CHAMBERS MAKE IT WORK

It was hard for Jenny Sorto, as the owner of a new restaurant opening in a poor economy, to decide to spend $250 to join the Gulf Coast Latin Chamber of Commerce.

“At the beginning, I was a little thoughtful,” she said, taking a break at her Sabor Latino restaurant on 14th Street West. “When you start, you have the fear of investing in something that might not give you any results.”

But on the other hand, she knew what she needed was exposure.

“I decided to join because we are new and we want people to get to know us,” said the former wireless company manager.

So far Sorto thinks she made the right move. The chamber held a networking event at the restaurant recently and she is hoping that the connections she makes with other chamber members will bring catering jobs and more exposure for the restaurant.

Local chambers know lots of their small business members are facing tight finances and, like Sorto, spending money on a chamber membership could be considered a luxury unless they can see a definite return on investment.

That’s why the Gulf Coast Latin Chamber, the Manatee Chamber and the Puerto Rican Chamber are working hard to keep fees low and offer more benefits to members.

The Gulf Coast Latin Chamber, with 196 business members, recently rolled out a new program called Adelante!, which in Spanish means forward. The program, aimed at helping unemployed business people network and find jobs. waives the membership fee until the member finds work.

The chamber also has partnered with Jobing.com to create a job board where job seekers can post their resumé for free and companies can post the jobs they have available.

The idea for Adelante! came from a few brainstorming sessions between Fermin Miranda, chairman of the chamber board, and other board members.

“We knew we had people who have been laid off, who were unemployed, but also who have different skill sets,” he said. “We thought this would be a great opportunity to make sure they were visible and connected.”

Miranda, however, says the chamber also is asking those in Adelante! to get involved.

“If one of our businesses has a grand opening, we want them to be there, to make sure people know who they are,” he said. “Some of our board members at networking events give members who are hiring resumés of the people. They are introduced and then it is up to them what happens next. It is an opportunity for them (job seekers) to get to meet people in a nonthreatening environment.”

The giveback, chamber officials hope, comes when their members do get a job. “We ask them to talk to their boss about the chamber and membership,” Miranda said.

The chamber has seen an 87 percent increase in its membership since the first of the year. It’s also working with members on the membership fee, allowing some to pay monthly.

That’s also a technique being employed by the Manatee Chamber of Commerce.