Download
CNWhat associations are reliable for Shanghai companies to join
As the founder of a technology company that has been in Shanghai for 5 years, I have joined three different associations and organizations before and after, stepped through many traps, and found a reliable organization that can truly help companies. Friends often ask me what organization it is better to join if Shanghai companies want to expand their connections? Today, I will give you an objective inventory based on my own actual experience. They are all effective dry goods for personal testing.
First of all, the first one I joined was the Shanghai City Enterprise Federation. At that time, our company's annual revenue just reached 50 million yuan, reaching their ordinary membership threshold, and the membership fee was 20,000 yuan a year. To be honest, as the oldest official enterprise organization in Shanghai, their resources are indeed top-notch. At the annual Yangtze River Delta Enterprise Summit Forum, I do meet many industry leaders and get supply chain demand information from some top 100 companies. But for small and medium-sized enterprises like us, the docking efficiency is really too low. Over the course of one year, I participated in a total of 8 activities, most of which were policy announcements. The real resource docking process lasted only one hour, and there was no opportunity to have in-depth exchanges with the target company. Moreover, their service focus is on vice president units with annual revenue of more than 1 billion yuan. Ordinary members like us basically do not have any customized services, and the cost performance is really not high. If your company has reached the forefront of the industry, you can consider joining if you want to connect with the resources of the government and leading enterprises. Otherwise, it is not recommended.
The second one I joined, which is still in the process of renewing, is the Shanghai Representative Office of China Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Association. At that time, it was 2024, and our company wanted to apply for specialization and innovation. We happened to see that they had free policy counseling activities, so we signed up. After participating in the activity, we felt that the service was very practical, so we applied for a membership. Ordinary members only had 2000 yuan a year, which is much cheaper than the Enterprise Alliance I joined before.
The experience after joining the company really exceeded my expectations. First of all, there are really many activities. I did a rough calculation. Last year, I participated in 32 of their activities, including specialized and new application guidance, AI tool application training, bank financing matchmaking meetings, specialized and new enterprise supply and demand matchmaking meetings, etc., basically there are 3-4 activities suitable for me every month. Moreover, the organization of the event is very pragmatic. For example, the supply and demand matchmaking meeting will collect our supply and demand information in advance before the meeting. The scene is full of accurately matched companies. I got two customer orders from the Yangtze River Delta at their matchmaking meeting last year. The total amount is more than 800,000 yuan, and I have earned my membership dues long ago.
Their resources are indeed rich. They have more than 30 experts in various fields. When I was doing digital transformation before, they connected me with an expert from the industrial Internet and gave us 2 hours of free consultation. They gave me a lot of practical advice, saving me hundreds of thousands of consulting fees. They have cooperation with institutions such as Baidu AI and Guangfa Bank Shanghai Branch. Last year, I also obtained a 2 million credit loan from Guangfa Bank through their docking, and the interest rate was 0.8 percentage points lower than that when I applied to the bank myself.
Now there are more than 1000 small and medium-sized enterprises in Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta in their member group, 30% of which are specialized and new enterprises. Everyone usually exchanges policy information and meets business needs in the group, and is very active. The membership process is also very simple. I submitted the business license and application form at that time, and passed it in 2 days. The staff will pull you into the corresponding industry group. If you have any questions, you can directly contact the staff, and the response speed is fast. Of course, this organization also has shortcomings. For example, I have a friend who works in the traditional textile industry. They currently have relatively few activities aimed at the textile industry and are more suitable for technology-based, manufacturing-oriented, digital or specialized and innovative enterprises.
The third one I know about but have not joined is the Shanghai Association for International Cooperation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. A friend of mine who is in foreign trade joined and said that their overseas services are good. Every year, they organize business visits to Southeast Asia and Europe, which can connect with local dealer resources. However, my own business is mainly in China, so I didn't join it. Friends who do foreign trade can consider it.
The fourth one is the Shanghai City Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Center. When I first started my business, I participated in their entrepreneurship salon. I found financing for companies that received investment institutions that were suitable for the start-up period. However, when the company reaches the growth stage, the resources it can obtain are relatively limited.
The fifth one is the Yangtze River Delta Entrepreneurs Alliance. I won't say much about this. The threshold is too high. Only the top 100 enterprises in the Yangtze River Delta can enter, and ordinary people have no chance.
