With rumours of a double-dip recession abounding and budgets remaining tight for 2012, how is the BSIA ensuring that trade association membership remains a worthwhile spend for businesses in the security sector?

James Kelly, CEO BSIA

As Britain's unsteady economic growth continues to falter as we enter 2012, businesses across the UK continue to assess each and every aspect of expenditure, looking for meaningful return on investment. Often, it is added value services such as trade association membership that are particularly scrutinised, with many businesses failing to accurately assess the business benefits gained from such memberships.

Margins remain especially tight for many businesses operating in the UK security sector, and as such, membership organisations like the BSIA are having to work doubly hard to demonstrate tangible value to their members.

The BSIA’s Director of Manpower and Membership Services, Trevor Elliott, comments: “While many businesses may see these memberships as a luxury in such difficult economic times, the added value benefits of belonging to a trade association can far outweigh the costs. A prime example of such a benefit is the extensive lobbying and public affairs activity conducted by the BSIA on behalf of its members. Many small and medium companies benefit significantly from having a platform from which to influence vital government decisions, which is often easier for them to achieve as part of a wider association than as an individual business.”

The changes seen by the security industry over the last decade continue to have an effect today, with the forthcoming changes to industry regulation and subsequent establishment of the Security Regulation Alliance a key example of the role of the trade association in today's business environment. As the industry works towards a new form of regulation, trade association membership offers businesses of all sizes a valuable conduit through which to ensure their views are accurately represented and any concerns expressed.

With responsible security companies being the first to embrace change, some might say that now, more than ever, such a dynamic industry needs a strong trade body to liaise with and bring together the inspectorates, key stakeholders and industry companies to ensure their voices are heard and offer what the customer wants. In an ever-changing industry, trade association membership is a vital investment to ensure that businesses operating in the security sector, whatever their size, are accurately represented as the nature and shape of the industry continues to shift.

Here are just a few examples of how the BSIA supported its members in 2011:

• Public Affairs
• London 2012
• Regulation
• Standards and guidance
• Events
• Added value benefits