As the month of May approaches, so does the annual “Bid Your Troubles Goodbye” Haralson County Chamber of Commerce online auction.

“What better way to support the local economy and get your business’s name out there?” said Haralson County Chamber of Commerce President Jennie English.

Now in its eighth year, the Chamber’s online auction has a few new tricks up its sleeve. There will be the same products and services bidders have seen in past years; however, this year residents will have a wider variety of goods to bid on.

“We’re very excited this year because we’ll be working with a company called BiddingForGood,” English said. “They’re a cause-oriented, online auction company with a wider range, so we’ll reach an additional 275,000 shoppers this year and have more things for people to bid on.”

English said partnering with BiddingForGood will allow local businesses to reach more people than ever by participating in the auction. Businesses who donate an item will also have their logo, which is linked to their web site, underneath their item on the auction page.

This year, the auction items include the wide variety of items people have come to expect on the web site. Bidders can put their money on services from local businesses, such as a doctor’s visit; lunch with a successful community leader; gas cards; goods, such as jewelry, lawn mowers, art, electronics; and trips. This year’s trips include Washington, D.C., Key West and Alaska.

“These are some great bargains,” English said, “and a great way to support the local economy.”

According to English, the annual online auction is the Chamber’s flagship fundraiser for the year, and it brought in $17,000 last year with its 400 items to support the many programs the chamber hosts over the year. Funds are used to support the Chamber’s Buy Local/Buy Chamber initiatives, its many seminars, Lunch and Learn, and its 10 teams.

“Everything we do here, we’re trying to strengthen our economic development and encourage businesses to come to our area to help it grow – to strengthen our community,” English said.

Businesses are still welcome to make donations, even after the auction starts on May 1. However, English advises donating as early as possible to take advantage of the exposure your business will receive from auction traffic.

“This is important to us because we want [businesses] to have ample opportunity to maximize your exposure during the auction. We believe that this additional exposure could provide you an opportunity to capture the attention of a much larger audience,” a press release from the Chamber said.

Overall, English said she expects the auction to be “a lot of fun” for both businesses and bidders. Any business interested in donating to the auction can call the chamber at 770-537-5594. Anyone interested in bidding can log on to www.biddingforgood.com and create an account. Bidders must be 18 years old to participate.