Consultants can give and take with community organizations

by Dana Damiani | May 31, 2000 7:00:00 AM

Tags: Dana Damiani

Takeaway: If you're looking for ways to drum up new business, perform volunteer work, and find suppliers and vendors, you can do it all in your own backyard through community groups.

The large number of consultants working in the IT space generates a competitive atmosphere in which each firm—large and especially small—must strive to set themselves apart from the rest. One way to do so is to get involved in your local community.

Becoming a part of community organizations is a great way to contribute your talents and time, and take with you recognition, connections, and a solid reputation.

Your local chamber of commerce
As a member of your local chamber, you can take advantage of all the perks that are only available to members. You will receive benefits, discounts, and services that will give added exposure to your business. For example, New York City’s Manhattan Chamber of Commerce offers discounts on advertising, packaging and shipping, professional resource services, restaurants, and hotels. Other member benefits can include:

• Networking activities
• Business leads
• Free listing in a membership directory
• Free listing in Web directories newsletters
• Referrals

By getting involved in your local chamber, you will also be able to attend social and community events that will expand your professional base and resources. Membership buys access to business, educational, and social activities that give you the opportunity to meet people and exchange information. Many chambers also allow members to advertise their businesses or services by hosting a networking program or speaking at an event.

You can become involved in a chamber of commerce through participation in one or more committees.

Your local rotary club
The Rotary Foundation is a not-for-profit community service organization made up of professionals all over the world. The name rotary reflects the early custom of rotating the meeting site among the members' places of business. This rotation was implemented to acquaint members with one another’s vocations and promote business. The activities of each Rotary club vary. The Manhasset, NY chapter, for example, donates money to PolioPlus, and started the Gift of Life Foundation, which provides life-saving surgery to children around the world. On the local front, the chapter’s activities include recognizing student academics or community service, giving annual scholarships, coordinating contributions of food and clothing to the needy, and funding regional free clinics.

Technology skills are also in demand for Rotary clubs. Peter Oleschuk, an IT pro and active Rotarian in the Valley Stream, NY club, serves as Webmaster for the Nassau County, NY and Queens Rotary Districts. “Networking in the year 2000 has rolled over into Internet communication,” Oleschuk said. “People are just now starting to get used to the change from desk-to-desk contact to country-to-country contact. Being able to contact people in other regions of the world establishes an efficient way of networking and growing as a global economy. It helps all aspects of business and humanitarian efforts.”

Membership in a Rotary club is by invitation only. The club members maintain a list of the types of business and professions it seeks to fill. Some examples of classifications include educational establishments, universities, medical, retailing, distributing, arts, law, and technology.

Your local school board
School boards are responsible for making decisions on a wide range of issues from school governance and curriculum to student achievement and budgetary concerns. All these issues are focused on keeping the youth of today up-to-date. School boards often hire IT consultants to implement systems, as well as to work with students, teaching them about real-world technology issues.

“I’m able to give educated and solid input when it comes to hiring consultants to bring our schools up-to-date with the latest technology,” said Rick Murdock, chair of the Calloway County, KY School Board and president of Ag Connections, Inc. “Because of the line of work I’m in, I’m an advocate as well as the go-to guy for implementing technology throughout our schools.” Adds Dr. Vincent Caluzzo, an IT consultant who serves as president of the Manhasset, NY Board of Education, becoming involved with a school district is a great way to campaign for the information technology industry and ensure the demand for IT professionals in the future.

“I have been an instrumental part of networking our school system and making some big decisions concerning who has the resources and ability to do the job and give continual support to the project at hand,” Caluzzo said.

For more information about the school board in your area, visit the National School Boards Association Web site.

Your local Better Business Bureau
Before you subcontract or purchase goods or services with a company in your area, you may want to consult your Better Business Bureau and consider joining. The bureau provides reliability reports on business firms that will be helpful to you before making a purchase, offers information about charity groups and organizations, and promotes ethical business standards and voluntary self-regulation business practices. After you join, reports on your business will also be available to the public; a good report could bring in more business to your firm.

Benefits include:

• Local BBB membership identification
• Opportunity to participate in BBB programs
• Access to valuable educational BBB publications, alerts, and other information
• Participation in various training programs, such as customer service workshops
• Affiliation with other BBB member companies

What are the best benefits of membership in a community organization? What are some ways IT pros can give back to their communities? Give us your thoughts by posting a comment below. If you have a suggestion for an article, write to us.

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