Our Mission Statement:
The Greater Hampstead Chamber of Commerce (GHCOC) is organized for the purpose of promoting the civic, commercial, industrial, agricultural, economic, social, cultural and general interests for the citizens of Greater Hampstead. The Greater Hampstead Chamber of Commerce shall be a non-partisan, non-sectarian and non-profit organization.
What Does the Chamber Do for the Community?
The Greater Hampstead Chamber of Commerce office is the source for information to area residents, as well as to visitors, companies and individuals interested in relocating to the area. As Hampstead remains unincorporated, our Chamber receives an unusually high volume of telephone and e-mail inquiries on a daily basis. This gives us a tremendous opportunity to help you promote your business, while being of service to our callers. We pride ourselves on providing accurate and timely responses to each and every inquiry we receive.
In addition, the Chamber hosts a website at www.hampsteadchamber.com. This website spotlights our members under various business classifications, along with a description of their business and a direct link to their website. It also gives highlights of our area that are of interest to residents, visitors and newcomers. We are constantly looking for ways to improve the look and content of our website, and welcome your input and feedback as we completely redesign the GHCOC site in 2010.
The GHCOC partners with area government, schools and various non-profit organizations in a tireless effort to strengthen our local business-community connection. Though Hampstead and its surrounding areas have a small-town feel, our vision at the Chamber - just like our population - is constantly growing and developing in an upward direction!
What Can the Chamber Do for You?
Your Chamber of Commerce membership provides a multitude of ways to assist you in the increased promotion and furthering of your business, including:- Helping to expand the market reach of your business, by providing access to a variety of marketing and partnership opportunities designed to increase your visibility and create local market loyalty.
- Helping you establish additional business contacts and build business networks.
- Providing you with opportunities to meet and interact with other business representatives on a regular basis, for the purpose of exchanging ideas and information; sharing problems and concerns; undertaking joint projects and activities; and exploring business opportunities.
- Improving the overall local business climate through cooperative action.
- Keeping you informed about significant activity within local and state government which could affect your business both directly and indirectly.
- Referring customers your way! As we mentioned above (but feel like it’s value is worth mentioning again!), the Hampstead Chamber receives a tremendous number of office inquiries by newcomers and locals alike looking for our direction and recommendations on various types of businesses they’re anxious to locate. Of course, we can’t refer them your way if your not a Chamber Member! However, upon joining, your Membership will allow us to share all of your business information with potential customers.
What Can You Do for the Chamber?
BECOME INVOLVED…Membership is not a spectator sport! Our dedicated Board of Directors and volunteers are made up of business people just like you, who offer their time and talents to organize and promote Chamber events and services. We welcome your ideas and your help, and we value the unique qualities and talents you bring to our organization. We recognize that, as a business owner, your time and resources are at a premium, however we also know from experience that our members who benefit most from their Chamber affiliation are those who “work the system” and take advantage of all of the services and opportunities we have to offer. At the end of the day, the success of your membership - just like that of your business - is largely dependent on the level of your commitment. This is not to say that we aren’t willing to doing our part. After all, we are here to serve you and your business needs! What we are trying to say, though, is that you will reap the greatest results from sewing the most “Chamber seeds” and allowing us to partner and collaborate with you actively and regularly!
TALK IT UP...Help us spread the word that our Chamber is active, growing and on the move! Member participation (including verbal!) is a critical part of ensuring the vitality of your Chamber of Commerce. As an investment, this is perhaps the best way to secure that the Greater Hampstead Chamber of Commerce will consistently pay bigger and better dividends to its Members - and you! As we look to start our GHCOC Ambassadors Program in 2010, this is sure to be a wonderful opportunity for new and seasoned members to get out in the community, meeting and greeting both current and prospective business members for a shared cause. We invite you to contact our office for additional information on this and other member-involvement programs.
Where are we located?
The Greater Hampstead Chamber of Commerce office and public display area is currently located in the center of the Hampstead Village Shopping Center at 220 Hampstead Village (reference: 15444 US Hwy 17). We are just adjacent to the gazebo in Building 24J, Suites 4 & 5. Visitors to the office may browse the attractive display of brochures in the lobby area outside of our office and within our “Visitor’s Room” (Suite 5) for maps, information on the Hampstead area, local sights and local business services. Your business brochure will be a welcome addition to our display.
Our office is open Monday– Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. As our membership grows, we look forward to a continuing expansion of our office area as well as hours of operation. Our lobby area and Visitor’s Room remain open until the main office building closes each day at 5pm.
Membership Has It’s Benefits!
The following contains information and details on each of the Membership services and opportunities to which a Chamber Membership will entitle you. If you happen to have previously been involved in another chamber, we always love hearing new ideas for additional Member benefits (and of course the areas in which you’ve been most successful volunteering in the past!).- Grand Openings and Ribbon Cuttings: This is a way to celebrate and promote your new business,
location,
renovation, additional services or expansion. Your Chamber assists you in the
planning and
handles press releases, e-mail announcements and telephone follow-up at no
additional charge to you, the business owner. We will ask you to fill out a
Ribbon Cutting/Grand Opening Ceremony Information Sheet in order to maximize
our service to you, as we assist you with the accurate and timely promotion
of your event.
