Marketing on a dime
With all the tasks that owners of small home building companies juggle, it can be hard to find time for marketing. But it pays to squeeze it in anyway.

“When you are the busiest, that’s when you should do most of your marketing,” says Deborah Malone. “That way, you can pick and choose the projects you want to do.” Malone’s strategy keeps her from having to take on troublesome projects and clients no builder wants — but some are forced to accept — if things slow down.

President of JP Malone Construction, a custom home building and remodeling company located in Scottsdale, AZ, Malone explained the secrets of getting lots of mileage from a thrifty marketing plan in a presentation entitled “Marketing on a Dime” at the 2004 Custom Builder Symposium in Indian Wells, CA.

Here are some innovative tips she recommends:

Make the most of signage.

Since jobsite signage is your calling card, make sure you have a well-built, well-designed sign that makes your company stand out from others. Pay attention to where you post it. “If there’s an information box attached to the sign, people won’t want to pick up your flyers if the sign is right next to the Port-A-John,” Malone cautions. And be sure your company name, phone number, and Web site address are readable from the curb.

Malone stocks her job site signs’ information boxes with reprints of articles about JP Malone Construction. She tapes one of the reprints inside the box and regularly drives by her sites to make sure the boxes are stocked. “If I drive by a site and the box isn’t empty, the project manager gets a bonus,” says the builder.  

Rethink your business card.

Malone’s business cards are actually postcards containing article reprints and photos of the company’s projects. She’s found that the postcards have a shelf life of about three years. “If you give people a pretty picture, they will tape it up and keep it longer. If you give them an ordinary business card, they might throw it away,” she says.

Malone hands out her postcard “business cards” to neighbors near her job sites. It puts the company’s name in front of them, and gives them a place to send complaints. “Better they should complain to you than to the homeowner’s association,” Malone points out.

Get reprints for free.

It can be extremely expensive for a small company to buy reprints of a magazine or newspaper article that features its projects. However, if you place an ad in the publication, you may get the reprints for free. Just ask. “All reprinting is all negotiable,” Malone observes.

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Number of women in the construction industry continues to grow

Nationwide, the number of women holding jobs in construction is growing, whether they own their own building companies, oversee construction sites as project managers or actually work in the trades in jobs such as roofing, framing or painting.

Experts say more women are getting into the business, in part, because demand for well-paying construction jobs is high following a years-long building boom of single-family houses, active adult communities and home renovations.

Opportunities are also available because many construction firms went out of business following the real estate crash in the early 1990s.

Educational efforts in high schools and trade schools that encourage women to enter non-traditional fields like construction are also paying off, the experts said.

The number of women in construction jobs nationwide increased 22% between 1995 and 2001, to 934,000, according to the National Association of Women in Construction.  The same group reports 8,647,000 men in the trades in 2001.

And a recent study from the Center for Women's Business Research shows that among 6.7 million women-owned firms in the United States last year, nontraditional industries such as contracting and construction are the fastest-growing segment.

The study showed that the number of construction firms owned by women grew by 57% between 1997 and 2004, to almost 247,000, about 9% of the overall total. [return to top]

At IBS 2005: Plan now to take advantage of all NAHB Women’s Council has to offer

The 2005 International Builders' Show (IBS), slated to take place Jan. 13 - 16  , at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, has a great deal to offer all attendees. And, as a Women's Council member, you've got an array of events and programs targeted for your particular needs and concerns. All the information you need to participate in Women's Council educational programs, events and meetings offered at IBS are included below.

Don’t miss these exciting programs sponsored by the NAHB Women’s Council:

Thursday, January 13, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30p.m., Room 330 E - G

High Heels                                                           

The 3 Ms (Melinda, Meredith & Maxine) will discuss how to engage the female buyer with on-site selling, online selling, and on-the-mind marketing.

Thursday, January 13, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m., Room 315                   

Take Customer Service to a Whole New Level

Maximize sales and profitability with customer service. Understand buyer needs, how to attract buyers and what it takes to provide customer service that will transform buyers into efficient, cooperative participants in the construction of their home.

Thursday, January 13, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m., Room 303                   

How to Deliver a Dynamic Sales Presentation

Discover how to deliver a dynamic sales presentation with confidence and poise. Learn to present with charisma and to influence your prospect to buy from you.

Friday, January 14, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m., Room 330 E-G                              

Building an Effective Team

This session describes key steps in building efficient, effective teams, explains the importance of teamwork communication, and provides you with a plan to improve communication and teamwork in your company.

