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The Tuesday Toolbox
will now be published bi-monthly instead of weekly.
The next issue will be delivered to your mailbox on September 29, 2009.
Please read your newsletter for important dates and events! |
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NEW OFFICE HOURS
Monday
through
Thursdays
8:30 am to 4:30 pm
For more information on Association Events please visit the HBAGTA website at
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MAKE A CONNECTION WITH THE HBAGTA! |
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 Twitter
 Facebook
 LinkedIn
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CALENDAR AND
EVENT LINKS |
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September 17, 2009
The Grand Vision
Action Plan
TAAR OFFICE
5:00 TO 7:00 PM
September 18, 2009
Office Closed
September 25, 2009
Office Closed
October 3 & 4, 2009
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BUILDER HELPER SAVES TIME & MONEY! |
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The newest HBAGTA member benefit was unveiled last night at the General Membership meeting. For those who missed it, this free internet software for builders and trades professionals to assist them with estimating, bidding, scheduling and warranty management is called Builder Helper. It will soon be available in the Grand Traverse region thanks to the generosity of some local sponsors. Trades associates who sign up will get a free basic account that allows them to network with HBA builders and bid online with up to 3 general contractors. It also offers trades professionals a chance to receive email and text messages regarding open bids. This eliminates a great deal of running around town chasing down potential jobs. General Contractors can save a great deal of money by not having to make duplicate sets of plans. All building project plans can be stored electronically and distributed to those you wish. Think about the value of having your "to scale" plans readily available to your subcontractors. Imagine the time savings of sending rapid email or cell phone notifications to open bidding. A free training will soon be available for any HBA member interested. An email invitation will be sent from Builder Helper within a few days. However, for more information, check out www.builderhelper.com. Flyers about Builder Helper are also available at the HBA office. MORE INFORMATION |
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THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR!
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Sponsor Link
CONTACT THE HBAGTA TO BECOME A TUESDAY TOOLBOX SPONSOR!
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DTE BUILDER OFFER
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The Fall Showcase of Remodeled Homes is just around the corner and DTE has an exclusive offer, just for you as a participant of the showcase. As you know, natural gas is the best choice to extend the outdoor season in Michigan. Natural gas is always available, an uninterruptable fuel source all year round that can be used for grilling, heating the patio on cool evening nights or sitting around a cozy campfire.
Special Offer:
DTE has purchased a limited number of Gas Convenience Outlets that makes it very easy for a homeowner to utilize natural gas for their outdoor cooking and heating needs. Please see www.bbymfg.com for additional information on this product. If your home will be using natural gas from DTE and you are willing to install a natural gas stub to your Remodeled Home deck or patio, DTE will furnish a natural gas convenience outlet free of charge! What better way to distinguish your home from the rest. Quantities are limited so call now to reserve your natural gas outlet for your Remodeled Home.
Please contact Cortney Robertson TODAY at 231-932-2837 to secure your Natural Gas Convenience
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| Greetings! ,
 I Just Love it when a Plan Comes Together!
Remember "Mr. T" and the "A-Team"? Well, our plan did in fact "come together"! All of us who have been working behind the scenes are very excited about the HBA's Showcase of Remodeled Homes coming up October 3rd and 4th. We have 11 featured home remodeling projects that are incredible examples of the talent and resourcefulness of our HBA professionals. Thank you to all our "early adopters"! We appreciate you sharing our vision of creating another venue in which to promote HBA members' expertise to the general public. We are particularly grateful to Scott Duensing of DesignCraft Homes by Duensing Construction for being our Showcase Sponsor this year. Our featured projects are brought to us by:
Bay Construction, Inc.
Casey Edick Construction
F.L. Padella Company, Inc.
Grand Bay Builders
Klingelsmith Construction, Inc.
McMasters Construction, Inc.
