"As a longtime member of the Carbon County Chamber, I've seen how the chamber allows me to build relationships within the business community, connect with our community, and support the county's economic growth," said Barb Green, President at Blue Mountain Ski Area.

We've all heard that networking is the key to a successful business, right?But why? What does it mean to network and how does it affect your bottom line?Well, let's first look at what networking means.Networking comes in many forms personal introductions from a mutual business client, meeting and chatting with strangers at a mixer, connecting with like-minded professionals on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook, exchanging business cards after a lunch meeting or sharing coffee with your neighbor. Networking is any and all of the above and focuses on connecting people who have the potential to benefit from one another through business or personal growth.If you are one of the many business owners in our area that has become a member of the Carbon Chamber & Economic Development you belong to one of the most successful networks in our area.You have no doubt experienced that joining the Chamber of Commerce is a great way to align yourself with some of the most successful companies in our region; utilizing our most powerful membership benefit networking.Over the course of a month the CCEDC hosts several opportunities to meet new people. Ribbon cuttings and open houses are generally free to attend for chamber members and their employees.These events are most often held in the evening, sometimes on weekends, and provide a great networking opportunity and a fast track to meet the newest business owners on the block. Mixers and meet and greets are another great way to connect with like-minded business professionals.Mixers are typically hosted by a local business and include networking, light refreshments and an educational or informational program. Imagine what having 50 potential customers walk through your door next week could mean to your success over the next 12 months.In addition to monthly mixers, there are educational seminars and workshops, larger signature events and committee meetings, which are scheduled throughout the year and offer members a chance to get involved, expand their reach to new markets, showcase and share their expertise and cultivate valuable business relationships.Those 50 new customers are now out and about talking about you and the services you offer to their network.This type of growth and sustainability is priceless to businesses with an ever-changing consumer base like what we see here in Carbon County.For a list of upcoming networking opportunities, visit

www.carboncountychamber.org and click on the events tab.This will take you to our online calendar where monthly chamber events as well as community events are listed. Sign up to attend one of upcoming events, like our February Women in Business Luncheon on Feb. 12.There are always new opportunities for you to attend a networking event, so check back often.For more information, call 484-274-2080 or email

alicew@carboncountychamber.org.