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Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce Relocates ... Online
Some people run from change, others run toward it. Count the Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce in the latter group.
In a bold move, chamber president and CEO Kristen Amyx announced Thursday that the organization is shuttering its traditional bricks-and-mortar office and taking its operation into a virtual new reality. The decision is intended to turn the most challenging economic climate in the chamber’s 63-year history into an advantage.
“With the downturn in the economy, companies are retooling and evaluating their priorities,” Amyx said in an e-mail to the chamber membership Thursday afternoon. “When advising our members on how to strengthen their businesses, we recommend focusing on core strengths and products, elimination of any under-performing lines of business, and positioning the business to take advantage of the recovering economy.
“Now we have decided to take our own advice.”
Amyx told Noozhawk the move will enable the chamber to provide more of the resources that members say they want.
“Our members say networking is more important than ever before,” she said. “Our most popular programs are our new Business 2 Business Breakfasts, our Business After Hours, and our Issues & Policy Roundtable. We already hold two of those events off-site.”
As of Monday, the chamber staff — Amyx; vice president Valerie Kushnerov; and Max White, director of business development and volunteers — will work remotely, too. With the assistance of business partners Citrix Online, Cox Business Services, movegreen, Synergy Computing and Traffic Solutions, the chamber’s 500 members won’t see much of a difference; there just won’t be an office to visit.
Amyx said more and more members have been using the chamber’s expanded Web site, goletavalleychamber.com, for communication, information, reservations and payments. As a result, walk-in traffic has dwindled at the 4-year-old office at 271 N. Fairview Ave., Suite 4.
“For most of our members, nothing will change,” Amyx said. “The chamber will continue to offer all of the benefits and services it always has. The phone number (805.967.2500) and Web site will still connect you to the chamber staff.
“Meetings that were previously held in the Jean Blois Community Room will be moved to the conference rooms of our members throughout Goleta, and the Jean Blois Room itself will be recreated online.”
Amyx said the chamber is working with Fred Barbaria, president of Santa Barbara Signs & Graphics and a chamber board member, to create information kiosks that will be hosted at convenient locations around the Goleta Valley. Ameravant Web Studio has been adding more features to the chamber Web site and Media 27 is developing tools for more targeted e-mail communications.
Karen Ramsdell, director of the Santa Barbara Airport and a chamber board member, said the state of the economy has forced everyone to look at their operations a little differently.
“Going virtual will allow the chamber to respond responsibly to the economy’s impact, while continuing to support and advocate for local businesses,” she said.
Ramsdell said an added benefit is the broader perspective that will result from bringing events and meetings into members’ businesses. Such visits can provide important insights for other chamber members, board members, elected officials and municipal staff, she said.
Joanne Funari, president of Business First Bank and the chamber’s board chairwoman, agreed.
“At our bank, we go to our customers more and more and ask them to come to us less,” she said. “It’s great to see the chamber offering to do the same thing.”
Michael Kramer, founder of Ameravant Web Studio, has helped chamber officials evaluate the pros and cons of going virtual. In the end, technology and the modern business culture pointed to a new way of doing things.
In addition to the financial relief from “the money pit” of rent, Kramer said, there are more and more tools available to communicate and gather online. Many of these tools, like Citrix’s GoToMeeting Web conferencing product, were perfected along and in the vicinity of the high-tech Hollister Corridor.
“It is easier for people to meet from their own desk than it is to drive to the chamber office,” Kramer said. “We may experience more participants in meetings and be able to meet more often, if needed.”
A reduced environmental footprint is an increasingly important business consideration, he noted, and a virtual office can play a big role in trimming commuting costs — directly and indirectly.
But for Kramer, the move helps the chamber live up to its “back to basics” commitment.
“Chambers are community-based organizations,” he said. “Going virtual forces chamber staff to meet in the community they serve.
“For committees I’m on at the chamber, I’d love to host a meeting at my office, and expose my business to other members and to chamber staff.”
— Noozhawk publisher Bill Macfadyen is a former board chairman of the Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce. He can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Comments
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» on 07.02.09 @ 09:00 PM
Nice spin job. It’s no secret the chamber was sucking wind with its rent and would have been forced to vacate anyway. Which brings to mind questions any unconflicted journalist would ask: does the chamber have a lease? If so, are there financial ramifications to walking away? What about the staff? Keeping them? What other cutbacks will taken? What is the condition of the chamber’s finances? How badly has the recession hurt it?
You won’t post this anyway, so I’ll just go ahead and say it: This wasn’t journalism, it was propaganda intended to spin the chamber’s financial troubles into some sort of visionary gold. It’s dishonest and sleazy. Sleep well if you can.
[Editor’s note: Zzzzzzz.]
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» on 07.02.09 @ 09:28 PM
It didn’t hit me at first but this is an exciting, forward-looking decision. In this day and age, there’s no reason a Chamber of Commerce needs the expense of an office, especially in a retail space. Congratulations on the move!
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» on 07.03.09 @ 03:41 AM
Great idea. Having been a member for several years, I’ve only been in the office once and have gotten everything I need from the website and offsite events. I’d rather see my dues go toward service not an office.
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» on 07.03.09 @ 04:11 AM
Brilliant solution to a hard problem. With one of the leading net-based-meeting companies in your midst (Citrix), how could you not?
