My Favourite Gmail Plugin and Why Your Association Should Use It

Do you ever post images to your website? If so, make sure to check out Compressor.io. It’s a website I use almost on a daily basis and if your association has any sort of web presence, I’m sure you’ll benefit from it too (it’s free). In fact, I used it on the banner image for … Read More

Each month we like to release an update of the highlights of what we’ve been working on and how the product is improving. Going forward, we’ll be posting our updates within the SilkStart Application or directly to your email address. If you just want to be updated with that’s new at SilkStart, make sure you … Read More

When it comes to your membership plans, value-adding mechanisms can take many forms. In this blog post, we’re highlighting some techniques to offer member-only discounts and make your memberships stand out.   Why offer discounts? It’s a no-brainer that cost savings are something all members can get behind. Because discounts are quantifiable, members can quickly … Read More

Associations and nonprofits can now source high-quality and hand-picked photos through an entirely new web platform by SilkStart.   February 4th, 2018 (VICTORIA, BC)—SilkStart, a leading Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Membership Management Platform, today announced the launch of Stock Photos for Associations to connect member-based organizations with high-quality imagery for their websites and marketing efforts. “This is … Read More

In the world of cloud computing, the possibilities for efficiency sometimes seem endless and web-based apps like Association Management Software (AMS) are evolving faster than ever. Need to jump on a voice/video call with a teammate halfway around the world? No problem. With applications like Slack, it’s only a click away. But there’s a catch. … Read More

Do you know what people are saying about you online? There’s an unimaginable number of places that you, your brand, and your association or non-profit may be mentioned online at anytime. Obviously, we don’t want negative things to be said about us online. Moreso, we’d even prefer to know when something good has been said, … Read More

As an association, technology can be a tremendous asset in achieving your mission. The right tech systems can help you serve the needs of your members, streamline your operations, and amplify communications. When an association has access to robust technology — as well as the knowledge and capacity to put tech to proper use — … Read More

Happy New Year from SilkStart!   In 2017, we published 19 blog posts and 10 release notes. Did you miss any? A Directory Your Members Will Actually Use Add Value to Memberships with Website Permissions Simple Tips for a Better Email Campaign 2017 Association Cyber Security Best Practices Leverage this tool to transform your association marketing SilkStart Selected … Read More

With December already upon us, we want to wish you, your entire organization, and your families a Happy Holiday and a joyful 2018. Our entire team would like to express our sincerest appreciation for the trust you’ve placed in us and our product. 2017 has been a banner year for SilkStart and we’re ready to … Read More

Each month we like to release an update of the highlights of what we’ve been working on and how the product is improving. Here’s what we launched since we last updated you. Help Widget: Access support resources directly through your SilkStart network from wherever you are are working in SilkStart. Still have a question? Use it … Read More

As a technology company, we not only build software, but use it in our day-to-day operations. Through learning from other tech companies, we often discover great products that help us boost productivity, increase collaboration, and foster a better work environment overall. When we mention these types of products to our customers (professional associations), or to … Read More

The end of one event marks the perfect time to start planning for the next. Sending a post-event survey to collect attendee feedback is one of the best ways to understand guest satisfaction and improve future events. Collect this data and learn valuable insights with these 3 short steps: Step 1 – Design your Survey … Read More

At SilkStart, we help associations launch brand-new membership websites that facilitate growth, promote engagement, and increase member satisfaction. In this blog post, we’ve brought together our best tips for creating a successful launch email to officially invite members to your new website. Write for the member: For members to take interest in your new website, … Read More

Improve focus and boost productivity.   That’s what the Noisli app can do for you and your association’s team. I’m sure you’ve heard of, or maybe even tried, many of apps for creating white noise to drown out your chatty colleagues.   Noisli is different.   With Noisli, you can mix sounds together to create … Read More

With the endless array of tools at our disposal, raising money online can mean so much more than placing a “Donate” button on your website and hoping for the best. Whether you raise funds to support the initiatives of your own association, or to contribute to a related organization, taking the time to plan, execute … Read More

Back in Jan 2016 I wrote a SilkStart Blog article about Slack for Associations. The title was: How associations and nonprofits can leverage Slack to reduce email and improve internal communication and the goal of the article was to introduce our customers (professional associations) to a relatively new product that was changing how people and … Read More

