Joining Professional Organizations

The company I started was in a field that was unfamiliar to me (long story, I'll tell you later) but I immediately joined 2 or 3 professional organizations in my new field, initially for the networking opportunties. But what I soon discovered was a treasure trove of educational opportunties as well. I signed up for as many as I could, and learned a lot about navigating my new industry, medical devices.

But many of the educational seminars were very expensive, so in every case I did all I could to get a discounted fee. I always made a point of calling the main office of the seminar sponsor to explain that I was a pre-revenue start up company, and needed the training but couldn't afford it. Nearly every time, a discount was offered to me. In some cases I used existing memberships (even AAA for travel expenses) to get discounts. Sometimes I called up other groups that were supporting me, such as local entrepreneurship organizations, and asked them to pay for the seminar, or at least part of it.

On my website, I have placed the logos of all the organizations I belong to. I am an active member, and if I'm not learning anything or meeting helpful people, I don't renew my membership. Oh -- and I always ask for a "beginner's discount" when I join. Most organizations have a lower, unpublished fee for pre-revenue companies.