latest-detailed changes in the Covid journey has kept businesses updated and government cognisant of the often unintended consequences of decisions made, when the reality of the frontline of operating a business comes into play.
Jersey Chamber has been adding value to the Island for 253 years now and, while we are proudly one of the oldest Chambers in the world, the new approaches, changes in technology and need for adaptability is designed to keep Chamber fresh and as relevant as the businesses within its membership.
Having a voice is good. Having one that can be listened to is way better, and that is just part of the value proposition of being a member of the Jersey Chamber of Commerce. Many businesses become members of Chamber and actively input and highlight their concerns in order to represent their sector.
Having that large collective organisation full of experts in their given field, who can think through problems, offer solutions and give first-hand advice to those with the difficult task of governing, is invaluable. That knowledge is a real asset when Chamber speaks, and it helps get the message of the business community across. Ultimately it adds insight and reasoning that helps the prosperity of the Island, and that’s priceless – and valuable to everyone.
lTo have a voice and be represented by Jersey Chamber, simply go to jerseychamber.com and click on ‘Join Chamber’.
