{"id":436,"date":"2011-03-09T18:59:26","date_gmt":"2011-03-10T00:59:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.manufacturedhomepronews.com\/industryvoices\/?p=436"},"modified":"2011-03-09T19:19:56","modified_gmt":"2011-03-10T01:19:56","slug":"why-i-belong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.manufacturedhomepronews.com\/industryvoices\/why-i-belong\/","title":{"rendered":"Why I Belong"},"content":{"rendered":"

As far back as 1830, the French statesman and author Alexis de Tocqueville observed in Democracy in America<\/span> that \u2026 Americans of all ages, all stations of life, and all dispositions are forever forming associations.\u00a0 There are not only commercial and industrial associations in which all take part, but others of a thousand different types \u00adreligious, moral, serious, futile, very general and very limited, immensely large and very minute. <\/em>And you know, he was right then and remains so today.\u00a0 How many folks don’t belong<\/em> to one or more social, religious or business groups?\u00a0 Very very few.\u00a0 But the issue here is, how many of you are not maximizing the profitability of your business <\/strong>because you don’t belong <\/em>to a state, provincial or national manufactured housing trade association or institute?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The has identified 22 features that attract businessmen and women to join various assemblies of like-minded individuals and firms.\u00a0 And the nearly two dozen features have been grouped into four areas of emphasis: activities, information, publications, and benefits. <\/strong>The following paragraphs take a closer look at ten of these feature areas (i.e. reasons<\/em>) that are particularly germane to manufactured housing industry aficionados.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To support and advance a personal, business and other common and important interest to the individual or business involved. \u00a0For example, manufactured housing, finance, real estate investment or management, OEM suppliers (i.e. original equipment manufacturers), and on and on. \u00a0The purpose to all this? \u00a0To capitalize on the very real concept that there is greater strength in numbers of like-minded folk than always going it alone.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To meet, network and share ideas, frustrations and lessons learned, with peers who have similar personal and professional interests. \u00a0A good example of this is the periodic meetings we attend on local (i.e. chapter), state (i.e. convention or annual meeting) and national levels to do just that.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To acquire information and access resources key to one’s business survival, even prosperity. \u00a0Venues for these opportunities? \u00a0Regularly scheduled meetings, trade and professional publications subscription, trade show attendance, even recreational activities like golf outings. \u00a0Furthermore, unique and helpful resources are oft available from association staff contacts and their experience, familiarity with research results, etc.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To develop new business through and with people met at association events and activities. \u00a0When I started my manufactured housing-related business two decades ago, visiting local manufactured housing association chapter meetings was essential in developing contacts and future business relationships throughout the locale in which I was working. \u00a0And now, twenty years later, the pattern repeats itself on a national and international level relative to the very same reasons.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To increase and update one’s skills and knowledge base. \u00a0How? \u00a0By attending association-sponsored seminars, training programs and other related activities. \u00a0Frankly, there are no other opportunities to obtain the specialized knowledge we often need in manufactured housing than to be intimately involved with our state, provincial and national trade associations and institutes.<\/p>\n

6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To keep abreast with changes to industry rules, regulations, statutes and standards.\u00a0 For that matter, association involvement is oft the only way one has to input the process to begin with, to express one’s support of or displeasure with pending legislation, rules changes, etc.\u00a0 For that matter, sharing a practical Code of Business Ethics with one’s peers is an important feature of this particular reason for joining.<\/p>\n

7.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To learn of and access latest worthwhile business products and services.\u00a0 Vendors often contact trade associations first to ‘test the waters’ relative to market (i.e.\u00a0 association member) acceptance.\u00a0 This is an especially common phenomenon at our regional MH trade shows.<\/p>\n

8.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To interface with professional association staff for answers to strategic business questions -and learn where to go for further information.\u00a0 This could well include access to the association’s attorney for legal opinion and initial guidance in sensitive business matters.<\/p>\n

9.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0To increase clout in local, regional and national political and regulatory arenas.\u00a0 Politics is obviously a fact of business as well as personal life.\u00a0 Why not enhance your opinions in this arena by uniting with trade associations that share your concerns?<\/p>\n

10.\u00a0 To take advantage of group purchasing and\/or member discounts for certain products and services.\u00a0 There’s a very wide range of possibilities here: printing, advertising, travel discounts, group health and liability insurance, banking services, long distance telephone services, association -sponsored retirement plans, etc.<\/p>\n

Convinced yet to join? \u00a0I surely hope so.\u00a0 Here’s what Teddy Roosevelt had to say on the subject: ‘Every man owes a part of his time and money to the business or industry in which he is engaged.\u00a0 No man has a moral right to withhold his support from an organization that is striving to improve conditions within his sphere.’ \u00a0So won’t you join me? \u00a0As a matter of principle, I maintain trade association memberships in every state or province in which I have ongoing business interests, plus the national association that lobbies in my behalf at that level.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As far back as 1830, the French statesman and author Alexis de Tocqueville observed in Democracy in America that \u2026 Americans of all ages, all …<\/p>\n

Why I Belong<\/span> Read More \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[131,410,3,13,412,129,130,411],"yoast_head":"\nWhy I Belong | Industry Voices<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.manufacturedhomepronews.com\/industryvoices\/why-i-belong\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why I Belong | Industry Voices\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As far back as 1830, the French statesman and author Alexis de Tocqueville observed in Democracy in America that \u2026 Americans of all ages, all … Why I Belong Read More \u00bb\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.manufacturedhomepronews.com\/industryvoices\/why-i-belong\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Industry Voices\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2011-03-10T00:59:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2011-03-10T01:19:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Industry Voices\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Industry Voices\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.manufacturedhomepronews.com\/industryvoices\/why-i-belong\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.manufacturedhomepronews.com\/industryvoices\/why-i-belong\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Industry Voices\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.manufacturedhomepronews.com\/industryvoices\/#\/schema\/person\/0bad86ce770836bd765af69275d2b5ad\"},\"headline\":\"Why I Belong\",\"datePublished\":\"2011-03-10T00:59:26+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2011-03-10T01:19:56+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.manufacturedhomepronews.com\/industryvoices\/why-i-belong\/\"},\"wordCount\":817,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.manufacturedhomepronews.com\/industryvoices\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"factory-built home\",\"George F. 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