What Affiliations Should I Seek?

I love listener questions! Here's one I got a few weeks ago that was a perfect excuse to teach on the topic of affiliations.
​
"Hi Ken, I listen to your podcast religiously! I got "legit" (DBA, EIN, sales tax ID, etc) at the end of last year, and fully launched at the beginning of January. I previously was a manager for Pizza Hut in my area for 15 years. I started working there when I was 17. When covid started the franchise in my area completely folded. I began working for a janitorial company and was getting a lot of positive feedback. I have a one-year-old son and needed something flexible to work opposite of my husband. I had toyed with the idea of starting a business for a long time (I have a business degree). I just got my solo cleaning business up and running. Your tips have been instrumental! What are your thoughts about joining the BBB? Someone from my local chapter just cold-called me asking me to join."

Kelly DeYoung, True Integrity Cleaning, Akron, NY (Buffalo Area)
There are countless affiliations you can join for business credibility and trust. I am not putting down anyone. I'm merely sharing from my own experiences. I am listing several into 2 categories: Industry and Local

• Industry
  • Association of Residential Cleaning Services International (ARCSI), a division of ISSA (International Sanitary Supply Association) - I was privileged to host the chair of ARCSI as an expert in the SMART Cleaning Tribe. Alonzo Adams (Busy Bee Cleaning Services, West Chester, PA) has an incredible business owner & millionaire mindset. He attributes so much of his industry success to the association with our industry's professional organization for house cleaners. ARCSI has certification courses for cleaning, disinfecting, and many others. They also provide amazing networking opportunities with other cleaning service owners so you can find your community and grow together. ARCSI is a recognized and highly respected organization that adds a ton of credibility to any house cleaner. If you're primarily in office or janitorial cleaning, ISSA is the organization to join. ARCSI is a division of ISSA. I was so green starting my business and also prideful and ignorant. I didn't need help, nor did I know about ARCSI. After having Alonzo on the Tribe, I will be joining in 2021. 
  • Solo Cleaning School Elite - I created this affiliation and offer advanced training and community for new cleaning startups and solo operators. Solo cleaners tend to go-it-alone. This school pulls together like-minded solos that would like to optimize their profits on fewer workdays through the ISO Model that I created and demonstrated in 2 of my own solo cleaning companies.
  • SMART Cleaning Tribe - As I mentioned with ARCSI, cleaning owners need to find their Tribe. I built this cleaning family for the owners desiring community, masterminding, and accountability around their personal and business goals. There are many other training and mastermind communities available to cleaning service owners. The SMART Cleaning Tribe is the ONLY one focusing on the SMART goal. We grow together, celebrating our goals every month.

• Local
  • Real Estate Preferred Vendor - I've been blessed to be on multiple lists due to my expertise in Presentation Cleaning for realtors. Coldwell Banker, Berkshire Hathaway, ReMax, RealtyUSA are just a few of the large brokers that build internal preferred vendor lists. Once you get on a list, you WILL get leads. These 1-time cleans do lead to recurring as well.
  • Better Business Bureau (BBB) - The BBB is a trusted resource for consumers. It only makes sense that you'd like your cleaning company listed as a BBB-trusted business. I agree. However, the BBB is a business. They have costs and marketing packages. They have sales reps that call on non-affiliated BBB businesses to solicit them for membership. It's not cheap. Personally, I chose NOT to join. About 10 years ago, I invested 20 minutes on a phone call with a BBB sales rep and asked many hard questions to evaluate the cost vs. benefit of joining. It would be nice to have the BBB logo on the bottom of my website, but it wasn't worth the investment to me. I'd rather have the ARCSI and Chamber logos!
  • Chamber of Commerce - This is the gem of all affiliations. The Chamber is humongous in scope. They have local chapters all over the country and world. I joined the local Indian Valley Chamber of Commerce in 2019. It was a $200 annual investment and I chose to serve with my talents. This has lead to the addition of a third of my new clients in 2020. In general, the Chamber is the hub for all local networking. If you don't belong to an in-person group now, attend a Chamber Mixer monthly event as a guest of a friend in the chamber or call the office and invite yourself. Meet other business owners at the mixer and ask for referrals to other networking groups. I did this in 2019 and left with 7 others to check out!
  • Rotary Club - This is a service organization all over the world with local chapters. It's not about business networking, but networking happens. Typically, the upper tier of businesses belong to Rotary as they have met their needs and truly have a heart to give back to the community. It can be a large time commitment, but the work is awesome. Rotary does so many community service projects. Work side-by-side with other business leaders and you will surely become trusted friends and refer each other in business.
  • Business Networking International (BNI) - This is an international networking association with by-laws, fees, and requirements. They have chapters all over the country. It's a fantastic option for those wanting to grow fast as referrals are required. You will get referrals. The downside is this. It's a big-time commitment and you have quotas to perform for the overall good of the chapter. Personally, I have opted not to join as I didn't like the forced referral model. I want to connect and get to know my fellow networkers and then refer them when I want to, not because I have to.
  • Other local networking groups (dependent on your area) - There are so many networking groups available in person or via Zoom for local business owners to connect, build trust, hold each other accountable, and refer each other. I attend the Montgomery Country Business Alliance (MCBA) and Believer's in Business (BIB). If you've listened to this podcast at all, you've heard me mention both dozens of times. They are amazing and account for a third of the new clients I added in 2020.
  • Churches - This is an awesome affiliation that is not connected with business at all, but the friendships and trust formed will truly lead to business opportunities.

Technically, you can build your business 100% online with an excellent social media presence and targeted ads. Do that! But don't neglect the old way of business networking! Go to the people locally and dialogue with them! This has always worked and still does. I have shared this already in previous podcasts, but my in-person networking groups lead to over 75% of all new clients in 2020. This accounts for $40,000 in new revenue. My investment is a few mornings per month and $500 total in investment per year (oh, and half of that money is breakfast). Every dollar is a business write-off. Get out of your comfort zone and do it! Any combination of these affiliations will add the credibility you need to grow your business in 2021 & beyond!