Frequently Asked Questions

Question: I'm not quite ready to join. What services can I receive without joining?

Answer: Like this page, many pages of this website are available to non-members.  In addition, you can access the international society's website, www.ispi.org, for more resources and information.  However, for both of those sites, some information is available to members only.  You are also welcome to attend monthly meetings and programs for a small fee (usually $5/meeting).

Question:  What kind of presence does KC-ISPI have in the local community?

Answer:  On the whole, KC-ISPI announces monthly meetings, webinars and the annual workshop on our website.  The annual workshop is also announced in local news media. 

During 2008, several members volunteered to work with Mattie Rhodes Center to provide their young adult program with resources to learn how to use computers, particularly the internet.  These programs were tested during the second half of 2008 and are being written up for local and international articles. 

Also during 2008, a group of Chief Learning Officers in the Kansas City area started a CLO Forum with the support of KC-ISPI. Several local news stories have been written about this Forum.

Question: I like to take an active part in any organization to which I belong. How can I become involved?

Answer:
• Monthly meetings need a venue – a location for 15-30 or more people to meet.  Talk with your employer about using a classroom or conference room for one of our meetings.
• The annual workshop needs a classroom or conference room with presentation technology and break-out capability.  Talk with your employer about providing this space to us and we'll work out free attendance for one or two of your cohorts.
•  Programs, whether monthly or annual, need someone to sit at a registration table for 15 or 20 minutes prior to the beginning of the event.  Volunteer to with the Program Chair for this opportunity.
• Presenters are always needed for monthly programs.  Think of a topic that is of special interest to you.  This can be a topic for which you are an expert or one in which you wish to build your skills.  Go to Events tab, Speakers Guidelines.  Fill out this form or write up a brief description and send it to the Program Chair.
• Volunteer to work on the annual workshop.
• Volunteer to be an understudy for one of the board officers.
• Volunteer for an office.
• Write an article for the newsletter.  It could be:
• A unique tip or trick
• A point-counter point discussion of a hot topic
• A book review
• A short overview of a theory or practice
• An interview with another member or an expert in the field
• Or anything else that interests you and may interest others

Question: Who can I contact when I can't find information I need?

Answer:  On the Contact Us tab are a list of board members.  Decide which board member might be able to answer your question.  If the question doesn't fit any one board member, your Chapter President is always available to hear your input. 

Click the button next to that board member's name to open an email.  Just email them your question.  If you think that others will also want an answer to that question, remind them that your question might be a good addition to the website's FAQs.

Question:  If I attend a meeting as a guest and then join, will my guest fee be used to reduce the cost of membership?

Answer: Membership includes so much more than just meeting attendance – website access, access to local job postings listed with KC-ISPI, a newsletter, reduced fees to attend workshops and more.  And, don't forget the people!  Everyone you at KC-ISPI becomes a member of your personal network.  So, attending meetings as guest is an cost-effective way to find out whether KC-ISPI fits your need or to attend a speaker's presentation that interests you.  However, the membership fee is already very low and worth every penny of its value.

Question:  I might like to volunteer and help out, but time is really tight. How can I participate more effectively?

Answer:  First, attending meetings is still an important aspect of membership.  The people who develop and present meeting presentations need an audience.  Attend frequently and participate in networking and discussions of monthly meetings. Then, look for the small one-time opportunities (see the previous list of opportunities) that fit your schedule.

Question: I have a great idea for KC-ISPI. Who can I contact?

Answer:  Contact a board member.  They are listed on the Contact Us tab.  Just click the button next to the name of the person who you think would be interested in your idea or the one that you have already met at meeting.  

Question: I joined online but have never received a notice that membership was received or my access password.

Answer:  Please contact the Membership Director -- immediately.  It is possible that your membership did not get processed by the automated processing system or that we have an incorrect email address on file for you.  Regardless, your Membership Director can help you resolve this problem.

Question: Who do I contact to suggest a program?

Answer:  Please contact one of the Program Chairs, whose email links will be found on the Contact Us tab.  You may also wish to visit the Speakers Guidelines to offer your services as a speaker.  

Question: What are the current membership rates and fees?

Answer:
• Student Membership is $25/year
• Individual Membership is $50/year
• Corporate Membership is $200 for 5 members
• Other fees apply for annual workshops and webinars.  Members receive "free" pass for some events and a reduced rate for others. 

Question: I hear that networking is important but I just don’t have time to come to meetings and meet people. Besides, I’m not sure how to get the most out of the networking time we have before a meeting. How could I become a more effective networker?

Answer: Networking is about connections – knowing others in the field and getting known by others.  Many people want to network for a few minutes and be assured that they will gind a new job out of one contact.  However, networking is for the long-term.  The few minutes we spend connecting with each other before a meeting is just the tip of the iceberg. 

