Get Business Advice from Trusted Pros at Custom Builder Event
In-demand consultant on strategic business issues will offer planning wisdom to home builders at the Custom Builder Symposium

Jim Weber, founding partner of Weber-O’Brien Ltd. and an in-demand CPA with home builders, will discuss how “It Takes a Plan” to build a successful business and exit strategy at the 2006 Custom Builder Symposium, Oct. 27-29, at the luxurious Hyatt Regency Lake Las Vegas Resort.

Weber, who has worked with hundreds of builders over several years on strategic business issues, challenges entrepreneurs to expect more from their advisers, employees, and themselves. His Custom Builder Symposium presentation, sponsored by Andersen Windows, will touch on successful business basics, from foundation systems, policies, and procedures, to future strategies, including succession planning.

Educational sessions at the Custom Builder Symposium will address hot home builder topics such as options for structuring your contracts, outdoor “rooms,” top technology trends, and marketing to multicultural customers.

Read more about what’s in store at this year’s premier event for custom home builders, NAHB’s Custom Builder Symposium and register today.

NAHB’s Newest Award Will Honor Custom Builders
Are you a master at transforming client wish lists into one-of-a-kind homes that complement both lifestyle and surroundings? Do you have a gift for acquiring that sought-after material or craftsman that will transform a room into a special experience? Do you know the thrill of a “first” in home building?

If your answers are, “yes,” “yes” and, “I absolutely want to,” then you should apply for NAHB’s newest award, the NAHB Custom Home Builder of the Year Award. 

Sponsored by Dryvit Systems, Inc., the award recognizes the best of the best in a unique segment of the home building industry — those who craft exceptional custom homes for discerning clients and are leaders in the industry and their community.

Award winners will be honored during the 2006 Custom Builder Symposium, Oct. 27-29, at the Hyatt Regency Lake Las Vegas Resort. To learn more about the award and to apply, click here. To register for the symposium, click here. [return to top]

Dust Off That Disaster Plan: It’s Hurricane Season Again
Predictions are for another lively storm season in 2006. CPA Jennifer Elder says how well builders are prepared will determine how quickly they are back on their feet, should disaster strike. Read her recommendations for readying your business for the unthinkable in Weathering the Storm Means Preparing Your Business to Survive the Aftermath. [return to top]

Staffing Up? Remember to Classify Labor Correctly, IRS Says
Many businesses, including construction businesses, have had to staff up to meet demand following natural disasters. The IRS warns business owners to ensure these new workers — and all others — are classified properly for tax purposes.

Businesses can use Form SS-8, Determination of Worker Status for Purposes of Federal Employment Taxes and Income Tax Withholding, to have the IRS determine whether workers are employees or independent contractors.

An employer must withhold income taxes, withhold and pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, and pay unemployment tax on wages paid to an employee. In addition, other tax issues, including the provision of certain employee benefits, depend upon the proper classification of workers.
  
A business generally does not have to withhold or pay any federal taxes on payments to independent contractors. However, independent contractors are subject to self-employment tax and should plan accordingly.

If a business incorrectly classifies a worker, the business could be subject to penalties.

There may be relief for employers who want to correct any errors they may have made by classifying an employee as an independent contractor.

IRS Headliner 152, IRS Offers Tips on How to Correct Misclassification of Employees, contains additional information about correcting worker classification.

Also read NAHB’s Biztool, Independent Contractor or Employee: What’s the Difference? [return to top]

Give Your Employees, Trade Contractors a Business Edge
Don’t make them wait for the movie! Tell your employees and trade contractors about “Bob” (AKA NAHB’s Business of Building e/Source) now!

You know how you look forward to your monthly issue of Business of Building e/Source. What you may not know is that anyone can subscribe to this free e-newsletter from NAHB’s Business Management Department.

Don’t let your partners, friends, and coworkers miss another issue. Tell them to subscribe to Business of Building e/Source to get the same industry intelligence as the competition! [return to top]

Explore Business Opportunities South of the Border with NAHB
For a first-hand look at the booming housing market in Mexico, join NAHB’s Trade Mission to Vallarta/Nayarit (north of Puerto Vallarta) and explore business opportunities in this growing high-end residential, resort, and retirement market.   

