“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” –Henry Ford
New Jersey small businesses need all the help they can get. ChamberLink was born out of that idea. We realized that the events and programs we put on could better serve our members, and the business community at large, if we worked collaboratively with local chambers of commerce and combined our resources.
ChamberLink is about making the most of our collective resources. Sharing information with NJBIA members and nonmembers alike and bringing people together to speak with a unified voice will make all of our organizations stronger.
Offering member prices to each other’s member companies was just the start. This year, NJBIA plans to build on that partnership to make us all more effective advocates for our members and offer better events and programs by working together.
For one thing, NJBIA intends to partner with more local organizations on networking events for 2020, and that begins on Monday, Jan. 27. NJBIA will join the Greater Toms River Chamber of Commerce for a networking happy hour called Connections and Cocktails at Baker’s Water Street Bar and Grille, starting at 5:30 p.m. It’s free to get in with a cash bar.
Attendees probably will not notice anything different from other networking events—plenty of time will be set aside for working the room, swapping business cards, and finding new clients. But underneath it is an important mind shift: Instead of competing with each other, friendly as the competition is, we’re pulling together for the mutual success of both our members and our organizations.
Speaking of our organizations, we have a new one! The Morris County Chamber of Commerce has decided to join our merry band.
The Morris County Chamber of Commerce bills itself as the business epicenter of the Morris County region and “the ultimate arena where businesses of all sizes and from all sectors work together for mutual success.”
“Our goal is to create opportunities for our members to come together, network, relationships, develop skills and give back to the community,” said Meghan Hunscher, chamber president. “The more they participate, the more they benefit.”
I’ll drink to that.
Now on to a busy week of networking events. Remember that as an NJBIA member, you are entitled to member pricing for events by our ChamberLink partners.
- Capital Region Minority Chamber of Commerce monthly Networking Before 9 will be held Jan. 21 at 8 a.m. in Robbinsville
- Gloucester County Chamber will hold Business Beyond Networking | The Future of Cancer: Research, Treatment, and Patient Support Jan. 21 at 8 a.m. in Sewell
- Somerset County Business Partnership’s Women in Business: Ultimate Escape Challenge is Jan. 21 at 4 p.m. in Somerville
- The Hunterdon County Chamber will hold its Leads Exchange Central 22 at 7:45 a.m. in Flemington
- The Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce kicks off its Small Business Council Seminar Series with Memory Training for Business 22 at 8:30 a.m. in Lyndhurst
- The NJLGBT Chamber is holding two networking events: The Networking Mixer, Jan. 22 at 6 p.m. in Jersey City and FIRST South Jersey Mixer of 2020, Jan. 23 at 6 p.m. in Haddonfield
- The Hudson County Chamber’s 2020 Vision to Grow Your Business will be Jan. 23 at 6 p.m. in Weehawkin
- The Newark Regional Business Partnership is inviting members to a new networking venue with its Evening Networking at Murphy Varnish Lofts 23 at 5 p.m. in Newark.
- Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce will hold a Networking Happy Hour at South Avenue Arts 23 at 6 p.m. in Garwood
- Somerset County Business Partnership will hold an educational event on the Financial Implications of Divorce in NJ 23 at 8:30 a.m. in Bridgewater
- The Monmouth-Ocean Development Council will host a “how-to” program on Promotional Events that Matter 23 at 8:30 a.m. in Lakewood
- The Monmouth Regional Chamber of Commerce will hold its Perkolator Breakfast networking event on Jan. 24 at 8 a.m. in Eatontown.
- The Morris County Chamber of Commerce will hold its 99th Annual Meeting Luncheon featuring keynote speaker Linda Bowden of PNC Bank. It will be on Jan. 24 at 11 a.m. in Whippany.
