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Creating Capacity for Growth
How small chamber leaders create room for what comes next
For leaders of smaller chambers, the challenge is often not finding the next opportunity. It is creating the capacity to pursue it. Stronger systems, new approaches to revenue and disciplined choices about where to focus can create room for growth.
Michelle Epling, IOM, president and CEO of the Madison Chamber of Commerce in Alabama, knows that challenge well. Her team has more opportunities and ideas than hours in the day.
At smaller chambers like Madison, the Brea Chamber of Commerce in California and the Greater Federal Way Chamber of Commerce in Washington, leaders are finding ways to create capacity by strengthening how their organizations operate and making deliberate choices about where to invest their time and resources.
Build the Foundation First
When Epling arrived at the Madison Chamber, it was just herself and one other employee. The organization had few formal systems in place. Its HR manual existed only in hard copy, policies needed attention and much of the chamber's institutional knowledge had to be rebuilt.
Over the next several years, the chamber updated its governing documents and policies and began building repeatable processes for its work. Today, the chamber has more than 500 members and a larger staff. Epling said that growth followed a stronger program of work that members wanted to support, which increased revenue and allowed the chamber to add staff.
When Epling hired an operations and membership manager, her instruction was to get the work out of her head and into Asana, a project management software. The chamber now uses the platform to manage recurring projects, preserve notes and track membership prospects.
The chamber has also created its own tools where existing options did not meet its needs. Sponsorly tracks available sponsorship inventory in real time, while the Home Run Challenge tracks ambassador participation and points. “As a small team, we tried to use technology to automate absolutely anything we can,” Epling said.
But she is equally clear that automation should not come before structure. “I think you have to actually have solid systems in place before you can add more layers of complexity,” she said. For very small chambers, the lesson may be to build the systems that make future growth possible.
Create Value Before Chasing Volume
Brea Chamber President and CEO Lacy Schoen also inherited a lean operation. When she started, it was Schoen and one other employee. Today, the chamber has expanded its staffing and doubled its budget.
Part of that growth came from rethinking investment. When Schoen was hired, the executive committee challenged her to take the chamber's top investor circle to the next level. “A lot of it was just getting our bigger businesses to invest at a higher level,” Schoen said. “And many of them were willing to do that.”
The chamber also expanded revenue through its Women’s Rights and Leadership Academy, an eight-month program that has grown to represent about 20% of the chamber’s budget and later helped inspire a broader workforce development offering for employers.
Discover Brea makes that value more visible. The local discount program gives participating businesses a microsite and allows residents and employees to access offers from restaurants, entertainment venues and other businesses.
Participation is included with chamber membership, while nonmembers can pay to participate. Schoen said some businesses have used the paid option before deciding that joining the chamber made more financial sense.
The chamber invested reserve funds in a dedicated website and microsites, expanded the program beyond restaurants and entertainment, and added social media promotion. Participating businesses can also receive short-form video content and newsletter exposure. The model itself is adaptable. They created a benefit that drives business to members and makes membership value visible.
Protect the Mission
Greater Federal Way Chamber President and CEO Becca Martin, CCE, IOM, has another word for small chambers: fierce. For Martin, one advantage of operating at a smaller scale is the ability to stay close to members and pivot quickly. “One of the advantages of being a small chamber is your ability to pivot,” she said.
That flexibility only works if the chamber stays clear about its role. Martin warns against mission drift. Small chambers are often deeply connected to their communities, which can make it easy to become involved in every issue. Her approach is to stay focused on where the chamber has a legitimate business role and work with partners on the rest.
When homelessness became a growing concern in the Federal Way area, the chamber began by surveying businesses about how the issue was affecting them. The chamber sought to understand the impact of homelessness and provide useful information to community partners working on the issue. Over time, Martin said the chamber became more focused on supporting business growth, economic opportunity and access to family-sustaining jobs.
“Living wage jobs that help reduce the things that contribute to homelessness? That’s the chamber,” she said. That approach allows Greater Federal Way to stay engaged in complex community issues without drifting away from its business mission.
That same discipline shapes how Greater Federal Way extends its reach. For economic development data and research, the chamber has worked with outside organizations including Lightcast and EY. For workforce programming, it has partnered with organizations that already provide training and certificates rather than attempting to build every program internally. “Look for the organizations that have outreach as part of what they're doing,” Martin said. “And if it fits what your mission is, that's a new partnership.”
A strong board helps protect that focus. Martin described a board that sets the vision and provides fiduciary oversight while staff executes. “Everybody has to know their role and the lane that they're supposed to be in,” she said. For a lean team, that clarity can protect staff time just as much as a new tool or outside partner.
Stop Doing Work That No Longer Earns Its Place
Creating room for growth also means deciding what no longer deserves limited staff time. Greater Federal Way no longer creates events simply to plug holes in the budget. Martin described the familiar cycle: Cash flow gets tight, so the organization adds another event and charges admission. Soon, staff is trapped on what she called a “hamster wheel.”
The chamber now evaluates programs based on mission, engagement and financial return. An initiative does not have to generate revenue if it advances the mission or creates meaningful engagement. But if it does neither, Martin questions whether it deserves the staff time.
That thinking contributed to the chamber discontinuing its golf tournament. The event still produced revenue, but the workload and level of member engagement no longer justified the investment. Madison has made similar choices. Epling ended a 5K color run and an outdated business expo while evolving other programs as member needs changed.
Stronger systems, revenue and focus can help a small chamber build an organization ready for what comes next.
The Growth Playbook
- Build systems before adding complexity. Document recurring work, clarify responsibilities and preserve institutional knowledge.
- Create visible member value. Look for benefits members can use, understand and share with others.
- Deepen investment, not just membership. Consider whether current investors see enough value to increase their commitment.
- Borrow before you build. Use partners whose expertise, infrastructure or outreach already aligns with the chamber's mission.
- Protect the mission. Community involvement should connect back to the chamber's role in supporting business and economic vitality.
- Give the board a clear lane. Strong governance can protect staff time rather than consume it.
- Measure the true cost of programs. Revenue alone does not determine whether an event is worth the workload.
- Stop something. Every new priority should invite a conversation about what no longer deserves limited resources.
- Reinvest in growth. When stronger value and revenue create room to expand, use those resources to strengthen the organization instead of simply adding more work.
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