 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
Managing the Business of Associations
By ABBIE HANSEN, photographs by TOM TENNEY Buying a company is no small feat—especially at the age of 34. But when Dennis Schneider, owner of Associations Management, Ltd., approached Molly Lopez about his impending retirement, she was, at first, hesitant. But she did her research anyway. “I surrounded myself with great people—a banker, a CPA, a legal counsel—as advisors. They helped me tackle the process,” Lopez says. “There are days when I wonder what I’ve gotten myself into, but 99 percent of the time I feel like the luckiest person on earth to work with the people here and the clients we serve.” Lopez bought the company in 2000. Associations Management, Ltd. (AML), in Des Moines, is almost three decades old; it provides management services to non-profit trade and professional associations, including meeting and event planning, financial management, communications and publications services, membership management, web site maintenance, member services, convention and tradeshow management, and marketing and public relations. “AML allows volunteer leaders to put more energy into their association’s overall mission and the goals of their industry and profession, rather than into administrative tasks,” explains Lopez. The bottom line for AML is to find out what it is associations want to achieve. “For example, do they want to add an education program, do they need to develop a tradeshow, create an electronic newsletter, or increase their membership?” says Lopez. AML works with associations consisting of volunteer elected leaders. The company got its start when the Iowa Association of Life Underwriters (IALU) realized that decreasing membership numbers and substantial overhead costs were causes of immediate financial concern. The board of directors approached their current executive director, Duane DeKock, with a proposal to start an association management company, which the IALU board would contract with. That was in 1976; 28 years later, IALU, now Iowa Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (IAIFA), remains an AML client. The first seven years saw AML grow, but when DeKock was killed in a small airplane crash in May of 1982, his wife, Dee, took on management responsibilities. In 1983, Dennis Schneider, a friend, began assisting Dee and eventually became owner. The company has a distinctive presence in the association management community. When she purchased the company Lopez had a staff of four and eight clients. In four years, the company has grown to a staff of seven with 12 clients. Technological improvements have allowed the company to grow and have increased staff efficiency, but it won’t take on more clients than it can handle. “Over the years we have learned not to over promise and under deliver. AML partners with clients who are a good fit for our company’s scope of services.” Lopez also isn’t concerned with creating a large company quickly. “History has proven that slow growth has worked best for AML,” says Lopez. AML also strives to differentiate itself from other association management companies in Iowa. “AML’s competitive advantage is based on quality reliability, reputation, convenience, customer/member service, marketing, dependability, and association management expertise,” says Lopez. “All clients are contracted as an AML partner for multiple years and we have an incredible client retention rate—two have been with us for 28 years.” It’s also about providing a personal touch. “It’s not just a working relationship. We know the priorities of the people we work with. We know their difficulties,” says Lopez. “We’re sensitive to the climates of the associations we work with. It’s a marriage, partnership.” Association management companies—AML included—find themselves continually proving their value to members in order to retain them, especially during challenging economic times. “People are making clear choices as to the organizations in which they pay their dues. Association management companies only stay in business if they have associations to provide service to,” says Lopez. Collectively, AML’s staff of seven females has more than 80 years of association experience; they work with each association to determine goals and objectives and provide support, assist with member surveys, provide trends analysis and projections for the future, offer membership recruitment and retention ideas, share non-dues income ideas to supplement potentially declining dues revenue, and provide convenient dues payment options. Lopez says whether an association has 100,000 members or 10 members, the management structure can really make it or break it. Managing associations will continue to be increasingly complex. AML is ready to take the challenge head-on. —Abbie Hansen is the Iowa Commerce associate editor. For more information: Molly
Lopez, CAE Phone: (515) 243-1558 |
|
|
|
[Home] [AML About Us] [AML Services] [AML News & Information] [AML Contact Us] |
|
|
By buying a well-established company and surrounding herself with talented people, Molly Lopez has turned Association Management Ltd. into a successful, customer service driven corporation.