Holistic business chamber formed

A group of business owners has formed the Southern Arizona Holistic Chamber of Commerce, an organization aimed at serving the holistic industry and other businesses with similar values.

Organizers say the new chamber will provide networking opportunities, mentoring and other business help. The group will also emphasize a holistic approach to running businesses, which organizers say means de-emphasizing competition and encouraging business owners to learn from each other.

"It's more kind of creating a business in the flow of the universe," said organizer Becky Kimes, who owns a life coaching business, Attract Prosperity Now.

The organization is modeled on the Arizona Holistic Chamber of Commerce, which formed in the Phoenix area in 2005.

That group has about 200 members, said co-founder Pam Fox. Fox said members appreciate being part of a special chamber because it allows them to interact with like-minded people.

Tucson is home to a thriving wellness industry, including such icons as Canyon Ranch, Miraval Life in Balance resort, and Dr. Andrew Weil.

Holistic business owners might not feel comfortable being a part of a larger chamber where other members might not understand their practices, Fox said.

"Sometimes they feel that they're not taken seriously," she said. "We're creating a safe environment for people to explore their business possibilities in a very accepting circle."

So far, the Southern Arizona chamber — which was officially founded in May— has a little more than a dozen people active in the organization, said Jaimie Lindsay, the group's communications chair and Tucson coordinator for Natural Awakenings magazine. She and other organizers said they're not sure how many have become paid members.

The chamber is charging businesses $100 per annual membership for the first 100 members. After that, the organization expects to raise the price to about $175, Lindsay said.

The group will likely meet for the first time in July, Kimes said.

Those attracted to the organization so far are mostly sole proprietors of businesses such as fitness consulting, chiropractic care, childbirth education and Web design, Lindsay said.

One of the chamber's members, Lynda Witt, said she was eager to join a business group that shares her "holistic philosophy of life." Witt owns a breast thermography business, Proactive Health Solutions, which uses infrared cameras to find temperature changes in women's breasts, which she says helps detect diseases.

"I wanted to meet others and network, just on a personal level, with people who I think have a philosophy that aligns with mine," Witt said.

Witt, who previously co-owned a similar business in Southern California, said she thinks the wellness industry is becoming a significant part of Tucson's economy and could use its own business group.

"I've met some people who have moved here for that reason," she said. "I think Tucson is perfect for this kind of chamber."

learn more

• To learn more about the Southern Arizona Holistic Chamber of Commerce, visit www.sazhcc.org or call 1-520-818-8025.