When businesses join the Chamber, we ask what their expectation is as a member.

As you can imagine, we see lots of things from “grow my business,” “meet more people,” “expand my number of clients,” etc.

People get involved in organizations for many different reasons. But do people really realize their gain when they volunteer for an organization like the Chamber?

Attracting and retaining talent is the lifeblood of any business. Volunteering helps people feel better about themselves and the companies they represent.

In fact, statistics show employees that are allowed to volunteer in their community are very loyal and satisfied with their employer. Sure, it gives your business some added external exposure, but it also sends a strong, positive message to your employees that you trust them to represent you and want to help develop not only professional development, but personal development.

As your Chamber Executive, I want everyone to walk away feeling like they made a positive difference and their ideas and energy are of worth and value. There’s never a “wrong” idea, but when a group of people come together for a shared vision, big things happen for the greater good.

We all come to the table with a myriad of qualities and traits — some learned, some God given. It seems a lot of times, the soft skills factor gets overlooked, and the bottom line is all we see.

Don’t ignore all the equation pieces in between that actually give you that bottom line.

Take some time to evaluate your staff pool and decide where your employees can help your bottom line. How cool would it be to help them develop some hidden talent they may have never known they had?

Come by and visit us at 390 Belle Terre Blvd. to find out how your business can get involved.

Chassity McComack is executive director of the River Region Chamber of Commerce. Email her at Chassity@riverregionchamber.org or log onto riverregionchamber.org.