With networking in a physical sense stalled due to COVID 19 the Chamber is taking this opportunity to turn a spotlight on some of our members and the services they provide.
This initiative is kindly sponsored by Better Finances. Better Finances are a leading firm of professional financial planners and mortgage brokers operating throughout Ireland, with offices in Dungarvan & Mullingar.
These sure are unimaginable times! Changes are happening at a pace faster than we can keep up with, and opportunities to move about and enjoy different experiences are restricted.
The Clinic will focus on day to day business issues, but also include more strategic or intensive responses in certain areas.
Look out for familiar faces modeling top trends and accessories from many of Dungarvan’s fantastic retail outlets.
FEED
CHAMBER?
The Dungarvan & West Waterford Chamber is here to create, support, maintain and promote a positive environment for business in West Waterford
Sold in Chamber Vouchers
Dungarvan & West Waterford Chamber Shopping Vouchers can be redeemed in over 100 businesses in West Waterford. They are an ideal gift and are also perfect for staff bonuses. Since 2015, over €1 million worth of Chamber of Commerce Shopping Vouchers have been sold.
TOURIST DESTINATION
The world-class 45km Waterford Greenway runs from Dungarvan to Waterford along the route of an old railway line. Since it was officially opened in 2017, it has become a beacon drawing visitors to the Deise from all over Ireland and abroad.
During lock down the newsletters and training opportunities have been great. The information on funding streams available and the feeling of being connected to other businesses in the same situation has been very positive. The D&WW chamber also created opportunities for collective advertising and marketing which would not have been possible as an individual SME with limited marketing budgets.’
We have seen an increase in sales through the Chamber vouchers which we find are a great boost to our business and local businesses, especially now as it’s a very important time to keep business local.
One of the many benefits of being a member is knowing that you could contact the Chamber with any queries you had and that they were more than willing to assist. The Chamber’s email alerts and phone calls provided up to date and relevant information on things that were continually changing including grants and available support schemes. This information allowed us to develop and gain access to other avenues of support.
The Chamber also provided external supports for our business so that we could adapt and provide our customers and staff with a safe environment during COVID-19. For example, we benefitted with HR assistance and external online business training.
The Chamber has also helped raise our business profile by promoting our social media posts and including us in weekly chamber social media campaigns this year. There is no doubt that we received extra custom through this channel.
We were also delighted to be involved in the Chambers voucher scheme which has been a huge success in helping encourage people to shop local and support local businesses which is more important now than ever.
Being a Chamber member is an important and rewarding investment for our business – is such a reassurance for a small business knowing that we have that support.
As a business, I know Dungarvan and West Waterford businesses are lucky to have such a proactive and progressive team working beside us.’
The continuous support the Chamber team gave us has been second to none. Last year was a tough one for everyone, but getting all information from the Chamber about grants and support schemes available, helped take some of the pressure off us.
They are constantly advertising businesses on their social media which is a great help. Any questions they’re just a phone call away.
Thanks to the continuous support from everyone involved in the Chamber, it’s definitely a membership we wouldn’t pass on.’
They continued to promote the Voucher Scheme and provide regular listings of businesses doing Click and Collect, or a Food Takeaway Service. We had a number of very informative webinars. The Wellness Chest was a brilliant initiative, a collection of ten videos which I regularly go back to.
I think the main benefit we got from being members of the Chamber during 2020 was the sense belonging to a community and knowing that they were at the end of the phone to assist in any way possible.’
Through the Chamber’s prompt delivery of relevant and important information, it also helped us remain open for business our in van and car hire department (South East Car and Van Hire).
The past 12 months have been tough for everyone, having such a strong support has been essential to keep Dungarvan Nissan moving forward.’
The info on HR was also invaluable throughout the entire period – we were able to pass much of it directly onto our employees.
We benefitted throughout December from Chamber vouchers – we’ve never taken in so much in such a short period of time (people were buying 360 vouchers but using Chamber vouchers to pay).
Overall, the sense of connection to our locality at this incredibly trying time helped us to remember that we’re not alone in all of this.”
They especially registered our disquiet when it was proposed that directors of small companies could not avail of the wage subsidy schemes. The D&WW Chamber lobbied this and many other issues on our behalf.’
Last Spring we received a grant to help us with Health and Safety issues, and the correct return to work procedures. It was through an email from the Chamber that we found out there was such a grant and also it was the assistance from the Chamber when we made our application which ensured we had all criteria covered to receive the grant.
During the major lockdown in March 2020, members received regular updates in relation to what was available, and what we should be putting in place for our return to work.
The security of having a business partner, where you can bounce a concern or question off – this peace of mind is invaluable.
During lockdown, we were asked to participate in a number of very important surveys. Vital that small business get the opportunity to provide worrying trends and financial pressures due to the pandemic. Being a member of such a large lobby group, is crucial in having your voice heard.’
The Chamber gives a strong and coherent voice to businesses and the hundreds we employ in Dungarvan and West Waterford
Chamber vouchers give us access to customers who were leaving town to shop in non Irish owned business and my staff appreciate them too!
The guidance we received throughout the pandemic and the can do attitude from Jenny and her team are a big help in trying times….keep up the good work.”
The Chamber gives a strong and coherent voice to businesses and the hundreds we employ in Dungarvan and West Waterford
Chamber vouchers give us access to customers who were leaving town to shop in non Irish owned business and my staff appreciate them too!
The guidance we received throughout the pandemic and the can do attitude from Jenny and her team are a big help in trying times….keep up the good work.”
The Chamber continuously promotes our Safety and HACCP Courses to the membership.
We are included in marketing offers and other valuable initiatives that the Chamber provide. Membership is worthwhile and offers us very good value.”
The Chamber has organised webinars and online meetings, some with high profile speakers and Government Ministers and provided a huge amount of very useful information regarding many different aspects of running a business in these difficult times.
Chamber was very quick to adapt to new ways of interacting, following the onset of the first lockdown restrictions, it is obvious that the Chamber is forward thinking and always striving to improve and deliver a better service to its members.
The success of this year’s voucher scheme speaks for itself regarding the desire that people have to spend and dine locally.”
Dungarvan & West Waterford Chamber successfully created a community of businesses with an objective to grow individually and collectively. The growth objective was supported by its networking and collaboration initiatives.”
Secondly, the benefit of Chamber membership from a personal point of view was also immense. The wellbeing and mental health workshops must be commended, as not only were the Chamber on top of all things Financial but also on personal wellbeing which was a massive part of Recovery.
Needless to say, knowing that the Chamber membership gives me access to a potential €800,00 pot of sales through the Chamber Shopping Voucher Scheme is also hugely encouraging in these dark times and gives me great hope for the future.
The other aspect of membership that has had a big effect on our business is being tagged and promoted through social media. The Chamber has such a large following that being recognised through this format has definitely helped. When people that physically call to our shop say to us they saw us tagged on the Chamber Facebook page is a big benefit.
All of these advantages would not have been available to us as a business had we not been members so it’s definitely the first bill on our list to be paid in the future”
We also shared our concerns and appreciated the lobbying the Chamber did for members at local, Regional & National levels.”
The second biggest advantage of membership was the information and workshops on Brexit.
Lastly the COVID information and support was really significant.”
