Manage Your Time and Make More Money
Mainlining coffee and enduring 80-hour work weeks go hand-in-hand with owning a home building or remodeling business, right? Not necessarily.

"The harder you’re working, the more questions I have for you because it’s supposed to be easy if you’re doing it right,” says Bob Whitten, vice president of SMA Consulting. Whitten gave builders, remodelers, and other housing industry professionals practical solutions for harnessing their time during an educational session he presented during the 2005 International Builders’ Show.

Try the following tips from Whitten to work smarter and more profitably.

Write Separate Goals and Plans

Whether you operate your business from your home or have a separate office, you need to separate your professional life from your personal life. The key is planning.

Begin by thinking about what you want from your business and writing down goals. To accomplish those goals, write a business plan (see the note below about the PRO Builder Business Plan Guide) and a mission statement.

Then do the same for your personal life.

“As a business owner, if you don’t make the distinction between your business and personal goals, you’ll be stuck in entrepreneurland forever. And most of us don’t want to be there,” says Whitten.

Prioritize Time Demands

There’s an estimate to complete, a floor plan to review, a pre-construction meeting with a customer that starts in two hours, and a supplier you’re going to discuss co-branding with later that day. Then, one of your project managers calls from a jobsite with a question about a schedule change, a customer calls about wanting to move a wall, your customer service manager stops by to talk about warranty service tickets that are still open, and your office manager hands you materials from someone who wants to sell your company a new health insurance policy. Not surprisingly, that great idea you had for a new marketing brochure evaporates as you pour your third cup of coffee.

To prioritize what’s on your plate, assign tasks, requests, questions, ideas, and everything else competing for your time to one of four to-do lists:

1. Important and urgent (“the things that have to happen now,” Whitten says)
2. Important and not urgent
3. Urgent and not important
4. Not urgent and not important.

It’s natural for contractors to devote much of their time to important and urgent items. However, if you want to accomplish your professional and personal goals, concentrate on important and not urgent items. “Then you won’t be in crisis mode all the time,” Whitten observes. “This is the key to getting more things done.”

Conquer Communications

About 10 percent of phone calls, e-mails, faxes, and other communications are important. The rest you should delegate.

“You have the potential to create $1,000 more of revenue for your company for each hour you work,” says Whitten. That’s certainly preferable to being interrupted by communications that someone else can handle.

To cut down on incoming calls, don’t print your cell phone number on your business card. Instruct customers, vendors, and others to call your office number. Have your staff contact you on your cell phone if something is urgent. If someone asks your staff for your cell phone number, tell your staff to ask your permission first before giving out the number. Not everyone has to have it.

Prevent snail mail and faxes from piling up by acting on it, filing it, or trashing it. If you’re unsure about what to do, throw it out.

If you get a letter in the mail from a lawyer, don’t open it. Send it to your attorney. “That’s what you pay him for,” says Whitten. “Besides, if you open it, you’ll just ruin your day.”

Delegate As Much As Possible

One of the great things about delegating is it allows you to multiply your productivity without working more. You can build 600 houses with a dedicated team of employees much more easily than you can build two houses by yourself. “When you delegate, there are more people working on your goals,” says Whitten.

When you hand off tasks or projects to others, you delegate authority but keep responsibility. Here’s a good way to do it:

• Define the project or task.
• Select the delegate.
• Explain the goals and reasons for doing the project or task.
• Consider resources required.
• Agree on a schedule and deadlines.
• Inform the rest of your staff of the new authority line. “If you don’t, your delegate’s authority is handcuffed,” Whitten explains.
• Follow up with the delegate and provide feedback.

Another great thing about delegating is it motivates your staff. “If you keep your team in a little box and tell them how to do things, they don’t grow,” says Whitten. “Give them a challenge, and they’ll become better and smarter.”

The PRO Builder Business Plan Guide features step-by-step exercises that walk you through the process of developing your own business plan. It comes with an electronic spreadsheet for developing the financial section of your plan. Before you know it, you’ll be well on your way to increased profitability and smoother operations. Call 800-223-2665 or go to BuilderBooks.com to order it now.

Help Tsunami Victims Rebuild Their Homes
Many NAHB members already have responded to the devastating earthquake and tsunami disaster in South Asia by generously giving to numerous relief agencies that are providing vital emergency assistance to the survivors. As the relief effort continues and moves from the acute, emergency phase into recovery, the home building industry is rallying to address the longer term need for temporary and permanent shelter in the tsunami-affected nations.

Over the years, NAHB and its members have united to help those in need, demonstrating time and again that Home Builders Care, a philosophy and call to action that is emblematic of the industry's commitment to community service and charitable causes.

In response to what will be an overwhelming need for permanent shelter, NAHB and the National Housing Endowment have established the Home Builders Care/National Housing Endowment-Tsunami Shelter Fund to raise desperately needed funds.

