Trade Associations: Make Your Members Happy

© 2015 growthcorpalliance.com | 844.537.0329 | Page
Make Your
Members Happy
55Ways Trade Associations
Can Add Value for Members
A guide to increasing
Trade Association revenue streams
by supporting recruitment and retention, brought to you by:
growthcorpalliance.com | 844.537.0329

Stabilizing Priorities
1. The More Things Change, the More Priorities Stay the Same
2. Make Smart Changes, not a “Sea of Changes”
3. The Value of Adding Value
4. The 1-2-3 of Non-Dues Revenue
5 Ways Trade Associations Can Add Value for Members
1. Make Friends with Millennials
2. Non-Dues Revenue (NDR) Generating Options
3. Cut the Cost of Compliance
4. Encourage Better Employee Benefits
5. Simplify the Business of Doing Business
Summary
Appendix
About GrowthCorp Alliance
Sources
Table of Contents
02
3
5
6
7
8
11
14
17
19
23
26
27

Stabilizing Priorities
The More Things Change,
The More Priorities Stay the Same
On the surface, the business landscape looks drastically different
than it did even 10 or 15 years ago. In many places, “big box” stores are
rapidly replacing longstanding mom-and-pop storefronts by offering
more selection at lower prices. Fully digital outfits such as
amazon.com and Apple’s iTunes store have completely forsaken the
brick-and-mortar approach by selling to their customers with the
click of a button.
The digital revolution hasn’t just changed the way we sell goods—it’s
changing the way services are provided, too. Small to medium
businesses that provide the talents of highly-skilled tradespeople are
scrambling to find their footing in a new world driven by online
customer reviews and ever-increasing expectations.
03

These global business alterations have also impacted our Trade
Associations. The unfortunate news is that most Trade Associations
haven't changed their priorities or strategies for recruitment and
retention in years!
1
A recent study has shown that Trade Associations’ priorities have
remained the same year after year:
• Grow membership
• Encourage member engagement
• Show value
However, a major key to the success and longevity of
a Trade Association is to stay aware of their trade
community’s challenges and offer current cost-
saving solutions.
While the “how” of business may have radically changed, the “why”
hasn’t. For the most part, the end goal is still to build and maintain a loyal
customer base in order to increase revenue and profits.
04

Make Smart Changes, not a “Sea of Changes”
Change isn’t easy
By our very nature, we don’t like change. It can be difficult,
disruptive, and all too often, expensive. The recommendations in this
eBook are meant to build on the foundation of what Trade
Associations are already good at— providing value to their members.
When new ideas and opportunities present themselves, smart
organizations adapt, just as smart retailers are doing. The
suggestions we present here are focused on ways you can improve
and optimize your offerings to simplify the process of running an
association and growing revenues—while keeping your members
happy.
Just like a Formula One
driver could never win
if they didn’t change
gears, Trade Associations
may occasionally need to
make changes to
progress to the next
level.
05
Sometimes, changes are needed and desirable.

© 2015 growthcorpalliance.com | 844.537.0329 | Page 06
The Value of Adding Value
“90+% of Trade Organizations see revenue
2
from membership dues as mission critical.”
It’s worth the time and the effort to take a step back and look at
the value you’re offering your members. Why?
Of course, it’s no surprise that maintaining a large, active
membership base is crucial to the health and well-being of a Trade
Organization.
Creating a year-round retention strategy that addresses members’
changing needs and motivations is no longer optional for success.
High Value, High Return
By providing high-value offerings, Trade Associations can:
• Increase earnings from membership dues
• Create an interdependence of membership and the
association in order to increase relevance
• Diversify income with non-dues revenue

The 1-2-3 of Non-
Dues Revenue
In a recent survey, more
than half of Trade
Associations were
operating on a budget
of less than $50,000 per
2
year.
Growing non-dues revenue can help:
• Further the Trade Association’s mission and goals
• Raise the profile of the Trade Association on local
and regional levels
3
• Provide financial support and stability for the future
In the next few pages, we’ll take a look at five strategies your Trade
Association can use to add value for your members. Some of these
also address easy, no-cost ways to increase non-dues generated
revenues, creating a more successful association for all.
07
The 1-2-3 of Non-Dues Revenue

