Chamber of Commerce

The Habersham County Chamber of Commerce is an organization of businesses seeking to further their collective interests while working to assure the future of Habersham County. As Chamber members, business owners voluntarily advocate on behalf of the community for significant economic prosperity and business interests.

Chambers have existed in the US for over two centuries, with many being established before the jurisdictions they represent. Local businesses are voluntary paying chamber members (non-profits, quasi-public, and even public sector employers sometimes pay dues to belong). The membership, collaborating, elects a board of directors and executive council to set policy for and guide the workings of the Chamber. The board or executive committee then hires a chief executive (various titles), plus an appropriate and an affordable number of staff to run the organization.

Chamber missions vary, but they all tend to focus to some degree on five primary goals:

• Building communities to which residents, visitors, and investors are attracted;
• Promoting those communities;
• Striving to ensure future prosperity via a pro-business climate;
• Representing the unified voice of the employer community; and
• Reducing transactional friction through well-functioning networks.

The state mission of the Habersham Chamber is to be vital to existing businesses, promote economic development, and enhance the quality of life in Habersham County. In addition, the local Chamber seeks to be recognized as the advocate for local businesses in Habersham County, serving as the local support for a business-friendly environment and promoting tourism in Habersham County.  

Chambers have other features in common. Most are led by private-sector employers, self-funded, organized around boards/committees of volunteers, and independent. They share a common ambition for sustained prosperity of their community/region, built on thriving employers. Most are ardent proponents of the free market system, resisting attempts to burden private sector enterprise and investment.

There are about 13,000 chambers registered in the official Worldchambers Network registry. In addition, there are roughly 4,000 chambers of commerce in the US with at least one full-time staff person and thousands more established as strictly volunteer entities.