Membership to professional bodies is a great way to keep up to date with the industry, network and promote your company. It also provides a sense of professionalism that a lot of clients appreciate. Many memberships can be claimed as a business expense, therefore reducing your tax bill.
The benefits of membership
There are many professional bodies that you could become a member of, but it is important to select the bodies that will benefit you the most. Depending on the field you work in, some memberships are almost a given as they are a way of expressing your professional standards and competencies. Others offer you support in areas of running your business, such as the Institute of Directors, giving you access to personal development opportunities and keeping up to date with legislative changes that will affect your company.
Professional bodies
Here are two professional bodies that may be useful to you in running your business, in addition to sector-specific organisations.
- The Institute of Directors
- Professional Contractors Group “the largest association for independent professionals in the EU”.
Sector-specific professional bodies
There are many professional bodies available, so we’ve listed a few of the largest from the most common contracting and freelance sectors.
- IT – The British Computer Society
- Marketing – The Chartered Institute of Marketing, The Chartered Institute of Public Relations, The Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing
- Engineering – The Institution of Civil Engineers, The Institution of Engineering and Technology, Institution of Mechanical Engineers
- Financial Services – Association of Professional Financial Advisers, The Chartered Insurance Institute
- Management – Chartered Management Institute
