“A lot of business people ride bikes,” says Travis Windsor.
That’s why he’s started Australia’s first motorcycle chamber of commerce.
However, the Chambers of Commerce knocked back the name as they didn’t want to be associated with motorcycle riders, so they’ve called themselves the Australian Motorcycle Business Chamber.
“It’s like a cool Chamber of Commerce for riders,” Travis says.
Travis is a small business mentor working for the government and has been riding bikes for 30 years, currently owning a Triumph Speedmaster and Yamaha FZ1.
He started the chamber with friends who are chartered accountants and they now have about 40 business people who attend their monthly meetings, which are actually social rides.
They include tradies, lawyers, accountants and other business people who help each other and forge business links just like in a standard Chamber of Commerce.
“At the moment our meetings are more like rides but we want to formalise things and get more into the business side to help small businesses,” Travis says.
“We thought we’d get motorcycle businesses involved too, but that is not how it’s happened, but they are, of course, welcome.”
The group has so far only met in Brisbane, but Travis hopes to expand to other cities in Queensland, interstate and to the USA where he has an interested contact in ex-pat and bike importer Dale Schmidtchen.
Travis says the chamber is a non-profit organisation designed to help business people, sponsor community events, work with the Motorcycle Riders Association of Queensland and also support motorcycling causes such as the current fight against the discriminatory anti-bikie legislation in Queensland.
“We’re pissed off with the laws as well,” he says.
(IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SIGN THE PETITION AGAINST THESE DISCRIMINATORY LAWS, CLICK HERE.)
Chamber fees are $50 a year which goes to administration.
Rides are held one Tuesday a month.
For more information about joining or starting a chamber in your city or state, contact Travis on +61 448 852739.
