The housing industry’s largest annual trade show and exhibition, IBS is expected to attract more than 100,000 housing professionals, including home and apartment builders, architects, product manufacturers, and those involved in every aspect of residential and light commercial construction.

“Cutting-edge builders realize that technology is critical not only to their business management, but to their customers, as consumers are demanding state-of-the art technology in their homes,” said Harvey Edwards, NAHB convention committee chair and president of Tuscaloosa Building & Land Co. in Tuscaloosa, Ala. “That's why the technology pavilion is one of the most visited sections of the IBS, and why the new and expanded nextBUILD is sure to be an even bigger draw at the 2007 show."

Formerly called tecHOMExpo, nextBUILD will feature more than 200 exhibitors offering both back-end office technologies to help builders improve their business management processes and the top technologies that consumers are asking for in their homes.

The show will also offer several education sessions to help builders implement the new technologies on display. Builder Technology Forums will assist builders with specific software issues and demonstrate how technology can help them run a more efficient and profitable business. These moderated panels of builders and technology experts will explore such topics as wireless communications, paperless solutions, integrating the Internet into businesses, and examining future technologies. Builders also will have the opportunity to participate in hands-on demonstrations, test drive the latest software solutions and ask vendors questions about their products through nextBUILD’s interactive computer labs.

In addition, builders and suppliers will be recognized for cutting-edge technology through the Innovative Housing Technology Awards (IHTAs) program. Sponsored by NAHB, the NAHB Research Center and TecHome Builder magazine, the awards recognize significant advances and best practices by product manufacturers, integrators, and builders. In addition to recognizing the best of the industry, the awards are intended to stimulate the development of innovative new products, materials, and systems for residential construction that will improve the livability of homes while making the process of building and improving homes more efficient and cost effective.

Enter the IHTAs by Nov. 22. [return to top]

BuilderWerks by IntoText

Have you spent time and money to roll out a solution to connect what’s happening in the field at your jobsites with your back office system, only to have construction superintendents spurn the new technology because it’s too cumbersome to use?

BuilderWerks just might be a solution for you. A new lab sponsored by IntoText Corp. of Tampa, Fla., will demonstrate how automatic speech recognition software can streamline communications with vendors, customers, and management to make your jobsite supervisors more productive.

Brig Johnson, president of IntoText, which worked with a construction superintendent for more than three years to create BuilderWerks, says users don’t have to be computer geniuses, but they do need to learn a simple “dictation protocol” that allows them to supply critical business data to support personnel.

Participants in the computer lab will experience how simple that is by first creating a voice profile, then configuring a couple of settings that control e-mailing and faxing of reports, and then actually using the program in a guided walkthrough of a virtual house to enter punch items and schedule activities. Participants will learn what kinds of reports BuilderWerks can fax and e-mail, and how they can be used to improve processes, speed jobs, and document key details and agreements.

SoftPlan Architectural Design Software

Thinking about design/build? SoftPlan Architectural Design Software might be the solution for you if you are a residential or light commercial builder.

This computer-aided design and drafting solution will help you create floor plans, picture elevations, offer three-dimensional renderings, and generate materials lists rapidly and easily.

Participants in the SoftPlan-sponsored computer lab will complete a hands-on project such as a pool house or garage. They will also get an overview of all of SoftPlan’s design tools and leave with a demo CD to take home.

Word-of-mouth has made this 90-minute lab a popular one, so come early for the best seats.

BuilderMT

In an age when information is power, builders often don’t know what they don’t know, says Tom Gebes, president, BuilderMT, and that can hurt business in the long run.

BuilderMT Sage Timberline offers a complete solution to information and process management for the production builder that can help reduce cycle time and improve customer service and warranty performance.

Participants in BuilderMT’s 90-minute lab on workflow solutions will learn how information technology can help builders tighten their operations “from dirt to defects” and grow their bottom line more than their volume. Those who already are familiar with BuilderMT may be interested in a second lab that will focus on field management technology to improve superintendent effectiveness. It will include demonstrations of Web-based trade portal and tablet technologies.

Attendees will leave the labs with a demo CD and can sign up for more in-depth presentations on the show floor.

Sage Timberline Office and Sage Master Builder

Designed to grow with your business, Sage Software’s portfolio of solutions can provide the right fit for your company today and in the future.  Two 90-minute labs will show you how.

In the Sage Timberline Office lab, participants will learn how to take advantage of their estimating software investment sooner using new tools for database setup and implementation.  Demonstrations will include the Database Builder Wizard, as well as a number of new features designed specifically to decrease the amount of time needed for the database-building process.

A second lab focused on Sage Master Builder will demonstrate how an integrated solution can help improve project management and allow jobs to proceed more smoothly. Participants will get to view a new executive dashboard feature that allows builders to take their company’s financial “temperature” on an ongoing basis.

One-on-one demonstrations will be offered on the show floor and special discounts will be offered for purchases made on site at IBS.

Other computer labs will allow nextBUILD attendees to experience SiteStream sales and warranty solutions, OnBase paperless document management solutions, BuildLinks wireless, SMART Builder Solutions automated process management tools, Dynami Builder™ software for mid-sized builders, and Construction Data Control Inc. (CDCI) full cycle cost control software. NAHB staff also will facilitate three labs, including one demonstrating how to use www.nahb.org.

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• Using the Internet in a Changing Market will offer an overview of Web-based software that can improve profitability in today's market—from marketing to selections.
• Future Technology Today: Learning from Other Industries will explore real-world examples of technology that can be adapted from other types of businesses to the building industry.
• Paperless Solutions That Meet the Needs of Builders will feature a panel of builders whose thinking about business processes was changed with a document management solution.
• Wireless Communications: Keep Up and Benefit from the Changes will explain how wireless tools can integrate back office and field.

