NW Natural Street of Dreams Starts This Week!

The 2009 NW Natural Street of Dreams “Views of the Pearl” opens August 1 and showcases four of Portland’s premiere condominium home developments, featuring nine incredible penthouses ranging in price from $1 to $2.5 million. With a focus on LEED standard and eco-friendly materials, the dream condos include the latest in home innovations and design, including wrap around balconies and hot tubs with a stunning city view.

Viewing the 2009 NW Natural Street of Dreams is a snap. Simply click on the tickets link to buy your 2009 Street of Dreams Pearl Pass.

Not only will your Pearl Pass provide access to nine gorgeous penthouses, all featuring the latest and greatest in design and sustainability, it will provide you with savings of over $6,500 at local Pearl District businesses, free rides on the street car and discounted parking for the month of August.

Don’t miss the NW Natural Street of Dreams website where you will find ideas and inspiration from the show, descriptions of the featured condos and profiles of the developers and designers.

Nine Tips for Navigating Online Social Media

From Command Creative Blog by Kevin Curry

Last week, I talked to a the Professional Remodelers Organization about online social media. My hope was to take a little of the fear out of using online social media to market your business. They’d all heard of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc., but like many people they were still intimidated and lost about how it can be a marketing tool.

Here are the notes from my talk. Hopefully, I put a few of them at ease!

1. It’s just another communication tool, don’t be afraid of it. The same approach to meeting people at a face to face networking event is applicable to online networking.

At its simplest, it’s just like other mediums (e.g. radio, TV, print). It can be targeted, there is good stuff to learn, there is a bunch of fluff, and there are paid and unpaid ways to use it.

Bottom line, think of it as another tool.

2. It’s still a young communication tool, so how it is used is still evolving. Twitter, for example, is only about two and a half years old. The transition from marketing on radio to marketing TV went through an evolution as well, remember live announcers and full sponsorship of TV shows?

3. As with any medium, you need a plan or strategy for how you will use it. What is your goal? Customer engagement? Customer service? Brand awareness? Promote specials? Build a community? It can be all, or some, of these, and maybe even something else.

4. Who is your audience? Your target market? Like with any medium, who do you want to reach?

5. Engage others based on your strategy and goals. Follow or friend others who provide good information you can use or share with others. Seek out those in your target audience/market.

6. Promote your online identity to customers. Qdoba, a Mexican restaurant, does this with a sign on the counter where you order. Tell your customers to follow you for promotions or customer service, give them a peek behind the curtain at your business. Drive traffic to your website.

7. Share your knowledge. You are an expert in your field, let people know your opinion on new products, approaches, news or blog articles etc. For example, at our sister company, Lyon Films, we share behind the scenes photos from our shoots via Twitter (@lyonfilms) and posted on our blog (www.LyonFilms.com/blog).

8. Be open to organic changes in your use. This includes your consumption of social media and your distribution via social media. It’s fluid and will change over time.

9. Be authentic, people want to hear your voice, not a contrived one. That being said, always remember that you are representing yourself and your brand.

Buy Tickets to the 2009 Safeway Classic and 100% Is Donated to the Home Builders Foundation

EPA Releases Initial List of Lead Paint Trainers

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently released its initial list of four EPA-accredited training organizations that will provide required training for remodelers and renovators under the EPA’s Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting rule governing the work of professional remodelers in homes where there is lead-based paint. (One of which is in Seattle YEAH!!)

The EPA is also reviewing additional applications for training providers that prepare remodelers for implementation of the rule and certification.

To view the current list, visit www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/trainingproviders.htm.

The rule, which will take effect on April 22, 2010, addresses remodeling and renovation projects disturbing more than six square feet of potentially contaminated painted surfaces for all residential and multifamily structures built prior to 1978 that are inhabited or frequented by pregnant women and children under the age of six.

When the rule takes effect, firms working in pre-1978 homes will need to be certified by the EPA and must follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination. The fee for a firm’s certification is $300.

Along with the firm certification, the rule specifies that, for work done in pre-1978 homes, an employee will also need to be certified as a certified renovator and be responsible for training other employees and oversee work practices and cleaning on the job.

The training will be conducted during an eight-hour class and include two hours of hands-on training.

