A chamber of commerce is an organization of business executives, from as little as a few dozen to thousands. A chamber of commerce may consist of businesses within a city, a state, a region, up to an international chamber of commerce. Business owners form these associations to lobby on behalf of the business community.

As the voice of business, the role of a chamber of commerce is to promote business interests and work with the government in policy building.

As a support group, a chamber of commerce provides networking opportunities to its members and helps small businesses achieve sustainable growth.

The role of a chamber of commerce also covers information dissemination – educating the business community on the latest business trends, legislative changes, community issues, and business tools that could make local businesses more profitable.

In recent years, the role of a chamber of commerce has expanded into politics. These organizations use their influence to get business-friendly candidates elected to public office.