Cañon City Chamber of Commerce

Whether your business is large or small, the Cañon City Chamber of Commerce can serve as your primary source for business information and services.

We promote Chamber member businesses exclusively. We also educate our members on topics of value and provide the ultimate business referral tool - networking!

We're also very excited to offer to members only the Chamber of Commerce Health Benefits plan.

Business Promotion and Recognition

Business Recognition: Take advantage of numerous Cañon City Chamber of Commerce programs that recognize and promote Chamber members. Programs such as the Business Showcase, Business of the Month, Business of the Year, and Distinguished Citizen provide recognition and increased visibility for local businesses and Chamber members.

• BUSINESS SHOWCASE: provides an opportunity for local businesses to display their products and services to a large audience.
• MEMBER OF THE MONTH and MEMBER OF THE YEAR: these provide opportunities to recognize and publicize outstanding Chamber member businesses.
• DISTINGUISHED CITIZEN: this provides an opportunity to recognize and publicize an outstanding Chamber member.

Marketing Events: The Chamber of Commerce teams with other local agencies to organize marketing events for our members, such as Travel Shows and Business After Hours. These events provide publicity affairs that gain local media coverage for your business.

• TRAVEL SHOWS: Chamber participation in regional travel and trade shows allows members to disperse brochures and business information to a broad audience.
• BUSINESS AFTER HOURS: a not-to-miss monthly social event, complete with door prizes, networking opportunities for Chamber members, and business card exchanges. Through the generous cooperation of Comcast and Bresnan Communications, two members receive free 30 second television commercials at every Business After Hours gathering.
  
• BUSINESS PROMOTION: in the information racks at the Chamber office and the Tourist Information Centers. We updated and expanded our Information Racks at the Chamber office recently and can provide space for your promotional materials in a high-visibility, high-traffic area absolutely free! Contact the Chamber office or stop by with your materials.

Increased Business Visibility: The Chamber can help your business increase its public visibility, target the area's thriving tourism market, and gain valuable business leads through Chamber marketing programs, including Tourism Publications, New Resident Information Packs, community Event Sponsorship opportunities, and Chamber-sponsored Brochure Placement. The Chamber also offers advertising avenues for your business through its newsletter.

• TOURISM PUBLICATIONS: In cooperation with the City of Cañon City, the Cañon City Chamber of Commerce creates and distributes 425,000 color tourism brochures to over 5,000 locations in 12 states.
• GRAND OPENINGS and RIBBON CUTTINGS: the Cañon City Chamber of Commerce's Prospectors promote business openings with Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting ceremonies.
• NEW RESIDENT PACKS: the Cañon City Chamber of Commerce responds to over 1,200 annual relocation inquiries.

Business Assistance

Business Referrals: Gain valuable business leads through the Cañon City Chamber of Commerce's Business Listings, Business Referral service, and leads generated from requests for tourism and relocation information.

Referrals are an extremely powerful and successful promotional tool for your business, especially when a referral comes from an organization as established and well-known as the Chamber of Commerce and its members.

• BUSINESS REFERRALS: the Chamber answers many requests for business listings and/or business referrals. Only member businesses information is provided.
• MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES: the Chamber provides member brochure and business card placement, member product displays, advertising opportunities in Chamber publications, and event sponsorship opportunities for Chamber members.
• WEB SITE LINKS AND MEMBER PAGES: over 15,000 visitors a month can find businesses through the Cañon City Chamber of Commerce’s online directory.
• TOURISM MARKETING: the Chamber partners with the Fremont County Tourism Commission and the city of Cañon City to distribute brochures and activity guides across the nation. They also provide interested members with leads generated from requests for tourism information.
• CHAMBER NEWSLETTER: provides over 9,000 readers with information about Chamber members, activities, and events. In conjunction with the Cañon City Daily Record, the Chamber also publishes a monthly report to inform the public of Chamber events and activities.
• RELOCATION CONTACTS: the Chamber supplies information in response to requests for relocation information. They also provide interested members with leads generated from these requests.

Advertisement Opportunities: Let the Cañon City Chamber of Commerce help your business increase its visibility through a multitude of valuable advertisement opportunities.

The Chamber provides member brochure and business card placement, member product displays, advertising opportunities in Chamber publications, inclusion in the Cañon City Chamber of Commerce Monthly Newsletter, and event sponsorship opportunities for Chamber events. The Chamber also partners with the Fremont County Tourism Commission and the City of Cañon City to distribute brochures and activity guides across the nation.

Business Services: Both small and large businesses can benefit from the array of business services offered with Chamber membership. The Chamber of Commerce provides for many your business needs with offerings such as customized Gift Certificates, a Chamber Conference Room, Notary Public Service, copy services and Bulk Mail Permit.

• GIFT CERTIFICATES: the Chamber produces gift certificates for use at member businesses.
• CHAMBER CONFERENCE ROOM: available for use by members at no charge.
• NOTARY PUBLIC SERVICE: available to members at no charge.
• BULK MAIL PERMIT: available to members at minimal charge (for business purposes only.)
• BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT INCUBATOR: provides a location where businesses can lease working space and share support services and equipment, enabling them to focus scarce resources on development of markets, products and people. The incubator allows new businesses to reduce start-up costs while still providing a professional image. Through a program with the Pueblo Community College-Fremont Campus, Small Business Development Center counselors support the facility by providing counseling services, expanding the business resource library, and assistance with business plan development. They can also refer businesses to financial sources for businesses and industry in Fremont County.