- “Alive at 5!” Business After-Hours Events: Famously misnamed (as these events almost always take place beginning at 5:30 or 6:00 pm!), the Chamber’s “Alive at Five!” social networking events are sponsored the third Thursday of each month by a different business. These events provide an opportunity to meet with and get to know other Chamber members, discuss new ideas, and exchange business information in a totally relaxed atmosphere. Food and beverages are served and provided by the business hosting the event. In return, the business sponsor gains increased visibility and recognition in the business community, and also retains all business contact information from the event. Your Chamber will assist you in planning, handling publicity and e-mail announcements. The Chamber will also provide a door prize (such as a bottle of wine) and organize a 50/50 raffle to help maximize attendance and fun! To heighten the event’s appeal, oftentimes businesses will choose to provide additional raffle items such as gift certificates or gift baskets from one of our local retail shops. The drawings for these raffle items take place 30 minutes prior to the event ending. If you’re interested in hosting an “Alive at 5!” event at your business location, or teaming up to co-host with another business member, let us know right away as these dates book up well in advance (we’re currently filling spots for 2011). All “Alive at Five!” business hosts will be asked to sign an “Alive at Five!” Event Agreement prior to the date of their respective event. Upon joining the Chamber, you will be provided with a schedule of “Alive at 5!” events. You’re encouraged to bring your staff members with you each month, and we also welcome you to bring a business associate who may be interested in joining the Chamber with you for a “taste” (literally!) of what the Chamber has to offer. To help you plan ahead for both attendance and scheduling purposes, February’s “Alive at Five!” event is replaced by our Annual Banquet, and December’s “Alive at 5!” event comes in the form of our fabulously fun Holiday Mixer. Further information on both of these annual events is given on the following page.
- Bulk Mail Permit: The Chamber has a bulk mail permit which it gladly makes available for use by its Business Members, to help you significantly reduce the costs of large mailings, such as notices of business sales, special events, etc. Simply contact our office two business days prior to your mailing date and provide us with a copy of the contents of your mailing. Once the Chamber office has given approval of the mailing, we will provide you with our imprinted bulk mail stamp and a Bulk Mail Approval Form to be presented to the post office. We will also be happy to e-mail you a copy of our bulk mail imprint following approval of your mailing’s contents.
- Business Seminars/Educational Series: Business seminars and educational events are offered locally by the Chamber each month. Often, event topics come about as a result of input by members, so don’t be shy about letting us know what topics might interest you! Look for e-mail and newsletter announcements of subjects, dates and times.
- Weekly E-Newsletter: The Chamber staff produces a weekly E-newsletter that reaches an audience of just under eight hundred! Want to announce a new product, service, or business accomplishment? You can advertise it in our weekly e-newsletter free of charge (for a text only ad), or for a nominal fee for ads including a website link or picture, or a full-size color brochure ad. Ads should be e-mailed to the Chamber office in final, edited form, containing normal (as opposed to web) formatting, the Friday before the week of desired publication. Free ads will run for a maximum of two consecutive weeks each month.
- Website: Membership in the Chamber affords you the opportunity to be highlighted on our website with a business category listing. Upgraded Memberships include additional website benefits (see the following page for details). If your business has an existing website, we can create a link directly to your site. This is free of charge with any level of Business Membership in the Chamber.
Annual Chamber Events:
The Annual Banquet each February begins a bright new opportunity for the Chamber at the start of each year. The election and introduction of the new members to the GHCOC Board of Directors, presentation of our traditional yearly awards of Volunteer and Citizen of the Year, and review of the previous year’s financials represent the business portion of the evening. On the festive side, a social hour precedes the evening’s events, followed by a sumptuous banquet and delightful entertainment. It is an evening for renewing old friendships and making new connections as members look ahead and plan for the coming business year. This is a once-a-year opportunity you won’t want to miss (Platinum Members receive a special member discount on up to four tickets), so mark your calendars early and plan to arrive in style!
The “Taste of Hampstead” Fall Wine Fest is a new tradition that began in 2009, and became an instant favorite! Featuring an array of delicacies provided by our local area restaurants, live music and an inspired selection of extraordinary wines and craft beers, this venue truly provides a perfect opportunity to both fellowship and network with members of the Chamber and local community. Tickets are limited, so be sure to reserve yours early!
The “Christmas in Hampstead” Tree Lighting is a special tradition conducted by the Chamber each year at the Hampstead Village Gazebo. A tree lighting ceremony is preceded by the talented and creative decorating of our local Girl Scouts, and accompanied by musical performances, cookies and hot cider, and a special visit from Santa! We look to grow this event each year and welcome our members to participate in the planning and staging of this once-a-year special tradition.
As a non-profit 501-(c)-6 organization that looks to keep it’s membership rates “user-friendly,” the GHCOC participates in a number of FundraisingActivities each year to help us sustain a healthy budget and continue to be an active and viable organization. In previous years, we’ve hosted an Annual Golf Tournament, Business Expo, and Merchant’s Holiday Open House. In March of 2010, the Chamber formed a partnership with the Topsail High School Athletic Boosters and brought the Harlem Ambassadors Basketball show to a sell-out crowds of over 1400 for our largest and most successful fundraising effort to date! As we plan these events each year, we look to our members for guidance, support and continuous feedback on what you’d like to see us do in the future, to benefit both the Chamber and the local community.