The Board is Boston Bound — 2003 NAHB Fall Board Meeting
The 2,000+ members of the NAHB Board of Directors, from every state and region of the United States, will converge on Boston, MA for the tri-annual Board of Directors meeting September 17-21, 2003. Don't miss your opportunity to network with your peers, attend valuable educational programs, and participate in Commercial Builders Council meetings.

The NAHB Fall Board of Directors Meeting and the Commercial Builders Council Board of Trustees Meeting will be held in Boston, MA, September 17-21, 2003. Commercial Builders Council meetings will take place in the Boston Marriott Copley Place. Be sure to plan now to attend the meetings and events. The Commercial Builders Council Fall Board Schedule is listed below. For additional information or to register online click here.

National Commercial Builders Council

Fall Board Schedule

Thursday, September 18

Friday, September 19

Saturday, September 20

Sunday, September 21

OSHA Reminds Excavators About Risks From Utility Lines

To help employers provide a safe and healthful workplace, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued a bulletin reminding contractors of requirements to prevent accidental damage to underground utility installations — such as gas, electric, sewer, telephone and water lines — during excavation work.

Under the existing OSHA standard pertaining to this subject, requirements include:

• Establishing the location of underground installations before opening an excavation.
• Contacting utility companies or land owners ahead of time for the exact locations of utility installations. If the exact location of the lines cannot be determined, excavators are advised to proceed with caution and use detection equipment.
• While the excavation is open, protecting, supporting or, if necessary, removing underground installations. Also, NAHB advises employers to train and designate someone in the company as a competent person who can determine if a trench is safe before employees are allowed to enter it. Following all pertinent OSHA regulations, the competent person must choose whether sloping, shoring or benching is needed to ensure that all employees are adequately protected in an excavation.

If a pipeline is damaged during an excavation, the OSHA bulletin recommends notifying the pipeline operator immediately and calling 911 or other emergency response numbers if the damage results in a release of natural gas or other hazardous substances that could endanger life, health or property.

The bulletin cites a 1999 report from the Department of Transportation that recommends following the same procedures “if the protective coating of an electrical line is penetrated.”

Prior to any excavation, the bulletin cautions, excavators need to establish a detailed work plan and train their employees on the proper procedures for determining the locations of underground utilities.

Receive Low Interest Rate Financing to Improve Low Income Communities

Are you planning to build in a low-income or rural area? Are you looking for ways to save money on your next commercial project? In the next few months, the National Commercial Builders Council will provide you with information on a new program that can be a cost saving benefit for commercial builders.

The New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program was created with the passage of the Community Renewal Tax Relief Act of 2000. The purpose of the program is to increase the amount of private capital invested in commercial enterprises in low-income communities, which historically have suffered from poor access to capital. The program is administered by the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI), that is a branch of the United States Treasury Department. 

The program provides individuals and corporate investors with a credit against their federal income taxes for making equity investments in designated Community Development Entities (CDEs) that use the equity to invest in business activities, including commercial construction, that promote development in low-income communities.

How can commercial builders benefit from this program?

By locating a CDE in your building area, you may be eligible to receive financing with a low interest rate if meet the criteria for a qualified business. Qualified businesses must be located in a low-income community, and must have a substantial connection to that low-income community. Qualified businesses include the rental of improved commercial real estate, such as retail centers, health care facilities, and manufacturing plants.

Resources

There are two very helpful Web sites that contain detailed information about the program:

• The CDFI Web site is http://www.cdfifund.gov/, which provides up-to-date information on the program.
• The New Markets Tax Credit Coalition Web site is http://www.newmarketstaxcreditcoalition.org/, which provides fact sheets on the program, information about the current awardees, as well as news bulletins (which you can sign up for free of charge).

To search for CDEs in your building area, click here.

Act Fast and Save — 2004 International Builders’ Show

Make your plans now to attend The 2004 International Builders’ Show®, the biggest home building industry event of the year. See thousands of new products and technologies from 1,400 of America’s foremost suppliers. Learn the latest on design and construction, land development, housing finance options, business management, and more from a selection of more than 200 educational seminars.

Taking Job Data to the Air
Wireless technology is emerging in the construction industry, involving everything from cell phones to rugged computer tablets. Being able to gather daily reports, send forms, change orders, make requests and fill out time cards while in the field would benefit the industry, but many companies have experienced connectivity problems or think going wireless is not mission-critical. 

Vendors are now launching a number of new solutions that collect, process and integrate data from the job site into the company's accounting and workflow systems. Seattle's ThinkShare, for instance, has created a system to monitor time, materials, equipment, job progress and costs. According to Foresight Consulting information technology specialist Melanie Thompson, ThinkShare improves accuracy, makes large work loads more manageable and eliminates the need to search through countless paper files. 

