Decision Making Style of Women Business Owners Differs From Men Business Owners
A new report explores how women business owners seek advice, gather information and make decisions for their businesses.

One of the key findings, culled from nine studies done over more than a decade, shows that women are equally likely to rely on facts and information (47%) as they are on intuition, values and the quality of the relationship (53%) when making a decision. 

The majority of men emphasize the left-brain focus on facts and information (71%) when making a decision, while nearly a third (29%) are more right-brain focused, relying on intuition and the nature of the relationship.

Although women business owners are nearly evenly divided between left-brain and right-brain decision-making styles, they are significantly more likely than men owners to be right-brained decision makers (53% vs. 29%).

The report entitled, Women Business Owners as Decision Makers, is released by the Center for Women’s Business Research and underwritten by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, LLC.

“The implication of these findings is that a greater percentage of women business owners, when selecting service providers or developing partnerships, place a greater importance on  the values of the other company and its reputation than do men business owners,” said Marjorie Alfus, chair of the Center for Women’s Business Research. “All of the studies examined for this report paint a picture of women business owners as practical, informed, independent and resourceful decision makers with higher standards for quality and service than their men counterparts.”

The highest ranked factor influencing women entrepreneurs when making business decisions is being sure they have all the relevant information and data available. Second in importance is whether or not the decision is consistent with a strong gut feeling and third is being confident that the decision will result in the desired outcome and that it agrees with the advice of colleagues and external advisors.

When asked about general consumer purchasing, the most important factor affecting women business owners’ decision-making is the quality of the product. Women business owners are more likely than other working women to be influenced by the quality of the product and less likely to be influenced by price.

When it comes to shopping for consumer goods and services, women business owners place a greater value on convenience than other working women.  For example, they are more likely to shop via catalog (30% vs. 23%) and conduct online transactions (50% vs. 35%). They want to get in and out of stores more quickly (67% vs. 56%) and are less likely to shop at malls (42%  vs. 59%).  Women business owners also are more likely to use credit cards (30% vs. 14%) than other working women.

Women owners of high revenue and fast growing firms are more likely than other women business owners to consult with professional advisors. There are stark differences in the ways women and men business owners purchase technology.  In every way, women business owners are more concerned about the quality and service of the products and vendors they use.  For example, women attribute far more importance than men do to post-sale technical support from information technology vendors. 

The report, Women Business Owners as Decision Makers, is available from the Center for Women’s Business Research for $90. (Discounts are available for Center Corporate Partners and NAWBO members.) For further information, contact: Center for Women’s Business Research by phone at 202-638-3060 x10, or e-mail info@womensbusinessresearch.org.

The Center for Women’s Business Research is the premier source of knowledge about women business owners and their enterprises worldwide.  The Center’s mission is to unleash the economic potential of women entrepreneurs by conducting research, sharing information and increasing knowledge about this fast-growing sector of the economy. [return to top]

Urge Your Congressman to Cosponsor H.R. 5558, the Stormwater Enforcement and Permitting Act
Four weeks remain before Congress is scheduled to adjourn and focus full-time on the midterm elections, after which, a potentially new political climate could present new challenges for the home building industry.  In an effort to take full advantage of the time remaining before adjournment, NAHB is seeking your help to make a final push on H.R. 5558, the Stormwater Enforcement and Permitting Act, a critical piece of housing legislation that has been gaining momentum in Congress. 

The bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on June 8 by Congressman Jimmy Duncan (R-Tenn.).  Since then, 52 Members of Congress have agreed to cosponsor this bill, in large part because of the grassroots efforts made by members like you.
 
This bipartisan legislation would update and improve the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) implementation and enforcement of the permitting program for storm water discharges from residential construction sites.  It would reduce the regulatory burden placed on your business, reduce your costs and simplify compliance.

Although much has been done to advance this legislation, we must continue to demonstrate industry-wide support for this bill by garnering as many cosponsors as possible!

How You Can Help

Write your Member of Congress today and ask them to support H.R. 5558, the Stormwater Enforcement and Permitting Act, by adding their name as a cosponsor to the bill.

To write your Member of Congress, visit www.capitolconnect.com/nahb.  A sample letter has been provided for you.  Take a moment to personalize the letter by mentioning that you are a home builder and constituent in their congressional district.  Add any personal experiences you have had with storm water permitting requirements.

Overview

Current storm water permitting requirements and regulations are duplicative and burdensome; adding anywhere from $1,400 to $4,500 to the cost of every lot.  H.R. 5558 takes into account the differences between residential construction activities and other industries by creating a more balanced and reasonable approach to storm water management and enforcement. The measure would streamline the permit process, improve compliance and enhance environmental protection. 

Housing affordability is becoming a national concern and duplicative and burdensome storm water regulations add to the problem by pushing up the cost of housing.  Now is the time for Congress to update and improve these requirements.  H.R. 5558 will provide a more consistent and sensible regulatory approach that better protects America’s rivers and streams without unduly increasing housing costs or burdening your business.

If you would like more information about H.R. 5558, click here for a one-page summary of each section.

