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“We have a PRO*Development series that offers free or low cost business training on subjects

from small business taxes to sales, marketing and employment law pitfalls,” adds the Beaverton chamber boss. “If you have specific issues or problems, call and we’ll connect you to a member of our ‘triage’ team that is willing to work with you pro bono and give you 30-plus minutes of expert and sage advice. If we don’t have what you need, we’ll connect you to a local resource that does through our many partner-ships.”

“A chamber of commerce is not an island,” says Bruton, responding to that “social” crack with pas-sion. “You are not landlocked into attending every wine and cheese mixer. You can pick and choose the opportunities that fit your needs and the needs of your business.

“Join a subcommittee to help tasks get accom-plished or take a chamber-sponsored business class with your chamber peers,” adds Bruton. “Many chamber members join for the chance to meet others; if that’s not your thing, there are plen-ty of ways to stay involved and better your busi-ness.”

Asked about other opportunities to be educated and informed, Bruton pours it on.

“There is a plethora of educational opportuni-ties at the chamber,” she insist. “Partnerships with local colleges offer business training classes. Monthly breakfasts showcase guru speakers on topics ranging from marketing and improving webpage SEOs to finance and economic develop-ment. Also, the chamber is composed of hundreds of talented professionals all offering support and services showcasing their specific skill sets.”

OK, we know there’s no such thing as a free lunch, so what does it cost to join the chamber? That depends on what level you choose to partici-pate — but, according to all of these folks, it’s a bargain.

“A new member can join the Tigard Chamber for as little as $284 for the whole year and access all that I’ve outlined,” says Mollahan, after listing dozens of organization’s offerings. “So, if they really leverage their membership, they get 100 face-to-face networking opportunities, and it just isn’t the members, but also each members net-

knows that’s only one link in the chain of recommended care for that age demographic.

“We treat a lot of people who are focused on well-ness,” said Lubeke, a Clackamas resident. “We empow-er people to take charge of their health.”

When he first visits with a Baby Boomer, Lubeke likes to show the client a “webinar” called “The Puzzle of Health,” which provides information about how to connect the dots in health and wellness care for people age 45 to 65.

“Although we do a great job with pain, from there we are likely to refer people to other practitioners,” Lubeke said. “We view ourselves as that center hub that coordinates the person’s healthcare with respect to all their needs.”

Those could include a supplement regimen — many folks have insufficient Vitamin D in their systems, for example. Vitamin D “can help lower the chances of get-ting breast cancer or ovarian cancer in women” and inflammation in both genders, Lubeke noted.

Among Boomers, joint issues, digestion issues and cardiovascular issues are the most common, he said. “We talk in terms of the ‘low-hanging fruit’ — what will give them the best results with the least amount of effort in the quickest amount of time,” Lubeke said. “If I can peel it down to three to five minutes of exercise they can do three times a day, and they get results,

they’ll do that.”

His guidance could be as simple as glucosamine for those with joint problems or Omega 3 for cardiovascu-lar concerns. Typically, though, Lubeke’s recommenda-tions are more wide-ranging, and specific to the indi-vidual’s goals.

“Many of the folks we see have watched their par-ents age and decline, and they don’t want to go down that same road in the same amount of time,” said Lubeke. “They really don’t fear dying as much as being in a nursing home.”

To keep them active and in their own home for as long as possible, Lubeke works with clients to “facili-tate their aspirations,” whether it’s losing weight, gain-ing back their athleticism or having enough energy to play with their grandchildren.

“These are typically highly-educated, ambitious people,” Lubeke noted. “Baby Boomers want to main-tain their vitality.”