2025= Best Year Ever

We made it! 2025 is peaking around the corner. Each year around this time folks begin planning their new year with gusto. Lose 25 pounds? Check! Get our affairs in order? Check! Eat only meat and vegetables? Check, check! Unfortunately, it’s easy for that New Year excitement to wear off not long after that first bowl of boiled Brussels Sprouts. I can’t say that I blame you! What if this year, instead of just focusing on ourselves, we set our sights on making the community around us successful? What kind of difference could we make?

When someone says, “Chamber of Commerce”, what comes to mind? For me it used to be just a business directory so that I could find a church, library and hair stylist in whatever town we moved to. This last year I learned it is so much more.

Your local Chamber of Commerce has a big job. It recruits businesses to join together to strengthen not only our boutiques and dining establishments on the town square, but also the large businesses beyond the city limits. When corporations look for new locations, they look to the Chamber of Commerce to know what is in the area. They need to know if it’s a good spot for further development of their company or even a development of new houses. Small businesses often join for the support and the visibility.  The Chamber connects each business to other people and businesses which gives them the support to succeed. It also gives a hand up to craft makers and other home-based businesses. Cotton Fest puts these folks on display front and center. This is no small feat. Planning for Cotton Fest for the next year begins as soon as the current one ends.

Each month the Chamber hosts a luncheon with a guest speaker. A delicious lunch is provided while attendees learn about a business or opportunity in the area. Sometimes it’s a business owner like Patti Yancey, owner of Kindred Spirit Style boutique, who spoke at a luncheon this year about how to find success as a small business owner in a small town. Sometimes it’s a luncheon where the guest speaker talks about financing those businesses. No matter what the topic, it’s a great way to connect with people in our community and ask, “How can we help?” If you’re interested in attending a luncheon, just call the Chamber at 901-465-8690 to register. Lunch is always catered by a local business and guaranteed to be delicious!

In the Spring the Chamber hosts its annual Gala. It’s a great way to kick off the year with a night of good food, an auction, even better conversation and music. Last year it was hosted at Carahills Estate which gave those attending a great excuse to get dressed up to support the businesses that are the backbone of our community. Seeing the joy of the “Small Business of the Year” winners last year will stick with me for a long time. It might seem insignificant, but to them it was the pinnacle of success. Make sure to follow Fayette Co. Chamber of Commerce on Facebook to stay in the loop of what the Chamber and your favorite local small business are up to!

So how can you help? Glad you asked! Go join your Chamber. Visit www.fayettecountychamber.com/member You don’t have to own a business to take part and make a difference. It’s just $95 a year for an average Joe like you or I to take part. You’ll start receiving emails so you’ll be the first to know what’s happening in your community and how you can take part. Tell your friends and family to join, especially if they own a business. When someone new moves to town, one of their first stops is often the Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber can only promote businesses that are part of the organization. By joining or encouraging your favorite business to join, you are helping bring more customers to their door. Speaking from personal experience, the Chamber of Commerce was a wealth of information when we moved to Fayette County.

Another great way to help is to tell your friends and family any time you find a coffee shop, boutique, restaurant, organization or even a large corporation that just goes above and beyond expectations. Put a post up on social media. It takes 1 minute, costs nothing and could change the life of a business owner.

Finally, if you don’t know it by now, I’ll say it again; SHOP LOCAL. $5 spent in the city stays in the city, but $5 spent locally grows locally. It funds the business that donates to our kids’ fundraisers, sports and community outreach such as Carl Perkins and Fayette Cares. Get involved with your local Chamber, spread the word and shop local; those three things will change our community for the better and make 2025 a year for the books. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

~Written by Karri Buck~