I am a long time IVAA member (joined in August 1998 - one of the first 30-members) and hold all of IVAA's designations - CVA, CRESS, and EthicsChecked. These certifications and those I've achieved through other specialty sites, like REVA, have been so valuable to me over the years. While I don't probably get too many clients now because of them (almost all my new clients come by referral), in the first 3-5 years, I certainly did.

I highly recommend certifications and continuing education for ALL small business owners.

My membership in IVAA has so many benefits, I can't begin to tell you. Volunteering and attending online and live Summits are probably the biggest benefits of the organization, but again, my involvment and support of IVAA and our industry makes a HUGE impact on the caliber of client I attract and ultimately work with.

In addition to that, having access to the knowledge and resources of hundreds of other talented VAs, and the fabulous perks, like our Preferred Partner and Business Collaboration discounts, is second to none. Then sprinkle in the EOM's, Peer Discussions, Mentoring Program, File Cabinet with forms and contracts, President's Circle, Mastermind Groups, well, the list just goes on and on, and keeps growing.

The reason I devote so much of my time to this organization is because of what they do to support our industry and the opportunities they provide their members.

I am also an avid supporter of VA Networking, although they are not the same type of organization - they still provide us with many opportunities to learn and grow our businesses, as does IVAA.

In closing I must say...if you're not an IVAA member, you should be!