"Small businesses fly closer to the ground and feel the bumps in the road," said chamber chairman Brandon Shamim, who is also the CEO of Beacon Management Group. "But we're also the ones who have the ability to soar farther faster and stronger because we don't have to worry about a lot of excess baggage."

Shamim invited entrepreneur Steve Glenn and venture capitalist Julie Schoenfeld to the chamber to offer advice to chamber members and give them the opportunity to connect and network.

Schoenfeld's company Perfect Market is working to revitalize the ailing newspaper publishing industry by giving already published stories a second life. Her goal is to "help a business that's struggling with change find a new way to approach customers and deal with the way people are looking at it and take advantage of an asset that they're sitting on top of."

Glenn, of LivingHomes, which produces sustainably-derived affordable homes, told chamber members that they need to begin using green technologies.  Glenn believes business owners will not only save money but they will make a profit. "There are companies that successfully wed profit and purpose...capitalism has no ethic," he said.