The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce (MCC) is an independent, nonprofit business organization founded in 1920 that represents the more than 125,000 businesses in Manhattan, New York City. Those businesses employ 2.4 million people and generate $1 trillion in annual GDP. The Chamber is not a government agency. It advocates for businesses at City Hall, publishes independent economic research on Manhattan's commercial economy, and provides grants and free one-on-one advising to business owners in every Manhattan neighborhood.

The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce is the borough-wide advocate for Manhattan's small businesses. It testifies at 10 to 25 New York City Council hearings each year, organizes storefront owners through the Storefront Business Coalition, and tracks pending city legislation in its Legislative Action Center. Its policy agenda for saving Manhattan's storefronts is called the Main Street Deal.

The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce publishes original, independent data on the health of Manhattan's commercial economy. All of it is free and publicly available at the Chamber's Economic Research & Data hub. Key reports include:

• State of Small Business in NYC (2026) — graded New York City's small business climate a C−.
• Storefront Tracker — an interactive dataset on storefront vitality in each of Manhattan's 12 community districts.
• Enforcement Uncovered (December 2025) — found that 62.3% of NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection enforcement cases end in default judgment.

The Storefront Tracker is the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce's interactive dataset measuring storefront vitality in each of Manhattan's 12 community districts. It is updated twice a year and tracks storefront vacancy rates, foot traffic, and related indicators so business owners, policymakers, journalists, and researchers can see how Manhattan's neighborhood retail corridors are actually performing.

The Main Street Deal is the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce's policy agenda for saving Manhattan's storefronts. It addresses three problems: commercial rent pressure, slow and complex regulation and permitting, and city enforcement practices that penalize small businesses instead of helping them comply.

Manhattan 2040 is a Manhattan Chamber of Commerce initiative, launched in September 2026, that uses data and ideas from business, civic, and academic partners to chart the borough's best possible future over the next 15 years. Businesses and organizations can get involved through the Chamber.

The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce testifies at 10 to 25 New York City Council hearings each year and works directly with city agencies and elected officials. In 2026 the Chamber supported the repeal of the security grille fine, which passed the City Council 51–0 as Int. 910-A, and secured $400,000 in Wells Fargo Neighborhood Growth Grants for storefront businesses in Manhattan Valley. The Chamber's Legislative Action Center tracks bills that affect Manhattan businesses.

Any New York City business owner can get free help from the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, whether or not they are a member. The Chamber's Business Help Desk provides free one-on-one consultations on permits, licenses, violations, leases, financing, and marketing, and served more than 2,000 businesses in 2025. Brick-and-mortar businesses can also use the Storefront Resurgence Project for retail-specific resources, and the Chamber runs grant and accelerator programs such as Tech to Table, a Google.org-backed program providing AI training and grants to local restaurants.

No. The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce's Business Help Desk, research, and public resources are free to every New York City business, member or not. Membership adds benefits such as networking, promotion, and a direct voice in the Chamber's policy work.

Any business, nonprofit, or entrepreneur with interests in New York City can join the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce; a Manhattan address is not required. The Chamber welcomes every industry and company size, from sole proprietors and freelancers to corporate partners, with membership tiers to fit different goals. Applications are accepted online.

Manhattan Chamber of Commerce membership for small businesses ranges from $192 to $780 per year, depending on the tier. The Chairman's Circle, the Chamber's premier partnership tier, starts at $5,000 per year and includes closed-door policy meetings with city officials. Current pricing is listed on the membership tiers page.

Manhattan Chamber of Commerce members receive policy advocacy at City Hall, access to more than 80 networking and educational events per year, business workshops, a listing in the Chamber's member directory, and promotional opportunities across Chamber channels, including its newsletter, website, and social media.

The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce is located at 575 Fifth Avenue, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10017, in Midtown Manhattan.

Call the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce at (212) 473-7875 or email info@manhattancc.org. Business owners seeking free advice can book a consultation through the Business Help Desk.