WWBFD?

WHAT WOULD BEN FRANKLIN DO? As one of the US’s fathers of the printing business, I like to think that if he were alive today, Ben would be blogging for WhatTheyThink.com, be president of his local PIA, and be a real networking force – someone to mentor the rest of us and give us guidance.

Trade associations are a great place for people and companies to collaborate, share and commiserate. Just about every industry in the world has at least one association, from professional organizers to dog groomers, to all of us in the printing industry. And we have LOTS of groups to turn to…

So do you utilize the resources available to you on the old web? Do you read WhatTheyThink? Have you ever attended an industry event or a webinar? If you have, good for you! Keep going, network, and share ideas, because the healthier our industry is as a whole, the better off we will all be.

But if you have not ever taken advantage of all that is available to you, I beseech you – Please do! There are dinners, golf events, educational seminars, as well as websites that are chock full of valuable information. You might meet an associate that could be a valuable resource or partner in the future, someone whose services are a perfect compliment to yours. Or, you might find a software provider ready to help shepherd you through a new concept like PURLS or One-to-One marketing. Or, you might meet a fabulous rep from the country’s leading press and copier manufacturer who is dedicated to helping you make more money and realize all your dreams…. I’m just sayin’

Below are just a few links to some of these associations, and there are TONS more – Ask not what you can do for an association, but what can an association do for YOU?

www.Aiga.org
www.napl.org
www.printing.org
www.npes.org