New name: Bonita Springs chamber is now SWFL Inc.

The Bonita Springs Chamber of Commerce has a new name — and new membership offerings to go with it.

The new name doesn't include Bonita Springs, reflecting the business service organization's broader reach from Marco Island to Port Charlotte.

The new name? SWFL Inc. 

With the new name comes a new website: swflinc.com.

Conversations about changing the organization's name — and its service offerings — began four years ago, said Tiffany Esposito, president and CEO.

The changes come after a lot of strategic visioning and research by its leadership about what the chamber's members need and want. 

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One of the biggest changes? There is now an option for a free membership, for those wanting more limited services, who may not want — or have time — to go to every event.

For businesses and professionals wanting more out of the chamber there's now a menu of membership packages to choose from, with varying prices based on the amount of services and participation that's desired.

"They can purchase exactly what they need when they need it. Nothing more, nothing less," Esposito said. 

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Members can purchase one package or multiple packages to suit their needs — and there's even the ability to add on benefits from what Richard Mancini, the chamber's board chairman, describes as an "a la carte menu."

The packages and add-on offerings are cutting-edge, he said, with only a few chambers in the country trying to offer something like this as a way for members to pick and choose the services they want, as they might do with a TV and entertainment package.

The free membership, Mancini said, still comes with plenty of value — and the option to pay for participation in events or for additional services at any time.

The changes are designed to promote growth, with the hope of attracting more members from Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties.

"Growth is definitely the goal," Esposito said.

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In Southwest Florida, there is an abundance of chambers, creating some stiff competition.

Although based in Bonita Springs, less than half of the local chamber's members are based in Bonita Springs, Esposito said, and many of its members do business regionally, not just in the city.

Also, she pointed out, many of the partners the chamber works with are more regional in focus.

The chamber has about 700 members — and that number hasn't grown in recent years, so Esposito said the changes were needed to lift the barriers to membership.

Although the changes have nothing to do with the coronavirus pandemic, she said, they're needed now more than ever to ensure the chamber has a sustainable operating model through good times and bad. 

"This is a great model to be able to help our small businesses in times of crisis," Esposito said.

The chamber has been in business since 1953, offering educational workshops, networking events, promotional opportunities and more to its members.

Now it's entering a new chapter, leaders said in which it hopes to be more inclusive and accessible than ever for businesses at all stages of growth.