This is generally the time of year that I hear from contractors that they just don't have the time or money to attend the annual BSCAI/ISSA annual convention, this year being held in Orlando, Fl., November 4-8. That is when I begin my speech on why you they need to go.
Why am I asking them (and you) to spend time away from your business and invest money that is so hard to come by, especially in the early years of trying to establish a credible company? Let me give you a few reasons why you should join if you haven't and go, if you weren't planning on it.
1. You get to meet other contractors from all parts of the country and the world. You find out that you are not alone in the problems you have and by talking with others you find out how they handled those problems in their company which may help you when you get home. I found BSCAI members are more than willing to share information and it helped me immensely in growing my business profitably.
2. You will find out that there are a lot of things you are doing RIGHT and that you're not so bad after all. You'll go back to your hotel room at night telling yourself, "I need a lot of help but I'm doing some things pretty darn good".
3. By joining the association (if you haven't already), you can become involved in various committees to learn about different phases of the industry. This can be extremely valuable in furthering your education. Not only that, but you find yourself making lifelong friends that are an outstanding resource for knowledge.
4. As time goes by you may even find yourself wanting to get involved in becoming an officer and eventually president of BSCAI. I had the privilege of spending several years as a board member, officer, and eventually President of BSCAI and I can tell you this was, by far, the greatest learning experience in my business career. I not only learned about my industry, I learned a lot about people. By the way, if you want to talk further about becoming involved in the association and what it did for me, come by my CONSULTANTS IN CLEANING, LLC table on Friday or Saturday (or both) and I'll be happy to talk with you about the benefits.
5. The annual convention is not the only event. You have the opportunity to attend other scheduled events during the year that provide even more opportunity to expand your circle of friends and expert resource people to draw knowledge from as the need arises. These events were invaluable in my business career for not only having resources to draw on but for developing wonderful friendships.
6. The annual ISSA trade show (this year in Orlando) provides you the opportunity to visit with manufacturers and see firsthand what products and equipment they have that can reduce your costs and increase your profits. Here is also the opportunity to see what is NEW that can enhance your expertise.
With the rapid changes in the way we do business today it is critical that we constantly keep up to date with our industry.
This year there will be an array of new technology to see along with robotic equipment and the list goes on. Just this week I attended a webinar on a new software package for managing a BSC company. Impressive.
All it takes is ONE IDEA for you to take home and implement and your time will have been paid for. With the expansion of roundtable sessions this year the opportunity is even greater than it has been in the past.
Take the time to learn and become a better professional at what you do. You will benefit, the industry will benefit, and maybe most importantly, your customers will benefit from the added expertise you have acquired.
By the way, tune in each day leading up to the convention, to www.youtube.com/user/Tripodcasts
where I interview the various speakers for this year's convention and have them provide bullet points on the presentations they will be making. Really some interesting speakers this year.
See you in Orlando in a couple of weeks?
Till next time.
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