It's important to stay connected to organizations and media outlets to stay up to date on industry news and promote your business. Here are 25 worth knowing.
According to Trade.gov professional services firms in the United States contributed $3 trillion to U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2021. Looking forward to 2025 this number will surely grow. If you want to maximize your business's piece of that pie, it helps to stay on top of industry news, hear about opportunities, and network with and learn best practices from other service professionals.
The world’s leading professional services companies are located in the United States to serve the large and dynamic U.S. corporate sector, from large Fortune 500 Corporations to diverse real estate developers across the country. Together with a highly skilled workforce and intellectual leadership from the boardroom to the classroom, demand for professional services in the United States is unrivaled, and will continue to grow.
Here are 25 associations and publications you should know as a professional services provider. They range across industries and topics and are just some of the many places to engage as a business owner.
Founded in 1978, the American Association of Finance & Accounting (AAFA) is an alliance of executive search firms specializing in the recruiting and staffing of finance and accounting professionals.
Founded in 1878, the ABA is committed to advancing the rule of law across the United States and beyond by providing practical resources for legal professionals, law school accreditation, model ethics codes and more.
With roots dating back more than 100 years, ACEC is a federation of 52 state and regional councils representing more than 600,000 engineers, architects, land surveyors, and other specialists.
Founded in 1857 by 13 architects, the AIA is now more than 99,000 members strong as of 2024. It’s headquartered in Washington, DC, and has more than 200 chapters around the world. Find your local chapter and look for committees focused on your area of interest.
Founded in 1887, the AICPA represents the CPA profession nationally regarding rule-making and standard-setting and serves as an advocate before legislative bodies, public interest groups and other professional organizations.
Providing leadership in the development of vital communities for all by advocating excellence in planning, promoting education and resident empowerment, the APA has more than 45,000 members from 100+ countries and 47 chapters throughout the U.S.
The American Society of Civil Engineers is bringing the global civil engineering community together. It represents 150,000+ members, 177 countries and 9 institutes.
Established in 1973, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) is an independent, private-sector, not-for-profit organization that establishes financial accounting and reporting standards for public and private companies and not-for-profit organizations that follow Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants® (CIMA), founded in 1919, is the world’s leading and largest professional body of management accountants.
IMC USA is part of an international community of ethically grounded consultants who provide support, education, and camaraderie. For over 50 years, IMC USA has provided skills and tools to support our members to build better businesses that deliver transformative value for their management clients.
The International Lawyers Network is an association of 91 high-quality, full-service law firms with over 5,000 lawyers worldwide. The Network provides clients with easily accessible legal services in 67 countries on six continents.
NAPA serves bookkeepers providing bookkeeping services to the public. Members are owners or employees of bookkeeping or accounting businesses or practices. NAPA provides America's #1 public bookkeeping license, the Certified Public Bookkeeper (CPB) license.
The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) is a nonprofit organization made up of the architectural licensing boards of 55 states and territories. Over the past century, NCARB has played a major role in the development of licensure for the architecture profession.
NCEES is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing professional licensure for engineers and surveyors. It develops, administers, and scores the examinations used for engineering and surveying licensure in the U.S.
In 1934, a group of professional engineers met in New York City to establish an organization dedicated to the non-technical concerns of licensed professional engineers. The NSPE is the only national organization committed to addressing the professional concerns of licensed PEs across all disciplines.
ABAJournal is the website of the flagship magazine of the American Bar Association. The website features breaking legal news and analysis from more than 4,000 legal blogs and stories pulled from the pages of the nation’s most-read legal affairs magazine.
Accounting Today is sharply focused on the industry’s most important concerns, including tax law, accounting standards, technology, audit and assurance, and wealth management. Accounting Today reaches over 325,000 professionals across the full breadth of public accounting.
AccountingWEB is an online community and resource for accounting professionals in the United States, providing practical, useful content and guidance from top industry voices. The online publication covers technology, practice, tax, A&A, community, and more.
American Lawyer (Law.com) provides readers with a more complete and expansive view into the breaking news, data, analysis and peer guidance that matters to them most. The insights and resources allow professionals to anticipate opportunities, adapt to change and prepare for future success.
Architectural Record offers news, commentary and criticism, architectural technology stories and continuing education articles, both in print and online. Throughout its 125 years, the award-winning publication has fostered readership among architecture, engineering, and design professionals.
Consulting magazine is the flagship publication of the consulting profession featuring the latest information on consulting careers, thought leadership, and corporate strategies. Subscribers can access stories from across ALM’s national and regional publications, with the opportunity to view news by industry and service line.
CPA PracticeAdvisor delivers business-building content in print, online, via email and social media. Topics include accounting and audit, firm management, small business, tax, reviews, and product and service guide.
Civil + Structural Engineer started out as two separate print publications many years ago but has since moved into the digital age and combined the great content readers love into one supercharged magazine and website.
Engineering News-Record provides the engineering and construction news, analysis, commentary and data. ENR reports on the top design firms, both architects and engineers, and the top construction companies as well.
Journal of Accountancy is a print and digital resource for accountants and the accounting world. Topics include accounting and financial reporting, accounting education, auditing, career management, firm practice management, management accounting and more.
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As the Director of Content & Community at BQE, Lucas Gray researches and writes about best practices for Architecture and Engineering firms. He also fosters community across the AEC industries. The content and community interaction focuses on providing business advice derived from his wealth of experience in architectural design, firm operations, and business consulting. Lucas's background includes co-founding Propel Studio Architecture in Portland, Oregon in 2013. He led the firm’s operations, focusing on business development, marketing, team management, financial management, and design direction. Specializing in addressing housing issues, Lucas has designed over 50 Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), various infill housing developments, and custom homes. He has worked internationally in Shanghai, Bangkok, and Berlin, on a wide range of large-scale design projects as well as community engagement processes. After working in the Architecture profession for about 20 years, Lucas transitioned into business consulting for A&E firms as part of CVG. Here he worked with small growing A&E businesses, helping guide them to improved operations and profitability. Passionate about the built environment, urban planning, transit, and public art, Lucas also writes about these topics on his blog and creates abstract art in his spare time.
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