You Can Lead a Horse to Water, But You Can't Make Him Drink

Human nature instills the need "to belong" in all of us. Whether it means being a part of a bunch of loyal friends, a member of a strong family, or a participant in a support group, people thrive on these interactions. These associations create outlets for frustration as well as support for aspirations. Together, people aid each other in analyzing their problems and, more importantly, brainstorming for solutions. The more people who become involved in the supporting group, the more resources there are for creative new thinking. This guidance reduces the severity and number of problems within the group and paves the way towards new and higher goals. These benefits are realized not only by the individual, but also by the group as a whole.

Support groups and associations are most prevalent in business. It seems that every industry, every market, and every job description has numerous organizations based upon their collective needs and goals. Their effects can be staggering. Take, for instance, a small group of bed and breakfast owners on the island of Hawaii. Individually, they simply could not compete with the extensive ad campaigns of the large hotel chains. A few of these bed and breakfast owners joined together to create the Hawaii Island Bed and Breakfast Association. Pooling their resources and ideas, they all benefited from the travel incentive programs, web page links and advertising they were capable of as a group. Together, they increased their revenue by over 24%. These results are not unique. The members of the American Association of Individual Investors pool their knowledge and experience to create earnings 4.4% above the stock market average this year. The Disabled Peoples Association created a national Access Awareness Week and now has sister organizations throughout the world. There are simply millions of success stories from business associations like these.

The key to achievements like these lies in the memberships that make up these organizations. Those associations with active members who contribute their time and energy to the development of their goals will realize more of their objectives. The old cliché holds true: You get out what you put into it.

MBI has great strides through the years due to our members. Legislation, education and public awareness for the modular industry have all been furthered by our efforts. We can look back with pride at all that has been accomplished and take the benefits back to our companies. But as will all associations, in order to move forward, we must create higher aspirations for ourselves. In order to achieve such lofty goals, however, we need the participation of all members. Without your support, our aspirations will remain only dreams, and the benefits to all members will stagnate.

MBI is proud to begin a new program involving our own quality certification system. Acting much like a Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, our MBI seals will indicate a high quality product to the public. These seals are to be affixed to each floor of our building products and will cost only $5 each. Not only do these seals increase public knowledge of MBI as an organization, but they also create credibility for our members. In addition, the funds generated by this program are then immediately redirected for MBI use. At this time, the proceeds have been allotted 75% to legislative issues and 25% for public relations. In this manner, your participation in the seal program creates three levels of benefits directly for your company. Herein lies another cliché: You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. MBI has provided the opportunity. It is up to you to take advantage of it and to make it more beneficial for us all.

I look forward to everyone's participation in this new program. Although purely voluntary, I know you will find the rewards worth the investment. Moreover, the more participation we have, the greater the benefits everyone will gain. Please contact Judy for more information or to purchase seals. Thank you for your support, your membership, and for making MBI the great association it is.