Please Give Us Your Feedback!

We want to know what your Member of Congress is saying about this request. Please fill out and send the attached "Quick-Fax Feedback Sheet," call your NAHB regional Federal Legislative Director, at 1-800-368-5242, x8470 or e-mail us at alertfeedback@nahb.com.

If you have questions about H.R. 5558, call Jim Tobin, NAHB staff vice president for legislative affairs, at 800-368-5242 x8258. [return to top]

Fall Board is Here!
After months of planning, the 2006 NAHB Fall Board of Directors meeting in Salt Lake City is almost here. Below is the Women’s Council Schedule. Please note that all Council meetings will take place in the Little America Hotel while all of the NAHB meetings are in the Grand America Hotel. The hotels are across the street from each other.

Thursday, Sept. 14
7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.                      Hospitality                                        Casper Room
7:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.                   Regional Trustees                          Flagstaff Room
10:30 a.m. – Noon                          Membership Committee                Flagstaff Room
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.                     Legislative Committee                    Flagstaff Room
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.                     Scholarship Committee                  Idaho Room
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.                     Communications Committee        Wasatch Room
3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.                     Area Trustees                                   Flagstaff Room
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.                     Celebrate Women Reception        Sun Valley Room

Friday, Sept. 15
7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.                      Hospitality                                           Casper Room
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.                   PNP’s and Past Chairs                    Flagstaff Room
11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.                   Board of Trustees and Delegates  Grand C
1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.                     Professional Women’s Forum        Wyoming Room

Saturday, Sept. 16
7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.                      Hospitality                                           Casper Room
8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.                   NAHB Area Caucuses                       Imperial 1
10:30 a.m. – Noon                          NAHB Executive Board                      Grand Ballroom
1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.                     NAHB Board of Directors                   Grand Ballroom

Sunday, Sept. 17
7:30 a.m. – Noon                             Hospitality                                            Casper Room
8:00 a.m. – Noon                             NAHB Board of Directors                  Grand Ballroom

  [return to top]

Homes of Our Own Coloring Book Now Available
One of the Council’s missions is to educate young children about home building and their environments. To provide that information, the Council has developed the "Homes of Our Own" coloring book, poster and related materials demonstrating how a house is built and the many ways that builders contribute to the environment during the building process. 
 
The coloring book also serves as an early introduction to the different trades and professions that are a part of home building.  Children learn about the role played by land developers, builders, landscapers, electricians, plumbers and other tradespeople during the different stages of construction.

The coloring book is a complete revision of the 1995 Homes of Our Own program. Other materials include an online coloring book and guides for facilitators and teachers.  NAHB’s Building Homes of Our Own program focuses on older children and students pursuing careers in the industry.

The coloring book is now available and is free of charge to Women’s Council members when ordered in bulk.

For more information and to order copies of these materials, please contact Petra Beane-Moore with the NAHB Women’s Council at 800-368-5242 x8433. [return to top]

Navigate the Challenges of Land Development
In an environment of increasing local governmental regulations and constraints on land use combined with a growing concern over smart growth, land development has become an even greater challenge for builders.

To better prepare for this challenge, BuilderBooks.com has released Land Development, 10th Edition, a step-by-step guide to help builders learn how to successfully navigate through the complicating land development process.

The recently released edition contains new sections that examine the latest environmental regulations affecting land development, emerging demographics for targeted marketing and new innovations in housing types. The book emphasizes flexibility in order to accommodate the ever-changing trends in demographics, plan designs, technology and regulations.

Land Development is written by Daisy Linda Kone, a Houston-based architect, planner and manager in the design-build residential construction industry who specializes in the environmental impact of construction and residential construction development.

 A key resource for developers, builders and students, Land Development helps readers better understand the interrelated factors that contribute to a successful land development project, including:

• Market study and analysis
• Financing
• Site selection and analysis
• Environment regulations
• Developing a master plan concept
• Site engineering and storm water management
• Neighborhood and street design

To purchase a copy of Land Development, 10th Edition, go to www.BuilderBooks.com, or call 800-223-2665.

NAHB Study Shows How Much Bathrooms Are Really Worth
Resulting from in-depth analysis by NAHB, builders and remodelers in suburban locations can now provide their customers with a fairly precise estimate of how much bathrooms add to the value of their homes.

Based on data from the American Housing Survey (AHS) and updated several times over the years, the NAHB model used to estimate the price effects of bathrooms “has consistently shown that an added bathroom has one of the strongest impacts of any home feature on single-family detached home values,” said NAHB economist Paul Emrath.

Looking at recently released data from last year’s AHS, the bottom-line results of the NAHB study reveal that a half-bath adds approximately 10.5% to a suburban home’s value and a full bath adds about 20%.Conducted every other year by the U.S. Census Bureau and funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the AHS surveys about 60,000 nationally representative housing units. The survey is used because it provides more detailed information on housing characteristics than any other national source, Emrath said.

