SFBA NARI

NARI's Mission,

 Core Purpose,

and Big Audacious Goal 

NARI Membership,

News and

2012 Leadership

Thank you to Cabinets & Beyond Design Studio for hosting our August meeting!  Everyone enjoyed the beautiful showroom and the excelle

Mark Calender

nt food.  It was an interactive meeting,  and Bill Wilson was an extremely engaging and passionate speaker about Gray Water and Rain Water Reuse.  Thank you to all those who attended. 

Our Board of Directors is really focused on enhancing the benefits that our Chapter can provide our members.  We have recently focused on an orientation program in which we invite and encourage new members to attend a Board meeting.  It is a great way for both the Board and new members to get acquainted with one another and for our new members to become familiar with how the Chapter operates.  We would like to personally thank new members Anastasia Faiella of Faiella Design and Leigh Marymor of Lunt Marymor Company for attending the August Board meeting.  The Board enjoyed meeting with you

Matt Podesta

Many of you have most likely heard from NARI National  regarding the transition from their weekly e-newsletter to the daily 5REMODEL e-newsletter.  Take the time to visit the NARI National website (http://www.nari.org),  and you will find  information and topics that are timely and highly interactive.  There is a great forum section on hot discussion topics that are relevant to industry professionals in all areas.   We realize that staying current in this media world is a challenge, but we believe you will find very engaging topics and information on the National website.

We have a great technical meeting coming up on September 12, hosted by our member Tileshop, where a panel of experts will discuss the significance of grout in our projects. Grout is more than just a medium to fill spaces between tiles.  We look forward to another well attended meeting! 

Matt  

 Matt Podesta 

2012 Chapter Co-President

"Gray Water and Rain Water Reuse & Moving Towards Net Zero"

We had one member company at our August Chapter Meeting make a "Marketing Moments" presentation!  Early registering member companies have a opportunity to market themselves in a couple of minutes or less with this program.

Marketing Moments are done spontaneously throughout the networking/dinner hour of the meeting by a SFBA NARI Board or Committee Member, whereby they ring a bell during different times during the hour,  giving each winner their marketing moments.  This is a quick and fun way to get your company name out there!

August's "Marketing Moments" were supplied by the following company: 

Doug Coe, Architect

Doug Coe

Sponsorships and Avertising  Now Available

Market Your Business to NARI Members and Guests

San Francisco Bay Area NARI offers a variety of advertising and sponsorship packages for you to market your business.   We offer you the following advertising and sponsorship packages  to provide information and market your products or services:  

• REMMIES/Leadership Dinner Sponsorships
• Golf Tournament Sponsorships
• Chapter Meeting Sponsorships
• Advertising Sponsorships in Monthly Newsletter
• Advertising Sponsorships on SFBA NARI Website
• Education / Certification Sponsorships
• Co-sponsorships are available; Partner with Another Member
• Full Year Sponsorship Packages  

For more information about the our sponsorship and advertising programs, please contact one of the Chairs of our Business Development Committee, David Ostrom (david@collier-ostrom.com) or Marc Lindsell (marc@2marchitecture).  You may also contact Judy Tufo, Executive Director by phone at (415) 391-2886 or by email (judy@sfbanari.org).    

Oregon Convention Center | Portland, OR

December 5-7, 2012

Annual Tourney Set for Thursday, October 11, 2012

Metropolitan Golf Links, Oakland, CA

The San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of NARI is hosting its 7th Annual Golf Tournament on Thursday, October 11, at the Metropolitan Golf Links in Oakland, CA.

Please join us at this gathering of NARI members and friends, which will be a great day of recreation and networking with the Bay Area's remodeling community, and a brilliant opportunity to market your company.

CotY Program for Projects Finished Between July 1, 2011-November 30, 2012

Companies - from one-person shops to the largest remodeling firms - report that winning this award is a major factor in enhancing their image within the industry and with prospective customers, and is a major morale booster for their employees. The numerous marketing opportunities available to CotY winners help set your business apart from other remodeling companies, and NARI helps by providing tools and resources to make the most of this distinguished honor.    

~Renovation Style- Every year at CotY judging, editors from Meredith's Better Homes & Gardens special interest home publications attend. They attend in order to look at each and every project binder entered into the CotYs. In addition to featuring a CotY entry in every issue of Renovation Style magazine, these editors also oversee other home/shelter publications and often a project catches their eye for feature in another of their publications. They consider both winners and non-winners. Don't miss this rare opportunity to get your work
showcased in front of these influential editors.   

  ~NARI Green Project Recognition- The NARI Green Project Recognition Program is available to all CotY contractor entrants. Participants meeting specified criteria based on the CotY category entered will be recognized
for sustainable and eco-friendly remodeling practices regardless of CotY winning status.  See Green Recognition for full details.

