Better businesses build a better Midlands.
The Midlands Trade Association is a free education group for people in the trades. Real specialists, real topics, hands-on breakouts. No pitch.
Next session
Marketing for the Trades
You're an expert at your trade.
Nobody trained you on the rest of it. Marketing, taxes, pricing, hiring, insurance, collections. Most guys figure it out the expensive way.
The information is out there. The right information isn't.
There's no shortage of advice online. There is a shortage of somebody in the room who actually knows your market and will answer your specific question.
So we put those people in a room.
One topic per session. A specialist gives the overview. Then you break into small groups and get into the specifics of your own business.
Roughly two hours
How a session works
- Doors open. Coffee, conversation, no agenda.
- Welcome. Five minutes. What we're covering and why.
- The overview. A specialist in the topic lays out the fundamentals. About twenty minutes.
- Breakouts. Three small groups, twenty minutes each, on the specifics of the day's topic. Everyone rotates through all three. This is where you ask your questions.
- Close. Recap, what's next, and the room stays open for anyone who wants to keep talking.
You're out in about two hours with something you can use.
What we cover
Every session takes one topic and goes deep. Past and planned topics include:
- Marketing
- Taxes and bookkeeping
- Pricing and estimating
- Contracts
- Hiring and keeping good people
- Insurance and bonding
- Licensing
- Collections and getting paid
- Lien rights
- Safety
- Fleet and equipment
- Software and CRM
- Financing and lines of credit
- Bidding commercial and government work
Something missing? Tell us. The calendar is built from what members ask for.
Straight answers
“What does it cost?”
Nothing. Sessions are free to attend. Our specialists volunteer their time. When we bring on sponsors, they support the organization. They don't get the microphone.
“Is this a sales pitch?”
No. Speakers are there to teach, not to close. If somebody uses their session as a commercial, they don't get invited back. That's the whole policy.
“I don't have time for this.”
Fair. It's about two hours, once a session, and you leave with something specific. If the topic isn't relevant to you, skip it and come to the next one. There's no attendance requirement and no commitment.
Come to one and decide for yourself.
Not ready? Leave your email and we'll let you know what's coming up.