GIVE A LITTLE, GET A LOT
Deeper involvement leads community members to maximum success
"Investment precedes dividend." That's the statement on a screensaver belonging to a banker friend of Jane Cage, COO of Joplin, Mo.-based Heartland Technology Solutions. It's also Cage's own philosophy about belonging to Ingram Micro's VentureTech Network (VTN).

"If you only pay your dues and read the Communiqué (VTN's member newsletter), you are likely to be disappointed," says Cage, a longtime VTN member. "If, instead, you go to local chapter meetings, attend Invitationals and work to engage the resources that are available, you will see an ROI that more than pays for any dues or time spent."

The same basic equation -- what you put in is what you get out -- applies to membership in all of Ingram Micro's solution-provider communities. The more fully you engage with your community, the more you benefit from new and deeper relationships, access to exclusive training opportunities and marketing and business resources, and the overall competitive advantage that comes from membership.

An Easy Path to Education
Education is among the premier benefits of Ingram Micro's SMB Alliance community, aimed at solution providers who focus on small to midsize businesses. SMB Alliance members can participate in face-to-face business workshops and manufacturer-led training sessions to help them understand what's important to SMB customers and how they can meet those needs and grow in the SMB market.

"Involved SMB Alliance members learn about new strategies that can make them more competitive in the SMB marketplace. They also get access to timely and valuable information they're not getting elsewhere in the industry," says Deb AlBayati, Ingram Micro's SMB Alliance marketing manager.

Training and education are also available to members of the other Ingram Micro communities -- GovEd Alliance, the Ingram Micro Services Network, System ArchiTECHs and VTN -- via formal training sessions and face-to-face meetings and events. Because training is specific to the needs of each community, it addresses the market and technology aspects of members' businesses in a way not often seen within the industry.

"It's easy to find trade groups that focus on IT topics or on doing business in the public-sector market," says Jason Bystrak, who oversees the GovEd Alliance program, "but it's rare to find an organization where you can do both at once."

Relationships that Build Businesses
Relationships -- with manufacturers, with other solution providers and with Ingram Micro -- are what communities like GovEd Alliance and VTN are all about. Through structured meetings, events and Invitationals, members of these groups can create enduring connections while gaining valuable business insights.

"If you take the initiative to meet other members and learn about their operations, you'll never have to make a business decision in a vacuum again," Cage says. "The majority of members are more than willing to let you learn from their mistakes and share their ideas, marketing campaigns and business process documents. I can testify that we have 'stolen' some of our most successful innovations from other members."

Rare Resources
In addition to education and networking opportunities, every community offers an array of business-development resources, including flexible financing, special rebates and discounts on business services. As a member, you're entitled to take advantage of all these benefits -- and doing so is the best step you can take to promote the health and success of your company.

"It's ironic that we see our customers ask for specific resources and services, and then become skeptical when we actually develop them," Bystrak says. "It's no secret why we do this -- we want to help you grow your business so your business will grow with us. That's the ulterior motive people are looking to uncover, and now the cat is out of the bag."