Benefits of Membership
Informational Resources
- The Commerce Industrial Council’s memberships in the California Chamber of Commerce as well as the Gateway Chamber Alliance provide access to state and regional informational resources to assist local business members. Through the Commerce Industrial Council’s connections, members have near-instant access to current legislative activities in Sacramento and Washington.
- Third party Wage and Salary Surveys are gathered and provided to members at no cost.
- Census and demographic information are also provided free-of-charge to members.
- Subscriptions to legislative newsletters such as Caltaxletter and other business journals provide businesses with all the details on the stories affecting them in the California government.
Our Products and Services
- Certificates of Origin (CO) – Depending on commodity and destination, your export shipments may require a CO. The CO verifies the country in which the goods were manufactured. The completed CO must be notarized and validated by a chamber of commerce. You must be a chamber member and only chamber members in good standing may take advantage of this benefit for a nominal fee. Original documents—CO, commercial invoice(s) and packing slip(s) are required, and the descriptions and amounts on the documents must be consistent.
- Business License Assistance – All persons or companies conducting business in the City of Commerce are required to obtain a city business license. Included in these requirements are landlords (renting four or more units), retail stores, wholesalers, manufacturers, service providers, self-employed professionals, contractors, and home-based businesses. We can assist you in obtaining a Business License Application and Inspection Packet.
- Members-Only Business Referrals – The Chamber receives thousands of requests each year for the names of local businesses and professionals, and sources for products and services. Only Chamber members are referred by Chamber staff.
- Mailing Lists and Labels – Whether you’re looking for chamber membership, citywide business listings, electronic data of all businesses in town, or mailing labels for all of the abovementioned, we can provide it for you, for a nominal charge. Members can save almost 50% on all Products and Services. If you’re a Chamber Member, be sure to log-in to our site and you’ll view our reduced member pricing! Not a subscribed member, then please register!
- Notary Public Services – Our staff at the chamber are a certified notary public and can administer oaths and statutory declarations, witness and authenticate documents and perform certain other acts varying from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, for a nominal charge.
- California and Federal Employment Compliance Labor Law Posters and Publications – We are the leading online provider of low-cost, mandatory state and federal labor law posters for employers throughout Commerce, and are now offering new 2008 state and federal posters reflecting the increased State and Federal Minimum Wages.
Business Promotion, Exposure and Advertising
The chamber’s website, http://www.IndustrialCouncil.org, provides Chamber members with complimentary listings by their business names and business categories. Averaging over 25,000 hits a year (average 2,000 hits a month), the website provides worldwide exposure for local companies. Free links to members’ websites are also a benefit of membership.
Membership in the site is a free benefit of your chamber membership, and only takes a couple of minutes to complete. Once you have registered, you will be sent a confirmation e-mail with your log-in information. This e-mail may not appear immediately. Our sign-up process is monitored for spammers, so please be patient. We usually process all registrants within one business day. Once you’ve registered, you’ll view our reduced member pricing for events, products and services!
Chamber membership provides valuable benefits:
- Advertise in Focus on Business, our semi-annual magazine.
- Buy And Sell In Commerce (B.A.S.I.C.) Luncheons – These are events featuring dynamic speakers and 25-second commercials by all attendees highlighting their companies’ products and services. Members may, for a nominal charge, purchase tabletop display space at the luncheons or sponsor a luncheon and maximize their exposure on the event flyers and at the luncheon itself.
- Table-Top Sponsorship Opportunities – Early Bird Networking Breakfasts are monthly events hosted by a different chamber member venue where members can network, exchange business cards, and develop new business relationships. Member companies are able to showcase their products and services for FREE through table-top display space at the breakfasts, offering members the opportunity to provide visual displays.
- Member-to-Member Discount Program – Includes discounts from fellow chamber members, discount tickets to events and attractions, and a discount program for goods and services.
- “Business-After-Hours” Open House and Mixers – Hosted throughout the year by a different chamber member company, providing a relaxed, informal setting where members can exchange business cards and develop new business relationships. Mixer host companies are able to show off their locations and benefit from advertising before and after the event.
- Spread the Word – This is a mid-month direct mailing program that serves as an efficient way to reach your target market by designing your own letter-size flyer, which, for a nominal charge, the Chamber then mails it to all member representatives.
- E-mail Broadcast – We’ll compose and customize an e-mail for you to broadcast to over 1,000 local business and chamber member’s e-mail addresses.
