has the internet made PPFA less important?

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Bob Carter

Bob Carter

SPFG, Supreme Picture Framing God
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On the Biz Mag thread, Pam asked why the trades don't do a better job of keeping shop owners abreast of things we need to know. The response was partly in part to a mention of an OSHA Ergonomics Regulation that was recently over-turned.It would have created an instant expense for compliance for every owner in the trade. My point was the mags and PPFA were silent on this issue, where other mags designed for small businesses of all types were signalling this event for action by the readers.

With that as a starter, do you think you can get more information and help from resources like this forum and others than PPFA. Do these types of informational exchanges make PPFA less important or do you think this is just another important component in your total educational package, even though this is free and almost instant?

I know there are several major supporters of PPFA and I don't mean to denigrate their support, but outside of some questionable money saving benefits (credit card, insurance) Do you get more from the internet or PPFA?
 
bob, that's a very pertinent question. I am a supporter of the PPFA and appreciate its efforts to educate and upgrade framers and the other things it does. Having said that, the PPFA is the most 'lightweight' of the trade organizations with which I'm familiar: the National Rifle Association (NRA) or American Petroleum Institute (API) or Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), for instance. Its benefits are also questionable, although people have said good things about the CAPAX insurance packages.

With respect to the issues you mentioned and for a respected & comprehensive - as well as focused - view on larger issues, I have found the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) organization to be without peer. Great website, great updates, a real heavyweight. http://www.nfib.org I think

That being the case, perhaps PPFA should continue to do the things it does particularly well (continue to grow into its role, as well, of which there's some evidence) and not stretch itself too thin when there's already good service being done out there by someone else with a much greater present impact than PPFA could ever hope to achieve on that particular stage.

Best regards,
Steve
 
I guess the next part of this question is what do you think of the PPFA's use of the internet? They have made various uses if the internet ,a web site that can be accessed by framers and consumers, and they are considering useing it for educationall purposes. So do you think they are utilizeing the WEB as best it can and if not what would you suggest.
Charles Buddy Drago CPF (cm)
 
Steve-I agree NFIB is a must for any small business person. They are first rate.

But a follow up on the internet is does that instant access to the world (and it's multitude of opinions)give you a lot of information for free that once was one of the biggest calling cards of PPFA. Does anyone think this forum makes the technical support benefit moot? The information available (good, bad and ugly) is the reall asset of this forum, and frankly, surpasses the expectations of most of us. Thanks, Framer

We could start a whole new thread of benefits of PPFA and another on what would you like to see improved.
 
I am no longer a member of PPFA, as my experiance with them was less than helpfull. I think I get a LOT more usefull information from this forum, than I ever did from PPFA.

When I would call PPFA for Tech. support, they would end up refering me to another framer somewhere in the country. I don't think that was much help, as I already have that right here. The only Tech. support that is any help, is Larson Juhl's. They not only reserch the problem, but have been known to call back a week later just to see if the problem has reoccured.

So, I guess I would say that the internet has made PPFA less important to me. (However, if PPFA could do more for the industry, like provide national advertising, or framing conventions during slow seasons, I might be willing to give the another try.)

Sue
 
The PPFA is important? Once agaim after all these years I learned somthing new.

John
 
Ooops, sorry, not enough coffee yet this morning. I thought I was on the PPFA forum. Silly me!
 
Have we all forgot the need to advertise our credentials. This can be a leg up on the competition. With more visibility on the net this would make the affiliation more important.

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Timberwoman
AL
I cut the mat, I pet the =^..^= cat.
 
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