Orange Chamber of Commerce: Small Business Networking

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Small Business Networking

From the section: Profit Connection

Choose as if your health depended on it.

Networking Can Grow Your Business
by Chris Horton, Board Member and Owner PayRunner Payroll

The value of networking: If we didn’t have networking here in the City of Orange, I know for a fact that I wouldn’t have become as successful in this short of time as I am today. It definitely would have taken me a lot longer to gain the trust of the people in our community if they didn’t see me at the Profit Connection breakfasts, lunches and at the Business at Five networking events as an Ambassador for the Chamber. This has truly helped develop not only my personal relationships with people in the community but has helped build my business relationships as well.

How and why it works: I believe the reason networking is so successful in the Orange is because of the way the city is built up. It is built up of a lot of small businesses, some of them new and some of the have been around for 10, 20 or 30 years or more. Since a lot of these companies are in the Chamber, it creates camaraderie by the city’s business owners, which turns some of our networking meetings into what seems to be a Saturday backyard party at a neighbor’s house. It also works because a lot of the older business owners have that good ole boy business mentality and always welcome new people and businesses into their group.

Value to my business: A lot of companies don’t realize that small payroll companies exist. But networking through the chamber has given me the opportunity to the people in our community know that they do have a choice. I have found that most small companies would rather do business with another small company than with one of the larger companies, especially since we are located so close to them. And since I was born and raised here in the City of Orange, as were a lot of business owners here, they seem to trust me a little quicker than the next person.

What makes us so unique: Again, the fact that we are an old city with business owners that have been in the City of Orange for years if not decades or in some cases, a century, has a huge impact on the way business is transacted within our city. I can say “our city” because I have been here for 36 years, and as long as my company flourishes, which I know it will being a member of the Orange Chamber of Commerce, I will continue to live, raise my family (wife and two children) and conduct my business here in the City of Orange. But I cannot forget the wonderful group of people that make up our Chamber staff. These people work hard every day planning events, bringing on new members and making sure the current members are taken care of as well. You will always be greeted with a smile, a handshake, a hug or an “It’s a great day in Orange”. Hats off to all of you.

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