Committees & Task Forces
- Our chamber has more than 20 standing committees, task forces, and neighborhood roundtables that work together to enhance the local business and residential environment.
- Committee membership is open to ALL members.
- Chamber members are encouraged to participate in standing committees, such as the Government Affairs Committee and the Ambassadors, which meet on a regularly scheduled basis, and on-call task forces.
- The Chamber’s Government Affairs Committee serves as a constant “watch dog” over proposed legislation that will affect business, and communicates its positions to legislators and members.
The Commerce Industrial Council – Chamber of Commerce is proud to support the strength and integrity of the business community and the quality of life in our unique city. For additional information or assistance, please call the Chamber at (323) 728-7222.
Workshops/Seminars
- AQMD & Business Retention
- Cal-EPA
- Cal-OSHA
- Fire Extinguisher Safety/Certification
- ADA Compliance Assistance/Overview
- Recycling
- Workers’ Compensation
- Emergency Preparedness
- EDD Workshops
- Wrongful Discharge
- Sexual Harassment
- L.A. County Sanitation District
Business Assistance - Need Help at City Hall?
Think of the Commerce Industrial Council as a Member of Your Management Team…
- City Hall Business Liaison – City council members and commissioners are acquainted with representatives of the Commerce Industrial Council and will listen to, and consider our suggestions and positions. Our Executive Director has a cultivated relationship with the city council and city hall as a whole. We can help you understand the rules and will appear before the mayor and city council, and various commissions and committees on your behalf, when you become a member of the Commerce Industrial Council.
- Mayor’s Business Relations Committee – To improve communication and strengthen the City’s relationship with the chamber, the city council established this committee in June 2007. Our executive director, president and a chamber executive officer meet monthly with the mayor and his staff and focus on consensus building around common goals and objectives.
- City / Industrial Business Chamber Meeting – In addition to improving communications, our executive director and chamber president meet once a month with the city manager and city department heads to receive critical updates and progress reports on ongoing redevelopment projects underway, as well as deal with short-term issues, problems, or concerns that chamber business members may have.
- Testimony and Organizational Assistance for Public Hearings – Often times, Chamber Members ask the Commerce Industrial Council to appear before the city council and commissions to assist in certain projects or business developments.
- Special Events / Temporary Permits – If you’re a chamber member in good standing and are located within the City of Commerce, we can assist you in getting the appropriate permits to host a special event for your company for one day or one weekend.
- Bad Check Restitution Program and Forms – Hundreds of thousands of bad checks are passed in Los Angeles County every year. Merchants lose millions of dollars to bad check activity while consumers share in these losses through higher prices. We can assist you in filing your company under this dynamic program to track down bad check writers and recover losses for their victims.
- Fictitious Business Name (FBN) Assistance and Forms – We can assist you and guide you through the process of filing for a FBN.
We have nearly 50 years of experience representing a vast variety of businesses and industry in Commerce and our surrounding communities in the great Los Angeles region. Let us help you GROW your business toward a positive future!!
Our Publications
The Chamber’s focal publication, the Focus on Business Magazine, is a valuable resource for businesses and residents. The magazine is published twice a year, and it promotes all Chamber members and provides credible referrals for needed products and services. Information on accommodations, dining, entertainment, and retail shops is especially beneficial to visitors and new arrivals to Commerce. Advertising is readily available for the Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter issues of Focus on Business magazine.
Chamber Business Member Employee Benefits
City Recreational Program and Facilities – The City of Commerce maintains four recreational activities, a new senior citizens center, and an aquatic complex. All recreational activities are beautifully manicured amid picnic and barbecue areas and are available to business employees.
Industrial residents may purchase an activity card, which includes unlimited use of the Aquatorium and Veteran’s Memorial Park Facility. Activities include:
- A fitness center
- Weight room
- Swimming pool
- Dry heat sauna
- Raquetball
- Basketball
- Tennis courts, and a
- Marksmanship shooting range
In order to participate in any of the City’s organized programs or gain usage of their fitness facilities, all Commerce work force patrons must obtain an annual Industrial Activity Card. Cost is pro-rated on a monthly basis or $120.00 per year. Persons interested in the activity card will need a valid California driver’s license or California I.D., a paycheck stub or a letter of verification on company letterhead. Please contact city hall at (323) 887-4434, to obtain an Industrial Activity Card.
