Client
Year
Deliverables
Situation
Franco partnered with the Detroit Regional Chamber to conduct a research and strategy project aimed at understanding the needs of the Chamber’s small business members. While the Chamber had long been a key player in the regional business ecosystem, there was a growing need to refine its role in supporting small businesses considering the evolving number of resources available to small business owners in the Detroit region.
Franco’s objectives were to:
- Understand the needs of small business members
- Examine the region’s current small business ecosystem
- Define the Chamber’s role in the small business ecosystem based on where they could have the most meaningful impact for members
Through our research and strategy development, we worked to address key challenges, such as limited awareness of the Chamber resources among small businesses, misconceptions that the Chamber primarily serves large corporations and gaps in networking, advocacy and support for established small businesses seeking growth.
Approach
To achieve these goals, Franco implemented a comprehensive research process that included:
- One-on-One Interviews: We conducted direct interviews with key small business members to understand their challenges, expectations and experiences with the Chamber.
- Member Surveys: Franco distributed surveys to small businesses with 50 employees or fewer to gauge their priorities, needs and perceptions of the Chamber’s offerings.
- Board Focus Groups: Our team also engaged select Chamber board members to gain insights into their vision for the Chamber’s role in supporting small businesses.
- Resource Comparison: We researched other regional organizations dedicated to small business support to understand existing resources and identify gaps where the Chamber could add value.
- Strategic Development: Finally, we used all our findings to create a data-driven strategy that aligns Chamber initiatives with the needs of small business members.
Results
Using our research findings and considering current and prospective Chamber resources, we developed a strategy that redefined how the Chamber engages with small business members. Our recommendations focused on four primary areas: networking, advocacy, engagement and connection to big businesses.
Our strategy outlined recommendations for improving marketing to raise awareness for the Chamber’s services for small business members and correct the perspective that the Chamber only serves large corporations.
We also presented larger ideas for the Chamber to implement, including developing a mentorship program to help small business members make valuable connections to larger businesses and ultimately generate leads.
Overall, our strategy was very well received by the internal Chamber team and board of directors, and many of these recommendations are being implemented today, including a small business specific newsletter, small business recourse hub on the Chamber website, small business-specific events and more.