With an initial donation of $250,000, designated by the NAHB Board of Directors at the 2005 International Builders’ Show, the fund will be directed to rebuilding efforts that provide temporary and permanent shelter for survivors.

Please help by making a tax deductible donation to the Home Builders Care/National Housing Endowment-Tsunami Shelter Fund. Money raised by the National Housing Endowment will be granted to one or more U.S. charitable relief organizations working to help tsunami survivors obtain temporary and permanent shelter.

Please direct your donation check to:

National Housing Endowment
1201 15th Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20005

Checks should be made payable to the National Housing Endowment and, in the memo section, please note the Tsunami Shelter Fund.

The NAHB Senior Officers have asked Past President Bob Mitchell to guide this fundraising effort. Bob is working with a staff team that already has begun meeting with organizations that have established relief efforts in the affected nations to determine how the money raised can best be distributed to provide for temporary and permanent shelter. Money raised by the National Housing Endowment will be granted to one or more U.S. charitable relief organization working to help tsunami survivors with shelter needs.

For more information, contact Troy Patterson at the National Housing Endowment at 800-368-5242, x8483 or Kym Kilbourne in NAHB Public Affairs at 800-368-5242, x8447.
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Small Business Health Insurance Help
Important health-care legislation has been introduced in the 109th Congress by Reps. John Boehner (R-OH), Sam Johnson (R-TX), Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) and Albert Wynn (D-MD). "The Small Business Health Fairness Act" would allow the establishment of Association Health Plans (AHPs), an idea that NAHB strongly endorses as a means of reducing the skyrocketing costs that have driven many small businesses out of the market for employee health insurance. AHPs allow association members to pool together across state lines to negotiate group discounts for coverage. Along with NAHB's support, the legislation has the solid backing of the Bush Administration and more than 160 other trade associations. See the press release or contact Jenna Morgan Hamilton at 800-368-5242, x8407 for more info. [return to top]

Refunds on Attorney Fees May be in the Works

If you’ve been smacked by OSHA, you’ll be glad to know that Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-GA) recently re-introduced four Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reform bills that were passed by the House last spring, but never acted on in the Senate. H.R. 739, the “Occupational Safety and Health Small Business Day in Court Act,” would allow OSHA to give businesses more than 15 days to respond to a citation. H.R. 740, the “Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission Efficiency Act,” would add two more administrative law judges to the three-member Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), which hears appeals of violations. H.R. 741, the “Occupational Safety and Health Independent Review of OSHA Citations Act,” would require judges to defer to the OSHRC when OSHA cases are appealed to the courts. H.R. 742, the “Occupational Safety and Health Small Employer Access to Justice Act,” would make it easier for companies to recover attorneys’ fees when they successfully defend themselves against a citation. The House Education and Workforce Committee is expected to mark up this legislative package in the spring. To view the bills, select this link and type the respective bill number in the upper left hand corner. For more information, contact Jenna Morgan Hamilton at 800-368-5242, x8407

Select this link to learn how builders in Wichita, Kans., successfully partnered with OSHA. [return to top]

Does Your Business Measure Up?

Get your copy of the 2004 Cost of Doing Business Study and you’ll instantly see how your financial performance stacks up against the rest of the industry. The publication gives home builders a rare glimpse at other builders’ books by providing data about profitability, cost of sales, and expenses from hundreds of home builders across the country.

Teach a Course at CBS
Share your business management smarts with custom builders, remodelers, architects, and other housing industry professionals. The 2005 Custom Builder Symposium “Call for Prospective Speakers” is open until March 11. The Symposium will be held November 11-13 at the Sheraton New Orleans in New Orleans, La.

Use this link if you’d like to submit a presentation proposal. Remember, proposals must be received by Friday, March 11.
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Business Opportunities From NAHB

Share Marketing Ideas and Best Practices

The inaugural chapter of the Marketing 20 Club will hold its first meeting on March 10-11 in the National Housing Center in Washington, D.C. A unique networking and educational opportunity, the Marketing 20 Club will bring together professionals from non-competing markets to share ideas and best practices. By meeting several times a year, Marketing 20 Club members will impart their wisdom, improve their operations, and maximize their marketing dollars. Membership in the Marketing 20 Club gives members access to their own personal “board of directors” who understand current business concerns and trends, and can provide feedback and wisdom from their own experiences.

To learn more, e-mail 20clubs@nahb.com or call 800-368-5242, x8123.

Explore the Active Adult Market

Presented by NAHB's Seniors Housing Council, Building for Boomers & Beyond: Seniors Housing Symposium 2005 is an educational and networking conference for builders, developers, and other industry professionals who serve the 50+ Market. The conference takes place May 16-18 in the Washington, D.C., metro area (Chantilly, Va.).

New this year is “How to Get Started in Active Adult Housing,” a pre-conference course on how to break into the fastest-growing segment of the housing industry, and “Designing for the Active Adult,” the first course in the Seniors Housing Council’s Professional Development Series.