Business Contacts and Networking Opportunities

Build your business through connections with other area businesses and business people. The Cañon City Chamber of Commerce provides its members multiple venues in which to meet and network with other Chamber members, such as Business After Hours, mini-seminars, luncheons, breakfasts and Chamber Committees.

Member-to-member networking allows business people to get acquainted personally as well as professionally. Those acquaintances can grow into trusted associates who can give your business word of mouth referrals. That's advertising that no amount of money can buy!

• BUSINESS AFTER HOURS: a monthly social event allowing Chamber members to meet and socialize with other local business people.
• ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP BANQUET: an annual social event allowing Chamber members to meet and socialize with other local business people.
• ANNUAL SUMMER PARTY.
• MEMBERSHIP BREAKFASTS AND LUNCHEONS: covering an exciting range of information your business can use. Watch the Newsletter and the Community Calendar on this website for dates and times.
• CHAMBER COMMITTEES: make contacts with other Chamber members while you enhance your leadership skills by volunteering to serve on a chamber committee.

Education Opportunities

Sharpen your business skills and learn how to run a smarter, more profitable business! The Chamber promotes excellence for its members through a variety of educational programs, such as the Business and Education Alliance, Business Seminars, Leadership Training, Job Expos and Career Fairs.

• BUSINESS AND EDUCATION ALLIANCE: a Chamber of Commerce community service that matches area businesses with students for internships, training, and mentoring.
• BUSINESS SEMINARS: the Cañon City Chamber of Commerce hosts seminars on a variety of topics of value and interest to Chamber members.
• LEADERSHIP TRAINING: the Cañon City Chamber of Commerce hosts Leadership Cañon City, a program designed to inform, train, and encourage local leadership; and to identify and motivate current and prospective community leaders.
• SCHOLARSHIPS: the Chamber sponsors scholarships for students enrolled at the local campus of Pueblo Community College.
• JOB EXPOS and CAREER FAIRS: the Chamber partners with the local Work Force Center, the Fremont Economic Development Commission, the Cañon City Small Business Development Center, and the Florence and Penrose Chambers of Commerce to sponsor local career information events.

Representation in Government

Keeping up-to-date on local legislation is simplified with Chamber assistance. The Cañon City Chamber of Commerce provides an Elected Officials Reception and Candidate Forums and Receptions to allow members to meet and interact with candidates for office and elected officials. The Legislation Information and Government Representation programs keep Chamber members informed about current legislation and elections.

• ELECTED OFFICIALS RECEPTION: provides a forum for members to meet elected officials, learn more about their platforms, and provide them with feedback and input.
• CANDIDATE FORUMS AND RECEPTIONS: these give the public opportunities to learn about important issues and the candidates seeking public office.
• LEGISLATION INFORMATION: the Chamber follows the local and state government in order to inform Chamber members about key bills and issues. They also work to help educate the public about issues affecting their city.
• REPRESENTATION AT CITY AND COUNTY LEVELS: communicates with local elected officials on business related issues.
• LEGISLATIVE HOURS: the Chamber hosts speakers with differing points of view to speak about upcoming elections and legislative topics.

Opportunities for Community Involvement

Community involvement shows your customers and potential customers that you and your business care about your community. The Chamber of Commerce encourages community involvement by hosting many events and activities that benefit our city and community, such as the annual Christmas Parade, Entertainment in the Park Concerts, and the Tourist Information Centers.

Some of the Chamber's previous community contributions include:

• CHRISTMAS PARADE: hosts an annual Christmas Parade and provides Christmas lights and pole banners for the downtown central business district.
• PROSPECTORS: the Prospectors aid member businesses with Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting ceremonies. They also organize the popular Business After Hours program.
• ENTERTAINMENT IN THE PARK CONCERTS: coordinates weekly, free concerts throughout the summer at Veterans' Park.
• TOURIST INFORMATION: coordinates over 150 volunteer hosts to greet, assist, and provide community and attractions information to the more than 30,000 visitors who stop at our two tourist information cabins during the summer.

Chamber Membership Committee Opportunities

As a volunteer-run organization, the Cañon City Chamber of Commerce is directed by its members through a variety of committees. Network with other Chamber members and help the Chamber better serve your business by participating in a position that suits your needs, interests, and skills.

Choose from committees such as Internal Development, Business and Community, Tourism, Marketing/Prospectors, Education, Legislative Affairs, Christmas Parade, Communications Development, and Fund Raising.

For more information on the committees and their agendas, see the "About the Chamber" page.

Health Care Benefits

The rising cost of health insurance prevents many small businesses from being able to afford health coverage. Realizing the importance of health care coverage, the Cañon City Chamber of Commerce offers you a solution: four unique health plan options with competitive pricing exclusively for Chamber members. Let the Chamber's new Health Care Benefit Option help your business thrive.

For more information, download the free information on the Chamber Health Plan.