Highlights of the trade mission include one-on-one meetings with developer/builder members of Mexico’s Construction Industry Chamber (CMIC), and private briefings by officials from the State of Nayarit, Export-Import Bank, and experts on property and contract law.  Site visits to communities in various stages of development will round out the experience.

To download registration form, go to www.nahb.org/trademissionreg. For more information, email: mamaro@nahb.com or call 202-266-8419. [return to top]

Streamlining Selections Can Lead To More Sales
Home builders have answered consumer demand for individuality in their living space by offering more and more choices of options and materials. But the array of selections that entails can quickly overwhelm both buyer and builder if the process is not closely managed from contract through closing. Advocates of Internet-based customer selection tools say technology not only makes it easier for builders to manage customer expectations, schedules and bookkeeping, but to sell more options. Read more in a new NAHB Biztool. [return to top]

Looking for Help With Technology? NAHB Has Solutions
Go to a popular search engine like Google or Yahoo, type in “construction software,” and, guess what? You’ll get more than 200 million results.

You could spend time wading through them or you could go to NAHB’s new Technology Solutions Directory and get a list and contact information for companies and consultants ready, willing, and able to help you now with estimating, scheduling, accounting, and other aspects of automating your business.

This new directory is searchable by keyword, or by software or solution type. 

Following are a few of the software and technology categories that you can search on:

• Accounting
• CAD
• Estimating
• Financial Control
• Project Management/Scheduling
• Sales Automation/Marketing
• IT Consultants
• IT Training
• Web Site Development

The Technology Solutions Directory, which is continuously updated, should be a frequent stop for any home builder seeking to modernize the way you do business. To access the directory, go to http://www.nahb.org/TSD.

More Help with Technology

For background, read the Tech Talk series of concise articles at http://www.nahb.org/TechTalk. Among the titles in this series, written by builders and consultants, are:

• What Do You Need from Estimating Software?
• A Guide to Preserving Company Data
• Getting the Most from Wireless Devices

New Tech Talk articles are frequently added, so bookmark this section along with the Technology Solutions Directory for easy access to this valuable Business Management content from www.nahb.org/biztools. [return to top]

Protect Your Workers and Your Profits
June is National Safety Month and OSHA reminds builders that one of the top 15 citations is for failure to properly train workers. A single serious violation can cost a company up to $7,000.  

To help builders meet their safety obligations, BuilderBooks.com offers numerous publications in both English and Spanish.

In addition, BuilderBooks is offering free ground shipping this month on online orders of more than $25. That means you can get must-have business management titles such as Residential Construction Performance Guidelines, 3^rd Ed.; Home Builder Contracts and Construction Management Forms, 2^nd Ed.; and The Cost of Doing Business Study, 2006 Ed., with free ground shipping. [return to top]

Customers for Life--Part 5: From Cost Center to Profit Center
By Steve Lewkowitz

Many home builders are reluctant partners in the customer relationship. They see it as a necessary evil—a drain on funds, a cost item on the balance sheet. This approach becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy—where customers become problems to be solved, rather than a source of future business opportunities and referrals. However, if you institute some important best practices, customer care can be a profit center. Read more.

Bipartisan Storm Water Legislation Introduced in House
With a strong lobbying push from NAHB, Rep. Jimmy Duncan (R-TN) and 16 bipartisan cosponsors on June 8 introduced H.R. 5558, the Stormwater Enforcement and Permitting Act (SEPA).

NAHB has been working with lawmakers for the past several weeks to launch this important legislative initiative, which would update and improve the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) storm water regulations and permitting process for storm water run-off from residential construction sites. This was a priority issue for NAHB members during last month’s Legislative Conference.

H.R. 5558 would:

• Develop a program to increase awareness among residential construction site operators of their regulatory requirements
• Create a fair and reasonable process by which the EPA can seek information from residential construction site operators 
•  Allow builders a one-time chance to correct permit deficiencies that don’t cause environmental harm 
•  Remove duplicative permit obligations where residential construction site operators discharge into municipal storm sewer systems that are already permitted and regulated 
•  Allow authorized states to assume the lead enforcement role 
•  Provide statutory authorization for EPA’s current practice of issuing general permits

NAHB will continue to lobby members of Congress to support this bill in advance of future committee action.  For additional information, e-mail Jason Lynn or call him at 800-368-5242, x8307. [return to top]