Pub. 1 2018-2019 Issue 1

tell association members what they found out. By yourself, it’s unlikely you have the resources to commission the kind and quality of research that most associations can commission. As part of an association, however, you do have the combined resources to make research possible. That’s a large benefit. When the people in an association decide they need information on a particular subject and use their combined resources to get and share that information with everyone in the group, every- one benefits. Pooled resources can also mean access to enhanced benefits pro- grams, certification and licensing programs, and discounts. Advocacy The U.S. is a complex society with many competing interests and needs. An association is an excellent way to work together as a group and to advocate for your industry. Can you imagine trying to hire a lobbyist to represent just your busi- ness? It would be expensive, and (worse) it would probably be inef- fective, because one business by itself doesn’t seem all that import- ant to politicians. Get an association involved, though, and the situation changes at once. What is expensive for one person is reasonable for a group of businesses. And when pol- iticians understand that your asso- ciation represents, say, an entire industry filled with members who are also likely to vote in upcoming elections, suddenly you have the politicians’ respect and potential support. Never underestimate the power of acting as a political group. Relationships We’ve gotten used to thinking of net- working as a good way to advance a career, but what many people forget is that networking is nothing more than the power of good relation- ships being put to work. The unspo- ken foundation is that a network is made up of people who are actu- ally friends. It starts with directo- ries of other association members, but who knows where those rela- tionships might end? An association gives you plenty of excuses to get together with others in the association and, while bene- fiting from other membership ben- efits, also becoming friends. You can learn from these association friends. You can create partnerships and alliances. You can help each other. Even if it turns out that some of the friends you make are business com- petitors, an association can help your relationship to be more collabora- tive and less adversarial. Understanding other people is an important part of doing business with them. Associations are theplacewhere you can gain that understanding. Keep in mind, too, that networking is not necessarily just for your per- sonal benefit. Associations give you an opportunity to do something for your community that you couldn’t accom- plish on your own. They offer a way to repay some of the kind efforts others have made to help you. 3 JOIN UAPA OR RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY. a http://www.utahasphalt.org/UAPA-Membership/membership.html 31