There are many compelling reasons to start a trade association: networking, assuring your best practices are current and implemented properly, as well as leveraging the weight of many voices to enact industry-wide change. The concept alone, however, can be quite daunting. Even within the same industry, stakeholders will have wildly different reasons for joining and different expectations once they do, even if they recognize the association benefits their work. Despite a multitude of apprehensions and even more questions, starting your own trade association can be simple if you address three key issues.
One: Determine your members. Understand their audiences.
Before anything else happens, you need a core group of like-minded stakeholders. They must agree on the purpose of your association and have a clear idea of who the other members will be. A core group, even three or four “founding” entities, can make definitive collective decisions, underwrite initial costs, agree to what audiences (new clients, policy-makers, vendors, other industry stakeholders) the association will direct its efforts, and begin formulating ways to execute them.
Two: Know your “competition” and illustrate your benefits.
Even if you are the sole association representing your industry, profession, or cause, you’re rarely the only game in town. There’s no shortage of ways for your members to spend their time and resources, which means your association’s offerings must be as distinct as they are beneficial. Attracting new members means standing out in a crowd; not only among other industry associations or chapters, but also among other marketing or networking initiatives. Therefore, it is imperative that you understand your marketplace, whether it is a single community or an international footprint. This knowledge will directly intersect with your association’s purpose and membership benefits, and will show that your organization is well equipped and better suited than any other options.
Three: Tackle the nuts and bolts.
Finally, you find yourself with a core group of founding members who are all committed and in accord. But before you begin the process of conceptualizing who your new members will be, and what benefits you plan on providing them, you must tackle the association’s “nuts and bolts,” the basic legal and operational elements that will allow your association’s gears to turn.
Determine where you will incorporate and file your articles. Are you planning on securing tax-exempt status for your association? If so, begin the application process now. Among your founders, begin considering bylaws and how the organization will be governed: its board rules, potential committee structure, a framework for membership dues, and most importantly, a budget forecast for the association’s income and costs.
Each one of these tasks may seem incredibly daunting, but taken in pieces and supported by a committed group of founding members, they can be systematically accomplished, allowing your association to prosper.
Global Association Partners has the resources, capability, and experience to make your association a reality. Our team of dedicated professionals can assist you with your goals regardless of size, budget, or industry. Click this link right here to learn more about GAP and whether our services are right for you!
