There are literally thousands of chambers in the United States. There's the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, followed by chambers at the state and local levels. Small business owners find membership to be beneficial for networking opportunities and staying up to date with local, state, and national labor laws through publications and webcasts.

A wealth of information may be found on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Web site under the “Small Business Toolkits” tab. You'll find links to state-specific information about several of the topics highlighted in this book, such as hiring people, pre-employment screenings, and employer payroll taxes.

Your local chamber of commerce may have a monthly breakfast that is popular in many cities. Chambers also sponsor some of the job fairs mentioned in Chapter 1. From your state chamber, you may be able to purchase updated manuals on labor-law issues specific to your state. Membership is also a good way to get to know the other business professionals in your community.