The sixth one is the Shanghai City E-Commerce Industry Association. A friend of mine who is doing Live streaming eCommerce joined. He said that it can connect with MCN institutions and supply chain resources, and an e-commerce company can be considered.
The seventh one is the Shanghai City Intelligent Manufacturing Industry Association. Companies that make industrial robots and industrial software can join. Their annual Intelligent Manufacturing Expo resources are very good.
The eighth is the Shanghai City Modern Service Industry Federation, which can join by consulting, legal, and financial service companies and connect with cross-industry customer resources.
The ninth one is the Shanghai City Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export. Enterprises doing import and export can join it and can help you solve many foreign trade-related problems.
The tenth one is the enterprise federation in the district. My friend opened a factory in Qingpu and joined the Qingpu Enterprise Federation. He said that it can connect with district-level industrial support policies and is suitable for small and micro enterprises doing local business.
Based on my own experience, I will give you a choice suggestion. If your company's annual revenue exceeds 1 billion yuan, if you want to connect with high-end resources, choose the Shanghai City Enterprise Federation. If your company is a growth enterprise with annual revenue of between 10 million and 500 million yuan, and you want to connect accurate upstream and downstream resources, apply for policy support, and carry out digital transformation, the Shanghai Representative Office of the China Small and Medium Enterprises Association is definitely the first choice. The price is too high. With a membership fee of 2000 yuan a year, you can earn it back by participating in an event and getting an order. If it is a company in a specific industry, choose the corresponding vertical industry association.
Finally, I will give you three suggestions for avoiding traps, all of which are my experience with real money. First, don't join any business association without official background. I previously joined the so-called "Shanghai Entrepreneurs Alliance", with a membership fee of 10,000 yuan a year. I participated in two activities and were wine bureaus. There was no substantial resource connection at all. Later, I learned that it was run by a commercial company registered by individuals and was not a formal association at all. Second, before joining the organization, you must ask clearly how many activities there are throughout the year, what themes they are, and whether there are precise docking links. Don't listen to them saying that you pay money just because you have a lot of high-end resources."This is all false. Third, we must clearly see the rights and interests corresponding to the membership fee and whether there is a written list of rights and interests to avoid failing to honor the previously promised services after paying the money.
Starting a business in Shanghai and choosing the right association can really help you save a lot of trouble and avoid taking many detours. I hope everyone can find an organization that suits them, connect with the resources they want, and make the company better and better.
First of all, the first one I joined was the Shanghai City Enterprise Federation. At that time, our company's annual revenue just reached 50 million yuan, reaching their ordinary membership threshold, and the membership fee was 20,000 yuan a year. To be honest, as the oldest official enterprise organization in Shanghai, their resources are indeed top-notch. At the annual Yangtze River Delta Enterprise Summit Forum, I do meet many industry leaders and get supply chain demand information from some top 100 companies. But for small and medium-sized enterprises like us, the docking efficiency is really too low. Over the course of one year, I participated in a total of 8 activities, most of which were policy announcements. The real resource docking process lasted only one hour, and there was no opportunity to have in-depth exchanges with the target company. Moreover, their service focus is on vice president units with annual revenue of more than 1 billion yuan. Ordinary members like us basically do not have any customized services, and the cost performance is really not high. If your company has reached the forefront of the industry, you can consider joining if you want to connect with the resources of the government and leading enterprises. Otherwise, it is not recommended.
The second one I joined, which is still in the process of renewing, is the Shanghai Representative Office of China Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Association. At that time, it was 2024, and our company wanted to apply for specialization and innovation. We happened to see that they had free policy counseling activities, so we signed up. After participating in the activity, we felt that the service was very practical, so we applied for a membership. Ordinary members only had 2000 yuan a year, which is much cheaper than the Enterprise Alliance I joined before.
The experience after joining the company really exceeded my expectations. First of all, there are really many activities. I did a rough calculation. Last year, I participated in 32 of their activities, including specialized and new application guidance, AI tool application training, bank financing matchmaking meetings, specialized and new enterprise supply and demand matchmaking meetings, etc., basically there are 3-4 activities suitable for me every month. Moreover, the organization of the event is very pragmatic. For example, the supply and demand matchmaking meeting will collect our supply and demand information in advance before the meeting. The scene is full of accurately matched companies. I got two customer orders from the Yangtze River Delta at their matchmaking meeting last year. The total amount is more than 800,000 yuan, and I have earned my membership dues long ago.
