Pub. 1 2020 Issue 1

Kentucky Trucker 33 KyTrucking.net and conferences, and get written materials for yourself and (if people work for you) your employees. If attending national or international conferences is out of reach, you can still participate in webinars. Don’t forget the newsletters either, which are a valuable resource that can give you timely information that has been written with your specific interests and needs in mind. It is wise to stay current in your field, whether you are involved in formal train- ing or not. An association can help you keep your competitive edge sharp. Pooled Resources Many associations want to make sure they understand their specific industries. As a result, they research and analyze subjects and create white papers and reports to tell association members what they found out. By yourself, it’s unlikely you have the resources to commission the kind and quality of research that most associations can commis- sion. As part of an association, however, you do have the combined resources to make research possible. That’s a large benefit. When the people in an association decide they need information on a par- ticular subject and use their combined resources to get and share that information with everyone in the group, everyone benefits. Pooled resources can also mean access to enhanced benefits pro- grams, certification and licensing programs, and discounts. Advocacy The U.S. is a complex society with many competing interests and needs. An association is an excellent way to work together as a group and to advocate for your industry. Can you imagine try- ing to hire a lobbyist to represent just your business? It would be expensive, and (worse) it would probably be ineffective, because one business by itself doesn’t seem all that important to politicians. Get an association involved, though, and the situation changes at once. What is expensive for one person is reasonable for a group of businesses. And when politicians understand that your association represents, say, an entire industry filled with members who are also likely to vote in upcoming elections, suddenly you have the politicians’ respect and potential support. Never underestimate the power of acting as a political group. Relationships We’ve gotten used to thinking of networking as a good way to advance a career, but what many people forget is that networking is nothing more than the power of good relationships being put to work. The unspoken foundation is that a network is made up of people who are actually friends. It starts with directories of other association members, but who knows where those relationships might end? An association gives you plenty of excuses to get together with others in the association and, while benefiting from other mem- bership benefits, also becoming friends. You can learn from these association friends. You can create partnerships and alliances. You can help each other. Even if it turns out that some of the friends you make are business competitors, an association can help your relationship to be more collaborative and less adversarial. Understanding other people is an important part of doing busi- ness with them. Associations are the place where you can gain that understanding. Keep in mind, too, that networking is not necessarily just for your personal benefit. Associations give you an opportunity to do some- thing for your community that you couldn’t accomplish on your own. They offer a way to repay some of the kind efforts others have made to help you.