As the administrator of an association, you can expect that your members will occasionally come to you when they encounter issues. Although you may not have any experience providing support, not to worry, you will do great! Some of these issues will be simple, while other issues will naturally be more complex. In any case, … Read More

Each month we like to release an update of the highlights of what we’ve been working on and how the product is improving. Here’s what we launched last month. This month, you can now allow your members to create and edit ticketed events directly on your SilkStart Event Calendar. Better yet, choose to provide this feature to specific … Read More

If you haven’t heard the name, then check out Trello. It’s a free task management/productivity tool that can streamline just about anything. Like any business, associations are very team-centric. What is the key to a team’s success? Trello lives and breathes their three part blueprint: Communication, Direction and Evolution. Taken from their blog:   Communication: … Read More

Each month we like to release an update of the highlights of what we’ve been working on and how the product is improving. Here’s what we launched last month. Banner Text: With just a couple clicks, add additional text underneath any custom webpage banner image. Test Email Campaigns: When sending a test email campaign, all file attachments … Read More

Each month we like to release an update of the highlights of what we’ve been working on and how the product is improving. Here’s what we launched last month. Additional Company Locations: Display multiple regional office locations for your member companies with the new Additional Company Location Directory Feature. Add these locations to Company profiles and … Read More

Operating a member-based association is hard work. It requires massive amounts of time, which in turn, translates into high administrative costs. Do you need Association Management Software (AMS)? An AMS is a integrated online software suite (saas) where you can manage your database of members, events, donations, and other transactions with a modern website presence. A … Read More

Prospect.io is a start-up that could make your life a whole lot easier… A common problem for associations, especially new ones, is getting in touch with potential members. Studies have shown, that the first year for a new non-profit is always the hardest. It makes sense, nobody knows about your organization and although word of mouth … Read More

Each month we like to release an update of the highlights of what we’ve been working on and how the product is improving. Here’s what we launched last month. Application Settings: It’s now easier than ever to get to your Application settings from your admin panel. Navigate to Manage > Events/Groups/Jobs/Campaigns and see a new Settings button … Read More

I think you’ll agree with me. If you’re not a professional designer, trying to create graphics for online marketing can take up time you just don’t have. That’s why I think Canva will become an essential tool in your association’s marketing toolkit. Canva is an online tool used by millions to create graphics for anything … Read More

Save time and sanity with Calendly What’s worse than back and forth emails trying to find a time for a call/meeting? Not a whole lot. At SilkStart we started using Calendly to try and reduce the time and effort spent finding a mutually agreeable “time”. The results were staggering. We quickly learned that the majority … Read More

April 12th, 2017 (Victoria, BC) – SilkStart, a leading Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Membership Management Platform, is excited to announce our selection as a finalist for the 16th Annual VIATEC Technology Awards in the category of Technology Company of the Year (1-10 employees). VIATEC (Victoria Innovation, Advanced Technology and Entrepreneurship Council) announced 48 finalists in 12 award … Read More

Each month we like to release an update of the highlights of what we’ve been working on and how the product is improving. Here’s what we launched last month. Generate Upcoming Invoices: Be even more specific when sending upcoming invoices for memberships. When generating upcoming invoices, you may now select one or more membership types that … Read More

I think you’ll agree with me, it’s a constant struggle to engage your blog readers with new and interesting content. Even if you come up with a great blog idea, nail the length and formatting, and create a catchy title, there is no guarantee that your post will attract a large readership. I was recently … Read More

Whether we like it or not, passwords are a part of our daily lives and the number of nefarious characters trying to get your data in 2017 will grow and threaten association cyber security.  Cybersecurity is a part of our daily lives, with most people creating passwords using their birthday or their pet’s name. When … Read More

Each month we like to release an update of the highlights of what we’ve been working on and how the product is improving. Here’s what we launched last month. Invoices: Charge for multiple items when editing your invoice. Add unique prices, descriptions, and tax rates for each line item that you add. Tax Receipts: When your … Read More

SilkStart’s email campaign tool lets you effortlessly communicate with all of your members at once, or a specific segment. Easily design a message to promote your next event, keep members up-to-date, increase online engagement, and more using our tips below! Optimize Deliverability We recognize email deliverability as a top priority for organizations, and provide each … Read More

