Trade Organizations

CMadatMe

This was posted on another web site and was curious as to those that visit here and belong to a national organization feel concerning the question. The question below is a little different.



Which do you feel would represent your business better and why? A national organization or a local independent organization in you area?



For those that belong to a national organization, does the organization help your phones ring and bring in business? How do they truly help your business?

Jack

After many years

I say you need a combination of resources. Certainly it is good to have a local organizations to keep your eye on local issues, but you also need to belong/follow the national organizations for their unique and broader perspective.

I don't think local organizations drive contractor business today. It is mostly web based or becoming so. Right, Dan?

CMadatMe

I Agree

That national organizations are needed. Although, they seemed to be more focused on national issues which are good for the industry as a whole in respect to manufactures and political agenda but really seem to do very little for the small contractor which makes up most of their membership.



I feel smaller local indpendent organizations that represent local contractors can have more of an impact for business in their marketplace. The local organizations should be more focused on contractor education and then marketing those contractors to the residents of the community.



I started my own independent local organization in Feb of this year and we are beginning to get a strong vendor following as well as support from organizations on the local governmental side that are responsible for educating the community on energy savings and high efficicency.  One of the biggest sentences I have been hearing is, the lack of quality contractors. I'm not saying all contractors but the ability for a consumer to have a pool to choose from.



It's great to have a RPA or PHCC but in general do they really represent the every changing technology and what consumers want today? If you were to sit down and take a look at your community and thought for a second,  could you find a few of your peers that focus the same as you and get the support of a local wholesaler and vendors? If so, could you do more for your fellow contractor than a national organization?

Jack

While I applaud

your efforts to improve the "brand", I still think you need to have the wider view of your industry. They say that all politics is local and I can see why you must focus on local issues as you develop your new group. I think your new group will be better if it can follow and contribute to national trends, especially given that it is an energy efficiency, new technology, focused group. The right organization can contribute to the national debate and that is always a good thing. Having said that it is very difficult to run the business, contribute to the local group and have outside the territory influence. Only so many hours in the day.