PKF Texas – Entrepreneur’s Playbook®:Involvement in Trade Organizations
Note: Running Fridays in FromGregsHead.com, is a continuing series of tips brought to you by Greg Price. These run Sunday evenings during the BusinessMaker’s Radio Show on KPRC 950AM. Audio files can be found on the PKF Texas – Entrepreneur’s Playbook® page of the PKF Texas website.
What is your company’s level of involvement with your industry’s local or national trade organization? Are you team members on committees or the leadership team?
Getting involved with your industry trade organization can provide you with many benefits:
• Competitive advantage – these groups are responsible for staying ahead of industry trends, changes and events, which will help your business stay ahead of the curve
• Collective strength (in numbers) – aside from networking opportunities, you will benefit from the representation and promotion of interests the association works for on behalf of all its members.
• Education – many offer its members opportunities to learn from conferences, classes, monthly magazines, and other resources
• Lobbying – trade organizations often serve as the industry’s collective voice and as a medium between the government, the media and the general public
• Special offers and discounts – these can be used for conferences, trade-shows, and other industry-specific events
I’ve spoken before about the importance of making connections to improve your business and encouraging your team members’ involvement with industry organizations is a great way to do this.