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Business advice
DBA members enjoy access to a host of independent consultants with extensive knowledge of the design industry. We can connect you to management advisers and auditors, insurance advisers and lawyers, as well as book-keepers and copyright specialists.
DBA membership provides:
- A business management helpline
Unlimited free access to leading business management experts with direct understanding of the design industry and experience in issues from business planning and financial management to health and safety, tax and employment.
- A legal advice service
Access to solicitors highly experienced in design law able to offer expert advice on any issue. This service provides free advice on a range of subjects.
- A professional indemnity insurance scheme
DBA members can take advantage of a specialist scheme developed purely for the design industry. The scheme offers comprehensive cover at competitive rates.
- Training by experts
The DBA runs a range of tailored Training courses aimed at everyone working in a design consultancy, covering topics such as presentation skills, design law and project management.
- Benchmarking
The DBA provides a benchmarking service that offers you a bigger picture of your position in the industry and helps to identify areas where you may need to increase efficiency.
DBA membership provides:
- Annual Salary and Charge Out Rates Survey
This survey, conducted by a leading chartered accountancy firm, allows you to compare your salaries and fees with the industry average. It also enables you to competitively price your services.
- Quarterly Performance Ratios Reports
These reports offer a fast, accurate and confidential analysis of participating consultancies' financial performance according to a range of key financial ratios.
- Best practice case studies from DBA Design Effectiveness Awards
Advice, ideas and case studies on how to measure the difference your work makes to your client's product or service.
Industry credentials
Your clients are increasingly looking for hard evidence that demonstrates your professional standing. As a DBA member, the professional credentials you hold could provide a crucial point of difference on the pitch list or during client presentations.
DBA membership provides:
- A Code of Conduct
This sets out a series of business behaviour guidelines for members and is a significant mark of your professional standing.
- Professional credentials on procurement pitch lists
As a DBA member your consultancy gains greater credibility and your pitch stand out to the many large corporate and public sector design purchasers that require design consultancies to belong to a trade association.
- Guidance on free pitching
The DBA can provide you with a recommended course of action when faced with a request to free pitch.
Partnerships
Linking with design decision-makers in business and government is fundamental to the DBA's role and creates opportunities for you and your team to build your contacts.
DBA membership provides:
- Business partners
The DBA has embarked on direct bridge building with business to enable them to value and use design more effectively. We run joint events and seminars with organisations such as the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and the Institute of Directors (IoD) aimed at both designers and their clients.
At DBA Masterclass events, leading business figures from different industry sectors talk about the impact of design on their business. Bring your clients to an inspiring forum for debate about the value of investing in effective design and network with other business figures and design practitioners.
- Government partners
We run courses for, and work alongside, a range of government agencies including the Department of Trade & Industry and Business Links to raise awareness of design among the public sector.
- Overseas partners
The DBA is actively involved with UK Trade & Investment and with relevant overseas bodies to create opportunities to showcase your consultancy and export your services.
Read about the other 2 strands of DBA membership activity:
People Profile
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