Check out the complete Building for Boomers & Beyond brochure and register online. For more information, contact the Office of the Registrar at 800-368-5242, x8338, or visit www.nahb.org/build4boomers.

Learn Design Trends and Strategies

The 2nd NAHB/BALA Design Institute for Builders takes place June 13-15 at the Westin Tabor Center in Denver. During this education event, you’ll learn the latest in residential housing design trends from the industry’s top design professionals; tour award-winning homes and communities that display the latest in cutting-edge architectural design; and learn how to profitably apply these design ideas to the homes you build.

Select this link for more information, to register, and to view the full schedule of events.

Enter the Mexican Housing Market

Attend the 3rd International Housing Conference of the Americas and gain critical initial contacts with professionals in Mexico’s burgeoning residential construction industry.

The conference will be held November 3-5 in Mexico City at the Four Seasons hotel. The conference features six educational sessions, a property tour of higher-end housing, exhibits, and multiple networking opportunities with industry leaders and government officials.

As an added bonus, the first 100 registrants to the 3rd International Housing Conference of the Americas will receive a complimentary registration to the 2006 International Builders’ Show in Orlando, Florida.

Select this link to learn more about this successful conference series. Questions? Contact NAHB International at 800-36-5242, x8417.
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Tax Courses for Construction Industry Students
The IRS Construction Industry Curriculum is a federal tax curriculum for students pursuing a career in the construction industry. This diverse industry covers a multitude of occupations including roofers, plumbers, painters, electricians, heating and air contractors, and more.
 
Taxpayer Education and Communication (TEC) in the Small Business/Self-Employed (SB/SE) Division of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) developed this curriculum. It is the intent of the Internal Revenue Service to reduce taxpayer burden by providing this text to those students engaged in the Construction Industry, and to have those students enter their chosen field with a better understanding of the tax laws and guidelines that govern federal income and employment taxes.
 
The curriculum will give you an overview of the federal income and employment tax laws as they pertain to you. It is not all-inclusive. You may have other income sources and/or expenses not discussed. For additional information, visit the IRS Web site at www.irs.gov, or consult a tax professional of your choice.
 
In addition to your federal tax responsibilities, there are various state and local requirements that you need to be aware of such as state income tax, city income tax, and city business licensing procedures. These items are not covered in this material; therefore, we encourage you to contact the appropriate state and local agencies to learn more about their requirements.
 
Select this link to access the IRS Construction Industry Curriculum.
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New Graduates Gather in Orlando in Record Numbers
The CGB Board of Governors hosted more than 200 happy graduates and guests at the Annual Graduation Reception at the 2005 International Builders’ Show in January. The event brought together graduates from across the country to celebrate their achievements and pay tribute to the newest members of the Certified Graduate family.

2004 CGB Board of Governors Chair, Tom Mullen, MIRM, hosted the event. “It is great to meet people from all over the country and share experiences with them. I really enjoyed my year as chair of this group,” said Mullen. “They are so devoted to professionalism in our industry, and it shows in everything they do.”

2005 Vice Chair, Bob Bell, CGR, CAPS, said, “These programs continue to reach new heights. It is a great feeling to see these people receive their certificates knowing that they have accomplished this professional designation that puts them above the competition. This event gives old and new graduates a place to meet other than classes. It’s a great chance to make friends from around the country who share your passion for education while relaxing and enjoying a wonderful evening.”

The Third Annual Graduation Reception will be held 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on January 11, 2006 at the Peabody Orlando in conjunction with the 2006 International Builders’ Show. Admission is free to graduates in good standing with one guest. Candidates are welcome also. The registration fee for candidates is $40. There will be an open bar; hors d’oeuvres will be served.

For information or to RSVP for the 2006 Graduation Reception, please call the Professional Designation Help Line at 800-368-5242, x8154.
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Member Advantage: Get GM Discount Pricing on More Than 80 GM Vehicles
GM is offering preferred supplier discount pricing on more than 80 General Motors vehicles, including Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, GMC, Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Saturn, HUMMER (except H1), and Saab passenger cars, light duty trucks, vans and SUVs as part of NAHB’s Member Advantage discount program.

Through the program:

• NAHB members get Preferred Supplier Pricing on all eight GM nameplates.
• NAHB members can realize the benefits of other GM offers in addition to the supplier price.
• NAHB members will receive their authorization codes and program details via direct mail from GM.

For complete details, go to www.gmfleet.com/nahb. The GM Preferred Supplier Pricing program runs through Jan. 3, 2006.

Other Member Advantage Discounts

For the most up-to-date details on the Member Advantage discount program and all of the participating companies, go to http://memberadvantage.nahb.org. Or visit www.nahb.org to explore the full range of benefits associated with membership in your local, state, and national home builders associations.
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