The Importance of Industry Associations

Fri, 29/05/2009 - 12:02pm

One of the most frequently asked questions with regards to Marine Queensland membership is 'What does the association do for me?'.

The answer, quite frankly, depends on you.

What do you want out of the association?

What you get out of the association is directly proportional to what you put in.  The greatest benefit of any Association is the networking and comarderie that takes place between members.  But to gain from this you must participate...an investment of time and effort into Association activities.

There are many benefits that accrue simply from belonging to Marine Queensland including:

  • The increased consumer confidence from the 'Buy with Confidence' Program.
  • The association's Accreditation program including salesperson training;
  • Access to discounts for credit card facilities, health insurance, car hire and travel insurance;
  • Discounted boat show exhibitor space;
  • Direct assistance with business problems with government policy for example on infrastructure, legislative reviews and licensing to name a few;
  • Education programs.

Your greatest benefit however, is the networking and association with your peers, comming only from your direct personal involvement.

The reason is simple - it involves the same principles that apply to your business.

A businessperson will invest time, money and energy to make their business a success.  The same is true of association membership.  There are certain functions and services that the association can perform, but to be most successful in its efforts, the association requires the physical aswell as fiscal support and involvement of its members.  It needs the collective thinking of all concerned to formulate plans; and it requires the physical effort of its members to put those plans into operation.

The problems facing our industry today impact on every business - no matter how big or how small.

Since no individual could possibly begin to solve these problems alone, it remains that each should join in a collective effort to protect their business investment.