Why Should You Be A Chamber Member?
Membership in the Chamber provides advantages designed to support business growth and to meet specific needs in areas of promotion and recognition; networking and connections; acting as liaisons with municipal agencies; providing legislative advocacy, updates, representation, and more! Membership is open to all businesses.
Join Your Local Chamber of Commerce
Joining the local chamber of commerce before you are in business is one of the most important investments you can make. First, being in the chamber will help you know if you are in the right city and area for your business. Secondly, the chamber has connections to help you succeed. For example, your chamber should be able to point you to the right city personnel who can provide assistance. The chamber can also introduce you to other business leaders in your community who may be of assistance or potential new clients.
Still Not Convinced? Then consider this…
How to Build a Business:
- Plan a Ribbon-Cutting or Grand Opening Ceremony
- Hire an Event Planner so You can Focus on Meeting People at Your Event
- Invite the Mayor and City Council
- Contact the Local Newspaper
- Book a Photographer
- Hire a P.R. company to get your company name out and refer your company to potential clients locally and regionally
- Join local organizations for leads, referrals, and networking opportunities
- Pay for a presence on the World Wide Web
- Hire a Legislative Advocate to watch proposed local, state, and federal legislation which could affect your business
OR
Join the Commerce Industrial Council and let us do it all for you!!
The Commerce Industrial Council is now taking new membership applications to join for 2008. Join Our Chamber Now: Membership Application
The Importance of Chamber Membership
The Commerce Industrial Council – Chamber of Commerce membership is one of your keys to business success. The organization has been leading businesses to success since 1959. We have over 300 members on our team and are dedicated to helping your business succeed. Our Chamber’s Executive Director oversees all functions and operations of the organization. Our chamber has a strong Board of Directors who meet monthly to strategize, plan, and work together to perform at peak levels for their members. The Board of Directors is led by the organization’s President, who serves a 12-month term, assisted by an Executive Committee comprised of Vice Presidents representing the organization’s programs and major activities.
Chamber members have the opportunity to serve on the Board of Directors, serve as Ambassadors, or be a member of one of several Chamber Committees. Chamber involvement offers volunteer opportunities to work as a team to promote the needs of our business community while promoting the successful image of the City of Commerce as a whole through positive interaction between business, community, and schools.
Our Committees include:
- Ambassadors
- Business Expo / Trade Show
- Buy And Sell In Commerce (BASIC) Luncheons
- Community Awareness and Emergency Response (CAER) Group
- Day at the Races
- Fall Jackpot Event
- Government Affairs
- Golf Tournament
- Grand Opening Ceremony
- Installation Dinner and Silent Auction
- Membership
- Mixers / Open House
- Networking Breakfasts
- Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony
- Industrial Council Political Action Committee (ICPAC)
Help promote your business via:
- Network opportunities through monthly breakfast or luncheon meetings, or through monthly mixers.
- Legislative committees that keep you informed of pertinent legislative actions that may affect your business
- Referral and reference systems in place for when the public calls
- Business training
- Representation in the local city government (no city funding is provided for the chamber)
- Grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremonies
- Introduction to civic leadership at both city, state, and federal levels
A Chamber Dedicated to Helping Your Business Succeed
The mission of the Commerce Industrial Council is to promote the general welfare of the City of Commerce so that its businesses and its citizens have the best environment in which to prosper and to promote commercial, industrial, education and legislative actions that will benefit its members and all those concerned with the welfare of the community. The Commerce Industrial Council will accomplish its mission by continuing to play a critical and integral role in maintaining a healthy business environment, contributing to the economic growth of the city, and enhancing the city’s image.
Benefits of Membership include plentiful networking opportunities, community involvement, image enhancement, political advocacy, information access, numerous member-to-member discounts and benefits, and heightened credibility. Additionally, we:
- Promote a strong local economy
- Provide opportunities for relationship building
- Deliver programs to help business grow
- Represent and Advocate on behalf of business
- Enhance commerce through community stewardship
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DUES: The level of member investment is based on the number of employees supported by the company and the total square footage occupied by the company. Businesses and agents located outside of the city pay a flat out-of-town rate. Contact us for your rate today!
Don’t wait, get moving today! Join the Commerce Industrial Council.
Where Membership is Valued!!
Click on this Membership Application to join today.