Events – General
What is the difference between networkings and ribbon cuttings?
- Both types of events offer networking opportunities but are structured differently and focus on a different purpose. Primarily:
- The chamber’s regular networkings occur each Thursday (except the 1st Thursday of a month or holidays) either from 8am-9am or 4:30pm-6pm. Check the calendar to see what time a specific Thursday networking occurs. The entire event is focused largely on casual networking except for the introduction of any attending NEW members at 15 minutes in, and then announcements and door prizes from the chamber and host business 20-30 minutes before the event ends.
- Ribbon Cuttings are typically scheduled Tuesdays and Wednesdays around the lunchtime hours or late afternoon, and they are focused solely on the business being celebrated. Announcements start promptly at the time the ribbon cutting is advertised, followed by remarks from the business, and the ribbon cutting/photos. Guests are welcome to mingle before event start and to stay after the photo.
I want to attend a specific event but will be late or need to leave early; can I still attend?
YES, you can arrive late or leave any of our regular events early if needed. The networkings especially are designed for attendees to drop in and out of. For ribbon cuttings, just know that a late arrival might mean arriving while the business being celebrated is speaking; please remember to enter quietly.
Events – Networkings
How do I get on the calendar to host a networking?
Contact us! Call 865-675-7057 and ask for our Membership/Finance Director, Suzanne, to discuss and confirm dates, time, and all the details on what you provide as a host, and what we provide as a chamber. NOTE: our calendar is not booked in chronological order, so be flexible if you wish to host sooner than later. Certain months of the year book WELL in advance to take advantage of great weather or upcoming holiday seasons. If you know what time of year you want now, don’t wait to schedule! Likewise, we can only hold dates for a limited time while you confirm logistics on your end. Other businesses often want those dates, too, so please understand that we must limit the time that dates are held.
Events – Registration
How do I register for events?
- You can register for events in several ways; just remember that you must login in order to have the system recall your information OR to access members-only pricing (including no cost for certain events):
- Online Member Portal: From the portal home page, click on EVENTS at the top and all events on the chamber’s calendars will display. Filter for just “Featured” events for chamber events.
- Website Calendar > Events > Chamber Events > Click on an event on a calendar date and follow the link to Register Now
- Weekly E-Newsletter: Click the buttons in the e-newsletter for the event you wish to register for.
Can I attend an event without registering if I’m suddenly able to?
YES, as long as the event says that registration is still open! If registration is open, feel free to drop in. If it says registration is CLOSED, we have reached maximum capacity for that event.
Events – Ribbon Cuttings
How do I qualify for this members-only service?
We provide ribbon cuttings for the following occasions: (1) NEW business, within one year from opening; (2) Major business anniversary milestone of 1, 5, 10, etc. years old; (3) Business has relocated to new address; (4) Business has new branding/ownership; or (5) Business has had MAJOR expansion of existing site due to significant growth (i.e. doubling in square footage).
What if I’m a home-based business?
Home-based businesses can still have a ribbon cutting service as a NEW business, for a major business anniversary milestone, or for new branding/ownership! We schedule 4 quarterly ribbon cuttings at the Farragut Community Center where up to three non-competing businesses are celebrated. Each business gets an opportunity to speak, and their own photo/cutting.
My business belongs to other area chambers of commerce. Can I have multiple chambers of commerce at my Ribbon Cutting at the same time?
Provided all involved chambers are available on the same date/time, absolutely! Please call to coordinate this as EARLY as possible.
How and WHEN do I need to schedule my Ribbon Cutting with your chamber?
EARLY scheduling is critical as it ensures maximum date availability & marketing. As soon as you have preferred dates in mind for your ribbon cutting, contact us at (865) 675-7057 or email our Membership/Finance Director! Our events/programs calendar often books out months in advance; please do NOT assume that because there is no public-facing event on a given day on our web calendar, that there is staff availability. NOTE: We do encourage new businesses to host their own soft opening independently (and post it on our Portal calendar!) and schedule our chamber to come back within a few weeks or more if needed to formally celebrate you. New business opening dates can change at the last minute due to delays in signage, COI, furniture, staffing, and we may not be able to reschedule you for weeks or months due to our busy calendar.
What if I need to change my Ribbon Cutting date after it is booked?
Contact us as soon as you know you may need to change the date. If it is MORE than 30 days before your event, we can rebook you as soon as our calendar allows without a reschedule fee.
Membership – General
Does my business have to be located in the Farragut or West Knox area in order to be able to join your chamber?
Absolutely NOT. Our members currently come from across the Knox County region, with approximately 1/3 having a residential/commercial office within the Town of Farragut, and the remainder doing business across Knox, Blount, Loudon, and Anderson counties (and even farther).
My business is home-based; can I still join?
Of course! More and more businesses are home-based and can benefit greatly from chamber engagement.
How do I calculate what standard membership rate my business pays?
Standard memberships ask that you add your total number of F/T staff to HALF the number of any P/T staff. The resulting number will place you at the correct level of standard membership. For example: If your company has 8 full-time employees and 6 part-time employees (equivalent 3 full-time employees), your membership is at the “11-15” employees level.
Who can join under the standard one-person membership rate?
The single owner/operator membership is designed for two types of businesses:
- Businesses who JUST have ONE employee who is the owner.
- Individual 1099 agents who are essentially independent of the office they work under. This includes realtors, insurance agents, Direct Sales Reps (i.e. Mary Kay, Tupperware, etc), and representatives who are the ONLY individual in the local area representing that company’s brand.
