---
title: "Business Development for Data-Driven Times"
id: "61255"
type: "post"
slug: "business-development-for-data-driven-times"
published_at: "2024-04-16T21:41:30+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-07-11T18:06:33+00:00"
url: "https://associationsnow.com/2024/04/16/business-development-for-data-driven-times/"
markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2024/04/16/business-development-for-data-driven-times.md"
excerpt: "The pandemic opened association leaders’ eyes to the dangers of stagnant business models. Find out why industry experts say the time is right to develop new sources of revenue—and following the data can help you do it."
taxonomy_category:
  - "Business Development"
taxonomy_post_tag:
  - "Associations Now"
taxonomy_content_format:
  - "Article"
taxonomy_role:
  - "Association CEO / Executive Director"
  - "C-Level"
  - "Executive Team"
  - "VP"
taxonomy_persona:
  - "Executive Leadership"
---

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Part of the Deep Dive[Building Business Savvy](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/building-business-savvy-navigating-a-new-landscape/)
Associations have access to more information about member behavior than ever. But many are still slow to apply it to a revenue strategy.

Unsettled political and economic times can be concerning for association leaders and their boards, which can be risk-averse even in boom times. But now is a good time for associations to think about ramping up their business-development strategies—in part because many organizations have already learned how to do it during the pandemic, says Vista Cova consultancy CEO Lowell Aplebaum, FASAE, CAE.

“The pandemic demonstrated the need for at least a rethink of some association business models,” he says. “Organizations that had been solely reliant on their meetings suddenly were challenged. So, there’s a more global understanding of the need for new business line development. But that means you need to create the capacity for that.”

The need to respond to inflation has made that challenge especially acute, says Chris Vaughan, chief strategy officer at Sequence Consulting. “The number-one lesson learned is diversification of revenue,” he says. “Many associations haven’t really developed new products in 30 years, have not looked at their fee structures in decades. So, it’s an extraordinarily painful time for them, and now they’re behind the curve.”

[Mark Athitakis](https://associationsnow.com/author/mark-athitakis/)

Mark Athitakis, a contributing editor for Associations Now, has written on nonprofits, the arts, and leadership for a variety of publications. He is a coauthor of The Dumbest Moments in Business History and hopes you never qualify for the sequel.

[More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/mark-athitakis/)

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## More in this Deep Dive

- [New Paths to Profit](https://associationsnow.com/2024/04/16/new-paths-to-profit/)
- [Products and Purpose](https://associationsnow.com/2024/04/16/products-and-purpose/)
- [New Rules for Association Sales Staff](https://associationsnow.com/2024/04/16/new-rules-for-association-sales-staff/)
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- [Three Ways to Use Meetings More Strategically](https://associationsnow.com/2024/07/31/three-ways-to-use-meetings-more-strategically/)
- [Agile Budgeting Strategies and Approaches](https://associationsnow.com/2024/04/16/agile-budgeting-strategies-and-approaches/)

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