MILLENNIALS
Innovative
Ambitious Prospects
Smart Devices
Underemployed
ConfidentDigital
Future
Educated
Age
Savvy
Creative
Echo Boomers
Demographic
Gadgets
Modern
Impulsive
GenerationYGenerationY
Cultural
Technology
1980s
iGen
Net Generation
Demanding
1
Strategy 1
Make Friends with Millennials
Who are Millenials?
According to the Pew Research Center, Millennials are:
• Born after 1980
• Extremely plugged into social media
• Likely to delay marriage
• More racially diverse than any other generation
• Heavily in debt, often from student loans
• Less likely to be involved with politics and religion
4
• Distrustful, but optimistic
More than the Boomers and Gen-Xers that preceded them, Millennials
are a mass of confusing, connected contradictions. They want to please
5
others, but tend to be more self-absorbed.
They’ve come of age in a faster, tougher economy, but are approaching it
4
with an unexpected bravado of optimism and confidence.
STRATEGY
08
millenials

Advice on Adding Value for Millenials:
1. Concentrate on Causes
6
Millennials care more about causes and issues than institutions.
Since this makes them less likely to see inherent value in Trade
Associations, tailor your communications and events to demonstrate
how your association supports the things they care about. Engage
Millennials by supplying opportunities for business-related
volunteerism and advocacy.
2. Hard Work is a Four-Letter Word
It’s a common trap for older generations to see younger ones as lazy.
Millennials are anything but! However, they prefer to see themselves
7
as creative rather than hardworking. Help them out by providing
ways to free up their time from day-to-day chores to allow them to
focus on the excitement of innovation.
Why do they matter? It’s simple. Millennials are the future. They are
the next generation of business leaders, customers, and association
members. For any Trade Association or small-to-medium business to
grow, the mindset and culture of Millennials must be considered.

3.
For family-owned, small-to-medium businesses, preparing the
next generation to take over is essential for the stability of the
business and the employees who rely on it. Inter-generational
communication has never been simple, but the explosion of
digital and real-time communication platforms has made it more
complicated than ever. Help connect your older and younger
members by giving them opportunities to learn about how each
communicates and conducts themselves.
Help Pass the Torch
Younger Customers - Different Expectations
Even if your members’ leadership isn’t getting younger,
customer base is. Millennials are the generation of structured lives.
Gone are the days when companies could schedule service calls
around large windows of time. Younger customers won’t just
complain about it, they’ll tweet about it, too!
Just Google “bad customer service tweets” for proof of how
supporting reliability and timeliness in service delivery
can help your membership.
their
5
10
Advice on Adding Value for Millenials Continued ...

NDR by the Numbers
A recent study found that,
on average, NDR accounts
for about 50% of Trade
Associations’ revenue, and
that 80% of Trade
Associations have a positive
return on investment (ROI)
3
for NDR activities.
2
Strategy 2
Non-Dues Revenue Generating Options
Inform & Connect with NDR
A strong, stable Trade Association is good for its membership.
Therefore, non-dues revenue (NDR) is good for your members, too. It’s
worth it to take a look at your NDR-generating activities and ask, “Are we
doing enough?” Most NDR programs give members the chance to learn
or network. By tweaking your offerings to ensure they are also solving
problems and making running a business easier for your members, you
can put NDR to work for everyone.
Make Sure Your NDR Programs are Really Adding Value
1. Get Educated about Education
Workshops and seminars are common sources of NDR for Trade
3
Associations. If you don’t currently offer any type of continuing
education, consider starting small with online training courses, low-
cost webinars, or lunch-and-learn events. Regardless of whether
you’re just starting down the education path or are a seasoned pro,
keep an open dialog with your members to find out what topics
they find most valuable. Online survey tools are a low-cost (even
free) way to collect data.
STRATEGY
11
educate & network

2. People Are … People
“It’s just business” is a common, and often necessary, mindset used to
make professional, non-emotional decisions. But let’s be honest:
Business is about people. By realigning NDR efforts to embrace our
(sometimes sloppy) human nature, Trade Associations can raise the
bar on their offerings—especially to Millennials. Consider expanding
your syllabus to include:
• Soft skills such as conflict management and
interpersonal communication
• Health and wellness seminars
• Work/life balance programs
3. Work Hard, Play Hard
If you are a regional Trade Association, or a local branch of a national
organization, odds are many of your members will be direct
competitors. This can make networking difficult to navigate. To break
the tension, structure events around fun, physical activities.
Building camaraderie
through a hobby or
leisure interest will
give your members a
chance to put their
business competition
aside and learn more
about each other.
Keep in mind that sometimes
it may be best to avoid
head-to-head challenges!
Building camaraderie
through a hobby or
leisure interest will
give your members a
chance to put their
business competition
aside and learn more
about each other.
Keep in mind that sometimes
it may be best to avoid
head-to-head challenges!
© 2015 growthcorpalliance.com | 844.537.0329 | Page 12© 2015 growthcorpalliance.com | 844.537.0329 | Page
Make Sure Your NDR Programs are Really Adding Value Continued ...