The certification of a firm and a certified renovator will be valid for five years. A certified renovator will be required to take a four-hour refresher course to be recertified under the rule.

July PRO Luncheon

Thank you to Fisher Roofing for hosting our July PRO Luncheon.

 

How Do You Measure The ROI Of Your HBA PRO Membership Dues?

I found the article below by Jeff Hurt that I thought was particularly insightful in regards to return on investment for association membership dues.  Since the PRO has recently changed our name, brand and logo this topic has been on my mind. 

Read the article below then leave a comment to share your views.

Article by Juff Hurt, Midcourse Corrections

How do you measure the ROI of your association membership dues? What is the value of your association membership? What dollar amount would you put on the value of your membership?

What tangible benefits do you receive by joining an association? How do you choose which association you’re going to join each year? Is it based on the number of “leads” you receive for possible new business? Is it the networking opportunities? Do you place a high value on the mission of the organization and want to align with it? Or do you join because you care about the industry and want to further its goals?

Perhaps you join because you want to learn new information, meet like-minded individuals and engage in community? Or maybe you join because you’re new to the industry and want to learn more? Or do you join so you can put it on your resume? Or because you’ve always been a member?

Associations by their very nature exist primarily for their membership. An association’s members are considered its owners, customers and stakeholders. Most have a governing structure that is “member-driven, board directed and staff managed.” (Or at least they are supposed to!) In most associations—whether charity, education, professional or trade–members have a voice and a vote. Members have a say in the structure and priorities of the association, the right to elect board members and officers, and the ability to approve bylaw amendments. The formal association structure goes far beyond the discounts, newsletter and information.

I have worked for associations for nearly 20 years and have learned the standard association elevator speech: “We exist to provide education, government relations, networking and research for our members.” Some people would add community to that list of services.

People usually join associations for one of two primary reasons: because they believe in the mission of the organization or they receive benefits that are worth the member fee.

So…What is the value of being a HBA member? Why join the PRO in addition to the HBA? How do you measure the ROI of your membership dues? What benefits do you expect from your membership fees? Why did you join the Organization?

Singing the praises of unsung heroes: Tough economic climate fails to deter progress on major Home Builders Foundation project

By: Luke Morley, HBF Board Member

The Foundation’s Cordero House remodel, which breaks ground in just a few weeks, is a daunting challenge. Cordero House is a community based treatment program providing a safe haven for teenage boys. The original objective was to simply increase the number of beds at Cordero House, as the highly successful program had been forced to turn away applicants due to a lack of capacity.

But the tired, old 6,500 square foot structure was also in dire need of major repair, a fact that was not lost on builder captains Jim Feild of Progressive Builders Northwest and Mike Arnett of Lifestyle Homes. Feild and Arnett deduced that a $900,000 remodel of the facility would be required to convert this “facility” into a real “home.”

Feild feels that “donor creativity” has made the difference in an otherwise stingy environment for contributions of expertise and materials. “Individuals and companies have risen to the occasion to show their support for the project. While the donation may not be what was originally intended, they are still on board with co-op opportunities. The Foundation and its partners are looking for other ways to help, including helping write a grant that got the Cordero House $12,000 worth of kitchen appliances from the USDA. Thinking “out of the box” ensures the success of all us and allows us to fulfill our promises during these times.”

As Mike Arnett so aptly stated, “It may not be as easy to maintain our individual donations and commitments in these unprecedented times, but for those in our industry who are able to stay the course, there’s a house full of kids eagerly waiting the fruits of our giving, whose counseling and treatment will be enhanced and expanded exponentially. That’s our ultimate goal…helping these individuals move on with their lives, enabling them to make a positive difference in the world at large.”

Never having been known to “mince” words, Feild concludes, “Making the Cordero House a part of what I do this year is still a priority regardless of the adversity surrounding us. We all are busy. My experience with busy people is that busy people get things done. So let’s get this done!

Major HBF Contributors:
Alarm Access Control Technologies
Blazer Development
Central Air
Farnsworth Building
Design and Planning
Gary’s Vacuflow
George Morland Plumbing
Globe Lighting
JB Insulation
Jim Fisher Roofing
Lakeside Lumber
Lamps Plus
Lifestyle Homes
Medallion Industries
Milgard Windows
Miller Paint
ProBuild
Progressive Builders NW
Red’s Electric
Sherwin-Williams
Sports Court of Oregon
Terry Voss Framing
The Carpet Place
United Tile
Westland Industries, Inc.

