proposes to reform itself into a publicly held corporation, and reach out to these financial markets for capital required to become the leading online Resource for the Trade Association. 2. The Industry and TapNets Product(s) and Service(s)2.1 The Trade Association IndustryTrade associations are organizations of businesspeople engaged in furthering or protecting their mutual interests. Associations include professional, business, technical, and civic societies.Trade associations are believed to have existed in ancient Egypt and China. In Europe they came to prominence during the Renaissance when Venetian and other traders formed organizations for solving mutual political and financial problems. Present-day associations are derived chiefly from the merchant guilds of 16th-century England.The oldest extant association in the U.S. is the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York, which was established by 20 merchants in 1768. Almost as old is the New York Stock Exchange, which was formed in 1792. Early American trade associations were local or regional in extent, with national associations emerging only after the American Civil War. By 1890 they had been formed in most well established industries, and by 1900 they had spread throughout the industrial community. In more recent years there has been a rapid growth of trade associations of employers in the U.S. formed to deal with mutual problems.A trade association may serve commercial, industrial, or protective functions. Among its main activities are the surveillance of important trade influences, such as legislation, transportation rates, tariffs, laws affecting labor, and the quality, method of sale, or inspection of goods. Associations may also seek to keep their members informed of new processes or inventions and of market conditions. Other functions include insurance arrangements, encouragement of trade schools, and establishment of selling agencies. Trade associations also maint...
