Getting started

Getting started

Welcome to ChamberBuilder. This guide shows you the first steps to set up your chamber of commerce. There are 9 steps. You don't have to do them all in one day.

Your setup checklist

When you log in, look at your dashboard, just under your organization's name. You will see a checklist called Get your organization live on ChamberBuilder. It has the same 9 steps as this guide, split into 4 groups. Once you finish a step, a bar appears at the top and fills in as you go.

• The left side shows the steps in one group. The right side, Your path, lists all 4 groups and how many steps in each are done. Click a group to see its steps.
• The step marked Up next is open already. It tells you what to do and has a button that takes you to the right page.
• Click any other step to open it. Only one step is open at a time.
• Click How do I do this? to open this guide at that step.
• A step with a dashed circle is locked. It has to wait for another step. Open it to see which one, for example "Unlocks after: Set up membership levels".

Steps tick off on their own when you really finish them. For example, "Connect Stripe" ticks off only when Stripe is really connected. Opening the page is not enough.

You can also tick a step off yourself. Click its circle, or click Mark as done. Changed your mind? Click the circle again, or click Mark as not done.

If you want to put the checklist away for now, click Hide for now. It comes back in 30 days. When all 9 steps are done, the checklist goes away on its own.

Screenshot needed: The dashboard with the setup checklist under the header. Save at public/help-images/getting-started/setup-checklist.png.

Step 1: Add your logo

Your logo shows on your website and in your emails.

1. In the left menu, click Settings. You start on the General tab.
2. Under Logo, click Choose file and pick your logo. PNG, JPEG, WebP and SVG all work.
3. Fill in your Contact email, Contact phone, Timezone and address.
4. Click Save general settings.

Good to know: your website colors and fonts are not here. You change those in the website builder (step 7).

Step 2: Invite your staff

Give each person on your team their own login. Don't share one password.

1. Go to the Organization users page.
2. Click Add user.
3. Type their First name, Last name and Email.
4. Pick an Access level, then click Create.

The step ticks off when you have at least two admins.

Step 3: Set up membership levels

Membership levels are the plans businesses can join, for example "Basic" and "Gold". Each level has a name and a price. On the page they are called Membership tiers.

1. Go to the Membership tiers page.
2. Click New tier (or Create the first tier if the page is empty).
3. Type a Tier name and a short Description.
4. Type the Base price per year. If you also let members pay monthly, type a Price per month.
5. Click Create tier.

Do this for each level you offer. The step ticks off when you make your first level.

Good to know: some chambers charge more for bigger businesses (for example, by number of employees). Turn on Scale price with member size in the form if you do this.

Step 4: Connect Stripe

Stripe is the service that takes card payments. The money goes to your own bank account. You need Stripe before members can pay their dues online.

1. Open Settings and click the Integrations tab.
2. Find the Stripe: member payments card.
3. Click Create Stripe account. Stripe will ask about your business and your bank account. Follow its steps to the end.
4. When you finish, Stripe sends you back here. You will see a green Connected message.

Already have Stripe? Pick Bring your own keys instead. Paste your Publishable key and Secret key, then click Save keys.

Good to know: this step ticks off only when Stripe says your account is ready to take payments. If it hasn't ticked off, go back to the Stripe card. It will tell you what Stripe still needs.

Step 5: Check your directory categories

Categories help people find businesses by type, like "Restaurants" or "Real Estate". We already added a list of common categories for you.

1. Go to the Categories page.
2. Read the list. Click the pencil icon to rename one. Click the trash icon to remove one you don't need.
3. Click New category to add one that's missing.
4. When the list looks right, go back to your dashboard and click Mark as done on this step. This step doesn't tick off on its own.

Step 6: Set up your email

This makes your emails come from your own address, and helps them land in the inbox instead of spam.

1. Open Settings and click the Communications tab.
2. Under Email sender identity, type a From name (for example, your chamber's name) and a From email. Click Save communications.
3. Scroll down to Email deliverability. You will see a short list of DNS records. Click each value to copy it.
4. Add these records where you manage your domain (for example GoDaddy or Cloudflare). If you're not sure how, send the list to whoever runs your website.
5. Come back and click Verify DNS now.

Good to know: DNS changes can take a while to work. If it says "Waiting", wait 15 minutes and click Verify DNS now again.

Step 7: Make your website your own

Your website is already live with starter pages. Now make it yours.

1. In the left menu, click Website. You will see all your pages.
2. Click a page, like Home or About, to open the editor.
3. Change the words and photos to your own.
4. Click Publish at the top right to put your changes live.

The step ticks off the first time you publish a change.

Change colors and fonts: in the editor, click the Site settings tab on the side.

Use your own web address: when you're ready, open Custom domain (under Advanced in the left menu) and follow the steps on that page.

Step 8: Add your members

Add the businesses that are already members.

• Have a list? Don't type it again. Bring it in all at once. See Importing your data.
• Just a few? Go to Memberships and click + New membership for each one.

The step ticks off when you add your first member.

Step 9: Invite members to log in

Members can log in to update their own listing, see their invoices and pay their dues.

1. Go to Memberships.
2. To invite every member at once, click Invite all.
3. To invite one person, open their business and click Invite user.
4. Click the Portal users tab to see who has logged in. Click Resend invite for anyone who hasn't joined yet.

The step ticks off when you invite your first member.

You're set up

That's it. Your chamber of commerce is ready to take members and dues online. Next, you might like to:

• Add your first event. See Events and ticketing.
• Send your first email to members. See Email campaigns.