A Community of Inclusiveness, Not Competition
“Work hard, play hard” isn’t going to fly with everyone, but maybe
your members will see the advantages of working together toward a
common goal. For example, supporting a local charity, joining
together to take group legal action or to lobby for new regulations
8
may be in everyone’s best interest. Yankees and Red Socks fans both
dislike the Mets, right?
13© 2015 growthcorpalliance.com | 844.537.0329 | Page
Make Sure Your NDR Programs are Really Adding Value Continued ...

Strategy 3
Cut the Cost of Compliance
Compliance is Concerning
In the fall of 2014, small business owners were asked to name the biggest
obstacle facing the health of their business. As you would expect, taxes
and poor sales were high on the list, taking the second and third spots.
The No. 1 concern? Complying with government regulations and dealing
9
with red tape.
Managing compliance issues has become such a concern in the last few
decades that the U.S. Government passed the Small Business Paperwork
Relief Act of 2002 (SBPRA) to help simplify the process—at least for
government contacts. Through this law, the U.S. Small Business
Association is empowered to support small business concerns, but
execution leaves a bit to be desired.
3
STRATEGY
14
compliance
10
U.S. Small Business Association’s “Federal Compliance” Website
42 Articles about compliance offered on Contacts and Resources page
76 Links to “learn more” within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services article alone
1 Thorough but overwhelming resource
In short, compliance is complicated and
costly, even if you do everything by the book.

Out of Bounds: What if You Don’t Comply?
In addition to the cost of simply monitoring and reporting on
compliance, penalties for non-adherence can be significant. For the
healthcare industry, violations of HIPAA, the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, carry fines up to $50,000
per citation. And that’s just for violations “due to reasonable cause
11
and not due to willful neglect.” Penalties vary by industry and some
cases include criminal investigations in addition to fines.
Advice for Adding Value with Compliance
1. Keep Your Members Up to Date
The Occupational Safety & Health (OSHA) Administration lists
1,450 sub-parts to its OSHA standards, many of which include
additional sub-sub-sections. Making sense of current standards, let
alone changes to the code, is a full-time job in and of itself. For
members who have a difficult time covering just day-to-day human
resources issues, compliance can seem daunting, if not
12
impossible. By providing your members with training or access to
a compliance expert at a discounted rate, you can help simplify one
of their biggest headaches!
In addition to industry-specific
r e q u i r e m e n t s , m a n y
businesses are required to
comply with regional statutes
and to provide training for
insurance purposes. Easy, low-
cost access to health, safety,
and HR training programs is
highly attractive to many
small-to-medium business
owners.
15

2. Continuing Education
Some industries require workers to complete continuing
education courses to keep their licensing current. Employees
sometimes cover these costs, but often they are passed on to
the business. A Trade Association that provides education
opportunities will be a Trade Association with happier
members!
Advice for Adding Value with Compliance Continued ...
Offering training programs through
web-based portals can simplify the process
of compliance while saving on cost.

Strategy 4
Encourage Better Employee Benefits
Employers, Employees, & Expectations
It may surprise you to learn just how disconnected your members and
their employees are when it comes to benefits. Take a look at these
13
recent survey results from Aflac:
Odds are that employee benefits are much more important to job
satisfaction and productivity than your members realize. Benefits also
have a significant impact on employee turnover, which can be a drain on
both time and finances.
17
Do Employee Benefits Have a Significant Impact
on Job Satisfaction and Productivity?
Job Satisfaction
Employees
Employers
Productivity
80
60
40
20
0
4
STRATEGY
benefits
More Survey Results
50% of employees surveyed said
they were “somewhat likely to
search for a new job in the next
year”, but that
better benefits would make
them more likely to stay
13
in their current job.

Diversity = Innovation
Different people bring different perspectives, which
can open your members’ businesses up to
16
new demographics and opportunities
Advice for Adding Value with Employee Benefits
• Enable Access
Improving your members’ benefits packages will help your
members remain more competitive in their employee recruitment
and retention efforts. However, cost can seem to be a difficult, even
impossible, barrier to overcome.
Offering access to subscription-based benefits packages that take
advantage of economies of scale can help your members give more
for less.
• Champion Diversity
Diversity initiatives aren’t just nice to have. Millennials are the most
4
diverse generation to enter the U.S. workforce in history, which
means it’s more important than ever for people of different cultures
and backgrounds to learn to live and work together.
It just makes good sense to go above and beyond compliance
when it comes to sexual harassment training, the Americans with
15
Disabilities Act (ADA), and other statutes related to diversity.

