• It's about your client, not you

    By Rob Heselbarth - Friday February 20, 2009
    From Rob H -- Are you sick of hearing this; "You can't do business the way you used to." For the past few months I wasn't sure exactly what that meant. I wondered, "OK, then how CAN you do business?" But now I'm beginning to think I've figured it out. One interpretation is that the hard sell doesn't work anymore. You can't keep pressuring people to give you money because they don't have it. Companies that continue to turn the screws on their clients succeed only at upsetting them for not understanding their situation. The more appropriate and successful way to go after business is to understand that your clients have limited funds, and to present them with solutions that make sense for THEM, not you. As I prepare an article for the...
  • Color expert packs 'em in

    By Rob Heselbarth - Thursday February 5, 2009
    If you have any doubt about homeowners' interest in the appearance of their homes, let go of that doubt and trust me when I tell you they're interested. About 100 people braved single-digit temperatures to cram themselves into a paint store in Barrington, Ill., on a Wednesday night, just to hear color expert Dee Schlotter, color marketing manager for Pittsburgh Paints, talk for 30 minutes about the hot colors for 2009. Among the handful of color combinations and other trends she discussed, Schlotter highlighted The Colors of Fallingwater, a line of paint colors inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright's classic Fallingwater home in southwestern Pennsylvania. Although the color scheme is not new, Schlotter called attention to the way Wright drew...
  • Green Building Standards

    - Monday February 2, 2009
    Big news! Green Building Standards are now available. The American National Standards Institute approved the standards last Thursday. This news is big for the custom build/design industry. These new standards give some clarity to trades as well as homeowners. Homeowners now have something to rely on when someone tells them "this is green." Below is a release from NAHB about the approval. It's definitely a great step forward for the industry.  -------------------------------- NAHB APPLAUDS ANSI APPROVAL OF NATIONAL GREEN BUILDING STANDARD WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 --The National Green Building Standard for all residential construction work including single-family homes, apartments and condos, land development and remodeling and renovation...
  • Not crying about the market

    By Rob Heselbarth - Monday January 26, 2009
    From Rob H - I was at the International Builders Show last week, and feel good about what I saw. I visited almost 30 manufacturer booths in just over two days, and it was clear that manufacturers are not sitting back waiting for things to get better. They're not crying about the state of the housing industry, they're working hard to provide builders, architects and ultimately homeowners with innovative products for their homes. Each manufacturer I saw continues to launch new products and go after new markets. When the market finally turns around, builders and architects will have plenty of great new products available to help you differentiate and thrive. Latch on to their energy and aggressiveness and apply it to your business today...
  • Industry Awards

    - Friday January 9, 2009
    Yesterday, the American Institute of Architects announced the winners of its 2009 Honor Awards. As noted in the press release about the winners, projects range from commercial, religious buildings to residential settings. It's an impressive list of winners from all over the world. These winners will be honored at the AIA Convention which is held in San Francisco this year - April 30 through May 2. Award programs such as the esteemed AIA Honor Awards are wonderful for the trade community. They not only recognize the innovative and talented people in the industry but they also allow these people to inspire their peers. And winning awards not only gives you industry recognition but they also allow you to market something extra to your...
  • Green building

    - Friday December 12, 2008
    RD&B magazine sent a survey to readers in November 2008 to get insight into the industry. The results were interesting - some surprising and some expected. One statistic that wasn't necessarily surprising was that 72% of respondents said their green practices will increase in 2009. And with that, only 1.5% of respondents said they don't use green practices at all. Codes and laws regulating green/energy-efficiency seem to becoming the standard. EPA now has its WaterSense program to regulate water-saving products; LEED helps builders certify their projects as green; and more associations are providing resources on green topics. But at some point does green building simply mean good building? I met an architect on my flight home from...
  • CBIA calls builders to act

    - Thursday December 4, 2008
    I received a release this morning from the California Building Industry Association calling for members to voice their concern of a new proposed law by the California Resources Air Board. This new law would put a new cap on emission gasses which the CBIA says would put a greater burden on the housing industry. The CBIA expresses urgency and emotion in the release.  California does have a reputation of having strict building/housing codes. But does this new law go too far? Will it really affect the housing market as harshly as the release implies? For California builders, what is your opinion of this new change happening in your state? Check out the release here. The release also includes a link to a page for voicing your...
  • AIA releases survey on compensation

    - Tuesday December 2, 2008
    The Dow was down again yesterday which seems to be a weekly occurrence. But despite the issues on Wall Street, the American Institute of Architects released its compensation survey at the beginning of November with promising results. According to the release, "... a nearly six percent annual increase in average compensation for architecture positions between 2005 and 2008, the strongest period of growth since AIA began collecting compensation information in 1990." This sounds like positive news! Especially with all the negative news we hear about the housing market. Click here to view the complete report. So, are the survey results realistic with what residential architects and designers are experiencing in the custom home...
  • NAHB release on bank bailouts

    - Tuesday November 25, 2008
    NAHB released a report today about the purchase of FDIC banks negatively affecting the housing market. At one point in the release, it touches on the homebuilders in Texas who have been mostly insulated from the slowdown. Click here to read the release. Are the recent bailout actions impacting your construction loans, and/or business?
  • Online marketing

    - Monday November 24, 2008
    When times are tough, there's a saying that companies should focus on marketing even more so than before. This is sometimes easier said than done. When companies have to weigh where to lot their valuable dollars, in most cases marketing is left off the table. But, with the new internet age, there are many marketing tools that are free. Taking advantage of these online marketing tools might be just what companies need to get through the next few months. What online tools, if any, are you using?