Gone are the days when a member association could rely solely on subscription fees for survival. Members are expecting more from their association in terms of services, products and advice that they can provide.
Over the past decade, Master Builders has unveiled a number of new initiatives that are designed to boost revenue and membership. These initiatives fall under the following four main categories:
Creating a change in the organisation’s culture
The largest change in the culture of the Master Builders has been the shift from a not-for-profit (NFP), bureaucratic organisation to one which is commercially robust. This shift has seen the association offer incentivised promotions to staff including performance-based salaries and bonuses. Staff members are also offered targeted training and the opportunity to attend conferences where they can network and learn.
Renewed focus on member value proposition
As well as focussing on improving the internal workings of the organisation, Master Builders has had a renewed outward focus on increasing the value of membership.
Each Master Builders member has access to all of the services offered by the organisation. These include:
- Occupational health and safety (OHS) advice
- Industrial relations advice
- Legal advice
- Training
- Discounted contracts, stationery, site signs and other products
- Regular information sessions from Master Builders’ legal, finance, OHS and international relations departments
- Trade nights
- Events including industry breakfasts and awards nights.
Targeting new member segments
The association has also looked closely at the member segments and diversified its appeal. This has led to the introduction of Master Builders’ ALink and Master Tradesman brands.
ALink is targeted at apprentices and seeks to keep them engaged in their apprenticeships through mentoring, information and incentives. Master Tradesman is aimed at tradespeople who are yet to become licensed builders and offers guidance and courses to tradespeople help them achieve that end goal.
Growth of non-subscription revenue
Master Builders has sought a number of diverse revenue streams, including floating of its insurance brokering arm and its building services arm. These moves have allowed these companies to operate as separate, yet affiliated entities that generate a lot of revenue for the organisation.
Master Builders also maintains a rich asset portfolio, which is expertly managed and maintained. Some of the most recent assets obtained have been in the training and regional membership spheres. These include new regional offices in Geelong, Wodonga, Ballarat and Shepparton and the new Building Leadership Simulation Centre (BLSC).
The BLSC has placed Master Builders at the forefront of industry training, enabling the association to offer hands-on training in ‘soft skills’ development. This means that builders and tradespeople can enter a virtual building site with actors playing various roles, immersing them in the everyday issues they will face on site. Such an investment was considered very carefully but has meant Master Builders can offer something no other building association can. This revenue stream has the potential to expand to other industries in the future and is in addition to the traditional industry training offered.
The sponsorship and marketing arm of Master Builders also provides an immense amount of revenue. This team works hand-in-hand with the events team to ensure that no opportunity is lost to match sponsors with events.
Master Builders maintains a full calendar of events that has continued to grow. Events include:
- Industry breakfasts
- Trade nights
- Awards presentation evenings
- Green Living road shows
- ALink road shows
- Legal seminars
- OHS seminars.
The seminars have proven to be an excellent source of income for the legal department in particular. They provide an opportunity for builders to hear from knowledgeable guest speakers on issues that are affecting them most. Trade nights provide an opportunity for sponsors to sell their services and products directly to members.
The most important lesson Master Builders has learned over the past decade has been the need to adapt and evolve. It’s important to constantly search for alternatives to the current procedures and to exceed members expectations by fulfilling their needs in the most innovative ways possible.