It is also an excellent source of leadership materials and ethics and morality guidelines and studies for christians and non-christians. The association of world trade organizations can assist small businesses with breaking into the import or export businesses. Many local WTAs have libraries and offer local networking events and courses. They often provide introductions to government agencies that are helpful in cutting through the massive red tape involved in international commerce. The BBB does not seem to be as popular as it once was, but is still an important part of the commercial scene.
Members pledge to conduct themselves on a higher ethical level.
While this does not reflect poorly on non-members, membership can be a marketing advantage for retail establishments where consumer confidence is a significant factor. The local chamber of commerce is generally geared towards the desires of larger businesses in most communities, even though smaller businesses make up the vast majority of most chamber memberships. Recently the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has begun efforts towards reaching out to smaller businesses. Your local chamber probably sponsors a monthly networking event which might be helpful to you. A number of chambers also sponsor an annual small business expo, and may even have a small business resource person on staff.