Building An Association Management Company

Few of us attend college with the intent of going into association management. While there are a few college level educational programs in the U.S. that provide specific training in this profession (some of which have been offered and withdrawn for a lack of student interest), most people enter association management by accident, not by design. The most common accidental entry into the profession is by responding to a classified ad or job lead for a newsletter writer or meeting planner, for instance. Subsequently, prospects find themselves working in the rather unique and exciting world of non-profit management....a career path they might have abhorred had a college professor suggested the idea in business school.

Once Inside the Association Working in an association is a pleasant way to make a living. The job can be creative, filled with variety of tasks and responsibilities, affords some travel, and is known to pay above average, among other benefits. For this reason, employee turnover is relatively low.

When jobs do open, staff members are frequently promoted from within, capable of filling management positions as they learn more about administration, operations and management. Thus, it is common to find association offices filled with an abundance of aspiring, talented, potential executive directors and CEOs.

Because associations only have one top position (usually the executive director), ambitious association staff members must look outside the employing association if they intend to become a chief paid executive. This is a common course for upward mobility. Ironically, however, few employees give any serious thought to investing their talent, time and money in a more entrepreneurial endeavor, in which they would leave the relative safety of working for a single association to create their own association management company (AMC).

But Can You Make a Profit? For the really entrepreneurial association staff member, an AMC may be the route to satisfaction and success. After all, you will still be working in the non-profit community, doing almost all the same jobs that are required within every association.

There is one essential ingredient which must be added to the formula applicable to all association management companies. The company for which you work must stand on its own and make a profit to prosper! This added factor, or risk, is not one that many association executives are willing to tackle.

Intent of the Authors This is a book by two association executives who made the transition, successfully, to create their own association management companies. It is offered to those of you considering or needing a change of direction in your association careers. It is equally valuable to those who have already entered the entrepreneurial side of non-profit management and desire to learn from a couple of veterans.

It is all about AMCs....from who should (or should not) get into this kind of association management, to the options for operations, structure, administration and marketing, to the basics of contracts, proposals and forms.

The book is organized for easy reading and continual reference. For some it will persuade or dissuade them from entering the for-profit side of association management. For others it will be a resource for their staffs, and a reminder to themselves, that while there is no single correct way to operate an AMC, there are many options for structure and administration that may or may not apply to their own companies.

Sections and Chapters The sections are divided by major categories. Each section contains extensive chapters offering tried and true tips about operating an association management company. The first section is an overview of an association management company...the very basics for those curious about this hybrid structure. Section Two offers structure for a new company and options for a growing company.

Section Three gets down to basics regarding the ongoing operations within a company. Equally important is Section Four, on marketing. These two sections offer the greatest sharing of knowledge based on the experience of the authors.

The final section may seem like a medley. It is intended to offer further insights into management by exploring the external factors and future of association management companies.

Appendix To offer the best understanding of association management companies, the authors have included an appendix of forms that facilitate work within their own companies.

Both authors are willing to share their professional expertise. They invite you to follow your exploration of association management companies by contacting either one of them directly.

Happy reading and feel free to contact us at anytime.