“Having information on a variety of housing features is important when trying to control for other influences on house price and isolate the effects of a specific feature such as a bathroom,” he said. “As Nancy Wallace of the University of California at Berkeley, among others, has pointed out, a statistical model can only provide accurate estimates of the prices of various features if the model incorporates all the important features of a home.”

According to the AHS, a full bathroom has a flush toilet, either a bathtub or shower, a sink, and hot and cold running water. A half bath by definition has running water and only a toilet, bath or shower.

Balancing Beds and Baths

Emrath said the NAHB model suggests that home buyers tend to prefer a rough balance between the number of bedrooms and the number of bathrooms. Adding an extra bathroom increases the home’s value by a higher percentage when there are more bedrooms than baths.

“When the number of bathrooms is approximately equal to the number of bedrooms, an additional half bath adds about 10% to the home’s value, and converting the half bath to a full bath adds another, 9%, so one additional bath adds about 19% to the value,” Emrath said. When the home contains fewer bathrooms than bedrooms, “the percentage gains associated with an added bathroom can be somewhat larger.”

In a home that has only one bathroom, an additional half bath will increase the value of a standard two-bedroom home by 11.5%, a three-bedroom home by 12.0% and a four-bedroom by 12.5%. “The greater the disparity between beds and baths, the more there is to gain, in percentage terms, by adding an additional bath,” he said. “One way to interpret this is that when there is an excess of bedrooms over bathrooms, an additional bathroom makes the bedroom more valuable.”

Because the AHS doesn’t collect information on such features as whirlpool baths or multiple sinks, the extent to which the estimated value of an additional bathroom would in part include the value of these extra amenities has to involve speculation, he said.

For information that home owners can use to compare the actual cost of a bathroom addition to how much it will add to the dollar value of their home, click here. The data is broken down regionally — with California being separated from the rest of the West because its home prices are much higher — and by the square footage of the home and the number of bedrooms.

To access the NAHB House Price Estimator interactively online and experiment with various combinations of amenities to see how they change the value of a home, click here.

For more information, e-mail Paul Emrath at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8449. [return to top]

Free NAHB Video Shows Members How to Deal With the Media
A free, new video from NAHB provides members and HBAs pointers on how to talk to reporters when contacted for interviews for stories.

The video, “Communicating Effectively with the Media,” and an accompanying tip sheet, can be accessed on the “members only” side of the NAHB Web site by clicking here.

With home building a top issue among local, regional and national news organizations, the quick, seven-minute video summarizes what to do when contacted by a reporter; how to prepare for an interview; how to respond to reporters' questions; how to avoid common mistakes people make when conducting an interview; and more.

The video also provides a superb refresher to NAHB’s spokesperson training program.

The following are some helpful pointers from the video and tip sheet:

General Media Tips to Remember

• As a general rule of thumb, don’t answer a reporter’s question if you do not know the answer or are unprepared. Give yourself time to prepare for the interview and then answer the questions.

What to Do When Contacted by a Reporter

• Get the reporter’s name and phone number, and then set up a mutually convenient time for the interview.
• Find out what story the reporter is working on so you can prepare for the interview.

Tips for the Interview

• Jot down notes on note cards with main points that you want to address. This will help you remember numbers/statistics or a Web address, etc.
• Give clear, concise answers to questions and wait for follow-up questions.
• Admit when you don’t know the answer. Don’t pretend to know something you don’t.

Some Other Pointers

• Never say, “No comment.” Instead, explain why you cannot answer a question.
• Never go “off the record.”
• Avoid jargon. Use words readers or the audience will understand.

More tips are available on the video and tip sheet.

To access the new NAHB media relations video and tip sheet, visit www.nahb.org/mediaguide on the “members only” side of the NAHB Web site.

In addition to the media relations video, NAHB offers a host of other public relations resources tools, including a PR Toolkit, spokesperson training and talking points on relevant issues. All of these resources can be found on the NAHB Web site by clicking here. Or, contact NAHB Public Relations for help.

For information, e-mail Paul Lopez at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8409. [return to top]

Play Free Builders' Pro Football for Prizes and Fun
Join and play in the Builders Football League (BFL) on HGTVPro.com — the free, online pro football "pick 'em" contest with a special league for NAHB members.

Playing is free, fun and easy ― and participants have a chance to win weekly prizes or the grand prize — a Panasonic 61-inch high definition TV — at the end of the season.

How to Join and Play

• Go to HGTVPro.com's Builders Football League to sign up.
• Log in and join the NAHB League and use the password: BEATJERRY, or
• Log in and join the 20 Club League (for 20 Club members only) and use the password: 20Power.
• Pick the winning teams each week from Sunday's NFL football match-ups. Helpful "pick" tools and stats make the game fun for rookies and veterans alike.
• Earn bonus points playing against top TV celebrities and NAHB CEO Jerry Howard (Howard is an avid Oakland Raiders fan).
• Play against your friends, HBA colleagues and co-workers by joining the NAHB League within the BFL.
• Keep track of your prowess.

Join now so you can start picking beginning with the first games of the season on Sept. 7.

To join the Builders Football League and begin picking winners, click here.

For more information, go to www.nahb.org/bfl. [return to top]