Talk about business growth, and people tend to lean toward a few topics in particular: better marketing, stronger sales, smarter operations.
All valid.
At the same time, one of the most underrated drivers of growth, especially for small businesses, is something much more local: getting involved in your business community.
For us at 1744 Marketing, one of the most valuable relationships we’ve built in Evanston has been with the Evanston Chamber of Commerce. We’re still a young business and growing ourselves, but our experience has already shown us how meaningful it can be when you invest in local relationships.
Working with the Evanston Chamber has been great for visibility. But it has driven real opportunities, real relationships, and real business development.
When people think about chambers of commerce and similar groups, they sometimes picture traditional networking in the most surface-level sense: handshakes, business cards, quick introductions, and a room full of people trying to sell each other something and eat a free breakfast spread.
But the value goes beyond the bagels, schmear and coffee.
Local organizations are a hub of small business resources, introductions and partnerships. Their events create a space where business owners can learn what’s happening in their city and meet people outside their immediate circles. And showing up is a great way to build long-term trust.
For a growing company, that kind of access is incredibly valuable.
For us, working with the Evanston Chamber of Commerce reinforced something we already believed in strongly: business development is most effective when it’s relationship-led.
Opportunities don’t need to come from pitching. We’ve seen a lot of success from showing up, contributing, and becoming a familiar presence in our local small business network.
There are many levels to the benefits we’ve experienced from the Evanston Chamber. And it’s a relationship that’s still blossoming.
First, it has opened the door to meaningful networking events and in-person connections. We’ve met fellow business owners, community leaders, and organizations doing exciting work across Evanston.
Then, those relationships have led to real work.
One quick example is Pestinger Law. Holly met Cameron through the Chamber’s Business In Evanston program. After a couple short conversations, we found ourselves reworking all of his workflow email campaigns.
Our connection with Pestinger Law is exactly why local business networking matters.
While not the Evanston Chamber of Commerce, our work with Downtown Evanston, our local business district, has literally opened so many doors. Doors to local restaurants, bars, and shops, including one of our favorites, Artem Pop Up Gallery.
When you get engaged with the place you work, you start to understand the local business community. Not as some abstract target demographic, but as a network of real people, each with real goals, stories, and challenges.
Another important part of our growing role in Evanston has been finding ways to contribute, not just attend.
We have supported the Chamber through creative work including social media and email marketing. We have also hosted headshot events and photographed so many members of the community along the way. Experiences like these allow us to be useful, visible, and engaged in a way that feels collaborative rather than promotional or performative.
That is an important distinction.
For small businesses, community involvement works best when it is rooted in participation. People remember who helped, who showed up, who made introductions, who created something valuable, and who brought energy to the room.
Over time, that kind of presence builds recognition and credibility in a much more lasting way than traditional outreach alone.
One of the biggest lessons we have learned is that local relationships tend to compound.
A single event can lead to one introduction.
One introduction can lead to a collaboration.
One collaboration can lead to a client relationship, a referral, or a long-term partnership.
That is how a local business community grows stronger, and it is also how small businesses create momentum. You do not need to be the biggest or most established company in the room to benefit.
We are still early in this journey ourselves.
1744’s role in the Evanston business community is still growing. But even at this stage, the benefits have been clear. We have made valuable connections, met inspiring local businesses, deepened our roots in Evanston, and seen firsthand how local organizations can create opportunities that extend far beyond a single event or membership.
Join and participate in your local chamber.
Not because every event will lead to a sale. Not because every introduction will turn into a client. But because strong businesses are built inside strong communities.
That has certainly been part of our experience with the Evanston Chamber of Commerce, and it is why we would encourage other small businesses to explore the small business resources and relationship-building opportunities available in their own cities.
Getting involved locally can open doors.
More importantly, it can help you become part of something bigger than your own business.
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Evanston, IL
1744 Oak Avenue
Evanston, IL 60201
