Should I Join My Industry’s Trade Association?
Most people are unsure of what membership in an industry trade association actually entails. This article has the answer for you! Just remember that there are pros and cons, so take a look at when it would be best for you to join your industry's trade association.
Should I Join My Industry’s Trade Association?
Actually, a lot of people are wondering about this question, because most of the time when you hear about the benefits of joining an industry trade association, that is what they mean. So far we have very few industries where someone would benefit from not joining their sector's trade associations. If this is true for your area then it may be best not to join them as members either.
Another question that is often asked when it comes to joining industry trade associations is: "Does my business have to join?" The answer to this question is that it does not matter whether you chose to join an industry trade association or not. You could still get the benefits of being a member of your sector's trade association, even if you are not a member. We are just hoping that you at least take a look at the benefits of your options before deciding on a particular decision.
Benefits of Joining Your Industry’s Trade Association
While we are talking about questions and answers, one thing we would like to talk about is the benefits of joining your industry’s trade association. This is actually going to be a very short section of our article, because we only have a few words to say on this topic. This type of benefit is actually something different from the other benefits as well. In most cases you will get the benefits of your industry trade association membership by simply being an associated with that trade association. You might not even know about them at all, until your company or brand has been affected by a particular situation that you can use as an opportunity to show people how great your industry is!
The first benefit is meeting new people. When you go to conferences and events, many people are attending these types of events representing different brands, companies or types of business they are involved with. You never know who you will meet at these types of gatherings. What could happen is you are going to meet someone that you can work with in the future. If they have uses for your products or services, they might contact you with an offer, which could result in you getting a new client or customer.
The second benefit is the reputation of your brand is associated with the reputation of your industry’s trade association. For example, if someone does not like the idea of joining their industry’s trade association and wants to find out about something that goes on in this particular sector, it might be quite hard for them to get any information because most people do not like anything that has to do with this trade association. On the other hand, if something negative happens in the industry and news of this could affect your clientele, you have to be prepared for the possibility that they might not want to continue doing business with you.
How About the Trade Association?
One final benefit that we would like to mention is about joining your particular industry’s trade association. You will be seen as a member of this industry’s trade association. You will be associated with an organization that has various products and services that could be useful for the public or your company or brand. You may be fortunate enough to find additional benefits by spending a little bit of your money on joining the trade association. For example, you may be able to get some kind of insurance policy for your company or brand at a very low price.
How are Trade Associations Formed?
In general, industry trade associations are formed by business leaders that want greater advantages for their companies and brands. It takes a lot of time and effort to develop an association like this. Someone has to start the process and they will need a lot of support from people that see the benefits of joining such an organization as well. It is also important to remember that there are many different types of trade associations, including those that provide information and support to existing businesses and those that assist people in the process of starting their own business.
The Governments Role in Industry Trade Associations
You may be wondering about the relationship between governments and industry trade associations. It is true that most governments around the world have a strong interest in maintaining a thriving economy, so they try to help trade associations with getting more businesses involved with them. This mutual relationship can be beneficial for both sides, because it is hard for the government to attract investments if there are no industry trade associations around. On the other hand, these associations need companies and entrepreneurs in order to sustain themselves and their activities.
Industry Trade Associations in Canada
At this point, we would like to tell you a bit about the history of industry trade associations in Canada. In general, the process of establishing these types of organizations started approximately two hundred years ago. The first organization that was created was known as The Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators. This was an association that represented Canadian and U.S. government agencies that were responsible for administering and enforcing highway traffic laws. At this time, the organization is still known as it is today and it manages almost half a million commercial motor vehicles in North America.
Currently, there are more than 125 organizations in Canada that are members of the International Council of Canadian Business. These associations represent various industries, including food products, natural resources, manufacturing, retail and tourism.
In 2001 the Conference Board of Canada made a list of the top ten industry trade associations in Canada. Here is a list of those organizations:
The Mining Suppliers Association The Forest Products Association of Canada The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce The Retail Council of Canada The Canadian National Institute for the Blind The Atlantic Provinces Economic Council Business Development Bank of Canada Canadian Cattlemen's Association Ontario Regional Economic Alliance Ontario Mining Company Ltd. Dairy Farmers Marketing Cooperative Ltd.
Canadian Trade Associations and Politics
We have already mentioned that trade associations are very influential in our society. One reason for this is the fact that many trade associations are politically active and they tend to support the candidates and political parties that agree with their interests. That does not mean that you should become involved in politics. You will be surprised how many people are afraid of taking such an important step because they think it can ruin their business, but you will be amazed at how many options are open to you if you only associate yourself with a particular candidate or party.
Canadian Industry Trade Associations – Conclusion
We believe that industry trade associations provide a lot of different benefits for entrepreneurs, companies, brands and individuals.
Conclusion
Thank you for reading our article about Canadian industry trade associations. We hope that you have gained some valuable insights and have added to your knowledge on this subject.
In general, industry trade associations provide a lot of different benefits for entrepreneurs, companies, brands and individuals. In particular, they can offer a wide range of services that are very useful in maintaining a healthy business or brand image.
We believe that the main reason why new businesses fail is because they do not get enough exposure to people who live in their industry’s geographic area or market niche. This is why it is so important to join an association like this one as early on as possible in the history of your company or brand.