We cannot do our work without the support of our members, helping us to fulfil our goal of making Stroud better for business, together.
It only costs £25 per year to join (that's less than 50p per week) by Cheque or BACS, or pay quarterly by Standing Order for only £6 per quarter.
The
Chamber runs the InStroud brand; channels on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
that are dedicated to promoting businesses in town and increasing footfall. The
chances are we have already been promoting your business and sharing your
posts. Find out more at www.stroudchamber.org.uk/instroud.
If we don’t seem to be sharing your content, please drop us a message so we
know to follow you. During the Coronavirus pandemic, we have also worked hard
to ensure the shoppers and visitors to Stroud know who is open and when. We did this through our “Stroud Is Open” Directory, which has had thousands of accesses
and downloads. It reached almost 70 editions before being replaced in November 2020 by VisitStroud. VisitStroud is designed to link businesses, venues, events and attractions to the local community, those new to the area and tourists too. It's goal is to serve the entire District and the platform is available to most bricks-and-mortar businesses that meet its criteria.
VisitStroud.uk is fast establishing itself as the resource for events, activities and business across the Stroud District. It showcases some of the very best the Stroud District has to offer, with an audience that consists both of those visiting from afar and our local communities too. A regular eNewsletter helps deliver upcoming highlights to the inboxes of the subscribers.
The pandemic means new ways of working for all of us, and
doing our best to maintain good levels of safety and a consistent message to
raise consumer confidence. Through the “Welcome Back To Stroud” Toolkit, we
provide businesses in Stroud and across the District with checklists, posters
and ready-to-go social media to make life easier. You can access this valuable
and free resource at www.stroudchamber.org.uk/coronavirus.
Further, in May - July 2021 we ran Bee Stroud - a successful initiative that encouraged people safely back to our high streets. 77 businesses across Stroud, Nailsworth, Dursley and Stonehouse took part in activities such as trails, colouring competitions, display competitions, education about the importance of bees and pollinators, promotions and discounts, the Bee Stroud Bee Local loyalty card and many other activities.
The Chamber administers the Stroud Fiver Fest, typically twice per year. FiverFest enables independent businesses in town with the opportunity to offer their customers something (or a combination of things) that would usually be a little more than £5 for just “a fiver”. Because if every adult in Stroud spent just £5 per week in an independent businesses, it would add £4.5m into our local economy – that makes our town a better place to live and visit, as it means more jobs, better facilities and a bolstered local community too. You can find out more at www.stroudchamber.org.uk/fiverfest
Separate to the Chamber, you may wish to be part of the Stroud Inc. emailing list. Select Stroud Business Newsletter from facebook.com/stroudinc.local to subscribe. Stroud Inc. usually meets on the evening of the first Friday of every month, at the Ale House in John Street. Meetings are currently suspended because of COVID-19 and restrictions on gatherings, but we hope to start again soon. Stroud Inc. eNewsletters will keep you up to date with business news and views from around town, typically once per month. It is also a way for non-members to keep up to date with some of the activities of the Chamber.
You can learn more about us and our work across this site. You can also download an application form to join the Chamber, with the additional benefits that brings, below. The price is only £25 per annum and enables us to continue our work to support business in Stroud. I would also urge you to follow our main Facebook page where you will find we post regular updates: facebook.com/StroudChamberOfTrade Following this page will help ensure you don’t miss valuable opportunities available to you, as we do not have the resources to visit each of over 100 businesses in Stroud Town regularly and across the Stroud District. We are not funded by the local authority; outside of any project sponsorship we seek, all our income to support our work comes from our members subscriptions.
During our third national lockdown we have been busier for businesses than ever.