NSSEA Membership
| Membership Application | Dealer Member Benefits | Membership Requirements | Dues Levels |
Dealer Membership
The Dealer company membership option is available for distributors of educational items to consumers – retail stores, catalogs, mail order, online, and direct sales.
Companies for consideration to this category must provide proof of being an established business within the education market by submitting the following requirements:
- Your business Federal Tax ID or Business number. However, if your company is outside the U.S. and Canada, please enter N/A as your business number instead.
- Contact information for two principal suppliers your company represents.
- Company literature (website, catalog, literature, advertisements, etc.).
Schools, firms, corporations or individuals affiliated with schools are not considered to be engaged in the business of manufacturing, publishing, servicing, or distributing school equipment, supplies or instructional materials are not eligible for membership.
Dues Pricing Chart for Dealer Memberships
The cost of a Dealer company membership is based on your gross annual sales volume of products for educational use. NOTE: A one time $50 Application Processing Fee will be added to your membership dues total below:
| Educational Gross Annual Sales | Dealer Membership Fee |
|---|---|
| Under $500,000 | $150 |
| $500,000 to $999,999 | $200 |
| $1,000,000 to $1,999,999 | $250 |
| $2,000,000 to $5,000,000 | $500 |
| Over $5,000,000 | $750 |
Industry Specific Publications & Reports
"Membership in NSSEA has helped my business save money and time as a store owner. To me, NSSEA is the hub for dealers and vendors to network. My membership is the glue that keeps my business together by linking me to a variety of networking opportunities with vendors and other store owners."
– Christy Williams, Teacher's Stop, Inc.
- Essentials magazine Archive Library – Members have unlimited access to the digital edition of Essentials magazine.
- Essentials Weekly – The weekly e-newsletter that consolidates the latest industry news and information affecting the industry and is delivered to you via e-mail every Tuesday.
- School Marketing Newsletter – The monthly e-newsletter curiosity of School Market Research Institute helps you get your fair share of the market and grow your business that is exclusively devoted to all aspects of marketing to educators.
- Annual Membership Directory & Buyers Guide – Only NSSEA member receive the school market’s most valued reference guide – an essential tool for your business. It is a complete listing of all members by membership category and locations, with easy-to-use personnel and product group indexes. Your company is listed free with membership.
- State of the School Market Report – An annual publication, covers the most pressing education issues of that year such as teacher spending, demographic information, funding data, annual construction costs and No Child Left Behind.
- Retail Store Report – This bi-annual report provides insights into the operating characteristics of retail school supply stores. Includes comprehensive guidelines for analyzing the procedures and profitability among specialty retailers in the school supply market to help retailers evaluate, plan, and better manage their businesses.
- Retail Market Awareness Study – This bi-annual study provides you with in depth teachers’ knowledge of parent-teacher stores, including their spending patterns, funding sources, shopping preference and much more.
- Discount through the NSSEA Store – Take advantage of 100% member-only discount on selected NSSEA publications and other items in the store.
Trade Events & Professional Development
- NSSEA Ed Expo Conference – is the largest back-to-school ordering show, specifically geared toward the educational products retailer and full-line distributor. Ed Expo provides the opportunity to see thousands of products, network with fellow dealers, and increase business know-how through workshops. Attendee registration discounts for this event are available to NSSEA members.
- NSSEA School Equipment Show – is tailored to the unique needs of the furniture and equipment segment of the school market, and is open to all equipment suppliers, distributors, and specifiers, including architects, facility planners, and school purchasing officials. Attendee registration discounts for this event are available to NSSEA members.
- Workshops/Seminars – NSSEA provides high quality workshops at all its events, including the School Equipment Show and Ed Expo. If available, audio and/or video recordings from NSSEA events of selected workshops/seminars are available to NSSEA members.
- Knowledge Bank – This practical online support is there to help you increase your efficiency seeking specific advice have access to information from a variety of business resources, including industry specific resources from our experienced volunteer members.
Member Exclusive Online Benefits
- Essentials Magazine Downloads – Members have unlimited access and download capabilities to the archive section of NSSEA’s Essentials magazine and Essentials weekly.
- Online Membership & Buyers Guide Searchable Database – This searchable membership database is located under the “Members Only” area of MY NSSEA via a login/password system. With this live, up-to-date database, members can locate companies, personnel, product, and more.
- Teacherstores.com puts NSSEA dealer members at a click of a button for parents and teachers. Dealer members receive an automatic FREE listing in the NSSEA members-only parent-teacher store/online locator which will help consumers worldwide find their way to your business.
- Legislative Updates – NSSEA keeps you informed of the growing impact that new government regulations and laws have on our industry. The Association also tracks legislation and provides updates on potential funding opportunities. All this information is communicated through our weekly enewsletter and updates on our website.
- Guidelines & Templates – NSSEA assists the industry in providing standards on Image Standards, Bar Coding, Catalog Guidelines, and Product Information Template.
- Copyright Infringement – Due to an increase in illegal copying of instructional materials, NSSEA has available free to members three versions of copyright enforcement signs to post in retail stores and to copy for use as bag/order stuffers.
- Industry Recognition/Identification – The NSSEA Proud logo is available online for download. NSSEA logo is free of charge to members for use on stationery, catalogs, ads, business cards, websites, etc.
More Online Resources
- On Capitol Hill – read the latest taken place on Capital Hill to learn about legislative updates and funding opportunities available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
- MY NSSEA – Change your personal contact information and update/manage your entire company roster for the next published directory all online, create
- NSSEA Video Library – currently featuring an archive of the President's Perspective, as well as trade show information and member testimonials.
Affinity Programs
- Solveras Program – Flexible credit card/bankcard processing options and remote deposit technology to improve your cash flow.
- Hertz – Take advantage of special low negotiated rates, earned Free Rental Days and other premium benefits.
- Caliper – an international management consulting firm, to offer a wide range of personnel services to wholesale distribution companies. Caliper can help wholesaler-distributors achieve their goals by aligning the talent and potential of employees with the needs of the business.
- New! – Health Insurance Program and Free Insurance Quotes for NSSEA Members. NSSEA members can obtain a free no obligation quote through Mass Marketing Insurance Consultants, Inc. (MMIC). Take advantage of economical group insurance plans including term life, disability income, and business professional liability.
- Freight Discount – Receive exclusive shipping discounts on the following freight and shipping vendors:
- FedEx
- UPS
- USF
- YRC
- Old Dominion Freight Line
- Logistics Management Inc