Weathering tough times: the value of membership

It is sad to admit that 2012 has not been the best year for Australian businesses - be they big or small. In fact, the past 12 months have been one of the most difficult years for businesses in recent times.

The economy has been on a slow decline and investors are pulling out of big projects. Industrial unrest such as recent high-profile building industry disputes led to contractors and businesses copping heavy financial losses. In the long run, small businesses can only hope to be able to weather these difficult economic times.

Sadly, in the past year we have witnessed many a business in the wider building sector fall to these economic difficulties.

At the recent Industry Excellence Awards held by Master Electricians Australia (MEA) and the Electrical Contractors Association (ECA), we tipped our hats to businesses that have endured to this day through hard work and resilience. Any business that has made it through the past year deserves to be recognised for their efforts.

As always, there is a silver lining to every dark cloud. MEA and the ECA have found we have further grown our membership despite these difficult conditions. For the sixth year in a row, MEA and ECA have recorded membership growth.

At MEA, we firmly believe that support is the key to weathering tough times. It is now important, more than ever, for businesses to extract the best value of their memberships - to support one another by having a voice within the industry and the economy. Businesses that have survived thus far should be acknowledged, respected and learned from. I believe there is a lot we can share with one another in terms of not only weathering difficult times, but flourishing in them.

It is important to remember that you are not alone in your business’s needs. MEA is here to offer support, aiding in training needs, technical advice, IR requirements, and helping you stand out in the marketplace as a quality business. We are dedicated to helping you achieve the highest levels of safety, reliability and customer satisfaction.

These tough times give us cause to rally around each other. MEA and the ECA offer not only resources, but more importantly, support to industry businesses. Businesses floundering in these difficult times can be assured in the fact they have the support they need available to them. MEA, the ECA and its associations will continue to work together to build a better, stronger future for our industry.