Industry Associations?? - Your Experience

[Squizzy246B]

I have a question about industry associations and I'd like some input. Heres the background:

I just got off the phone with a colleague, friend and sometimes sub-contractor for us...he's the fencing man. We are having some difficulties dealing with a mutual client....the difficulty stems to extracting the cash out of their pockets. Whilst its a long story the client needs to stop looking a gift horse in the mouth so to speak and write out a couple of cheques. To cut to the chase the clients are very particular...thats fine with us...but basically they don't seem to trust us....and I believe this is a direct result of the dealings these people have had with some unscrupulous contractors in the past.

It seems that there is somewhat of a prevailing attitude of "all contractors will just rip you off"....I'd best explain "prevailing"; this attitude seems to be more common. In 5 1/2 years of running my own small business I have had one complaint about quality of our work...and this was resolved by explaining to the client that if they buy 2nd grade stone they will get a 2nd grade wall!. We take a lot of pride in our work, operate strictly on an ethical basis and do everything we can possibly due, within the clients budget, to make sure they are 110% happy.

Referral work is now a large part of our new business...anyway, I digress and ramble.

I have often thought us "stonies" could use a bit of industry coordination and a few documented codes of conduct...and I notice that private contractors (excavator, loader & skids) have no industry association or common focal point for at least discussion. A lot of them are blissfully unaware of the standards that do apply to their task at hand.

Whilst I am bit wary of some organisations that get together the first Monday of the month and take weird costumes and a sacrificial goat:eek: surely the industry associations that do exist could help in representing your business as complying to the regulation/standards/codes and being an ethical operator??...is this true...do industry associations/councils etc work for your job.

as a bit of a side note the last professional association I was a member of had professional indemnity insurance as a requirement for membership....how would that fly in your industry?

as a further side note, my brother is a mechanic and belongs to the MTA (Motor Traders Association). He says this is good for getting technical information and general business trading updates...but seems to make little difference to wether a customer gets him to fix their car or not. Sorry for the ramble but I am interested in the opinions of you gals and guys.

[CM1995]

Hey Squizzy-

I am a member of the National Association of Homebuilders which has national, state and local branches. General liability and WC insurance as well as a homebuilders license and a business license are required for membership. It is a good organization to be a member of, especially on the national level, because we get our issues represented in Washington. They have alot of resources available if you chose to use them.

Also a member of the Better Business Bureau.

I am currently entertaining the idea of joining the Associated General Contractors. They are a commerical construction trade organization with the same requirements of the NAHB, they are just focused on commercial rather than residential. What I like about the AGC is the proactive safety training that they offer. It's a very good program that not only provides training and many other resources but also an "in-house" safety officer that audits your jobsite. They look for areas where you are doing things right and where you need to tighten up.

I think trade associations are a good benefit to their respective industries plus you get to go to cool trade shows and deduct it off your taxes.:D

Just my $.02 - hope it helps.

[Squizzy246B]

Thats CM, that does help...one organisation I am looking at is our Chamber of Commerce and Industry...but they are purely in the business of business...not trade or techn ical related.

Also, I told fib:o up above. I said

In 5 1/2 years of running my own small business I have had one complaint about quality of our work..

when i should have added..."That couldn't be remedied to the clients satisfaction"

Sorry bout that:(

[CM1995]

Also, I told fib:o up above. I said



when i should have added..."That couldn't be remedied to the clients satisfaction"

Sorry bout that:(

That only goes to show your commitment to customer service by only having 1 customer you couldn't satisfy. The rule of thumb in the homebuilding business is that 1 out of every 10 customers are not going to be happy regardless of what you do. Sometimes I think you could give that 1 person the house for free and they still would not be happy.:(

Of course this is a generalization but it seems this way sometimes.

[Squizzy246B]

That only goes to show your commitment to customer service by only having 1 customer you couldn't satisfy. The rule of thumb in the homebuilding business is that 1 out of every 10 customers are not going to be happy regardless of what you do. Sometimes I think you could give that 1 person the house for free and they still would not be happy.:(

Of course this is a generalization but it seems this way sometimes.

This is too true.....but the latest one slipped under my radar a bit...I should have picked them...a skill I "thought" I had mastered....being able to weed out the ...the....people you don't really want to work for:rolleyes:

[CM1995]

Here's a few types of customers and when you should run from them:

1. People that want every thing but don't want to pay for it. I call it champagne tastes on a beer budget except they want you (the contractor) to pay for their champagne.

2. Retired folks that don't have anything better to do than pick apart your work. These types built a dog house one time and now they are experts in the building business and feel they need to "set you straight" on how to do things.

3. Single/divorced women - especially the "cat lady". I was not a psychology major, nor I am I her ex-husband.:rolleyes: Ladies don't take this the wrong way it's just for fun- no harm intended. The divorced/single guys are all out chasing the divorced/single women and they are never at home.:D

4. The bi-polar people. These are the worst ones because from day to day you don't know if they are going to be the rational person or the cousin of the devil.:confused:

5. Working for the children of the #2 above mentioned people. I know you have heard it before "Well my dad was a builder....."

6. The people that are pleased with your work when you finish only to get angry letters about your shoddy work a few weeks later. Refer to #4 mentioned above.

Disclaimer: This is all in jest and I am not opening up a debate.:)

[PSDF350]

Not dirt. But I am a member of the New Hampshire timerlands And timber harvesters assc. Also a member of Northeastern loggers assc and through them a member of american logging council.

[N.B.CONCRETE]

Here's a few types of customers and when you should run from them:

1. People that want every thing but don't want to pay for it. I call it champagne tastes on a beer budget except they want you (the contractor) to pay for their champagne.

2. Retired folks that don't have anything better to do than pick apart your work. These types built a dog house one time and now they are experts in the building business and feel they need to "set you straight" on how to do things.

3. Single/divorced women - especially the "cat lady". I was not a psychology major, nor I am I her ex-husband.:rolleyes: Ladies don't take this the wrong way it's just for fun- no harm intended. The divorced/single guys are all out chasing the divorced/single women and they are never at home.:D

4. The bi-polar people. These are the worst ones because from day to day you don't know if they are going to be the rational person or the cousin of the devil.:confused:

5. Working for the children of the #2 above mentioned people. I know you have heard it before "Well my dad was a builder....."

6. The people that are pleased with your work when you finish only to get angry letters about your shoddy work a few weeks later. Refer to #4 mentioned above.

Disclaimer: This is all in jest and I am not opening up a debate.:)

AMEN !

[Matt McGowan]

CM1995,

The Associated General Contractors is primarily for union contractors. In some instances I think AGC even acts as the bargaining entity for management (of several smaller contractors banded together) when dealing with the unions.

Try Associated Builders and Contractors. They are the merit shop equivalent of AGC and, I think, a much more dynamic group. In our area they are even getting their craft training up and running.

Matt

[CM1995]

CM1995,

The Associated General Contractors is primarily for union contractors. In some instances I think AGC even acts as the bargaining entity for management (of several smaller contractors banded together) when dealing with the unions.

Try Associated Builders and Contractors. They are the merit shop equivalent of AGC and, I think, a much more dynamic group. In our area they are even getting their craft training up and running.

Matt

Thanks for the info- forgot about the ABC. :oops I have a business partner of mine that is a member of AGC, non-union, and AGC is the only association I am familiar with. In our neck of the woods we don't have much of a union presence in the building/construction trades. You are right though- the ABC might be a better choice. I will check them out.