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HomeCFA CommentIs your business too BIG or too small to join the CFA?

Is your business too BIG or too small to join the CFA?

There is, says Richard, something good about being a member of the CFA that makes a business join, then keep coming back – big or small.

WE’VE been looking at member recruitment recently and trying to approach the whole thing with fresh eyes. One of the things I did was some analysis around the profile of current CFA members.

The CFA has three main categories of membership: contractors, manufacturers, and distributors. The largest and our focus is the contractor category. Flooring contractors make up 75% of our membership and remain our priority in terms of the benefits we offer.

When you join the CFA you get the use of our logo, and we add you to our directory – both of which help you win more business.

But it’s a push/pull relationship. We push work to you through our directory, but equally the credibility that comes with the CFA logo helps you to win work you might already be tendering for. You can also get help and support on demand through the CFA by getting in touch with us on a range of issues.

You can ring our helpline to get a quick answer on a legal, contractual or employment issue. You can download free templates including terms and conditions, risk assessment, method statement and an environmental checklist.

We even have a legally checked disclaimer for circumstances in which a contractor might be being asked to lay a floor (without a surface dpm) on to a substrate which does not conform to the maximum levels of moisture detailed in the British Standard – or the site conditions are poor for some other reason – and the contractor believes there is a heightened risk the floor will fail.*

(*The best practice approach in this type of situation is clearly DON’T fit the floor, but we recognise the commercial pressures that contractors have to work under – and our skilfully worded disclaimer really can help.)

Free credit checks, a dispute resolution service, technical support and data sheets, discounts on training and standards, and a monthly update on critical business information are all part of the package. All of these benefits simply make doing business easier.

Who wants to work harder or spend time pulling all that together, when you can purchase it in one bundle for an annual subscription fee of £654.00 plus VAT? That probably means just one job that has to come your way, or is won because you are a CFA member, and everything else you use is FREE!

But is your business too big or too small to join the CFA? There is no doubt in my mind that the CFA is synonymous with quality and our membership criteria ensure that we only offer membership to credible companies. If you consider our manufacturers category, we have some very big manufacturers and brands in membership. Over 65 at the last count. We also have double figures in terms of membership numbers for contractors turning over more than £15m and many more in the £5m plus bracket.

However, that is perhaps not the most surprising statistic. The financial profile of companies in the largest group by turnover may be more unexpected, and in fact this represents a snapshot of the commercial flooring industry.

45% of CFA members turn over less than £1m. The CFA even has a category especially designed to capture those newer businesses who have only been trading for a minimum of 12 months called ‘associate contractor’. There are still criteria that must be met, to prove you are credibly involved in installing contract flooring, but a typical small sub-contracting business can be eligible to join.

All our members have one thing in common, they proudly display the CFA logo and are part of a trusted, quality network that helps them become more profitable. With a historic renewal rate of 96%, there is something good about being a member of the CFA that makes a business join and then keep coming back. Big or small.

The CFA is a leading trade association representing the flooring industry. For an application pack or further information on the benefits of membership, please contact us:
0115 9411126
info@cfa.org.uk
www.cfa.org.uk

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