EffortlessHR

Header Right

Contact Us: +1.520.546.3947 or Email
Sign Up Free Log In

Main navigation

  • Home
  • Pricing
  • Customers
  • Try It FREE
  • Partners
  • Solutions
    • White Label HR Software
    • Security Info
    • Employee Handbook Builder
    • Templates & Forms
    • Job Descriptions
  • Blog

Easy to use, comprehensive Online HR Software

Try it Free

All-in-one web-based employee management

A complete HR management system in the cloud. Employee portal, PTO, time clock, applicant tracking, benefits, file storage, and more.
Home>Business Planning>How to Choose Professional Organizations to Join

How to Choose Professional Organizations to Join

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Ellen Kirton

Percent Symbols - Best Percentage Growth or In...

(Photo credit: s_falkow)

In these challenging times when every dollar spent must be a wise investment, one of those decisions is where you should spend both  time and money  in terms of business development.  One thing is for sure, you will need to contribute in order to gain.  If you join a networking group thinking I’ll just attend and business will come my way, you’re going to be sorely disappointed.

You will get out of a professional organization what you put into it.  Have a plan when you attend the various events on who you want to meet.  If there is a directory or listing of the members, identify at least 5 new prospects you would like to meet that either can directly use your services or can be a conduit to these prospects.  Oftentimes, these include CPAs, attorneys, etc.  You will be far more effective with this targeted marketing approach.

Next, consider joining a committee.  This is where the time as well as the money comes in.  Determine how much time you have to donate to serving on a committee. Also, choose one that is a personal interest of yours, or one that your business will can benefit from.  It may also be one that has some members on it that you would like to get to know better. And one last thought, consider how much visibility you can see from participating.

There are three benefits you can see from being on a committee:

  1. Have more one on one experiences with other members because it will be a smaller group.
  2. You will be recognized for your contributions.
  3. The members will readily see how you function in this environment and will ultimately recognize that you are someone they would like to do business with based on your contributions.

In selecting the organization(s) consider if the members are those who would need your product/services.  Your ROI (Return on Investment)  generally isn’t seen after just attending a couple of meetings (although it has certainly happened).  You need to make a commitment and after participating, you will then reap the rewards.

Related articles
  • 4 Reasons to Join a Professional Association after College
  • Jacksonville Business Exchange prompts new avenues for smaller companies

Related Posts

  • Join EffortlessHR.com on Twitter and Facebook!
  • Mission: Small Business
  • How to Ensure Customer Safety at Your Business
  • Do We Need Succession Planning?
  • Starting a New Business in a Recession

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Colin Graves says

    December 21, 2012 at 5:41 am

    Like so many things when you are running a small business you have to be careful where you invest your time – involvement in organisations is usually a very long game and so you have to be prepared to put a lot of effort in before any payoff.

  2. Frank W. says

    December 22, 2012 at 6:20 pm

    A very timely post given the economic conditions. I’ve avoided professional bodies, and preferred to do my targeted networking on blogs like yours and LinkedIn. However while a good strategy, the geographic distance between co tributors offen precludes the establishment of business relationships. More and more I’m considering local professional organisations.

    Which one would you recommend in the HR space?

  3. Justin says

    December 27, 2012 at 4:38 pm

    I have seen this happen in my own life. Having attending meetings and events in the past has totally helped my online business. The funny thing is I get a lot of followers from people in my offline world.

  4. Todd Lloyd, DC says

    March 1, 2013 at 12:04 pm

    Personally, I’m a big fan of Toastmasters. At Toastmasters, you not only develop your personal and interpersonal communication skills and leadership skills, you also make important connections with leaders in the community. These are people who care enough about their personal development that they attend these meetings.

    Todd

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe

Enjoy our blog? Enter your email address to be the first to receive updates as we post:

Categories

  • Blogging
  • Business Planning
  • Compensation
  • Customer Service
  • Emergency Planning
  • Employee Hiring
  • Employee Issues
  • Employee Policies
  • HR
  • Jobs
  • Labor Laws
  • Lead Articles
  • Legal Issues
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Press
  • Remote working
  • Scheduling
  • Technology
  • Training & Development
  • Uncategorized
  • Webinars

Friends

  • Bompus

Footer

Pages

  • Home
  • Pricing
  • Customers
  • Try It FREE
  • Partners
  • Solutions
    • White Label HR Software
    • Security Info
    • Employee Handbook Builder
    • Templates & Forms
    • Job Descriptions
  • Blog

News & Updates

5 Reasons HR is So Important for Business Success

December 19, 2022

How Human Resource Professionals Can Use Technology to Improve Workplace Safety

December 12, 2022

Best Practices To Improve Employee Engagement At the Workplace

December 5, 2022

Contact Us

  • Email: Contact Us
  • Call: +1.520.546.3947

Stay Connected

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube

© 2023 EffortlessHR. All Rights Reserved.            Privacy Policy