Join a chamber of commerce in Texas Each city or state chamber of commerce in Texas has varied benefits for members. Not only will you gain local, regional and state contacts in businesses of all types across Texas, you also will be eligible for benefits from credit card processing discounts and lobbying power at the state and federal legislative levels.

I recommend:  Join the Texas Association of Business (TAB) (which merged with the Texas State Chamber of Commerce in 1995) and receive discounts on credit card processing, shipping costs and research data from the American Chamber of Commerce. The information found within the Texas Association of Business's local chambers of commerce section can help business owners find local chapters that best fit their needs. TAB also offers group rates on business insurance, medical and dental insurance. The Texas Chamber of Commerce Executives (TCCE) website will also give you information about events, newsletters, networking options and more.

Join metro or local TX chamber of commerce branches There are chambers of commerce in TX in cities and towns of all sizes. You should consider the areas in which you often do business and determine which local and regional chambers offer benefits that will assist you.

I recommend:  The Amarillo Chamber of Commerce offers a wide variety of benefits for a mid-sized city. The members work together to develop a viable market for convention business and sales meetings in West Texas, as well as support the wider agricultural community. The Dallas Regional Chamber is one of several regional chambers of commerce within the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. It offers a multitude of services for members, including a newsletter that has a circulation of more than 20,000 subscribers. Even smaller locales such as Fredericksburg, Texas, have chambers of commerce. The Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce offers members a directory, as well as a newsletter and networking events with local decision makers. The Arlington Chamber of Commerce chapter offers small business members specific resources to help them grow into big business.

Join an ethnic- or gender-specific Texas chamber of commerce Within many major metropolitan areas of Texas, you can also find chambers of commerce by ethnicity or gender. These chamber of commerce chapters in Texas offer a diverse section of business owners who market to a niche. Hispanic, Asian and African-American chambers involve business members and entrepreneurs who work together to improve the greater needs of the community.

I recommend:  The Texas Asian Chamber of Commerce was created in 1996 to assist the Asian-American community in making connections with the greater central Texas business community. Membership is open to anyone with a business interest in the Asian-American community. Several communities also offer chambers for those who do business in the African American community. The Capital City African American Chamber of Commerce offers its members resources, technical assistance and leadership on policy issues specific to the community within Central Texas. There are chambers of commerce in several major Texas cities that cater to those doing business within the Hispanic community. For example, the Corpus Christi Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
attempts to facilitate closer working ties between Hispanic business owners and others within the Corpus Christi and South Texas business community. The Texas Women's Chamber of Commerce was founded in the 1980s by members who saw a need for a chamber that focuses on the needs of women in business.

Seek out large city chamber of commerce in TX branches Each major city offers at least one chamber of commerce chapter in Texas. These TX chambers of commerce market extensively to their members. They offer news, tips and networking beyond the abilities of many smaller Texas chambers of commerce.

I recommend:  The Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce supplies its members with a daily newsletter on the happenings within this Texas city's business community. The Regional Dallas Regional Chamber (aka The Dallas Chamber of Commerce) offers its members a full-fledged news section with a monthly newsletter. Houston Citizens Chamber of Commerce (aka Houston Chamber of Commerce) chapter members also should consider belong to the Greater Houston Partnership, which was formed after a merger of the Houston Chamber of Commerce, the Houston Economic Development Council and the Houston World Trade Center in 1989. The nonprofit also works to advance business interests within the Houston region. The Arlington Texas Chamber of Commerce focuses on creating jobs and wealth for several different industry segments.

Texas chamber of commerce branches with specific business interests can provide good information Some Texas chambers of commerce work to link their regional efforts to an international business community. These TX chambers of commerce help local and regional businesses network not only within Texas, but also connect with tourists internationally.

I recommend:  The Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce encourages its members to participate in an international effort to lure more business to this historically Spanish city. The Galveston Chamber of Commerce provides a link on its website specifically for the many brides and grooms who wish to plan their weddings or honeymoons on the idyllic island.