CALSPro - California Association of Legal Support Professionals

A Message From The President

Posted February 12, 2019 in Membership

By Robert Porambo, CALSPro President

I hope everyone had a healthy, prosperous and joyous holiday season and that you were able to enjoy some quality time with family and friends. With 2018 behind us, we set our sights on making 2019 a fun-filled and prosperous year.  My New Year’s resolution is to work with our dedicated board of directors to increase awareness regarding the benefits of our organization and to increase CALSPro membership.

It is a privilege and an honor to serve as your President.  This is a responsibility that I do not take lightly.  I am 100% committed to continuing the amazing work of last year’s board. Additionally, I am committed to addressing the needs and concerns of our membership.

When you stop and think about all of the money you spend, or should spend, on various insurances available to you, you’ll find there are a plethora of policies available (property and liability insurance, workers’ compensation, auto, Officers and Directors coverage, health, vision, life, dental, etc.). Many of these are a must in order to protect and cover your business. However, I firmly believe the best way to protect your business, as well as the livelihood of the entire industry, is CALSPro.

CALSPro is one of those must have insurance policies your business needs to ensure its protection. CALSPro has been protecting your business for the past 50 years. We have defeated numerous legislative bills that would have been devastating to our industry. Mike Belote and our legislative committee keep a watchful eye out for bills that could harm or negatively impact our industry.  Like Steve Janney often says, the three most important things about CALSPro are legislation, legislation, legislation.

Not to scare anyone but look at the bail bonds industry. In another generation it is conceivable that people could say, “What’s a bail bondsman?” Now is the time to maintain our momentum and support CALSPro! You can start by referring non-members to CALSPro, purchase an enhanced listing, enroll staff members or simply make a donation to the association that “has your six.”

Together we can keep CALSPro strong and viable for another 50 years.  I look forward to continuing to make a difference in 2019.

2018 CALSPro Membership Renewals Have Been Sent Out!

Posted December 14, 2017 in Membership

By Kristian Pujol, Chair, CALSPro Membership Committee

Attention all members: your membership renewal packets have been sent out! All current members should have received a membership Renewal Letter this week. If you did not please contact our main office. Here’s what’s in the packet:

Renewal Letter

The Renewal letter explains the new membership rates and categories and urges everyone to step up to the plate and enroll more members this year, as the dues for our new “active members” have decreased! Please be sure to read the Renewal Letter and take advantage of the new membership categories, rates and financing options available in 2018.

Enhanced Membership Listing

Along with the Renewal Letter, an Enhanced Membership Listing Application was also sent in the mail. It gives your company an opportunity to have an enhanced listing on the CALSPro website for only $100.00. So please fill it out and submit this form to headquarters as soon as possible! A self-addressed envelope was provided for your convenience. We accept checks and all credit cards.

Membership Renewal Invoice

The final document you should have received is the actual Membership Renewal Invoice. Please fill it out accordingly and review this form carefully for updated company information such as contact names and email addresses.

Please note there is a correction to be made on this form: if you sign up for an enhanced listing, the fee is only $100.00 (NOT $200.00). Simply cross it out and/or write in the correct total amount you are paying for your 2018 membership(s). We appreciate your continued support!

This is a pivotal year for CALSPro and we are very excited about the future possibilities. We have new membership categories for companies and Independent Contractors, lower rates and affordable financing solutions, more benefits like online voting, the new CALSPro App, a thriving and robust Continuing Education program, and of course, experienced legislative representation with a vigilant eye on all upcoming bills.

Remember, beginning 2018 we are no longer required to go three times to CMRAs to sub-serve Summons type documents! O Triumphant Joy!

So please get in the Holiday Spirit and sign up additional active members for your business, and/or an enhanced website company listing, and/or an extra branch office location listing. Let your independent contractors and out-of-state associates know about CALSPro. Give as much as you can!

This is what your directors on the board do all year, what our committee members do in their committees every week, and what our lobbyist and administrators do every day for all of us at our state Capitol.

A World Without CALSPro Would Mean A Quick End To Our Businesses And Industry!

Posted December 12, 2017 in Membership

By Larry Kirlin, President CALSPro

What will our industry look like without CALSPro?  Who will be our industry’s watchdog against adverse legislation? CALSPro has defeated “mail bills” (advocating service of process via mail) 11 times in the past 50 years! Who will be there to fight against bills proposing Electronic Service of Primary Documents or against greedy ROI companies in the medical records field? How will we represent ourselves collectively as legal professionals? Who will facilitate advertising and education of new laws and new rules? How will we maintain our professional networks and vitals without a central nervous system?

Where Things Stand Today

At the Board of Directors meeting on December 2^nd we approved the budget for 2018. During any budget discussion, the focus is on balancing revenue and expenses to meet financial goals. For a non-profit association, our goal is to break even or show a small surplus. Makes sense, right?

It’s one thing to sit in a room and massage numbers on a spreadsheet until you achieve your theoretical goal. It’s another thing entirely to meet that goal at the end of the year.

Good news:  We have more than met our expense goals over the past several years.

The challenge: For the past several years, our association hasn’t met our revenue goals and has been pulling funds from our strategic reserve to remain afloat. Why? We need more members!

Making Improvements

Last summer, at the Strategic Planning Session, our primary solution was the elimination of the Company and Individual membership categories in favor of a hybrid Active member category and new Independent Contractor member category.  With this new structure, we can grow our roster by providing more value and benefits to a wider audience by making it more affordable and accessible.

While I firmly believe we have taken the right approach, it is not without risk. Because the new Active Membership dues are lower, simply converting 100% of our current members over will actually widen the budget gap. Thus, we need your support today more than ever!

What Can You Do?

• Renew your membership now as an Active member!
• Enroll an additional person or employee as a new Active
• Encourage your Independent Contractors to join the association as IC
• Sign up for an enhanced listing on our website and/or add an additional county location.
• Remind your out-of-state affiliates that you are a CALSPro member and let them know it’s only $100 per year for them to join our association.
• Forward this message to a colleague
• Are you a past Company member with an overlapping Individual membership?

We are asking these companies to use the savings from the new dues structure to add a member of their staff as a new Active member. (Old: $500+$200=$700; New: $350+$350=$700).

Our goal is to increase our members by 40-50 in 2018! Rally up boys and girls. It’s go time!

CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR OR RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP

Membership Renewal Due Now!

Posted January 26, 2012 in Membership

If you have not already submitted your membership renewal form, it became delinquent on 1/15/2012. Your renewal must be received no later than Wednesday, February 1, 2012 to avoid the possibility of your membership being forfeited.

There are two special offers for upgrading your 2012 membership:

1)         Individual members will receive a $100 discount when adding, or   upgrading to a Company Membership.

2)         Renewing Company Members will receive a $100 discount for each new Individual Membership added to their Company membership.  There are no limits as to how many new members you can add to your Company membership.

Enjoy the added benefits of a company membership and/or invest in your key personnel and your business by having them join and participate with the association.

Please consider upgrading your membership this year.

Special Incentive from CFC/Top Priority

You will be pleased to see new very affordable CALSPro pouch rates starting February 1, 2012.  As an added incentive to join the pouch program, all new* pouch participants in 2012 will receive an additional discount of 15% applied to their first months bill.

*  A Member who had discontinued pouch service prior to 2012 and re-starts pouch service in 2012 will also be eligible to receive the first month 15% discount, provided there was no balance due from their previous participation.  More Information About Our Pouch Program Here…