Happy 4th of July!

Don’t forget there will be no Fort Vancouver fireworks show this year.  If you need an alternative location to get your yearly fireworks fix click here for a list of all the local fireworks displays.

Hope you all have a happy and safe 4th of July!

Did you know: Robert G. Heft is a designer of the 50-star flag for the United States of America. He spent his childhood in Lancaster, Ohio, where he created the flag as a school project.

He designed the current U.S. flag in 1958 while living with his grandparents. He was 17 years old at the time and did the flag design as a class project. He unstitched the blue field from a family 48-star flag, sewed in a new field, and used iron-on white fabric to add 100 hand-cut stars, 50 on each side of the blue canton.

He originally received a “B-” for the project. After discussing the grade with his high school teacher, Stanley Pratt, it was agreed that if the flag was accepted by Congress, the grade would be reconsidered. Heft’s flag design was chosen and adopted by presidential proclamation after Alaska and before Hawaii was admitted into the union in 1959. According to Heft, his teacher did keep to their agreement and changed his grade to an “A” for the project.

Mind Your Own Business: A current approach to marketing and finding more business

July 20 * 1-5 p.m.
Presented by the Professional Remodelers Organization
$25 PRO Members / $35 HBA Members / $45 Non-Members

While many business people get into business because they are extremely skilled, there is a growing need to marry the craft knowledge with ways to best monetize such skill sets. Spend some time working on your business for a change rather than working so hard in it.  Mind Your Own Business is an “edutaining” combination of relevant open discussion-based topics specifically geared towards your business.  Ken Jones is a Master Professor Entrepreneurial Studies and an entrepreneur himself.  He will cover branding, social media, competitive marketplace, proactive selling, return on investments and off balance sheet assets.

Click her to register.

Ken Jones, MBA has more than 25 years of experience creating, building, and selling businesses. His background includes an array of responsibilities with documented success in the areas of entrepreneurial development, turnaround management consulting, software development and implementation, and e-business creation. Jones’ background also includes experience in financial management, sales management, and strategic marketing. Jones teaches the Business Management Workshop, and wrote and teaches Mind Your Own Business, and Sales: Managing the Outcome.

Street of Dreams News: What you need to know

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
The Professional Remodelers Organization will be running the official Street of Dreams parking lot as a fund raiser for our group.  Volunteers will be needed to direct traffic, collect money and ensure safety within the parking lot.  The parking lot will be open every Saturday and Sunday in August.   Come out and have a great time interacting with an excited and energized public. Make sure to wear your company’s logo shirts, sunscreen and comfortable shoes. For more information or to volunteers, please contact Sarah at 503-684-1880.

IDEA GALLERY
The Idea Gallery is now open for a third weekend (August 22-23). The first weekend (Aug. 8-9) is a few slots from being full, and the second (Aug. 15-16) and third are well on their way. Don’t miss this great opportunity to showcase your products to the 60,000+ consumers that attend the show annually. Call Hallie at the HBA to reserve your booth today.

TICKETS
1.  Tickets are available online at www.streetofdreamspdx.com for $13.00 until July 15. Simply type in “2off” when you check out to receive the discount.
2.  Tickets are available at all Safeway locations beginning July 1. Receive a $2.00 discount by showing your Safeway Club card.
3.  Tickets are also available at NW Rugs and Bedmart.
4.  Bulk tickets are available at the HBA. They are $13 (for 10-19), $12.50 (for 20-49) and $12 (for 50+).

PEARL PASS
Seventy Pearl District businesses have now signed up to take part in the Pearl Pass Program, making your NW Natural Street of Dreams ticket worth close to $6,000 in discounts and freebies! Visit the SOD website to view a full list of the participating businesses and the discounts they are offering.

SPONSORS
Thank you NW Natural, John L. Scott and BASCO for your continued support of the Street of Dreams. This year’s show is shaping up to be one of our most exciting and unique yet, and we are so glad that you are once again a part of it!

Also, thank you to the Oregonian, Oregon Live, NW Rugs, and BedMart for your support and participation in our first-ever urban edition of the show.