All of the above programs are being held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. Be sure to check on-site program for room and time changes.

We’ve got great sponsors! Thanks to their generosity you’re invited to attend:

Thursday, Jan. 13

Awards Luncheon sponsored by Trane                                                                  

1:00 – 2:30 p.m.  

Rosen Centre – Jr. Ballroom G

Spikette Reception sponsored by In-Sink-Erator                                                 

6:30 – 8:00 p.m.

JW Marriott – Palazzo F-G

Friday, Jan. 14

Leadership Circle Reception sponsored by Whirlpool                                        

6:30 – 8:00 pm    

JW Marriott – Palazzo F-G

See the schedule below for Women’s Council meetings. All meetings beginning on Tuesday are open to all members and prospects. Please be sure to attend Working Groups on Wednesday and the Board of Delegates and Trustees meeting on Thursday, as well as any other meetings that interest you.

NAHB WOMEN’S COUNCIL 2005 PROGRAM

Women’s Council headquarters    106

Wednesday – Saturday, open 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.  

Council News: Helping kids get excited about building — HBA of Saginaw, MI

In a two-week blitz, the HBA of Saginaw, MI, Women’s Council presented a Homes of Our Own, “Great Jobs Great Trades” presentation to 53 elementary classrooms from 17 area schools. The presentation was made to approximately 1,800 students.

“We wanted to share our excitement of the building industry,” says Debbie Beffrey, council president, and “we wanted to educate them on renewable resource and that the trades are for all genders. We wanted to get them excited in the possibilities that await them down the road such as owning their own home or even a career in the building industry.”

With help from their very own Bob the Builder, the Women’s Council presented information about the industry that was grade level appropriate for each grade, 1 – 5.  They distributed 512 Homes of Our Own coloring books, 13 Homes of Our Own CD-ROMs (to be copied and given to each student), and they watched the movie Real Jobs, Great Trades. Builders from the area also came in to give presentations. At the end of each talk, students received a seedling, with a total of 500 seedlings distributed.

Thank you — Hope Bettilyon Scholarship Fund donors

The NAHB Women’s Council wishes to acknowledge and extend its appreciation to the following donors:

#0148 – Huntsville Madison County BA Women’s Council

In honor of Ruth Wall Marrett

#0164 – Greater Montgomery Home Builders Auxiliary

#0408 – HBA of Greater Little Rock Women’s Council

#0408 – HBA of Greater Little Rock Women’s Council

In memory of David Tucker

In memory of Gladys Kay

In memory of Susan Collins Smith

#0532 – Greater Los Angeles/Ventura County Women’s Council

#0540 – BIA of Superior California Women’s Council

#1607 – Ames HBA Women’s Council

#2378 – Women’s Council of the HBA of Saginaw

#2872 – Metropolitan Omaha BA Women’s Council

#3956 – Central Susquehanna BA Women’s Council

#4105 – Rhode Island Builders Women’s Council

#4512 – HBA of the Greater Austin Area Women’s Council

Lisa Forsman

In honor of the birth of Kendyl Larrabee and Andrew Borden

In memory of Lou Lockett

Lynn Pratt

In honor of the birth of Katherine Alyssa Pratt

To contribute to the Hope Bettilyon Scholarship Fund, please contact Carmel Nayman at 800-368-5242 x8410. [return to top]

NAHB News: Tax incentives for housing / Results of critical issues survey

NAHB stands ready to protect any challenges to tax incentives for housing
As conjecture about possible tax changes proliferates in Washington before the start of the second Bush Administration, NAHB is working closely with the White House and Capitol Hill leaders to ensure that the interests of the housing community will be well-served as tax reforms move forward.

In a press conference shortly after his re-election in November, President Bush said that tax simplification and Social Security reform would be top priorities during his second term. The President also indicated that no specific decisions had been made on proposed changes to the tax code and that he considered tax incentives for homeownership and charitable contributions to be important.

The President’s remarks sparked a flurry of speculation in the media on doing away with everything from the mortgage interest deduction and state and local tax deductions to scrapping the current system in favor of a new structure based on either a flat tax or national sales tax.

The fact is, no plan has yet to emerge and lawmakers and policy experts are still working to determine what is feasible. The process is expected to be slow and deliberate, and it is anticipated that early next year the White House will appoint a blue-ribbon commission to tackle this issue.

In all likelihood, the panel would take six months to report its findings, and this would be followed by several months of congressional hearings, with a viable legislative proposal to follow some time in 2006.

