Charles River Regional Chamber gives free memberships to retail shops
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'There is, maybe for us, $10,000 in revenue at risk, assuming those members don't all renew or some of them convert to the free membership,' Reibman said. 'We think a lot of them will take this at least on a temporary basis because this is really a tough time for them.'
That's the main motivation: helping local merchants get more exposure, and helping local consumers find them. Many have struggled in the era of online shopping and big-box competition. Now they face new uncertainties including tariffs and a crackdown on immigrants. Some bigger businesses, led by Comcast's NBC10 Boston and Wellesley consultancy Insource Services, have agreed to help cover the costs of the free memberships (which don't include a few services available to full-paying members, such as promotions through social media and ribbon-cuttings).
The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Massachusetts recently did something similar in Boston, offering free memberships for one year to dozens of small businesses participating in the city's SPACE program, which offered financial assistance to entrepreneurs opening in vacant storefronts.
Reibman estimates hundreds of shops could be eligible in his chamber's coverage area. Sure, he hopes some might pay to upgrade to full membership. But he says that's not why he's launching this program.
'The goal for this year, and the next three years, is really to help businesses get through this challenging, uncertain time,' Reibman said. 'These folks need our collective support.'
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This is an installment of our weekly Bold Types column about the movers and shakers on Boston's business scene.
Jon Chesto can be reached at
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