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www.NAHB.org
Week of September 1, 2003

Front Page

President's Message

* Building for Tomorrow Starts With Accommodative Housing Policies

Housing Forum

* Builders Care About Saving Trees

Housing and Economics

* New Home Sales Headed for a Banner Year
* July Existing-Home Sales Smash Record
* Eye on the Economy

Systems Building

* Systems-Built Housing Is on the Rise

Multifamily

* Post Office Easing Mailbox Retrofit Requirement
* Good Management Can Stamp Out Apartment Meth Labs

Business Management

* Don’t Mix Personal Funds and Company Finances (If You Can Help It)

Sales and Marketing

* Productive Direct Mailing: It’s All in the Detailing

Small Builders and Remodelers

* There Are Three Good Reasons to Earn an NAHB Designation

Housing Finance

* Navy Announces Privatization Project for Pacific Northwest

Seniors Housing

* Forget What You Used to Know About the Retirement Market

Labor

* Builders to Train Dallas Youths in Construction Trades

Building Products

* New Line of Insulation Is Formaldehyde-Free

Women's Council

* Women Building a Legacy One House at a Time

Member Dividends

* New York Focuses on Associate Member Retention and Recruitment With NAHB Help

International Housing

* Mexico Is Focus of International Housing Conference

Building News Coast To Coast

Association News & Events

* Survey Aimed at Improving Arbitration Services
* Boost Your Marketing Through These Awards Programs
* Calendar of Events

NBN Back Issues

 

There Are Three Good Reasons to Earn an NAHB Designation

1. It Makes a Strong Statement

A commitment to industry education makes a very strong statement.

It tells your clients that in order to offer them the best possible service you are willing to invest your time in staying current with the latest developments in the industry. It tells your employees that the continuing education that is essential for professional advancement in your company is required of the boss as well. It tells  your business partners — trade contractors, vendors, bankers, accountants — that you are a cut above the competition and that you understand the long-term benefits of investing in industry education. And it tells your family that you are willing do whatever it takes, including “going back to class,” in order to be the best provider you can be.

2. It Provides Access to a Network of Experts

Your classmates will become your board of directors. As small business owners, we do not have a personnel, marketing or information technology department to use as a resource when we need help. We do, however, have the friends and the peers we have come to know through our builders association.

The friends I have made through the many designation classes I have attended have helped my business. They understand my business and the challenges it faces because they are builders themselves. These are the professionals who will be there when you need them, and they are a whole lot friendlier than any corporate IT department.


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3. It Provides an Industry-Specific Education

The process of earning NAHB credentials provides you with the specific information you need to prosper in the industry. Earning a college undergraduate and even a graduate degree doesn't focus on the skills that apply directly and specifically to your type of business.

When you are working on your NAHB designation, you don't just take a sales and marketing class. You take “Sales and Marketing for Remodelers." A class in project management won't be generic; instruction will be broken down into "Off-Site” and “On-Site.”

“Job Costing for Dry Cleaners” and “Profit Margins for Street Sweepers” is not going to help you. Click here for more information on NAHB’s designation programs. They are the best in the industry and they will get you started today on the construction-specific education that you and your business deserve.

Michael Strong, CGR is the vice president of Brother's Strong, Inc. in Houston, which was named the 2003 Texas Remodeler of the Year. He is a member of the Remodelors™ Council Board of Trustees and served as the 2001 chair of the CGR Board of Governors. In addition to his CGR, he also has a BA, MA and MBA, and plans on completing his GMB requirements next year.


SHOWCASE 2003 Features the Latest About the Building Systems Industry

To learn more about the future of the building systems industry, including the most innovative ideas and exciting trends, attend SHOWCASE 2003 from Nov. 2-5 in Hot Springs VA. For more information or to register for Building Systems Councils SHOWCASE 2003, click here.

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