ON January 28, Taunton Chamber of Commerce held a very successful networking dinner in partnership with Somerset Chamber of Commerce.

I have come to realise that there is an element of confusion out there about the two bodies.

There are many town and city chambers across the country and in most cases the individual chambers are linked to and have a good working relationship with their county chamber, which in turn all come under the umbrella of the British Chambers of Commerce.

It is a great network for sharing information, promoting business and linking the arts, education, social organisations and business, and for lobbying local, national and county government on issues which affect business.

Many of the attendees at our event are members of both the town and the county chambers as they find value in being part of both.

We find that some who only do business in and around Taunton prefer to only be a member of the town chamber, but some find that even though their core business is in Taunton, they also find opportunities further afield by being a member of Somerset chamber.

Taunton chamber runs a series of events through the year which includes visits to various members’ businesses and presentations which are of interest to most, such as our upcoming one on pension auto-enrolment on February 24 (places are still available to book).

Somerset chamber runs a series of events on similar lines but reaches out and also holds events where we meet the neighbours in places such as Exeter and Bristol.

I have made many useful contacts whilst I have been a member which has enabled my business to save money on insurance, utilities, legal and accounting fees along with improving my knowledge of many aspects which affect my business such as marketing, social media and human resources.

Whatever your challenges or concerns, if you are not a member already, give some serious thought to joining Taunton Chamber of Commerce, Somerset Chamber of Commerce, or both.

For further information, visit www.taunton-chamber.co.uk, or www.somerset-chamber.co.uk.

Colin Barrell, president of Taunton Chamber of Commerce