The added benefit is the reduction in environmental impacts of driving to meetings. That includes less emissions, but even more important, less traffic—making the place better for those who are not able to avoid using the roadways.
Congratulations for an imaginative response. Necessity being the Mother of Invention.
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» on 07.03.09 @ 05:49 AM
Bold move, but the GV Chamber is showing that it continues to be on the cutting edge. I have a sneaking suspicion that this just might work.
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» on 07.03.09 @ 07:35 AM
What will happen to the Jean Blois community room? Relocate it somewhere else or will it simply not exist anymore?
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» on 07.03.09 @ 11:25 AM
I’ve never even been to the chamber office. They came to me when I joined a few years ago and I’ve always called or emailed when I had a question. Works for me.
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» on 07.03.09 @ 12:07 PM
Well, clearly the success of Noozhawk itself is proof that on-line and virtual business is viable in this area, if done properly.
The economic downtown of the last 18 months has ravaged business budgets across California and the nation, not just here on the south coast.
Mrs. Amyx is reacting to the slump by trying to be innovative managerially, while also reducing her overhead, by experimentally removing the physical office. Perhaps it will work, if all her paid staff can achieve their weekly duties from home offices.
The Greater Santa Barbara Chamber seems to be dealing with the downturn by having its boss roll up his sleeves, and ... run for mayor. All this being equal, Amyx
seems to be showing more leadership for her members. Perhaps necessity truly is
the mother of invention. Let’s all try to help her make this experiment a success.
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» on 07.03.09 @ 12:44 PM
It seems odd but the Chamber has really been nothing other than Amyx’s pulpit rather than the small business community. It has changed from what is was in the 80’s and 90’s from a advocate for the whole community and local business to her narrow views this is further proof. To bad but glad I stopped being a member after a few years of her involvement as it just got to political under her leadership.
Wonder if she ever considered a paycut, of course not even if she had she would have just paid for the loss from the PAC.
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» on 07.03.09 @ 04:48 PM
Huh? Do you go to the Lemon Festival and see the great community support (and dollars being spent in Goleta)? How is that a pulpit for Amyx?
Have you gone to the B2B Breakfasts? Small businesses are actually getting a lot of benefit from the networking. That’s why I go and continue to invite others.
You’re really missing out, but then again, you’re probably out of business, so the Chamber isn’t for you anyway.
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» on 07.04.09 @ 08:11 AM
I can understand the need for downsizing, but totally going away? That seems pretty extreme. What about the general community needs?
The Chamber office has also been a resource to many folks in the community like students, visitors, travelers, non business folks, etc. looking for information about the Goleta. The Chamber was Goleta’s local Visitor Center. With the phyical office closing, where will folks get information about Goleta? Not everything is, or should be, on line. Sometimes you need to talk with someone in person or pick up brochures, etc.
It was bad enough to loose the local paper - The Goleta Valley Voice. It unified the community. And now with the Chamber office gone, how will The community as a whole stay connected?
Also, what will happen to the Lemon Festival. I’ve yet to hear about the celebration of great works of community people = Goleta’s Finest event. Are they going away too?
The virtual world is a great place, but it should not be the ONLY place. Please reconsider your decision and downsize to a smaller office.
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» on 07.04.09 @ 10:34 AM
The Lemon Festival will still happen in October. We’ve got a great committee working hard to bring you the best Lemon Festival. This year features a green business showcase and a wine grotto. Look for new updates on http://www.lemonfestival.com later this summer.
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» on 07.04.09 @ 10:39 AM
It would be nice for the Chamber to support walk up visitor services, but who is going to fund it? Should we make visitors pay to walk in? Should the City impose a tax like they do in Santa Barbara to support a Goleta Conference and Visitor’s Bureau? (The Santa Barbara CVB is different than the Santa Barbara Chamber.)
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» on 07.05.09 @ 05:53 AM
Community, if you re-read the article you will see that the Chamber plans to place information kiosks in the community. Depending on where these go (stores, shopping centers, City Hall, etc.), there should be brochures, maps, etc. available more places for many more hours in the week than the old nine to five, Monday through Friday. Staff will be available via phone as before.
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» on 07.21.09 @ 10:00 AM
Quite a bit of work by the community went into having a physical location for the Jean Blois Community room. It was wonderful to have her inspiration lead this creation.
How can an “online recreation” truly honor Jean Blois for all of her contributions to our area over the past few decades? I don’t see a chat room as befitting.
Not counting those who rallied for this cause; do the investors that put in the tens of thousands feel a banner ad is acceptable?
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» on 08.03.09 @ 09:56 PM
Well, it’s such an extreme decision to just take away the office and I’m disappointed with this. I felt that the office was a bit larger and could have downsized, but to completely go away, its hard to fathom. As hard as it is to imagine, not all business people/owners are internet or tech inclined and are being left out, despite any minute attempts. I have been a member for over 7 years and this unfortunately increases my concern for the state of the chamber and its leadership. This would have been a great opportunity to address its members for input and not just the larger companies. As an small business owner, we need to downsize when needed and this also entails making pay cuts to our personal salary, not just job cuts. I’m sure the chamber could have downsized, kept some of its staff and just cut their time.
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