Cold and stale food. Stuffy conference room with people you do not know or care to know, listening to a boring presentation full of information you are never going to use. What is the benefit of a trade association membership when it only seems to waste your time if that is all you can associate it with?

Trade associations are an important resource for contractors. Here are a few reasons why you should consider (or reconsider) joining one.

Trade associations give their members credibility.  Not everyone can join a trade association. Trade associations set qualifications for membership and rules for continued membership and participation. The standards they set signal better quality work to the average consumer, which gives potential customers greater confidence in hiring a contractor who is a member.

Trade associations work hard to keep their members educated and informed about what is going on in their industry.  Sometimes that looks like product presentations or panels about industry trends, sometimes like certification workshops, and sometimes like market analysis reports in the association's regular newsletter or on their website. Because they work hard to make information and opportunities available to you, you spend less time finding it and more time putting the new information and certifications to use.

Trade associations help their members network.  Networking is one of many time-consuming aspects of business that make people cringe. Trade associations alleviate some of the pressure by giving its members chances to meet others in the industry in a less competitive atmosphere. Contractors can develop relationships that will benefit their business in the long run.

There are many  more reasons to join a trade association  than the ones listed here, including access to resources made exclusive to trade association members and marketing opportunities. If any of these have changed your mind, we have some trade association recommendations below to help you start your search for the one that is right for you.

• Arizona Builders Alliance  (general contractors)
• American Subcontractors Association of Arizona  (subcontractors)
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers  (electrical workers)
• Piping Industry Progress & Education (PIPE) Trust Fund  (plumbing workers)
• Mechanical Trade Contractors of Arizona (MTCAZ)  (HVAC workers)

Looking for more educational and business resources specific to the construction industry? Talk to us  here .