Birr 20/20 conscious of retail representation gap in Birr

The new Chairman of Birr 20/20 Seán Loughnane has told the Midland Tribune that the community group is acutely aware of the lack of a representative body representing the needs and aspirations of the SMEs in the town.

“During our recent Board of Directors meeting,” commented Seán, “we left a vacancy on the Board for a potential director who would liaise with and represent the retail sector of Birr, particularly the small and medium enterprises. The SMEs would benefit from such leadership, we believe, and we would like to see someone coming forward from the SMEs and joining our board.”

While Tullamore has an active and strong Chamber of Commerce there hasn't been a Chamber of Commerce in Birr for seven years. Many medium-sized towns like Birr have a Chamber of Commerce. Chambers usually prove beneficial to towns. The goal of Chambers of Commerce is to help to further the interests of small businesses in a local area. The activities can range from hosting events, to lobbying local representatives to charitable works for the betterment of the community.

One study showed that 63% of consumers are more likely to buy products or services from businesses who are members of their local chamber. The study showed that consumers view Chamber of Commerce members as trustworthy and are 12% more likely to believe their products or services are better than competitors.

Birr 20/20 thinks it's unlikely that a Chamber of Commerce will come into existence in Birr. They feel that having a director on their board who will represent the retail sector will go some way to offsetting this void.