Each month we like to release an update of the highlights of what we’ve been working on and how the product is improving. Here’s what we launched last month. Scheduled Emails: Our beta of this feature was so successful that Scheduled Emails are now available to everyone! Set the delivery of Email Campaigns for any date … Read More

How do you attract and retain the attention of newcomers in your industry? How do you convert event guests into paying members? The answers are in the value of your membership. Simply put, it’s how you convince new members to join your association and ensure existing members continue to renew. As an integrated membership management … Read More

Each month we like to release an update of the highlights of what we’ve been working on and how the product is improving. Here’s what we launched last month. Email History: Easily determine the status of all emails sent to an individual in your database through their admin panel profile. Selective Directory Listings: Restrict any plan … Read More

Your member directory should be more than just a list of names. Leverage SilkStart’s built-in directory application as an engaging online resource and empower your members with the tools they need to build relationships, further their careers, and learn from others in your database. At SilkStart, we recognize that every association is unique, which is … Read More

Scheduled Emails: Deliver your Group Emails at any date and time – even when you’re away from the computer. Create your email and then schedule it to be sent in the future. Contact us to try this beta feature! Anchored Navigation Bar: Give your website a new modern look with an anchored navigation bar. As you scroll down … Read More

Your membership management software can make it easy to offer engaging and accessible content that keeps your members involved online. After a member has joined your association, welcome them into your online community with opportunities to learn, contribute, and collaborate using SilkStart’s built-in applications. Ensuring your members are able to interact with your association’s web … Read More

Volunteers are integral to the success of most association-hosted events. However, it can be time consuming to get your volunteers up-to-speed, monitor them, and collect their feedback. Que the hair-pulling. At SilkStart, I’m part of a team that onboards single and multi-chapter organizations on our Association Management Software in the most efficient manner possible. Using … Read More

Each month we like to release an update of the highlights of what we’ve been working on and how the product is improving. Here’s what we launched last month. Member Directory: It’s now even easier to find members in your directory. Website visitors can use a number of additional criteria including State/Province, City, and Zip … Read More

Whether you’re holding a vote for new board members or just a policy change, you can use SilkStart’s built-in Groups feature to facilitate board elections or tally poll results – a great example of how our member management software helps you conduct all of your association’s activities in one place. SilkStart lets you create Groups … Read More

Each month we like to release an update of the highlights of what we’ve been working on and how the product is improving. Here’s what we launched last month. Non-Member Event Attendees Leverage your event attendee information in a whole new way. When a non-member purchases an event ticket, they are now added to your database … Read More

We recently had the opportunity to exhibit at the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) annual tradeshow. It was our first major trade show in the US having previously only attended the Canadian version, the Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE), a year earlier. We received an overwhelmingly positive response from everyone who stopped by … Read More

We know switching software providers can be painful so we created this post to help you quickly and easily decide why you should use SilkStart. To help make the decision making process easier for you, we took some insights from a Capterra survey. In it, Capterra surveyed associations to determine a) the top things associations … Read More

Each month we like to release an update of the highlights of what we’ve been working on and how the product is improving. Here’s what we launched last month. Admin Notifications You might not want all of your SilkStart admins to receive every email notification. We’ve given you the ability to set which admins receive … Read More

Associations come in all shapes and sizes. In a multi-chapter association, each chapter focusses their efforts locally, while the parent organization steers everyone towards association-wide alignment. However it’s often all too easy for these interests to work against each other. At SilkStart, I sometimes refer to these associations as octopus associations. The top level of … Read More

Member data is inherently difficult. Whether you’re entering, updating or just trying to find it, the process of managing data is sure to be frustrating. Stop stressing about your data and focus on improving your association with these four quick tips: Document Document your processes to ensure everyone is aligned and comfortable when managing your … Read More

Each month we like to release an update on the highlights of what we’ve been working on and how the product is improving. Here’s what we launched in June. Profile Custom Fields Do you collect information from your members through custom fields? Display these fields directly on the member’s directory profile. For example, if you … Read More

We set out to redefine SilkStart, to show how easy member management can be. We ended up with what we consider to be a spectacular new website. Today millions of associations exists globally. From small and local, to large multinationals, associations connect people to help promote and create change. Although technology has been advancing at … Read More

This past week, SilkStart, alongside other Victoria-based technology companies Flytographer and RingPartner, headed to Kelowna, BC to participate in the annual Metabridge conference. All three companies were selected as part of the Metabridge Top 15 and were also named as Viatec’s (Victoria Innovation, Advanced Technology and Entrepreneurship Council) Tectorian’s of the Week, a weekly acknowledgment … Read More

Creating a successful member-based association requires creating something valuable for your members, usually through connecting your members to one another.