- It is NOT allowed for single employees or sales representatives working for a larger business with a local branch/office (i.e. ABC Company has 50 employees in their Knoxville office; they join as 1 employee).
Do you offer any type of discounted membership?
We gladly offer a 20% discount for any second business that joins under the same owner (different EIN/type) and a discounted flat membership for additional locations of the same business/EIN.
We do not currently offer a separately discounted membership for non-profits; however many non-profit members benefit from the standard membership that only takes into account their frequently lower totals of paid staff members (and not their volunteer teams) thereby providing a much lower annual rate of membership.
How can I learn more about my membership benefits?
There are several ways and opportunities:
- Monthly Mini Orientations: Held the 1st Friday of each month from 8am-9am, these small group orientations offer the chance to meet the Chamber President/CEO or staff, up to 2 chamber Ambassadors, a representative of our local Small Business Development Center, and up to 5 other new member businesses.
- Spring and Fall Orientations: Either of these two 90-minute sessions allows for 30 minutes of networking, refreshments over lunch, and a 60-minute deep-dive program into all the chamber offers plus introductions to partners, with an average 75-100 attendees.
- Chamber Staff: Call or email to book a one-on-one appointment with chamber staff to discuss benefits and so we can learn more about you and your business!
- Chamber Ambassadors: Contact any of these volunteers, all business professionals or owners like you, whose job it is to make sure you stay connected and engaged in getting ROI on your membership.
Membership – Billing
I applied online and requested to be invoiced. When will my membership start?
Membership starts, and you become “ACTIVE” in our system as soon as you remit your first year of dues. You can remit by check, online in your Online Member Portal, or by phone.
When will my membership be renewed?
Memberships renew annually by the end of the month in which you first joined. For example: If you joined the Chamber in June 2024, your next membership bill will be due by June 30th, 2025.
How can I save 5% on my membership renewals?
Easy! Sign up for automatic renewal payments when you join or before your next renewal, and we will discount your annual dues. Log in to your Portal and click “Account Settings” in the upper right-hand corner. Select “Billing” from the drop-down menu. Click “Autopay & Billing” on the left-hand side of the screen then select “Manage Autopay”.
Membership – Communications
What platforms do you use for communications about news or events?
We are active on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, and we also send a weekly e-newsletter each Tuesday. You may also periodically receive other emails from our CEO or staff alerting you to important business news or opportunities for marketing, grants, committees and others. Note that if you unsubscribe from bulk emails from us, you will likely miss these communications.
I never received or have stopped receiving the chamber’s weekly e-newsletters; what happened and how do I fix it?
Most of the time, we’ve landed in your SPAM folder. Check there, and if you cannot find our communications, contact your IT provider to whitelist our domain name and emails. We also recommend you check to make sure we have your correct email; both we and your business representatives have access to your contact information and typos happen!
Member Directory Profile – General
How do I edit my directory profile?
The easiest way is to log in to your Online Member Profile and look for the block that says “Member Profile” on the right with a bar showing the % of profile completion. Click the green “Update” button and look for sections that have a link to “Update Now”, as well as items with an exclamation point next to them (indicating missing information). Complete as many sections as possible for your business to improve your SEO within our Directory.
What information should I add to my directory profile?
Make it as EASY as possible for potential clients/customers to know what you provide, where and how to find you, your hours of operation, and your representatives! Be sure to link at least one social network, give a brief summary/tagline of what you do, and add as many keywords as possible.
My business is home-based; how do I ensure my home address is not publicly available?
When you apply to join, make sure you note that you are a home-based business so staff can help ensure your address is never shared. To edit in your profile, under “Company Information” (left side menu), look for the fields labeled as “PHYSICAL Address.” The Physical Address is available on the public directory; be sure to input PRIVATE in the street address field. Your entire address is housed safely for staff use only under “Mailing Address.”
Member Directory Profile – Categories
Can I be listed in additional categories?
YES; we ask that you limit your categories to no more than 5. “Categories” are under Company Information on the left menu. Your currently selected categories will be displayed at the top of page, above the list of ALL available categories. Your PRIMARY category will say “YES” next to it. Contact the Chamber to change a Primary Category. View and select additional categories in the list. SAVE CHANGES before leaving the page.
What category will I be listed in when the chamber’s annual print directory comes out?
You’ll be listed in whatever Primary category you selected when you first set up your membership profile. If you never chose a category, staff selected one for you so you can appear in the directory. The farragutpress staff who coordinate the print directory for the chamber will also attempt to contact you to confirm your Primary Category.
Online Member Portal
How do I create my Online Membership Portal login?
If you joined online, you created your login credentials as part of your online application. Click “Forgot password” & enter the email you used when you signed up if you need to reset the password. If you completed a paper or PDF application, we sent a separate email to you with a link to let you create your login. Still need help? Call us at (865) 675-7057 or email our Membership/Finance Director at Suzanne@farragutchamber.com.
How do I get Portal login credentials for my staff? Will they have the same access as me?
You or authorized staff will need to request that we send a link to allow each staff member to have their own Portal login credentials. Staff can be permitted to have Primary, Billing, or Standard access.
I forgot/lost my password for my portal; how do I reset it?
Email or call us; we can you send a password reset link or reset it manually for you.
I’m having trouble accessing my portal. How do I get help?
We recommend you contact our office by phone if you can; this way we can walk you through troubleshooting while on the same screen as you are (often faster than emails).