Xora Inc.'s GPS TimeTrack is another wireless offering that allows companies to track workers via Global Positioning System-based cell phones, as well as send text messages to the job site. "Through the Internet we can see where they are. It gives their time and productivity and we can import the information daily into our accounting software," says Freemont, Calif.-based Magnum Drywall controller Shannon Kennemore, whose company is using the system.

This story is provided by Infomation, Inc. For legal information regarding copyrights to these stories click here. [return to top]

Getting a Grip on your Numbers

Why set budgets?  Because budgets give you a clearer focus on the potential of your business and provide you with the roadmap to reaching your goals. 

A budget is defined as a formal expression of plans, goals, and your objectives for you, your business and your employees over a very specific period of time.  Your budget is your tool that provides targets and direction.  Your budget also provides you with control over the immediate and helps you to master the financial aspects of the company and work before they become a problem.  With a budget, you can focus on evaluating alternative actions before decisions are actually implemented.

Budgets not only give you control, but provide a means of measurement, coordination, and good decision-making.

Developing good budgets takes time, but the investment of your time in developing realistic budgets is what sharpens your budgeting skills.  The sharper your skills become, the more certainty you build into the success of your business. 

What Budgets Are

Your budget is really your blueprint for your business, very much like the blueprints you use to build your projects.  Imagine how lost you would be and the chaos you would find yourself entrapped in, each and every day of building a project without a set of blueprints.  You would have no idea of what the owner wanted or how you should proceed.

Not having a budget for your business entangles you in the day-to-day feeding frenzy of disorganization.  Your budget is your plan of action and when you develop a plan you now have organization and control over your future.

Your primary objective as a business owner is to have an objective or goal for your business.  Your budget is your plan to make sure that you can and will reach those objectives.  To achieve this you must consistently follow this Success Power “Profit Building” Tip:

The underlying key to a successful budget or business blueprint is to use realistic and honest projections of expected sales, cost of sales, and overhead.

If you would like to learn more about building Profit Driven Budgets please visit H & G Associates, Inc. at www.hgassociates.com or sign up for our FREE 6-week E-course at www.contractorseducation.com. [return to top]

Books for Building Success

Even if you’ve got only one employee, you’ll want a copy of Job Descriptions for the Home Building Industry, Third Edition. The book contains 40 job descriptions for home building industry employees, plus sample company organization charts, job description forms, electronic documents on CD, and other tools. The price is $26.96 for NAHB members, and $29.95 for non-members. Order it online by visiting www.builderbooks.com, or call 800-223-2665.

The PRO Builder Business Plan Guide features step-by-step exercises that walk you through the process of developing your own business plan. It offers a specialized tool not found anywhere else — 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. The price is $22.46 for NAHB members and $24.95 for non-members. Order it online by visiting www.builderbooks.com or call 800-223-2665. [return to top]

Builder Bright Idea
Try these tips from the 2002 Custom Builder Symposium that apply to any business owner:

Thomas Hudgin of Wilmington Quality Associates in Wilmington, NC, believes that the difference between being a boss and a leader often comes down to coaching. He told participants in his seminar, “Powerful Leadership Practices for Today’s Business Environment,” that good coaches:

• Put people relationships first and tasks second.
• Encourage employees’ personal development.
• Set high standards, but urge staff to set their own goals.
• Delegate tasks and resist the temptation to take over when things aren’t going so well.

Do you have a great builder tip to share? E-mail it to us at alarrabee@nahb.com.

The NAHB Custom Builder Symposium is a two-day program full of education and networking opportunities designed exclusively for custom builders by custom builders. The 2003 Symposium will take place November 14-16 at Disney’s Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World in Orlando. For information, visit the Custom Builder Symposium page on www.nahb.org. [return to top]

Boost Your Marketing Through These Awards Programs
Proud of your work? Show it off and give your marketing efforts a boost by entering one of these award programs:

• 2004 Awards of Excellence. NAHB’s National Commercial Builders Council sponsors the annual Awards of Excellence competition, which recognizes achievements in the commercial building industry for design (remodeling and new construction), market appeal, energy efficiency, challenges faced during building, and overall success of the project. The competition is open to all architects, designers, engineers, builders, contractors, developers, and building owners worldwide. The deadline for entries is July 25.

Download the competition brochure and entry form by visiting 2004 Awards of Excellence. For additional information, call Amy Larrabee at 800-368-5242 x8455, or e-mail her: alarrabee@nahb.com.

• 2004 Pillars of the Industry Awards. NAHB’s Multifamily Council invites applications and nominations for its 2004 Pillars of the Industry Awards. Considered the most prestigious awards in the industry, the Pillars awards recognize excellence in multifamily design, development, finance, management, and marketing, and showcase of future trends and innovation. Applications will be accepted through November 2003.

For an official call for entries application form, visit www.pillarsconference.com or call the Multifamily Council at 800-368-5242 x8215.