Email is a critical part of running your association and delivering benefits to your members. Your members rely on emails to keep their membership dues up to date, find out about upcoming events, receive and store receipts, and more.

Multi-chapter organizations have unique challenges. So unique that there are very few solutions in the market that can support them. Find out how SilkStart supports multi-chapter.

Learn about online conferencing tools that help facilitate long-distance business relationships.

Here at SilkStart, we often work with organizations who are taking their membership signup and renewal online for the first time. They’re finally ready to part ways with a downloadable PDF that needs to be printed, filled out, scanned and emailed back – or even mailed in. It’s great to see organizations ready to take this leap, but in 2016, it’s still surprising that many are not making this change.

Introducing the SilkStart Team Page: I’m excited to announce that SilkStart has just launched a dynamic and configurable team page that existing and new customers may use. Showcase your
internal team, board of directors, or advisors on your SilkStart website using the team application page.

There’s nothing new to say about Social Media. It’s here, it’s important and your association needs to have a social presence or runs the risk of looking outdated and irrelevant – the exact opposite of what most associations are trying to convey. I don’t want to rehash why social media is important. Instead, I want … Read More

Use Slack software to make your association’s communications more efficient.

Capterra Inc., the leading resource for business and nonprofit software solutions, announced that SilkStart Technology Inc. has been named one of the top 20 most popular membership management software companies. Offering one of the most comprehensive lists of online software solutions, Capterra matches member-based associations and non-profits with software that manages their website, members, events, and … Read More

Here at SilkStart we’re working on improving our donation tools as we grow our business and work with more associations that want to collect donations through their websites. As part of our research, we looked at other products in the market to ensure the tools we build meet the need of our customers. We’ve defined … Read More

We asked Association Executives at the CSAE annual convention about the top three pain points for their association. Here is what we learned. On Oct 29 SilkStart had the opportunity to attend the Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE) annual conference in Calgary, AB. The event (acknowledged as the flagship education and networking opportunity for Canada’s associations) … Read More

This morning, the Canadian Innovation Exchange (CIX) announced the 2015 list of Canada’s 20 Most Innovative Technology Companies. The announcement was made during the opening of the Toronto Stock Market, with this year’s list containing some of Canada’s hottest and high-performing technology companies. The CIX Top 20 is a list of Canada’s most innovative technology companies, … Read More

In thinking about what to write about in my first SilkStart blog post I brainstormed several topics from product features, to tools we use, to thought leadership. I then asked myself what the most important thing was in our business? Well, it’s the customer, and more specifically, it’s our customer’s customer. So let’s start there. … Read More

Tessa Bousfield of the Victoria Island Technology Council (VIATEC) reports on SilkStart as the Viatec Tectorian of the Week. See her post below.   Silkstart helps member-based associations manage their web presence, events, members, job board and calendars by creating modern, affordable and custom platforms. They’ve been very busy since forming in 2011. Shaun Jamieson, CEO of Silkstart, … Read More

It’s no secret your association’s website needs to cater to your current members, but how will prospective members find out about your association? The “mobilegeddon” triggered by Google’s announcement of changes to its mobile search rankings algorithm may have opened your eyes to the importance of a responsively-designed website, but your association’s site might still … Read More

SilkStart CEO Shaun Jamieson sat down for a one-on-one interview with Betakit’s Douglas Soltys to announce our $550,000 oversubscribed seed round and how listening to the customer has driven the direction of the company. Find the interview here or listen to it below.

PRESS RELEASE   Canadian Start-up SilkStart Technology Inc. Announces Seed Financing SilkStart Technology Inc., a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, recently announced it has raised an oversubscribed $550K Seed Round. Silkstart is funded by Highline.vc, a mobile focussed accelerator, and a group of US and Canadian angel investors. Originally founded in Vancouver, the company now has offices in Victoria and Toronto. … Read More