Managed services are a new breed of resource-leveraging strategy for organizations with $1 to 3 million in revenue and typically fewer than 10 employees. The chief executive works long hours for a modest salary and is the go-to person for everything from strategic planning to accounts payable to HR.
These organizations are sufficiently well-established that their members have high expectations but the association can’t afford the infrastructure of a larger organization. They have hit the ceiling of complexity.
More than ever, members are demanding more. The demands on staff far outweigh their available time, and it is hard to grow in size, because the team has very little time to market to new members – they’re too busy serving the current ones. The challenge is to provide better programming to current members and also market successfully to prospective members, all the while answering the phone and dealing with a jammed printer, and don’t forget, there is no budget for more staff. Whew! Professional staff are spending a lot of time doing tasks that could and should be delegated – but there is no one to whom they can delegate.
As a result, team members struggle to do what they were really hired to do – like attracting and retaining members, designing and developing new programs and services, and managing stakeholder relations – all the things that help the sustainability of your organization. The things that help you attain the vision.
Organizations like this are at the stage where they don’t have the revenue to hire the talent that they need. Often there’s not enough activity to justify a full-time position in each category. Consultants and volunteers are an option, but it’s not the same as having someone there on a day-to-day basis.
A managed services contract is a highly cost effective method to acquire a team of professionals and administration staff for less than a single salary. Managed service companies fill in the staffing gaps and take care of the vacation coverage, the management and the grief. If you don’t have the budget for the resources that you need or you just want to do things more cost-effectively, managed services may be the secret to your future success.
Find out more about managed services. Join me at the CSAE Trillium Summer Summit in July…more…
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Association Leadership
