Belonging to the CFA is worth every penny now more than ever!
THE many and varied benefits CFA members enjoy are generally different from one company to the next and from year to year.
Each year the slices that make up an individual member’s CFA ‘pie’ may change and hence do their reasons for belonging. However, whatever individual slices you enjoy in a particular year, when considered as a whole, I believe the CFA is always exceptionally good value.
Some of the benefits we offer are constant, so don’t need to be claimed and form the basis of a regular and almost guaranteed return on investment.
One example is that the CFA continuously promotes members through our website which currently receives up to 2,000 hits per month, the annual publication of our handbook distributed annually through CFJ to around 8,000 recipients and through adverts to main contractors, designers and specifiers via other trade and allied construction publications.
The CFA logo is the recognition of quality, always working for members on their letterheads and vehicles.
It is also a gateway to some areas of work where clients demand trade association membership, for example Marks & Spencer and many local authorities.
These benefits alone can easily justify our annual subscription for a contractor member and deliver on our objective to help members find work.
The above are ‘givens’, but other pieces of the pie may include free credit checks, using our templates to update standard trading terms and conditions or create a health & safety policy.
Other recently updated templates (available through the members’ area of the website www.cfa.org.uk include our new disclaimer template tailored for moisture issues, providing some carefully crafted and legally
compliant words to protect members from repercussions.
In the same vein, in any particular year, a member might benefit from advice through our legal and contractual or employment helplines or indeed health & safety helpline.
Many problems can easily be avoided or navigated through a simple call to one of these services, all of which are free to members.
A member might need to use the CFA’s dispute resolution ser vice and this becomes a slice of their pie for that particular year. If the value of the job and perhaps monies withheld are significant, this benefit can repay the membership fee many times over.
Most quality companies seek to resolve complaints on their own and I would always initially expect this of any CFA member. But a little like a competent and safe driver not needing to contact their insurance company until the unexpected happens, having recourse to an independent repor t could be a great advantage to a CFA member and contribute a significant chunk of their pie for that year.
Taking into consideration all of the above, plus regular newsletters, free subscription to CFJ, technical suppor t, lobbying government, training through FITA and much more, means that CFA membership is perhaps a more impor tant investment at the moment than at any other time, bundling a raft of key business and trade specific ser vices / benefits together under one subscription fee.
This is the first year for three years that we have raised subscription fees, but I am pleased to say that despite all the recent new benefits added, we have managed to keep this increase to only an additional £25 per year for contractor members. That’s the equivalent of about an extra 50p a week and annual membership is therefore still only just over £10 per week.
The CFA is a leading trade association representing the flooring industry. If you want an application pack or further information on the benefits of membership, please contact the CFA office.
T: 0115 941 1126
Email: info@cfa.org.uk
Join the CFA for a wealth of expert help and advice
These are among the great CFA member benefits:
• The use of the CFA logo on website, stationary, vans and premises
• Business help lines including: Employment law; tax and business; contractual and legal;
adjudication; and health & Safety
• Specialist discounted insurance services
• Training – A joint venture with the NICF, FITA offers a fully equipped dedicated training centre for the flooring industry. See www.fita.co.uk for latest dates and short courses available. Discounts apply to CFA members.
Handbook and website entry – Many companies enjoy significantly increased business as a direct result of their entry in the CFA handbook and on the CFA website.
• Free credit checks – Simply send an email to info@cfa.org.uk and we can arrange to have any company credit checked (conditions apply)
• CRB Checks – CFA membership provides easy access to CRB (Criminal Record Bureau) checks.
The CFA offers members a range of helpful documents and templates including:
• The CFA Guide to Contract Flooring – Updated in 2011 Guidance documents for resolving complaints
• An environmental checklist to help ensure legal compliance Method statement Health & safety policy Standard terms and conditions – New for 2012 Disclaimers (General and moisture specific) – New for 2012
• Free Dispute Resolution Services A free dispute resolution service that offers a site inspection and
follow up report to assist contractor members and their clients in negotiating a resolution to disputes relating to installation complaints.
• Free subscription to CFJ, the mostly highly regarded journal in the industry.
• Networking events and opportunities
• Regular Newsletter and monthly email update.
• Opportunity to contribute towards revisions of British Standards, plus discounts on the purchase of standards. Membership of the NSCC and CPA, lobbying organisations that represent our industry at government level resulting in guidance on fair payment, retentions and sustainability.
Subscribe to CFJ
The cost of subscription is as follows:
UK - £48 | Europe - £85 | Rest of the World - £160
To subscribe, fill in the form below.
Alternatively call us on:
01892 752 400