Packer Builders
Peterson Homes, LLC
DesignCraft Homes by Duensing Construction
Mission Bay Contracting and Renovations, LLC
Team Bob's Heating, Cooling and Plumbing
The Showcase Guide, a 32-page full color magazine, is at the printers and should be in our hands next week. This magazine not only depicts the "before" and "after" of each project, it also contains informative articles by HBA "experts" on a wide range of topics from flooring to thermal imaging and granite & marble to tankless water heaters. There is also a feature that truly explains green building to the potential home remodeler.
Tickets are now on sale ($3 each or two for $5) at the HBA office, the Visitor's Center, Brown Lumber, Floor Covering Brokers, Wooden Hammer and Habitat for Humanity. A portion of the proceeds from these ticket sales will go to support Habitat. Tickets may also be purchased at a discount in corporate bundles. For more information, call Kerry at the HBA office at 946-2305.
As Always, Building a Stronger Association
 Executive Officer
p: 231.946.2305
f: 231.946.1051
toll free: 800.422.5166
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BE A PART OF SOMETHING BIG! |
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 Want to be part of something big? How about helping grow your association?
On October 6th, the HBA will launch their 3rd annual Membership Drive with a Kick-Off party at a location TBA. The theme this year? . . . Super Heros! So pull out your cape from the closet and or rev up your Batmobile - we need you!!
Already teams are forming and the competition is going to be fierce but fun. The drive is really simple . . . . "Party, two days and a party!" Short and sweet. We will contact new member candidates at our Drive Central on the lower level of the HBA office on Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 7th and 8th. Then we will celebrate at a special general membership celebration party on Oct. 12th at Pro-Build compliments of BJ Stark and his crew.
How Can I Help?
Are you interested in getting some new clients or customers yourself? How about offering all new HBA members something unique from your business? Marketing gurus will tell you not everyone takes you up on these special offers, but you can be certain that those who approach you are definitely those interested in your products and services. Can you offer a free carpet cleaning, room painting, yard fertilizing, oil change, hour of consultation, or a special product with no strings attached? Great! Please contact Kathy or Jenny or any member of the HBA Membership Committee: Denny Lauterbach, Jeff DuFort, Dale Bush, Bill Packer, and Donn Westman within the week.
Can't think of anything to offer a new member? How about helping reward our recruiters? Could you donate a gift certificate, basket of gifts, product or service? These things mean a great deal to those working the phones. Regardless of how you can help, please know your support is crucial. Too shy to wear an "S" on your chest? That's okay! Just let us know that you're willing to take part in the "biggest and best HBAGTA membership drive ever! We'll find something that fits you perfectly. |
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SHOWCASE OF REMODELED HOMES |
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SATURDAY & SUNDAY
OCTOBER 3 & 4
12pm to 6pm each day |
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Tickets $3 each or two for $5
Ticket Outlets include:
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Brown Lumber
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Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau
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Floor Covering Brokers
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Wooden Hammer (T.C. and Elk Rapids)
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Home Builders Association
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Habitat for Humanity ReStore
A portion of ticket sales will benefit Habitat for Humanity.
Member Company tickets available for $2 each in packets of 100. Contact Kerry to arrange purchase. |
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT |
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The following courses and assessments have been scheduled for this fall in the Roger Papineau Professional Development Center:
*Required courses for CGP (Certified Green Professionals Designation).
^Required courses for CAPS (Certified Aging In Place Specialist Designation). |
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THE GRAND VISION TAKES ACTION |
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 The Grand Vision has heard from the public about what changes we want to see in our community; now it is time for action.
On behalf of the newly organizing Grand Vision Transportation Working Group, I am pleased to invite you to an opportunity to learn from another part of the country about how our region might organize ourselves to effectively address our many transportation infrastructure needs. We are very fortunate to have an opportunity to learn from the Albuquerque/ Santa Fe New Mexico region about how they established a regional transit district that ultimately resulted in their Rail Runner Express commuter rail service. Please join us as our region considers how to create a regional network of safe and efficient public transportation services that provide residents with a choice.
Thursday September 17th, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
At the Traverse Area Association of Realtors office (852 Garfield avenue, next to Ethan Allen--parking is behind the building)
Speakers:
Chris Blewett, Project Manager of the Rail Runner Express and
Lawrence Rael, Executive Director of the Mid-Region Council of Governments.
