Business Support – What’s a Chamber of Commerce?
Each Chamber of Commerce is a local hub to access a broad offer of business support.
There are 53 Chambers of Commerce in the UK, accredited by the British Chambers of Commerce. Together we make up a strong network of trusted champions of businesses, places, and global trade. We represent 73,000 businesses of all shapes, sizes and sectors and these employ almost six million people across the UK, so we have a pretty loud voice!
Each accredited Chamber of Commerce is;
- an independent SME
- a non-profit organisation
- a private limited company
- owned by its members
- committed to supporting UK business
Every Chamber of Commerce is different. Each structured and resourced to best deliver business support to our region. Because some regions are urban and city-based, whilst others largely rural. Some heavily rely on tourism and hospitality, and some are leading the UK’s manufacturing and export efforts. We each have experts specific to YOUR landscape and business support needs.
What types of business support is available?
At the Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce, we have solutions to help your business to;
- GROW – your market, your profile and your bottom line
- PROTECT – essential services such as HR, H&S, legal and tax cover included in your membership fee
- CONNECT – through events, introductions and wide reaching social networks, spanning the globe
- SAVE – exclusive low cost benefits and access to funding
- LOBBY – We feed YOUR views to government, hold them to account and push for change
Click here for more detail on membership benefits.
There’s a Chamber of Commerce dedicated to every region of the UK. As a result, we’re uniquely placed to help businesses of every size and sector. Meaning from micro one-person businesses to our country’s largest employers, we’re all in it together, locally, nationally and globally.
Ours is the only business support network that helps British businesses build relationships on every level. So no other membership organisation can compete!
Global Business Network
We’re so much more than a UK network. Did you know there’s a wider international community too? Well, British Chambers of Commerce represent our members in over 40 countries around the globe. We call this our Global Business Network (GBN).
Do you import or export goods and services? Would you like to start?
Every Chamber offers International Trade advice and services. Including customs declaration certification and documentation. So, if you import or export goods and services; or if you’d like to start – you’ll be needing your Chamber.
“Our focus is local, our influence national and our reach global”
Your Chamber of Commerce is not a government department
Every Chamber of Commerce and its members are represented centrally by British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). We’re all apolitical and independent of government. However, the BCC provides a respected voice to the business communities they represent. Based in Westminster, this ensures our priorities and concerns are heard in the corridors of power. Policymakers and parliamentarians regularly seek out our opinions. It’s thanks to this lobbying activity that we’ve been helping to shape the UK’s business agenda for more than 160 years.
Put simply, we are many, we are credible and the UK government LISTENS to us.
Island Business May / June 2025