Strategy 5
Simplify the Business of Doing Business
How Everyone Gains with Partnering
The fifth strategy to help your Trade Association create happier members
is to consider offering affiliate programs. Affiliate programs bring real
value, simplify the business of doing business, and work to everyone's
advantage.
For Your Members
Many of these programs help by providing:
• Products and services that members are already
shopping for; often at huge discounts
• Timely, current, and relevant education for members
• The latest information about productivity (materials,
technology, education, and skills)
• Opportunities for members to increase their “bottom-line”
through improved productivity and marketing processes
5
STRATEGY
simplify 19
Members wonder,
“What’s in it for me?”
If members feel that they
aren’t experiencing real
advantages, they are
unlikely to continue their
membership or recommend
the association to others.

For Your Association
Affiliate programs provide great benefits to your leadership team and
support your mission and promises made to your members by:
• Continually providing value-add benefits to your members
• Providing opportunities for new non-dues recurring revenues
• Improving loyalty for existing members
• Attracting new members
• Increasing your Trade Association's brand awareness in
your field
You’ll want to find a program that offers you the ability to reach out and
help your members succeed—but make sure you choose wisely. One
way to make sure the program makes sense is to decide if your own
company could benefit from what it is offering. Then, try it out yourself
to see if it is something that you are comfortable promoting to your
members.
If yours is like most Trade Associations, your leadership is busy with
overall membership responsibilities. You need to find an affiliate
program that requires little to no resources on your part.

How to Know What Your Members Need
Just ask them! You already know that you won't survive without
regular communication between the association and the membership.
Reaching out for their input is always the best way to remain relevant
to them.
Email – Use a strategic email that includes a link to a survey asking no
more than 5 questions about your members' needs and wants.
Don't be afraid to ask pointed questions. A number of quality free
survey tools are readily available; such as Survey Monkey or Zoho
Survey, or may already be built into your association management
software.
Social Sites – There are so many ways the internet allows you to reach
your members today. If you have already created a Facebook or
LinkedIn page or use other social tools, try using one or more of
these instant forms of communication to engage and obtain
feedback from your membership. Why not start a discussion
group or address the topic of “need” on your blog?
Text Messages – What Millenial is ever without their phone? They are
always at the ready to provide feedback and opinions. Why not try
SMS with a quick question like, “If you could clone yourself today,
what one task would you have the clone do?” Many research
articles advise that the best time to reach out is 11 a.m. between
Tuesday and Thursday.
21
communicate
with your
members

Networking Meetings – Why not include this as an agenda topic in
your next gathering? It shows that you are concerned for your
members' success, and provides the personal touch that is so
important for engagement and retention.
Research the Research
If you prefer not to go directly to your members, there are tons of
17
surveys and research documents available online that will help you
understand the general needs of small business owners.
18
The majority of the articles identify these areas as the top challenges:
1. Finances – financial speed bumps and lack of access
to funding
2. Employees - payroll, compliance, training, recruiting,
and retention
3. Time - just not enough of it
The recurring theme throughout all of these articles is, “your members
want to sell more, provide better services for their customers, and
grow their business.” That’s what they do best—but it's not always easy
to do when payroll is looming and HR issues are taking up precious
time and resources.
Partnering with a company that offers quality tools created at group
rates is something that the Trade Association can do for their
members to relieve some of the stress of their everyday tasks, and fits
in with the five strategies we’ve outlined in this
eBook.
22

Summary
To sum it all up, making your members happy ensures the success of
your association, which in turn helps keep your members' businesses
prosperous.
We wrote this book to help your Trade Association gain solid footing
into meeting its critical mission moving into the future. And of course,
we also did it to increase our opportunity to show you how offering
our unique Small Business Productivity Suite, EXTO, can benefit both
the Trade Association and your members. EXTO holds the key to
bringing real value to your Association and can simplify your
members' lives ... and yours!
Please take a minute to read on and learn just a bit more about EXTO.
Then, access our web page created just for Trade Associations
(www.GrowthCorpAlliance.com/associations) or, better yet – reach
out to us by phone or email to learn more about how partnering with
us will bring great rewards to all.
Phone: 844.537.0329
Email: info@growthcorpalliance.com
23
No money or resources needed from
your association
Incredibly low-cost to your members

