Frome to grow: meeting the Frome and Somerset Chambers of Commerce

A packed room at the Cheese and Grain, Frome.

This week I went to the Frome and District Chamber of Commerce meet and greet at the Cheese and Grain, together with the Somerset Chamber of Commerce. It was fascinating to meet everybody, and such a lovely group of people.

Events like this are a fantastic way to see how industries, businesses and the local economy can grow. They give us a place to speak our minds, hear about new opportunities and ideas, and find people to collaborate with. That's exactly what Frome, and Somerset, needs more of.

Speakers from the Frome and District and Somerset Chambers of Commerce.

Thank you, Lyndsey

A big thank you to Cllr Lyndsey Mayhew of Frome Town Council for her bravery in speaking up today. She talked openly about everything she and the council are doing to improve our community, and about how hard it is to get that message out to everyone.

So many people would love to play a bigger part in the town but can't make council events, especially busy families on two incomes with no childcare support. That doesn't mean they don't care or don't have an opinion. We hope to work alongside Lyndsey to find new ways of reaching them, for example:

• turning one council update into a WhatsApp message, a social post, a school-newsletter piece and an easy-read version in minutes;
• sharing a plain-English summary of every council meeting the morning after;
• making sense of hundreds of consultation responses quickly, and seeing whose voices are missing;
• bringing information from lots of different places and people together in one place, so it's quick and easy to find;
• local businesses adding a link on their websites to the council's site and surveys, so people come across the council while booking a haircut or buying a coffee.

Thank you, Chloe

A very big thank you to Chloe Sully at the Somerset Chamber of Commerce for welcoming me in today. We weren't members and we weren't registered. We had tried to book online but couldn't get it to work, and that's exactly how Chloe and I got talking.

It turned into a brilliant conversation about how the Chamber could free up more time for the things it really cares about. We hope to work alongside Chloe and the team on ideas such as:

• an event booking journey that works first time, for members and non-members alike;
• one shared directory, so everyone works from the same information;
• quick QR check-in at the door instead of paper lists;
• instant answers on events: bookings against targets, attendance and profit, just by asking;
• tailored thank-you and follow-up emails for members, guests and those who couldn't make it.

We'll be joining

We came away knowing we want to be part of it, so ThinkQuantum will definitely be becoming a member of both Chambers. We're Frome born and bred, and we'd love to play our part in helping local businesses grow. Thank you to the Frome and District and Somerset Chambers of Commerce for bringing everyone together, and to everyone who stopped to chat. See you at the next one!

Jess, ThinkQuantum