LP Gas, June 2013

GUEST COLUMNIST JOE MONTROY Tools of the trade Businesses can decide on their terms how to utilize industry resources A re you taking advantage of the benefits offered by your propane associations There are services provided by the state associations the National Propane Gas Association NPGA and the Propane Education Research Council PERC designed specifically to help your business This isnt about the lobbying efforts on regulations and legislation And its not about the trade shows and meetings We are all familiar with those activities And no this isnt a pitch to convince you to sign up If you are not a member of your state association you probably have your reasons I am not going to tell you how important it is to volunteer for association activities You get to decide how to spend your time But there are benefits to membership that you can take advantage of on your own terms Your associations offer a wide range of tools that you can use every day to make a difference to your bottom line The NPGA and many state associations offer discounted business services to members You can find benefits like insurance coverage credit card processing and check processing Use programs for help with debt collection employee background checks business consultations and human resources issues The associations negotiate group rates for these and other benefits In return you get access to needed services at rates better than you may find on your own There are also merchandise discount programs available from your associations Save money on products PERC offers an online collection of resources called the Propane Marketer Resource Catalog MaRC that you need and use Get lower prices on your office supplies from Staples Cut vehicle costs with programs from Ford Goodyear and Dunlap Lower uniform costs with Cintas You use these products every day The discounts are there for you to take advantage of when you need them Check with your association to see what products may be discounted for you Promoting your business is easy with tools from PERC which offers an online collection of resources called the Propane Marketer Resource Catalog MaRC Visit www propanemarc com You can look here to find print ads brochures press releases and radio spots among other things to help you reach your customers Use professionally crafted marketing items to promote your business locally One of the more visible benefits from the associations is the lobbying done on the industrys behalf It benefits members and nonmembers alike There are active association members and staff doing this work for all of us at the state and national levels It is important work and we are fortunate that someone is doing this It allows us to focus on our business Your association publications keep you informed of new rules and regulations that affect your business Look for your association publications in the mail and online Pay attention to stay informed of current issues and compliant with the regulations that affect you Our associations are member driven organizations They want to provide benefits for every member from the marketer who has been on the board for decades to the independent dealer who signed up on a whim There are many ways to take advantage of your association membership You dont need to actively participate in association functions Its not all about serving on committees and showing up at meetings Use the services available to all members to save on expenses and improve sales They are available for this purpose LPG Joe Montroy is regional sales manager west at Bergquist Inc Joe began his career with the National Propane Gas Association as manager of member and industry services He also has held sales and home office positions with Chemi Trol Tank American Welding Tank and a wholesale steel distribution company in west Michigan Contact him at joe montroy@ bergquistinc com www LPGasmagazine com June 2013 LPGas 39