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Chamber of Commerce

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Baxter Chamber of Commerce meetings are held with BEDCO meetings the 1st Monday of each month at 5:30 in City Hall Chambers unless otherwise noted.

View Chamber of Commerce Meetings

Mission:

The Baxter Chamber of Commerce will improve the quality of life in Baxter by supporting partnerships for orderly growth and development of our city; and will serve as the catalyst for planning, strategizing, and program or service development that promote a favorable business climate.

Blueprint Domains:

1. Partnerships: This article goes to the heart of our community and serves a larger purpose for Baxter. How do we partner with local businesses in offering a better understanding for their businesses, from employment, product, and service perspectives?

  • Culture: Advocate for increased levels of pride, and community culture, for our local businesses.
  • Mentoring, Internships, Externships, Field Experiences, Apprenticeships: Young to old, can we partner with local business to offer, both micro and macro, opportunities to explore areas of a business or fields/careers for increased understanding for local businesses as well as possible employment pathways?
  • Advocacy (Communication): Entities working together to coordinate collective efforts. Involve our community.

2. Growth and Development: This domain refers to increasing local commerce through business growth and development. How do we grow and develop the businesses we have, for sustainability, as well as grow the number of businesses in our community?
3. Marketing: This area of focus, serves as our advocacy building block for local businesses.

  • Self Study/Needs Assessment: What part of our identity do we emphasize, or sell, locally, regionally, and statewide?
  • Modalities of Marketing: Social Media, Welcome Wagon, Website, directories, business descriptions, etc....
  • Buy Local Initiative: What's the value of buying local (value to dollars spent)?
  • Event Planning: What novelty will bring people into our community?

Domain 1: Partnerships

1. Partnerships: This article goes to the heart of our community and serves a larger purpose for Baxter. How do we partner with local businesses in offering a better understanding for their businesses, from employment, product, and service perspectives?

  • Culture: Advocate for increased levels of pride, and community culture, for our local businesses.
  • Mentoring, Internships, Externships, Field Experiences, Apprenticeships: Young to old, can we partner with local business to offer, both micro and macro, opportunities to explore areas of a business or fields/careers for increased understanding for local businesses as well as possible employment pathways?
  • Advocacy (Communication): Entities working together to coordinate collective efforts. Involve our community.

Objectives:

  • Collaborate with city entities, other organized groups, committees: This enhances our purpose and moves us toward our mission.
  • Baxter Summit: Plan and host Baxter Summits biannually. This includes the Baxter City Council, Baxter HTP, BEDCO, and the Baxter School Board of Directors.
  • Support the growth of the population of Baxter/Keep people in Baxter
  • Enhance the relationship between BEDCO and the Baxter Chamber of Commerce and all other committees. 
  • School to Work Program: Encourage local businesses to provide students opportunities to engage in mentoring, internships, externships, field experiences, and/or apprenticeships with local and regional businesses

Domain 2: Growth and Development

2. Growth and Development: This domain refers to increasing local commerce through business growth and development. How do we grow and develop the businesses we have, for sustainability, as well as grow the number of businesses in our community?

Objectives:

  • Incentivize Businesses to Locate to Baxter and Support Entrepreneurship
    • Business Support Services
    • Toolbox
  • Host Open Houses and Ribbon Cutting for Local Businesses
  • Collect Data
    • Survey local businesses
    • Survey Community

Domain 3: Marketing

3. Marketing: This area of focus, serves as our advocacy building block for local businesses.

  •  Self Study/Needs Assessment: What part of our identity do we emphasize, or sell, locally, regionally, and statewide?
  •  Modalities of Marketing: Social Media, Welcome Wagon, Website, directories, business descriptions, etc....
  •  Buy Local Initiative: What's the value of buying local (value to dollars spent)?
  •  Event Planning: What novelty will bring people into our community?

Objectives:

Communications

  • Create a Business Directory
  • Provide Business Information Videos and Biographical Information: Showcase local businesses that can be posted on social media.
  • Conduct a Self-Study/Needs Assessment of Local Businesses
    • Educate business owners to take a scientific approach in their market and patronage
  • Welcome Wagon
  • Enhance Business to Business Partnerships
    • Market each other
  • "Buy Local" Culture/Initiatives
    • Education Programming
  • Event Planning
    • Bike Trail