The Chamber is more than a networking organization. We take our role in supporting the best interests of local businesses very seriously. That's why the Chamber partners with the City of Fort Lauderdale in a joint business and expansion program designed to proactively address the needs and ideas of local companies. The BusinessF1rst program was born in the wake of the economic recession in 2009 and designed to aid, retain and expand business throughout the Fort Lauderdale area.
Representatives from both the city and Chamber, as well as recruits from the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance and the city’s Economic Development Advisory Board survey local companies and conduct one-on-one visits with key established and emerging decision makers in order to gauge the current business climate and hone in on areas which need improvement. This two-pronged approach enables the BusinessF1rst team to reach a cross-section of industry leaders and map plans for future growth.
The BusinessF1rst program also generates requests for business assistance, which are relayed to the proper channels in the hopes of decreasing the wait time for surveyed organization. This business assistance allows us to impact several key economic development outcomes including jobs, capital investment and commercial-industrial square footage.