As you start planning for the next year in business it’s important to have the resources to continue to grow your company. Growth may look different from company to company: perhaps you’re looking to grow your customer base or expand your team to include new members, and it’s pretty universal to look at the year and want to grow your revenue.

We want you to consider CEDIA an extension of your business; as you debate whether to join this year, we thought we would lay out a general cost/benefit analysis to help you make your decision because CEDIA is the resource that can help your business grow and continue to stay competitive in the market.

Tools to Keep Your Business on Track

There are some things we all pay professionals to do for us; we don’t have the knowledge or the expertise, and a paid professional would simply do it better and produce a result we couldn’t get on our own. Looking at your business, comparing it with the industry and setting goals and benchmarks can be hard to do from the driver’s seat. Each year CEDIA offers a Benchmarking Survey that takes a few hours to complete; the end result is a customized business plan tailored to your specific needs. We’ve done the research — going out on your own to get a report like this would set you back $1,500 to $2,500, and as CEDIA member you can get this report for free. Additionally, every year you participate you will have data to measure against. You will be able to tell how you are progressing toward your goals.

CEDIA Groups are another excellent member-only resource to help keep your business on track. CEDIA Groups offer like-minded business owners a platform for discussing business opportunities and challenges — all with the goal of improving their businesses. Each CEDIA Group is made up of five to seven CEDIA member integrator executives who meet monthly via phone or webinar to network, discuss key business issues, share best practices and have candid conversations about operational challenges. CEDIA groups have quickly become a favorite CEDIA member benefit.

Tools to Get You Started on More Residential Installations

CEDIA training is no joke; we offer more than 30 eCourses, more than 30 interactive lessons, more than 60 reference documents, more than 40 white papers, and more than 50 webinars. As a member you have access to a number of free resources in addition to receiving a 30 percent discount on all CEDIA training products.

One new training product we are very excited to launch this year is the New Hire Training Package available only to CEDIA members. This 10-course online training resource consists of 20 hours of content and a CEDIA Fundamentals of Residential Electronic Systems book. This package represents about a year’s worth of training and is a value of more than $700. CEDIA members will be able to purchase this package for $299.

Tools to Help You Learn About Emerging Trends

A key member benefit is complimentary access to CEDIA 2016, the industry’s leading trade show. CEDIA 2015 featured more than 500 exhibitors, 124 of which were new to the industry. CEDIA is the place to learn about emerging trends, check out new products and learn what is coming down the pike. CEDIA also hosts the largest offering of industry education and training. As a member you are able to bring your entire team to CEDIA, and you won’t have to pay to get on the show floor; non-members are charged $250.

Your savings and business resources really add up when you join CEDIA — the real question is what are you waiting for? Visit CEDIA.net/join to begin your member application or to learn more about member benefits today!