The idea in business is getting customers to buy from you rather than your competitors. So why would you want to consort with the “enemy” in a trade organization specific to your industry?

Actually, there are several good reasons, and they’re all about networking.

Even if you’ve been in business for years, you can still learn from others in your industry. Maybe that fellow serving on your committee has just completed a terrific training course that set his business afire. Or the woman next to you at lunch took a risk that paid off big time.

Want to boost your company’s visibility in the industry? Simply volunteer for committees that serve your local chapter or the industry overall, and watch it happen.

You might even pick up new business from your competitors. Someone who targets a different segment of your industry may subcontract a chunk of business to you because of your specialty. A suddenly overwhelmed rival could shift overflow to you. Or you and a competitor may combine forces to bid for a project that’s too big for either of you to tackle alone.

And you can make new friends who share common interests.

All great reasons to join, and here’s another: as a member, you can keep up with industry trends through the organization’s newsletter, members-only resources and other literature. If the organization has chapter meetings, its speakers can teach even old dogs new tricks.

So how do you find an organization targeting just your field? One easy way is through www.businesstown.com, which supports an alphabetized listing of 34 industries, each linking to organizations for that field.