The benefits of membership By Lisa Leinberger
Membership in the Washington Hospitality Association has so many benefits that you will get many responses if you ask your fellow members why they keep renewing.
“She has just been an angel.”
Christopher Forczyk and his wife, Marianne, purchased the Seattle restaurant Smith in July 2019 just a few months before the pandemic began. Someone told him, “If you need anything, call Cathy.” The person was talking about Cathy Fox, his territory manager at the Washington Hospitality Association. “Everything’s gone out of the ordinary in the last two and a half years,” Forczyk said. But Cathy has been there for him, getting him advice about how to set up catering services, helping him navigate Liquor and Cannabis Board licenses and letting him know the latest COVID restrictions. “She has just been an angel,” he said. Forczyk said that the benefits of being a member are certainly good, but the special touches of his territory manager keep him informed of issues that have kept him afloat during the pandemic. Through her, he learned about the
Paycheck Protection Program (one and two), numerous grants and the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. He continues to attend associationsponsored webinars and meetings and has also been able to consult with an attorney through the Advisory Network. Forczyk said he is still in business thanks to Cathy’s advice. He knows that Washington Hospitality Association’s territory managers can help you through a lot during difficult times. They can also help you find what you need to keep costs low. Your territory manager can explain that being part of a large group means you have access to collective buying power, something you don’t have on your own.
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Your return on investment makes it all worthwhile. Your territory manager can introduce you to cost savings programs such as WorkSafe, formerly known as Retro. Our credit card processing solutions offer significantly lower costs than most programs, and we have business insurance solutions, healthcare solutions and more including: • • • • •
Human resource administration services Workforce solutions Commuter benefits Employee discounts Music licensing discounts
