Jobsite Safety Saves Lives and Money
If you’ve been meaning to develop a jobsite safety program but haven’t gotten around to it yet, you’re playing with fire.

“In the old days, it was, ‘Watch your back because you might get hurt,’ says Joe Horan, senior project manager for J. Barrows, Inc., a Wainscott, N.Y., custom builder. “Now, it’s ‘Watch your back because someone could get hurt and sue you.’ ”

Besides the risk of litigation, there are many reasons why home builders should use written safety programs. Most importantly, implementing such a program helps save lives and safeguard your employees, trade contractors, and clients from jobsite hazards and accidents. This, in turn, can help protect your business and your bottom line by:

• Improving employee morale and preventing turnover 
• Maintaining the quality of the homes you build
• Upholding your company’s good reputation
• Keeping your production schedule on track
• Saving you money on hospitalization costs, Workers’ Compensation claims, and OSHA fines
• Reducing Workers’ Comp insurance and general liability insurance premiums.  

Use this link to access jobsite safety program tips and resources from builders, safety experts, NAHB, and OSHA.

What’s Up With Business Faxes?
Business fax communications can continue with only a few limited restrictions soon to be enacted, thanks to Congress's unanimous passage of NAHB-supported legislation. The "Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2005," passed in the nick of time to pre-empt new FCC regulations that were set to go into effect on July 1, is currently awaiting President Bush's signature and should be the law of the land very soon. In the meantime, however, acknowledging the impending enactment of the legislation, the FCC has issued a stay that delays implementation of its rules until Jan. 9, 2006.

The new law will establish an "existing business relationship" exception to the general rule against unsolicited fax communications. This should make life a little easier for home builders and their associates (among others) whose communications with existing and potential customers would have faced much more burdensome compliance measures than they now do. It also helps associations such as NAHB and its local HBAs, who would have had to obtain express written consent from each of their members before communicating with them via fax. NAHB was heavily engaged in getting this legislation through Congress, not only lobbying on Capitol Hill but also conducting a grassroots letter-writing campaign and petitioning the FCC for delayed implementation of its rules. 

To ensure compliance with the new law: 

1.  All business faxes should include a chance for recipients to opt out
    of further communications.

2.  This opportunity must be clearly spelled out on the first page of each
     fax, including a phone and fax number for recipients to use; at least
     one cost-free method of response must be available 24 hours a day.

3.  The sender may only use fax numbers obtained through a business
     relationship with the recipient or from a Web site, directory or
     advertisement where the recipient clearly intended to make the info
     available. (Fax numbers obtained prior to enactment are exempted.)

Contact Allen Segal at 800-368-5242, x8260 or Andrew Holliday at 800-368-5242, x8488 for details. [return to top]

Independent Contractor or Employee: What’s the Difference?
If you’re like most home builders, you hire many independent contractors. Unlike wages paid to employees, you don’t have to withhold payroll taxes (i.e., Social Security, Medicare) or income taxes on payments made to an independent contractor.

Not surprisingly, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) wants those payroll taxes. And consequently, it monitors with a skeptical eye the way you classify your workers.

Use this link to read an article that will help you determine whether a worker is an independent contractor or employee. [return to top]

Do You Have the Latest RCPG?
Get a copy of the newly updated Residential Construction Performance Guidelines, 3rd Edition Contractors Edition, and order economical Consumer Edition copies for your customers. The book helps them understand the basics of how a properly constructed home should perform, and helps you easily resolve customer complaints.  

New features include:

• 50 new guidelines on cabinets, cement board siding, concrete, countertops, drainage, driveways, drywall, landscaping, water infiltration, and more.
• New remodeling-specific content—italicized throughout for easy identification.
• Guidance on how to take critical measurements.
• A glossary of common terms.

Use this link to order your copy of RCPG today.

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Custom Builders to Network in Nawlins
If you’re passionate about custom home building—and building an even better business—head to New Orleans this fall for the 2005 Custom Home Builders Symposium.

Join fellow custom home builders, remodelers, architects, developers, and other industry professionals at the Sheraton New Orleans November 11- 13. Appropriately themed “Build on Your Passion,” the 2005 Custom Builder Symposium features industry-specific education, exceptional networking opportunities, and activities set among the Crescent City’s celebrated cultural history, dining establishments, and music venues.

“As custom home builders, the more education we get, the better we are at exceeding our customers’ expectations,” observes 2005 Custom Builder Symposium Chair Mary Schroeder, who runs Miller Homes in Brookfield, Wisc.

A highlight of the Custom Builder Symposium is its diverse learning opportunities.

This year’s Symposium boasts 15 educational sessions on topics such as contracts, business succession planning, scheduling, building a brand, green building, the builder/architect relationship, dealing with challenging customers, negotiating, growing your business, and controlling profits. In addition, pre-symposium CGB and GMB designation courses will be offered at no additional charge.

