Chamber News Release

The Small Business Council of Rochester has a long history of working alongside Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce as an affiliated, yet separate, organization. After careful consideration, the SBC Board of Directors has initiated a broad reintegration with Grearer Rochester Chamber to best serve members moving forward. The SBC remains committed to representing the interests of Rochester-area small businesses through presentation of programs aligned around our four pillars: Coaching, Celebrating, Connecting, and Caring. These programs, combined with the extraordinary set of services and advocacy efforts offered by Greater Rochester Chamber, will provide the most comprehensive membership benefits available to small businesses in Rochester.

SBC and Greater Rochester Chamber leadership are confident this new, improved alignment will better serve the small business community. We know that small businesses often make difficult financial choices when it comes to membership in organizations and associations that offer programming to support them. By aggregating services under a single membership structure, we can offer small businesses a more robust set of benefits for a single annual fee. Combining our efforts into one membership makes it more cost-effective for small businesses to access increased programming and connect with a larger group of similar businesses, creating an even louder voice to advocate on their behalf at home, in Albany, and beyond.

For current Small Business Council members without a Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce membership, your account will roll into a Greater Rochester Chamber membership at no additional cost for one full annual membership term. For organizations with both SBC and Rochester Chamber memberships, you will no longer pay separate SBC dues at the end of your SBC term. For a customized overview of your membership transition and the full set of benefits available to you, email Membership Director Kevin Donahue or call (585) 256-4651.

The SBC Board of Directors will remain intact as a Greater Rochester Chamber advisory council and we are excited about the opportunity to influence programming and advocacy from the perspective of small business. Just as SBC members will now have access to Greater Rochester Chamber services including human resources support, advertising opportunities, and a huge slate of business-oriented events, all Greater Rochester Chamber members will have a chance to engage with the SBC’s uniquely active, intimately connected community of small business owners.