~NARI Universal Design Project Recognition- The NARI Universal Design Project Recognition Program is available to all CotY contractor entrants. Participants meeting specified criteria based on the CotY category
entered will be recognized for meeting universal design standards regardless of CotY winning status. With the launch of this program, the existing Residential Universal Design category was retired, thereby allowing entrants
the opportunity to enter into the appropriate category as well and obtain recognition for universal design work. See Universal Design Recognition for full details.    

For a complete CotY Packet for 2013, please click on the link below:

2013 CotY Program Rules & Forms 

Advertisers and Sponsors Corner

Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors and Advertisers:

I was recently asked to draft a non-compete agreement by a contractor client, which led me to a review of the company's employee handbook.

Employers are not required by law to issue an employee manual or handbook.  The decision of whether to have one or not is largely a p ractical matter, not a legal one.  But under many circumstances they make great sense.

What Is An Employee Handbook?  An employee handbook describes your legal obligations as an employer, and your employees' rights.  A well written one also sets forth your expectations for your employees and describes what they can expect from the company. 

If you have a critical mass of employees to justify it, a handbook is perhaps the most important communication tool between you and your employees. 

Once distributed (and read by the employees), the employee handbook establishes a common understanding regarding performance standards and workplace behavior.  More often than not, it is a lack of such common expectation that causes the breakdown in employee relations.  As the employer, you must be prepared to follow the policies.  Management's failure to apply these policies angers the workforce and is often the reason why employees file discrimination claims. 

Advantages.  The advantages to having an employee handbook are several:

·       Allows the employer to implement rules to create a productive and

      harmonious working environment;

·       Provides rules which cover all employees, not just selected ones;

·       Provides an effective way to communicate with employees;

·       Enables your employees to know what kind of working relationship

      should exist; and

·       If properly drafted, reduces the risk of employee lawsuits.

Disadvantages.  It can also become the source of different misunderstandings, such as:

·       Employers may be exposed to different liabilities if not carefully
      drafted; and

·       Employers may not be able to fulfill handbook promises, especially ones
      regarding salary raises and benefits.
 

Review/Maintenance.  Regular updating to ensure the handbook covers new company policies should be done periodically.
 

Key Terms to Include.  Among key terms to consider when preparing or editing the employee handbook are as follows: 

·       Compensation - wages, employment taxes, deductions, overtime, and
      pay schedules, salary increases.

·       Benefits - health insurance options, retirement, employee assistance,
      tuition reimbursement, detailed programs and eligibility requirements.

·       Work Schedule - define work hours, attendance, absences.

·       Standards of Conduct - expectations of conduct in the work place,
      from dress code to ethics.

·       Non-Discloure Agreements - helps to protect company trade secrets
      and proprietary information.

·       General Employment Information - overview of company, job
      classifications, probationary periods, termination/resignation, union
      information.

·       Safety - policies for creating a safe workplace.

Conclusion.  An employee handbook, if it is well thought out and carefully drafted, should make an employer's life easier and his or her business more profitable.

Creation/Maintenance.  If you don't have an employee handbook, you should definitely consider doing so.  If you already have one, be sure to review and update it on a regular basis. 

While your attorney should be able to give you guidance, there are also a number of Human Resource companies that seem to do good stuff.   

Upcoming Neighboring NARI Chapters and Other Industry Partner Meetings 

NARI Education Restructures Pricing, Promotes Professionalism of Industry

NARI National Online Courses, Webinars and Social Media 

Webinars and On-Demand Video 

 

Participate in live webinars, or watch on-demand from NARI's growing library.

NARI Radio provides on-the-go education and information, 

and is also available on iTunes.

Explore All NARI Programs, Blogs, YouTube and

 NARI on Facebook and Twitter! 

Click Here for All NARI Education Programs 
 

BuilderLink Webinars

Click Here For A Complete List of Webinars

Build it Green Membership Event

2012 and Beyond Event

You're Invited!
  

Thursday, Sept 13
6-8pm
Preservation Park, Oakland

Join us for drinks and hors d'oeuvres as we unveil our valuable new Member Benefits package which includes more discounts and services to help you succeed as a green building professional.

Build it Green and SFBA NARI Partnership

Build It Green Upcoming Training and Events

SFBA NARI and Build it Green have entered into a partnership for 2012-2013. 
 As part of this partnership,

SFBA NARI will provide:

• A 10% discount on SFBA NARI memberships for Build It Green Members who wish to become NARI members.  This discount applies to the first year of membership only.
•  Build It Green's Logo to appear on SFBA NARI website and marketing materials as a NARI partner

Thank You to Our 6th Annual Golf Tournament Sponsor:

Club Pro Sponsor