Aaron Kahn Elected President of Chamber

Mount Airy, MD - Nov. 30, 2007 – On Jan. 1, Security professional Aaron Kahn will begin his two-year term as president of the 369-member Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce.

Kahn is a New Market resident and owner of Columbia-based Eclipse Security Inc., which installs security and monitoring systems for businesses from New Jersey to Virginia Beach, Va. He is a 1992 graduate of Francis Scott Key High School. The Frederick News-Post sat down with Kahn this week to hear about his vision for the chamber throughout his term:

What is your vision for the Chamber? Do you see a change in focus or direction?
I don't think a change in focus or direction is necessary but I definitely plan to put a strong emphasis on community involvement and business support for our members.In many instances, we are often looked to when there is a monetary need. While this is important, I feel that our contributions to the community should be more than that.

I have spoken with Mayor (Frank) Johnson and am optimistic that I will have specifics in early 2008. We are also looking at increasing our professional development seminars.Internally, I intend to empower our committee chairmen and chairwomen to be more independent so they can run their committees more efficiently.

What would you say to business owners who say they are too busy to join the chamber?
As any businesses owner knows, managing your time between working for your business (sales) and working in your business (administrative tasks) is a delicate balancing act. Sometimes people tell me that they have all the business they can handle, have too much administrative work, are turning business away and that they don't need to advertise.

I always respond by suggesting that maybe it is time to grow your business so you can handle all of the business.

Who wants to turn away potential customers? Maybe a partnership with another business could increase your revenue. Have you considered networking with local businesses or taking one of our professional development classes that can help in these areas?

People assume that there is a large commitment associated with joining the GMACC but that couldn't be further from the truth. Like anything else, you get what you put into it. You benefit regardless of how much time you put in.

How is the chamber helping those businesses damaged by the Sept. 2 fire in downtown Mount Airy?
This is an issue that we have taken very seriously since it happened. Many of the businesses, directly and indirectly, were GMACC members but there were also some that were not. We felt it was important not to separate GMACC members and non-members since it is our mission to promote the success of all businesses in the greater Mount Airy Area.

The GMACC purchased signs on both sides of the downtown area to encourage visitors to come and shop. We have also worked with the town to pay for all of the downtown businesses who normally advertise in the upcoming Town Newsletter.

Less than a day after the fire, our website was updated to include information about the businesses and still has the current events and fundraising opportunities listed on dedicated pages. We are investigating other advertising and marketing opportunities and in 2008 will continually be looking for other avenues to assist.
The resource center opened this past summer. Keir Knight, of Plain English Writing and Design, and Laurie Dilks, of Juice Plus, worked in conjunction with the library to organize this. When the idea was first brought to the executive committee, there was no debate at all on sponsoring this.

When business owners go to the library to research business planning, business models, advertising, or countless other aspects, we felt it was crucial to also advertise what services the GMACC can offer to help in that endeavor.

Are there certain types of businesses, large or small, that you might target for future membership?
As a business owner myself, I know how important it is to use all of the help and resources that are available to you.

We want to be accessible to younger businesses.When I started my business, several of my friends started businesses at the same time. We would regularly compare notes and ask each other if we could share resources. The chamber business exchange can offer the same type of support.