Thank You For Another Great Year!
By: Josh Cross, CEO & President of the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce
Wow, it’s hard to believe that 2021 is almost over. I want to thank our community and local businesses for supporting us and each other this year. Thanks to the support of everyday folks, our business community has seen tremendous growth. We now have more individuals starting small businesses, connecting with a community in the BridgeWorks Co-Working Space, and participating in Chamber Mixers and events. To top it off, our community has rallied behind us, supporting the return of our Art, Wine & Brew Tours, Shop Local programs, Job Fairs, and more.
With that said, I’m excited for what 2022 will bring. Our Chamber has exciting programs and events in store for the upcoming year, so I want to give you a little peek at what we have in the works.
1. Opportunities For Business Professionals
Here at the Chamber, the team and I believe in empowering our community. We have incredibly talented, passionate, and capable individuals working here, and our goal is to help them thrive. That’s why we’re working on putting together programs that educate, connect, and help support our local business community.
In regards to education, you can expect to see programs like a business education series, a business start-up guide, and of course, the State of North County. For the connection piece, we’ve got a couple of ways to help our business community get and stay connected. Business is not a solo sport; we are all stronger and happier when we have a community of support. That’s why we’re rolling out the following events 12 @ 12 Lunch Meetings, industry roundtable meetings, business walks, and our Chamber Councils (more on that below). We’re also moving forward with the expansion of BridgeWorks Co-Working to provide a space tailored for working professionals which will offer a space to help support them and foster a community of working professionals.
What does all this support for businesses mean for our community in general? Well, for starters more businesses, and growing businesses means that you’ll have more places to shop, enjoy tasty bites, and have access to more services (you’ll want to keep an eye out for the release of the 2022 Official Destination Guide for Atascadero with more information about our local businesses). This also translates into more jobs for our community, making it a win/win all around!
2. Avenues For Businesses To Engage With The Community
By 2022 all of our councils will be back up and running strong. Business professionals have a chance to join a council that will connect them with the community and participate in council events. You can expect upcoming events and opportunities for discussion, connection, and engagement from the Diversity Council, Legislative Affairs Council, Wine & Beer Event Planning Committee, and the Economic Prosperity Council.
Councils are just one of the opportunities we offer businesses to engage with the community. We’ll also have events that businesses can participate in to reach the broader community. Some of these events include Talk On The Block pop-up meetings, Art, Wine & Brew Tours, The Atascadero Lakeside Wine Festival (back to in-person this year), and local and regional advocacy for business.
Again, I want to thank our amazing Atascadero community. Your support as a shopper, a business, a volunteer, or an advocate for local community is the reason our Chamber can do what we do. If you would like more information on how you can get involved in 2022, either as a business or volunteer, please feel free to reach out and give our team a call at 805-466-2044.
Wishing you the very best this holiday season!
-Josh Cross, Atascadero Chamber CEO
President & CEO of the Atascadero Chamber | Josh Cross
