In November of 2018, iTrees.com received a warm welcome as a new Member of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce (NACC).
So, why did we join the NACC?
A significant portion of our customer base is located in and around Naperville, Illinois. Our office is not physically located in Naperville; however, as an E-commerce business based out of rural Mazon, Illinois, we need to connect and build relationships within the metropolitan communities of our Chicagoland service area. Being involved in the communities that we serve is not only important for getting a pulse on the different area’s needs from a business standpoint but also so we can stay involved and can actively contribute to the vitality of each community.
The NACC is a large, accredited organization of ~1,200 active business chamber members, and being a member of this chamber will allow our business to learn and grow alongside other professionals in the Naperville area. The NACC's mission is to strive to drive economic growth through active engagement and advocacy within their business community. With approximately 40% of chamber members actually located outside of the City of Naperville, we are not alone in our venture to reach out and connect through the NACC.
Right away, we felt connected to other businesses in the NACC. Marlee humbly commented on the very warm welcome, “I think it is great that people from other businesses in the chamber have taken the time to send out information about their businesses, as well as simply welcome our business to the chamber.”
The NACC regularly engages with its chamber members consistently through emails, regular newsletters, and across all social networking platforms.
The chamber’s true success, however, is because of its diligence in building relationships on a personal level: “There will never be anything to replace face-to-face relationships… sitting down with other businesses, sharing stories and learning about their challenges and successes builds that trust. With that trust comes business. Relationships are business builders,” said former NACC CEO Nicki Anderson.
Since iTrees.com joined the NACC in 2018, iTrees.com owner Marlee has gone on to become an active member of Lead Team 3, an active group inside the chamber that connects monthly to network and problem-solve. In addition, in 2022, Marlee received the 40 Under 40 Award.
This was an exciting achievement for her, for iTrees.com, and, of course, it was made possible because of her involvement.
We look forward to continuing this partnership and growing in new areas through the chamber.