Serve Your Members & Grow Your Revenues
EXTO's Small Business Productivity Suite
EXTO is specifically designed to simplify your small business
members' HR- and employee-related needs. EXTO provides
businesses with a distinct advantage that will help them run more
efficiently, productively, and profitably. EXTO even includes a full-
service payroll management system—all from a single dashboard! It’s
amazingly affordable because it is offered as a membership-based
program, with no long-term commitments or contracts to bind your
members. Although, once they start using EXTO, they’ll never want to
stop!
EXTO delivers:
• A complete, superior-rated Human Resources Information
System with a self-service Employee Portal - included FREE
• Streamlined payroll processing -- included FREE
• Payroll administration
• Direct deposit and check-cutting services
• Federal and State tax filings
• W-2 management
• Perks, including national & local discounts -- included FREE
• Full, live, VIP expert support—no Trade Association resources
are required
• A turnkey marketing plan and tools for your Trade Association—
just plug and play
• Opportunities to brand the system with your association's
logo and messaging
24
The perfect partner for Trade Associations
What’s the member’s cost?
The low monthly membership
fee is just $99 for each
member’s company - which
even includes payroll
processing for up to 5
employees!*
*Just $2 per additional employee
per payroll period
What’s the association’s cost?
Absolutely nothing!

Get Started Today
www.GrowthCorpAlliance.com/associations
or call for a demo now: 1.844.537.0329
25
EXTO offers a unique advantage to Trade Associations
at no cost - using no association resources.
Find out more about how EXTO
can add value for your members
and grow your Trade Association’s revenue!

Appendix
About UsAbout GrowthCorp Alliance
GrowthCorp Alliance was founded by a tenured group of experienced
business professionals with like minds, interests, and ethics. Our
passionate personalities and backgrounds instantly came together like
chocolate and peanut butter. Having all been small business owners at
some point in our careers, we fully understand the frustrations,
challenges, and excitement that comes with running a small enterprise.
This is where our vision began.
With more than 13 continuous years of experience within the talent
management, software, payroll processing, PEO, ASO, benefits,
training, and recruiting industries, we've had the opportunity to work
hands-on with numerous large-scale enterprise organizations, as well
as thousands of small businesses.
About EXTO
EXTO provides core functionality to meet the needs of small
businesses, all in one tidy package with an easy-to-use dashboard.
EXTO allows small business owners to focus on growing their business
and leave the everyday, mundane tasks to us.
Proven and 100% secure, EXTO is a fully-integrated HRIS that provides
a host of benefits, including payroll management, employee self-
service, perks and discounts, health and wellness programs, and the
ability for the small business owner to advertise to both B2B and B2C
via online marketing.
EXTO even allows small
business owners to provide
their employees with excellent
benefit programs, including a
health and wellness center, to
reduce employee turnover.
The generously cost-effective
monthly membership makes
EXTO an extremely affordable
productivity tool that no small
business should be without!
26

Appendix
Sources
1. Online Source http://knowledge.wildapricot.com/display/membership/2014+Small+Membership+Survey+-
+Executive+Summary
2. Online Source
http://www.wildapricot.com/blogs/newsblog/2014/08/12/15-ideas-for-non-dues-revenue
3. Online Source
http://www.csae.com/Resources/Articles-Tools/View/ArticleId/1854/Growing-Associations-Through-Non-Dues-
Revenue-Is-It-Time-to-Re-Think-Your-Business-Model
4. Online Source
http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/03/07/millennials-in-adulthood/
5. Online Source
http://www.wmfc.org/uploads/GenerationalDifferencesChart.pdf
6. Online Source
http://casefoundation.org/resource/millennial-impact-report/
7. Print Source
Small Business Owner Report, Bank of America, Fall 2014
8. Online Source
http://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/marketing/5-ways-that-joining-a-trade-association-can-help-you-boost-business/
9. Online Source
http://www.statista.com/statistics/220371/single-most-important-problem-for-small-businesses-in-the-us/
10. Online Source
https://www.sba.gov/category/navigation-structure/federal-compliance-contacts-and-resources
11. Online Source
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/solutions-managing-your-practice/coding-billing-
insurance/hipaahealth-insurance-portability-accountability-act/hipaa-violations-enforcement.page?
12. Online Source
https://www.osha.gov/law-regs.html
13. Online Source
http://workforces.aflac.com/download/pdf/archive/z130237a_awr_smallco_fs_2013.pdf
14. Online Source
http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/29/2/304.abstract
15. Online Source
http://www.business2community.com/startups/embracing-cultural-diversity-in-a-small-business-environment-
0277532
16. Online Source
https://sparkbusinessiq.com/article/diversity-will-help-small-business-innovate-thrive/
17. Online Source
http://smallbiztrends.com/2015/04/3-challenges-small-business-owners-facee.html
18. Online Source
http://www.smbceo.com/2015/08/03/5-challenges-faced-by-small-businesses-in-2015/
27

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