Benefits of Chamber Membership

There are many benefits of Chamber Membership.  Some of the main ones are as follows:

TD Merchant Services
Through the Chamber’s membership with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce we are able to provide low rates on Visa, MasterCard and Interac Payments offered through TD Merchant Services.  As of December 1, 2007 the rates have gone down to:

                                                                                                   Visa 1.69%
                                                                                             MasterCard 1.79%
                                                                        Interac Direct Payments $0.09 per transaction

Our representative is Jason Kipfer who can be reached at 519-741-0118 or through email at jason.kipfer@firstdata.com

Group Insurance
The Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance Plan is also offered through the Chamber membership in the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.  How many times have you been asked by a prospective employee if you offer benefits with the job?

For Extended Health Care, Group Term Life Insurance, Critical Illness, Best Doctors access, Dental Care, Disability Coverage and/or Accidental Death & Dismemberment coverage – this plan is for you!  No business is too small.  Comprehensive benefit packages are available from one person and up, including home-based businesses.  This Group Plan has operated continuously for over 30 years and with pooled benefits your firm’s rates are stabilized at renewal time.  Premiums range from less than $30 a month per participating employee, to more than $500 a month for a very comprehensive program.

For development of a tailored plan to suit your business needs, contact Barney Tracy of Tracy Group Benefits & Financial Services at 519-820-1283 or email btracy@groupbenefits.on.ca

Esso Business Card Program
This cost saving program is sponsored through the Chamber membership with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
If saving 3 cents per litre of fuel appeals to you – then this is the plan for you!  There are over 2100 locations across Canada to serve you.  You will receive a detailed monthly invoice of your account with personalized identification on each card and invoice if needed.  The Esso Business Card Program is restricted to fuel, oil, top-up fluids and car wash purchases.

Application forms are available at the Chamber office for you to complete and fax to Richard K. Sauve, Imperial Oil, PO Box 1042, Almonte, ON  K0A 1A0  Phone 613-256-8323 or Fax 613-256-5009

Grand and Toy
Save up to 80% on over 7500 quality office products – in-stock and ready to ship!  Sign up for your business account today and receive great selection and service, free next day delivery, dedicated account management and secure, fast and easy ordering at www.grandandtoy.com.
For more information, contact Grand and Toy at 519-746-3500 ext 0

Ostic Insurance
Ostic Insurance Brokers offers Member to Member discounting to qualifying Chamber Members, Employees and Retirees for Home and Auto Insurance. They also offer a Member to Member discount program to qualifying Businesses for their business insurance needs.
For more information, contact Tom Waind, twaind@theosticgroup.com, or www.theosticgroup.com.

Networking
This is one of the main benefits of Chamber Membership and extremely valuable!  We provide this opportunity through:

Networking Breakfasts
We meet the last Wednesday of the month at 7:30 a.m.  Held monthly between September and June (except for December).  Venue and speaker/topic are advertised ahead of time.  Each Breakfast features a guest speaker with a topic of interest for business people or community interest.  Our goal is to have everyone on his or her way by 9 a.m.  Cost is $15 for Members and $20 for Future Members.  If you would like to be a speaker, please contact rscarrow@cwchamber.ca

Business After Hours
Usually held the 3rd Wednesday of the month between September and June.  This is an opportunity for a local business to showcase their business as a host.  The host provides refreshments and information on their business and/or a tour of their facility.  The host is responsible to accept the RSVP’s either by phone or email to assist with numbers for refreshments.  There is no cost for members and guests to attend.  The Chamber staff will look after advertising in free sources as available, email blasts to Membership, promoting verbally at earlier events.  If you are interested in being a host at a future BAH contact rscarrow@cwchamber.ca

Newsletters
Minding Our Business is a new monthly publication produced by The Wellington Advertiser. The C.W. Chamber of Commerce, Township Economic Development Department, Fergus and Elora Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) and other business related organizations submit articles of relevance to local business. This publication is delivered to businesses registered with Canada Post in Centre Wellington, provided you accept flyers and unadressed mail. If you have not been receiving your copy, please check with Canada Post or you can pick up copies at the Chamber office, the Fergus and Elora BIA offices, the Economic Development Office, or the Wellington Advertiser office.

The Business BLINK is a mid-month update.  It is sent only electronically and is also avaialable on our website. Click here to see the latest or archived issues.

Other Networking, Advertising and Sponsorships Opportunities
By attending any CW Chamber of Commerce event you have excellent Networking opportunities!

There are Advertising opportunities available on the website.  These opportunities are currently under review and will be posted when ready.

Sponsorships are also available for Awards of Excellence, Golf, Business Luncheon, and Mayor’s Breakfast etc.  These are annual events and the sponsorships are available closer to the actual dates.  Sponsorship is also available for our Networking Breakfasts.  If you are interested in attending, sponsorship or advertising please contact rscarrow@cwchamber.ca

 2008 ADVERTISING RATES 

EMAIL BLAST
You prepare and send content in Word or PDF format to Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce, with one week’s advance notice.  The Chamber will schedule in your request.  (Remember that we do not send more than 3 emails per week to our membership).

The item is outlined in the email and the content is attached.  The email blast is sent out to our membership database of over 350 members that includes more than 500 individual names.

The cost for this is $50 per send. 

 WEBSITE