Here are a few more steps that will help you make connections and help you create a professional presence with others:

•  Get a business card and give one
•  Send an email the next day, reminding the person whose business card you took of the conversation that you had
•  Update your profile on our website, and visit the other person's profile
•  Update your profile on social networking websites and send your new contact an invitation to connect
•  Before the next meeting, pull out those business cards, go to the website and review the profiles and photos of people you have already met.  Now, blow them out of the water by remembering them at this next meeting.
•  Repeat at meetings, at workshops, at conferences, around the office, in the community... this is networking at its best.

Question: I can not find an FAQ about a specific topic. Where can I go to suggest additional topics?

Answer: Either the Webmaster or President would be interested in your suggestion for new FAQs.  Please use their email links found on the Contact Us tab.

Question: I'd like to give a presentation. How do I get on KC-ISPI's speaker's list?

Answer: Visit our Events tab.  Explore the opportunities that are shown there.  If you think that your topic would be of interest to the group, use the Speakers Guidelines to submit your suggestion.

Question: What comes with my KC-ISPI membership?

Answer:
•  Members attend monthly meetings free or at a reduced rates
•  Monthly meetings provide snacks and, sometimes, liquid refreshments free of charge
•  Drawings for books at monthly meetings and the annual workshop
•  The annual workshop and, now, webinars are available at a discount
•  KC-ISPI has upgraded its website with new services including: 
   o  Online registration for events
   o  Online membership renewal
   o  Online profiles of members for an extended network of contacts
• Newsletters with updates on chapter activities, tips and tricks, book reviews, member news and hot topics

Question: Is anyone at KC-ISPI doing social networking, blogging or twittering?

Answer:  KC-ISPI's website has the ability to post blogs.  However, this is a new service that we have yet to explore.  If you are interested in writing a blog for us, please contact the current chapter president.

In addition, if you are interested in social networking opportunities, you might enjoy HPT Connections (www.community.ispi.org), which is a social network for performance improvement specialists.  This service is free.  You need not be either a KC-ISPI or international ISPI member.  Just join and set up a profile.  Then explore the various groups and services, including some blogs by international members and officers who participate in LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

There are also various discussion groups on LinkedIn, including ISPI-Global group, a Learning and Education group, the Kansas City CLO Forum (private, by invitation only) and assorted discussions about performance improvement topics.

Question: What size photo should I upload for my PROFILE?

Answer:  The ideal image size to upload is 150 x 200 pixels (a 3/4 ratio) which will yield a better photo quality. The instructional popup next to the upload function now explains this.

Question: How can I reduce my membership fee?

Answer:  KC-ISPI membership is a great bargain as it is.  However, there are few ways that you can extend your value for the price, including:

•Join late in the summer when you register to attend the annual workshop.  Membership reduces the cost of attending the workshop.  So, while your membership is not less, your workshop attendance is.
•Join during a late fall membership drive.  This gives you several months of free membership for that year along with the entire following year.
•If you are a full-time student, use our student rate.
•If you belong to a corporation with other people who are KC-ISPI members… or who could be members, then you might find it useful to encourage your corporation to buy a corporate membership for five plus members.
And, don't forget, that the true value of any professional organization is that you get out it what you put into it.  Volunteer for committees and offices, offer to make a meeting presentation, write an article for the newsletter.  You'll get a real boost of your professional career from these activities.

 Question: I am an International member, does that automatically make me a local chapter member?

Answer:  At this time, there are two memberships – one for international and one for the local chapter.  Double your value by joining the local chapter; the local chapter rate is much lower than the rate for the international membership.  In addition, the local chapter is the place to meet local members and local members who work at the international level. 

Answer: You are probably a sole proprietor, if you are the sole owner of a business that is not a corporation.  Report your income and expenses from your sole proprietorship on Form 1040, Schedule C (PDF), Profit or Loss from Business (Sole Proprietorship), or on Form 1040, Schedule C-EZ (PDF), Net Profit from Business.

If the total of your net profit from all businesses is $400 or more, you must pay into the Social Security and Medicare systems by filing Form 1040, Schedule SE (PDF), Self-Employment Tax. Self-Employment tax consists of the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (social security) and the Hospital Insurance (Medicare) taxes. For more information refer to chapter 1 of Publication 334, Tax Guide for Small Business.

The Federal tax system is based on a pay-as-you-go plan. Tax is generally withheld from your wages or salary before you get it. However, tax is generally not withheld from self-employment income. Thus, you may be required to make estimated tax payments. Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax, provides information on making estimated tax payments.