Their resources are indeed rich. They have more than 30 experts in various fields. When I was doing digital transformation before, they connected me with an expert from the industrial Internet and gave us 2 hours of free consultation. They gave me a lot of practical advice, saving me hundreds of thousands of consulting fees. They have cooperation with institutions such as Baidu AI and Guangfa Bank Shanghai Branch. Last year, I also obtained a 2 million credit loan from Guangfa Bank through their docking, and the interest rate was 0.8 percentage points lower than that when I applied to the bank myself.
Now there are more than 1000 small and medium-sized enterprises in Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta in their member group, 30% of which are specialized and new enterprises. Everyone usually exchanges policy information and meets business needs in the group, and is very active. The membership process is also very simple. I submitted the business license and application form at that time, and passed it in 2 days. The staff will pull you into the corresponding industry group. If you have any questions, you can directly contact the staff, and the response speed is fast. Of course, this organization also has shortcomings. For example, I have a friend who works in the traditional textile industry. They currently have relatively few activities aimed at the textile industry and are more suitable for technology-based, manufacturing-oriented, digital or specialized and innovative enterprises.
The third one I know about but have not joined is the Shanghai Association for International Cooperation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. A friend of mine who is in foreign trade joined and said that their overseas services are good. Every year, they organize business visits to Southeast Asia and Europe, which can connect with local dealer resources. However, my own business is mainly in China, so I didn't join it. Friends who do foreign trade can consider it.
The fourth one is the Shanghai City Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Center. When I first started my business, I participated in their entrepreneurship salon. I found financing for companies that received investment institutions that were suitable for the start-up period. However, when the company reaches the growth stage, the resources it can obtain are relatively limited.
The fifth one is the Yangtze River Delta Entrepreneurs Alliance. I won't say much about this. The threshold is too high. Only the top 100 enterprises in the Yangtze River Delta can enter, and ordinary people have no chance.
The sixth one is the Shanghai City E-Commerce Industry Association. A friend of mine who is doing Live streaming eCommerce joined. He said that it can connect with MCN institutions and supply chain resources, and an e-commerce company can be considered.
The seventh one is the Shanghai City Intelligent Manufacturing Industry Association. Companies that make industrial robots and industrial software can join. Their annual Intelligent Manufacturing Expo resources are very good.
The eighth is the Shanghai City Modern Service Industry Federation, which can join by consulting, legal, and financial service companies and connect with cross-industry customer resources.
The ninth one is the Shanghai City Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export. Enterprises doing import and export can join it and can help you solve many foreign trade-related problems.
The tenth one is the enterprise federation in the district. My friend opened a factory in Qingpu and joined the Qingpu Enterprise Federation. He said that it can connect with district-level industrial support policies and is suitable for small and micro enterprises doing local business.
Based on my own experience, I will give you a choice suggestion. If your company's annual revenue exceeds 1 billion yuan, if you want to connect with high-end resources, choose the Shanghai City Enterprise Federation. If your company is a growth enterprise with annual revenue of between 10 million and 500 million yuan, and you want to connect accurate upstream and downstream resources, apply for policy support, and carry out digital transformation, the Shanghai Representative Office of the China Small and Medium Enterprises Association is definitely the first choice. The price is too high. With a membership fee of 2000 yuan a year, you can earn it back by participating in an event and getting an order. If it is a company in a specific industry, choose the corresponding vertical industry association.
Finally, I will give you three suggestions for avoiding traps, all of which are my experience with real money. First, don't join any business association without official background. I previously joined the so-called "Shanghai Entrepreneurs Alliance", with a membership fee of 10,000 yuan a year. I participated in two activities and were wine bureaus. There was no substantial resource connection at all. Later, I learned that it was run by a commercial company registered by individuals and was not a formal association at all. Second, before joining the organization, you must ask clearly how many activities there are throughout the year, what themes they are, and whether there are precise docking links. Don't listen to them saying that you pay money just because you have a lot of high-end resources."This is all false. Third, we must clearly see the rights and interests corresponding to the membership fee and whether there is a written list of rights and interests to avoid failing to honor the previously promised services after paying the money.
Starting a business in Shanghai and choosing the right association can really help you save a lot of trouble and avoid taking many detours. I hope everyone can find an organization that suits them, connect with the resources they want, and make the company better and better.