View source for Scottish Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Small Businesses

Introduction
Chambers of Commerce comprise the world’s largest business support organisation.    In the UK, membership is voluntary and the Scottish Chambers, along with the British Chambers of Commerce, are prominent members of the worldwide movement of Chambers.

Chambers in Scotland
Membership is open to any firm or company irrespective of size.  Collectively, Chambers in Scotland have an annual turnover of over £9.2 million, employing 212 staff.  The current membership ranges from the country’s largest companies to the smallest retail and professional operations.  The present membership ranked by market capitalisation, includes 23 of the top 25 companies, and 38 of the top 50 companies in Scotland.  Together Scotland’s Chambers provide well over half the private-sector jobs in Scotland and provide an unequalled geographical and sectoral representation throughout Scotland compared to other organisations representing Scottish business.

Chambers of Commerce in Scotland vary in size from the large city Chambers of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, all with full-time professional staff, to small rural and island Chambers serviced on a voluntary basis by local business people.  Co-operative arrangements exist to ensure that specialist services are available to all members, no matter the size of the local Chamber of which they are a member. view chamber listings

National Organisation
The Scottish Chambers of Commerce is the umbrella organisation of the local Chambers of Commerce.  Its prime functions are to promote and protect the interests of local Chambers and their member companies throughout the length and breadth of Scotland.  It helps promote co-operation between the local Chambers in the provision of services and represents the common interests of Chambers at a national and international level.  The President of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce is Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal.

Scottish Chambers policy is determined by a Council on which all Chambers have equal representation, and is executed under their direction.  Policy groups, formed from a wide cross section of member Chambers, are used to develop policy initiatives.  The national body represents the interests of members to the Scottish, UK and European Parliaments, opposition parties, the Scottish Executive and other Government officials, Enterprise bodies, COSLA and other public bodies, and works with other private-sector business support bodies in Scotland on areas of mutual interest.  The Director and other members also regularly appear in the press, on the radio and on television to promote the interests of the Chambers’ membership.

Publications
In addition to this national Directory, Scottish Chambers publishes an Annual Report, a Quarterly Economic Survey and a Quarterly E-Survey.  The Fraser of Allander Institute of the University of Strathclyde produces both the quarterly surveys on its behalf.  The Economic survey is the largest regular survey of economic opinion in Scotland.  The Scottish Chambers also makes frequent contributions to a large number of business publications and it publishes ad-hoc documents relating to specific aspects of its work.  

Education and Training
Education and Training are vital to the successful development of Scottish business and Chambers of Commerce make a considerable contribution to the Government’s policy development work.  At present, there are many Chambers of Commerce either delivering or supporting the Executive's Determined to Succeed initiative.  SCC are involved in a number of strategic groups exploring further/higher education funding, skills gaps and more recent, the work exploring apprenticeships training funding.  This is very much an ongoing agenda item for Scottish Chambers throughout Scotland, with many delivering commercial and public courses.

Annual Dinner and Seminars
In addition to activities at a national level such as our annual dinner, local Chambers continue to organise a wide range of events, which allow members to network and to exchange views and experiences on business conditions and prospects.  A list of forthcoming Chamber events can be found here. 

Information
Chambers in Scotland deal annually with almost 50,000 enquiries from individuals and firms seeking information on business activities at a local, national and international level.

International Trade
Local Chambers are particularly active in the provision of export services, ranging from training courses organised in association with the Institute of Export, advice on specific situations and markets, to the certification of export documents, reception of inward trade missions and leadership of, or participation in, outward missions.  Scottish Chambers work closely with Scottish Trade International to promote trade and help firms to increase their exports or to enter the export market for the first time.  For further information on your local Chambers activity please click on your local Chambers site.{{ref|27}}