For the first time ever, attendees will have the opportunity to attend several advanced, two-day educational sessions. And, as they did last year, session presenters will lead roundtable discussions where new attendees and industry veterans gather to swap business tips and best practices.

“I’ve been coming to CBS for 10 years, and every year I come away with new energy and ideas,” says Marianne Hurlburt of Thelen Total Construction in Elkhorn, Wisc.

Attendees can do some more networking and try out their draw shots at The Custom Home Golf Tournament on November 10. A brand-new awards event and reception will cap this year’s tournament.

On November 11, the ever-popular Andersen Home Tour will show off New Orleans’ distinctive architecture with an up-close and personal look at premiere custom homes and historical restoration projects. Over the years, Schroeder has found that the tour inspires her to fine-tune her product. “It’s fascinating to see what custom builders are doing in other parts of the country,” says the builder. “I always come back from the home tour with design concepts I haven’t seen before in my market. You really enhance the area you build in with the things you’ve found.”

New for 2005, The Sights, Sounds, and Story Tour on November 12 blends architecture, music, and history. It’s truly lagniappe—that’s Cajun for “a little something extra.” Attendees will visit an Antebellum home in the city’s Garden District, and then head to Old Algiers Point for sizzling blues, Cajun, or Zydeco music. Tour participants will learn history and hear stories about the Crescent City as they make their way to a second music venue outside the French Quarter for some jazz.

It’s an easy trip “home” from the tour. The Sheraton New Orleans borders the French Quarter, and is steps away from the Mississippi River, Harrah’s Casino, the Aquarium of the Americas, shopping, and award-winning restaurants.

Reserve your spot now to beef up your business skills, network with fellow custom builders, and enjoy everything else the 2005 Custom Builder Symposium offers. “This conference is a must-do for anyone who wants to improve the ‘business of their business,’ ” says Dave Stormont of Stormont & Company in Kitty Hawk, N.C.

You’ll save $50 off the registration fee if you register by August 31. Better yet, register today. If you build or design custom homes, don’t miss the 2005 Custom Builder Symposium.

Additional Resource

If you’ve ever built a one-of-a-kind house, you know there’s no business like custom home building. NAHB has developed information just for custom builders, including several articles to share with your customers. Check out the Business Tools for Custom Builders section of www.nahb.com/biztools. You’ll find articles, books, educational courses, and other resources developed for custom builders by custom builders. [return to top]

Here’s Your Chance to Register for the 2005 Custom Builder Symposium
Registration for the best educational event for custom builders—The Custom Builder Symposium—is now open! So, why not take a moment right now and go to http://www.nahb.org/custom to reserve your spot today?  But hurry: You don’t want to miss the early-bird discount deadline, and you want to make sure you’re signed up for all the “can’t miss” events like the Andersen Windows Home Tour and the Golf Tournament sponsored by Broan-NuTone. Plus, new this year is the Sights & Sounds Tour sponsored by Dryvit. To make sure you get your ticket into this world-class event, go to http://www.nahb.org/custom. [return to top]

Business Opportunities From NAHB’s Councils and Departments
Share Sales and Marketing Ideas With Your Sales Team

Now you can read archived articles from Sales + Marketing Ideas magazine, published by NAHB’s National Sales and Marketing Council, in the Knowledge @ SMI section of http://www.smimagazine.com/. Featuring articles on Design Trends, Market Research, Merchandising, and Sales Management, Knowledge @ SMI is a great resource for you and your sales team.

While browsing Knowledge @ SMI, you can also purchase a subscription online.  See http://www.smimagazine.com/ for more information.

Expand Your Niche

Want to reach baby boomers and active adults, one of the largest and most affluent groups of new home consumers?  Join the Seniors Housing Council to discover how to capitalize on opportunities within the fastest-growing segment of the housing industry – a market that is expected to hit 100 million by 2012.

Council members include builders, developers, architects, marketers, sales professionals, products and services providers, and others trying to break into the 50+ housing market. Your membership in the Seniors Housing Council will keep you up-to-date with the quarterly magazine, Seniors Housing News. Find out the latest research and other valuable information and learn from experts at Building for Boomers & Beyond: Seniors Housing Symposium, the Council’s annual conference. Gain recognition by participating in the Best of Seniors Housing Awards program, which honors design and marketing excellence for the mature market.

For more information or to join, please visit www.nahb.org/seniors.

Enter the Mexican Housing Market

Attend the 3^rd 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 3^rd 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 800-368-5242, x8419. [return to top]

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 http://www.nahb.org/ to explore the full range of benefits associated with membership in your local, state, and national home builders associations. [return to top]

Thank You to Our Sponsors – Wells Fargo and Intuit MasterBuilder
Business of Building e/Source would like to thank its sponsors – Intuit MasterBuilder and Wells Fargo. [return to top]