Should you join a small business association

If you an owner of a small business or are thinking of opening a small business it would be a good idea if you joined a small business association. There are many different small business associations, most states have one, there is a national one and many more are run by non-profit organizations. Small business associations are designed to provide support to small business owners through numerous resources and experts. While there is a membership fee involved in joining a small business association many small business owners find paying the fee to be well worth it because of how much small business associations can help the small business owner.

Here are some things that small business associations can help with.

Topic one:
Small business associations can help a small business owner solve a number of problems that can occur when running a small business. As a small business owner you are probably doing everything by yourself and you hardly have enough time to get everything done, let alone research ways to help solve problems that you have no idea how to handle. The small business association can provide you with the resources that you will need to solve any type of business problem, such as time limitations, money management, customer care, business operations, and many others.

Topic two:
Small business associations can also help you develop your small business. If you have never ran a small business you probably have no idea how complicated it can be to get a business up and running. Joining a small business association will allow you to seek expert advice on how to start a small business. They can provide you with information that can help you to obtain a patent or trademark, what kind of business you should create (LLC or incorporated) market research, help writing a business plan, to helping create a marketing and sales plan. The small business association can also help you by giving you expert advice and critical services that are needed for the growth of your company, they can also help you to what is going wrong if your business is struggling or declining. They will help you determine what is holding your business back and then tell you exactly what to do to fix the problem.

Topic three:
The small business association can also help you find companies that will offer affordable benefits to you and/or your employees. The types of benefits that can help you with include:
- Business coaching - free advice on marketing, promotions, sales, business operations, etc
- Communication - long distance providers that offer business discounts, toll-free calling options and other communication services
- Discount buying and special offers -discounts and free incentives from office supplies to airfare
- Financial services - knowledge and resources you need to establish and improve your credit, meeting tough financial challenges, and providing a secure future for you and your employees
- Health benefits - hundreds of health care providers and insurance companies are available through the small business association which can save you money on health insurance, discounted health services and other health-related benefits
- Insurance - numerous companies are listed within the small business association to give you the lowest possible rates on numerous types of insurance, including business liability and life insurance
- Internet - provides you with information and resources about using the internet for your small business, including how to create a website and email marketing services
- Professional services - gives you numerous companies to choose from for the legal, creative, planning and operational services of your business to help keep your small business a success