About one-sixth of ASQ's members report that they are internal or external consultants. Many other members offer consulting services on a part-time basis..Indeed, almost every ASQ members occasionally provides advice or leads a training class, and those are two key activities performed by consultants. That;s why ASQ's Consultants Network has grown so quickly.

Being a member of the Consultants Network opens many doors--particularly the opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences with peers. That;s a great benefit, but it's really only the first step to improving your consulting capabilities.

Many of our network members are not ASQ members. This means that they cannot access the additional; benefits that are available to ASQ members. For instance, membership in ASQ automatically provides access to its fabulous Knowledge Center, a database of articles, presentations, webinars, etc., on every topic related to our field. There is no other single-stop location that has so much information available at a moment's notice. The Knowledge Center's terrific search functionality makes it easy to find what you need to meet a client's needs. Information in the Knowledge Center not only includes items generated by ASQ's members through the Society's publications, conferences, and other events, but it also incorporates the works of many other leading quality organizations that partner with ASQ to make this information available to ASQ members.

Of course, ASQ membership includes many other benefits that I'm sure you'll find as valuable as I do. I've been a member for over 30 years and a consultant since the early '90s, and hardly a day goes by that I don't use one or more of my ASQ benefits.

So why I am waxing on so enthusiastically about the benefits of ASQ membership? Well, as everyone who knows me will attest, I believe my membership in ASQ has been instrumental in my professional success. So I was surprised early today when I learned that many members of the Consultants Network currently are not ASQ members. Given that ASQ's dues will increase on July 1 in line with increasing costs, I thought it would be worthwhile to consider grabbing the current lower price by signing up for a year of membership now. Just go to http://asq.org/promotional/80000/ to learn more about ASQ and to take advantage of this short-term opportunity.

Deborah Hopen

In these times of economic stress, there are many factors affecting the consulting profession, and those of us who focus on the quality arena are facing additional challenges. Participate in our Consultants Network Blog to share your ideas on what these issues are and how to grapple with them. What have you seem happening?