To add these sessions to the My Show Planner, go online to http://www.buildersshow.com/. [return to top]

• Low-Tech Subs and High-Tech Builders—How to Bridge the Gap will give participants "10 surefire ways" to use technology to motivate and communicate with trades, whether or not they are proficient with information technology currently.
• Think Before You Buy—Builder Software and Technology That Works will offer some secrets for evaluating software and jobsite technology as the building industry becomes more dependent on IT.
• Cheap Tricks: Simple Technology Solutions to Big Business Problems will explore the latest software, hardware, Web services, and handheld devices that you can put to work immediately.
• Developing a Web Strategy  will teach you how to find a good Web developer, draft a scope of work, and improve your Web site.
• Draw Your Way to an Estimate: How to Get Started With CAD-assisted Take-off and Estimating is designed to teach builders how to integrate CAD and estimating for great results.

Go to My Show Planner at www.BuildersShow.com to add these sessions to your 2007 IBS itinerary. [return to top]

• Making Home Theaters Profitable—Learn the difference between media rooms and home theaters, as well as how to turn them into a profit center.
• The Top 10 Must-Have Technology Trends for Homes—Learn about home buyers' expectations for new technology and their impact on your business.
• Structured Wiring and What It Means to the Home Builder—Learn the difference between cables, connectors, and specialized wall plates to better equip your homes for in-demand technology.
• New Digital Heart of the Electronic House—The media center is a single box that provides a PC network, high-definition audio and video, media storage, and multi-room distribution. Teamed with structured wiring, it's a powerful option for home buyers. This session will tell you more about it.

Times and days for all of these sessions are available at www.BuildersShow.com, where you can add them to My Show Planner.

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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 http://www.nahb.org/biztools. [return to top]

At 2:00 p.m. EST on Jan. 9, 2007, NAHB members will have the opportunity to hear two members of the Institute of Residential Marketing (IRM) discuss what it takes to convert prospects into buyers in a more challenging sales environment.

The panelists are:

• S. Robert August, MIRM, CMP, Master CMP, S. Robert August Company, Inc., Greenwood Village, Colo.
• William Becker, MIRM, CMP, William E. Becker Organization, Teaneck, N.J.

Tom Stephani, CGB, CAPS, MIRM, CMP, William Thomas Homes, Inc./CCC, Inc., Crystal Lake, Ill., a veteran builder who has seen good times and bad in the housing market, will moderate the call. Tom is sure to ask the questions that are uppermost on builders’ minds. But in case he doesn’t, the teleconference will allow plenty of time for participants to ask questions of their own.

The 40-minute presentation will cover:

• Minimizing objections: understanding buyer needs, wants, abilities, and fears
• Being innovative and offering incentives to buyers and employees
• Assessing your sales team
• Strategizing appropriate product mix—shopping the competition
• Reducing inventory
• Maximizing lender relations
• Cutting costs
• Exploring legal means of collections

After the formal presentation, the speakers will take questions from participants. Register for the teleconference, or for more information, contact Wil Heslop at 800-368-5242, x8472, or 202-266-8472.

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Resources include:

• Talking points, Q&A and a sample press release
• Sample op-eds, letter to the editor and newspaper columns
• An economic backgrounder
• Print and radio advertisements
• PR advice on getting the message out through the media, events, and Web sites
• An HBA guide to making the most of the package
• Sample member communications, including a newsletter article and tips for engaging members in the campaign

It’s a Great Time to Buy is at www.nahb.org/buynowcampaign. Builders also can direct consumers to our consumer site, www.nahb.org/timetobuy. 

In addition, NAHB's Public Affairs staff can help you craft custom PR and media strategies for your market. For more information, contact Niki Clark at nclark@nahb.com or 202-266-8061. [return to top]

For more information and to apply, go online to http://www.nahb.org/award_details.aspx?awardID=147. [return to top]

“It was very, very useful,” Tama Theis, a Saint Cloud, MN builder said.  “The small groups were easy to work with and I would highly recommend it to other builders.” 

Spokesperson training will be offered next at the International Builders' Show in Orlando in February 2007. The Interview Skills seminar helps participants master strategies for broadcast and print interviews, including message development.  The Presentations Skills seminar focuses on how to organize and deliver a speech or presentation and handle Q&A. Slots remain for the Interview Skills class on Monday, Feb. 5 and for the Presentation Skills class on Friday, Feb. 7. The seminars are led by professional communication consultants, each with more than 30 years of experience training NAHB members on the issues that home builders, HBA staff, and affiliate members face every day. 

Each 7 ½ hour seminar is limited to 12 participants. The seminars include instruction, skill-building exercises and on-camera practice interviews/presentations.

The registration fee is $475.00 per person for each one-day seminar. Registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. To reserve your space, contact NAHB Public Affairs, at (800) 368-5242, x8061, or email nclark@nahb.com. [return to top]

In addition, the IRS published a fact sheet to remind taxpayers of the rules concerning deducting business-related vehicle expenses (FS-2006-26 http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=163780,00.html). 

In general, business use deductions for a car or truck must originate from one of the following:

• traveling from and to work locations
• visiting customers
• attending a business meeting away from a work location
• getting from home to a temporary workplace when the taxpayer has one or more regular places of work

Taxpayers may not deduct vehicle and commuting expenses for travel between a taxpayer’s home and regular place of work.

Taxpayers may choose to use the standard mileage rate, 48.5 cents per mile for 2007, or tally actual expenses to determine their deduction.  Actual expenses include depreciation, lease payments, registration fees, licenses, fuel, insurance, tolls, and repairs.  

For more information go online to http://www.irs.gov/. [return to top]