Meanwhile, on the issue of the mortgage interest deduction, President Bush provided a significant measure of assurance in his Oct. 2 address to the NAHB Board of Directors in Columbus, OH, during the final weeks of the presidential campaign.

The President said: “I believe that the mortgage interest deduction enables more Americans to achieve the goal of homeownership. It is an important part of our tax code.”

To further put this matter in perspective, in previous Administrations and congressional sessions, the topic of tax reform has been a prevalent issue. But due to the complexities of the tax code and the myriad competing business and consumer interests, little changes other than minor modifications around the edges have occurred.

The few major changes that have been enacted took several years to put in place.

For example, proposals for the Tax Reform Act of 1986 first began circulating in 1981.

Just as in 2003, when NAHB worked with the Administration to implement a major tax cut package that allayed concerns over the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, NAHB stands ready once again to bring its expertise and political clout to the table to represent the interests of the housing community.

As this process moves forward in the new Congress, NAHB will work to protect current tax incentives that will spur homeownership and rental housing initiatives.

On a scale of one to five, where one equals not at all critical and five equals very critical, general liability insurance cost scored 4.49 and availability scored 4.26. These results parallel results from the past three survey periods, where general liability insurance cost and availability also ranked as the top two most pressing issues for the home building industry.

The survey, which asked executive officers or their designee to rank 75 issues according to how important or critical they are to their members, had a response rate of more than 20 percent.

Rounding out the top five issues were lumber price and supply at 4.25, development approval process at 4.22 and development costs at 4.18.

Notably absent from the top 10 list of issues was mold, which peaked at fourth during the 2002-2003 survey period. The issue dropped from 11^th during last year's survey period to 29^th this year.

Labor availability experienced a similar drop, and ranked as the industry's most critical issue for several years before dropping to 11^th during 2002-2003 and 14^th during this survey period.

Top Ten Critical Issues for Home Builders 2003-2004

1. Liability insurance cost
2. Liability insurance availability
3. Lumber price supply
4. Development approval process
5. Development costs
6. Impact fee/development exactions
7. Cost of lots
8. Availability of lots
9. Growth/no growth attitudes
10. Workers’ compensation

New single-family home sales continued at a brisk pace in October

Sales of new single-family homes rose 0.2% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.226 million units in October, the U.S. Commerce Department reported last week, which was 7.4% above the sales pace of a year earlier.

The inventory of unsold new homes was 412,000 units in October — a 4.1-month supply at the current sales pace and slightly higher than the previous month. [return to top]

First-time buyers kept housing boom going in 2004

A new study by the National Association of Realtors® finds that first-time buyers accounted for 40% of home purchases, or 3.23 million sale transactions, in 2004’s booming residential market. At the same time, money flowing into the market from these first-time buyers helped equip existing home owners with the capital needed to purchase new residences.

"It's all due to entry-level buyers," confirms NAR spokesman Walter Molony. "Without the liquidity that first-time buyers are providing to the marketplace, we wouldn't be having record sales." The trend is expected to continue in the next 10 years or so as offspring from the baby boom generation age into their prime years for buying real estate and as more minorities and immigrants become better positioned to enter the purchase market. [return to top]

Luxury home sales hit full stride

Over the past year, luxury home sales in the United States have rebounded to surpass the rate of sales for lower-priced dwellings. Sales of Manhattan residences priced over $10 million, for example, have hit 68 so far this year — double the tally for all of last year; and the end-of-the-year season is expected to boost luxury home sales there even further. 

While the rise in high-end home sales can be partly attributed to skyrocketing residential prices, especially in hot markets like Los Angeles and San Francisco, real estate experts say the increase also is largely an indication of wealthy Americans' consumer confidence. Luxury buyers differ from the rest of U.S. home buyers in that their purchase decisions generally are unaffected by interest rates or market dips. (money.cnn.com)
CNNMoney (11/22/04) Max, Sarah [return to top]

Member Advantage: NAHB Members Save 15% on Payroll Processing With Paychex®
Paychex® Payroll Processing makes automated payroll efficient and cost-effective for any size organization. Paychex offers an array of services including Paychex Payroll Service, Taxpay®, Flexible Pay Package and Paychex Human Resource Services. For more details on any of these services, call 800-729-2439, visit the Paychex Web site at www.paychex.com, and mention code 5685. Or go to http://memberadvantage.nahb.org, click "view all member discounts," and scroll down to Paychex to take the Online Tour. Paychex has more than 100 locations across the U.S.

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. [return to top]