CHESTERMERE – The Chestermere Chamber of Commerce (CCC) held a breakfast meeting with a number of CCC Members and a guest speaker who presented an employee benefits plan to them on October 23 at the Lakeside Golf Course. Derek Stamp from Rock View Benefits reviewed the advantages of having an employee benefits plan that is only offered to Chamber of Commerce members. There are over 29,000 businesses within the pool who contribute funds into the plan each year which is one of the reasons why the plan is such a success. Some other reasons to have an employee benefits plan include being able to attract and retain good employees, which will reduce the turnover rate and lower your expenses for hiring and training. The benefits plan also improves employee morale and should increase production. The Chambers Plan is non-profit and was introduced 40 years ago to specifically address the needs of small to medium sized companies. It gives the small businesses access to the same plans as the large corporations. There is a wide range of coverage including life insurance, dental, chiropractic care, vision care and many more. All of the coverage is flexible so you can pick and choose which plan suits your business and your employees the best. You choose the coverage and you control the costs. There is more information on their website at www.chamberplan.ca
Chestermere Chamber of Commerce president Robin Impey, who owns Chestermere’s M&M Meat Shops, was initially reluctant to start up the CCC as he didn’t think he could dedicate enough time having just opened his business. Eventually he was persuaded and definitely sees the benefits of being a Chamber member.
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce establishes a vital connection between business and the federal government, and impacts public policy and decision-making to the benefit of businesses, communities and families. The CCC does the same on a local level by promoting local businesses and learning from each other through presentations from business owners, networking and holding workshops. Another advantage of being a CCC member is the large corporation involvement. For example the TD Bank has a Merchant Services preferred pricing program for members of the Chestermere Chamber of Commerce, which allows the businesses to save money on items such as merchant fees when processing your Visa, Mastercard and Interact transactions. Staples is another major company offering incentives to CCC Members. Check out the Chestermere Chamber of Commerce at http://www.chestermerechamber.com/