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GM AUTHORIZATION JUST GOT EASIER! |
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Great news! GM and NAHB have agreed to go back to the old GM authorization process that was in place back in 2006 and 2007. Here is an overview of the process for your records.
Quick Steps to Get Authorization to Save $500:
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Go to www.nahb.org/ma and click on the GM logo.
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Click on the "Get Your Proof of Membership Form" button
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If the member is logged in to www.nahb.org, the page will populate with their information. If not, the page will prompt them to either log-in to nahb.org or to create a log-in if they do not have one already. Members will need their pin number to create a log-in.
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Print the "Proof of Membership" documentation and give to the dealer.
Process for New and/or Recently Renewed Members:
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The member should contact their local HBA to gain immediate access to the program.
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The HBA will need to fill out a form that they will fax to the member directly.
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If the HBA has questions about how to do this, complete instructions can be found in the Member Advantage Toolkit.
Additional information about the GM program, as well as all other member discounts, can be found at www.nahb.org/ma. | |
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HOW TO CREATE AN ENDLESS STREAM OF QUALIFIED TRAFFIC
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Waiting and Hoping are two of the most common marketing strategies builders are using today. Sadly, these simply don't work to drive sales.
Instead of waiting for prospects to find you and hoping somebody buys a home from you today, why not take decisive, deliberate action to make sales happen.
Need some direction? What to know what's working for other builders to create traffic and sales right now? Then be sure to attend the webinar Creating Traffic to Your Model Home or Sales Center, featuring renowned marketing expert, Bonnie Alfriend.
Bonnie will reveal tried and tested promotional activities that generate traffic and leads to your place of business. You'll find new ways to make the most of your investment in your and use it to your advantage. And, you'll discover how other builders across the country make their model homes and sales centers work for them.
This webinar will cover:
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Advertising tips to help increase traffic
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How thinking out of the box and being unique can make a difference
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Creative marketing & promotional programs
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Specific case studies
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The value of merchandising
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How using publicity helps build traffic
Register today:http://www.builderradio.com/TraverseWebinars to attend "Creating Traffic to Your Model Home or Sales Center"
Bonnie Alfriend is the founder of Sales & Marketing Solutions, a nationally known sales and management training company that works exclusively with builders. Bonnie has won numerous awards, including the NAHB Trina Ripley Excellence in Education Award. In this 1-hour seminar, Bonnie will share what's working for builders around the country to create qualified traffic and generate more sales.
Topic: Creating Traffic to Your Model Home or Sales Center
Date: Live Presentation: Wednesday, September 16th at 2:00pm EST
Time: 3PM Atlantic, 2PM Eastern, 1PM Central, 12 Noon Mountain, 11AM Pacific, & 8AM Honolulu
Note: Audio/powerpoint recording available after September 18th.
Registration: $37 per computer... So gather the entire team for this event!
Register Here. http://www.builderradio.com/TraverseWebinars
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NAHB WEBINAR - BEYOND THE BEST-CASE SCENARIO |
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Beyond the Best-Case Scenario:Positioning Your Company to Take Advantage of the Downturn
September 17, 2009
2:00 to 3:00 pm
Single family home sales rose 11% in June, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. This is great news, but the housing industry isn't done transforming itself yet.
When the dust of the housing shakeup settles, the builders and other housing professionals left standing strong will be the ones who made a plan for the future. What's the smartest way to create that plan while staying on top of the current market's challenges?
In the Beyond the Best-Case Scenario audio seminar, Ross Robbins and Manny Schatz, outline a three-step process to do just that. It starts with controlling what can be controlled now and preparing for any market in the future. This approach puts you in the driver's seat and helps you to be more realistic about your options. Robbins' strategic process will show you how to make decisions deliberately instead of desperately.
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Thank you for your membership and support of the Home Builders Association of the Grand Traverse Area, Inc.
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Copyright 2009 Home Builders Association of the Grand Traverse Area, Inc. All rights reserved.
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