Finding your spot in the industry

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn how to leverage your association membership to build a community and bolster your business. 

Periodically, the Coffee Shops™ partners with John Kenney of Cotney Consulting Group for Affinity Webinars. These are educational sessions that are designed to help contractors in the field with everything from transitioning marketing onto social media platforms to how attending trade shows can give you a business boost. In the most recent webinar on December 12, 2024, titled Leveraging Your Association Membership, John shared with Karen Edwards and Alex Tolle how involvement in associations “can provide contractors with valuable resources, educational opportunities, networking connections and the credibility needed to excel in the industry.” 

Overall, industry associations come with a lot of key benefits and resources that help your business. For example, Western States Roofing Contractors Association has their safety app, which utilizes technology to keep job sites safe and efficient. By getting access to resources like this through industry association memberships, contractors can get better technical support for complex projects and stay informed with evolving codes, regulations and standards. All of this helps ensure their legal compliance, reducing liability and enhancing their reputations.  

Associations also often host unique educational opportunities for members that keep you and your team up to date with all the innovation and advancements in the industry. Some may even have unique certifications that members can access that help them build their business’s credibility. A few examples of this are the National Roofing Contractors Association ProCertification program and the International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants’ Registered Roof Observer (RRO) certification. 

Further, becoming an association member helps you build your industry community and network. Within these associations, you get the opportunity to meet with industry peers and leaders, along with building relationships with suppliers, partners and clients. All of this creates a collaborative space of shared support and knowledge that can help you in your business.  

Watch the entire webinar on on-demand on the Cotney Affinity Webinar playlist to learn more about the power of an association membership and how you can get the most out of yours!