Not So Big NEWSFLASH   

April 2012

The New and Improved Not So Big
Home Professionals Directory 
  

 

Dear Friends,

 

Sarah SusankaSarah Susanka here, writing to let you know that the Not So Big Home Professionals Directory has been updated and the new version is now active and accessible through both notsobighouse.com and susanka.com. If you're not already listed and you are interested in helping prospective clients and customers to find you, I encourage you to take a look, and to register. The people who search here are big Not So Big House fans, and they look to this directory for professionals who already understand what Not So Big design and construction is all about.

 

A Little History

The Not So Big House Home Professionals Directory When I first wrote The Not So Big House, it occurred to me that though I was suggesting that readers find an architect, designer, builder or remodeler to help them realize their Not So Big dreams of home, I also knew that it was quite a challenge to find professionals that practiced what I was writing about in my books.  So to remedy this, I launched the Home Professionals Directory.  I invited those wanting to design and build Not So Big houses and remodelings to register there, and in short order I had a substantial listing of professionals on the website to which I could refer eager readers.

 

Home Professionals Directory quote from AlexandraOver the years, the Directory has grown from a simple list into a searchable, subscription-style online resource that is organized according to country, state and category of professional service. In response to requests from users of the Directory, we've been working on improvements to its ease of use, while keeping its look and feel very much as it has been since its inception.  

 

Directory Updates

The updated Home Professionals Directory is more user-friendly for both those who search and those who register. Professionals can still choose between a Featured listing and a Basic listing, and can register in as many states as they are licensed or approved to practice in. They can also now edit, format, and upgrade their own listings whenever they choose. The renewal process is smoother, and communications are more easily recognized as Directory e-mails.

 

The Directory also now offers space for professionals to link to their Facebook, Twitter, or Houzz profiles. (If you haven't heard about Houzz, check out their Professionals page, where you can list your business for free. There's also a terrific Houzz app.)

 

Marketing Bang for the Buck
Home Professionals Directory testimonySince the Directory began, I have received many rave reviews from both registrants and their clients. When I speak to audiences of professionals, I'm frequently told what an asset the Directory has been in allowing clients to find them. If your work is aligned with the aims of Not So Big, the Directory is among the best ways you can spend your marketing dollars.  It's still just $50 per year for a featured listing, which includes higher placement on the directory, a company description, and hyperlinks to your website, social media, and Houzz profiles; or $25 per year for a basic listing, which includes your business name and contact information, without the hyperlinks and description.

 

Publish or Perish
Home Professionals Directory praiseA less obvious, but equally valuable feature of the Home Professionals Directory is that many of the journalists and reporters that interview me use it to find examples of Not So Big projects in the area they are covering.  This Old House, The Washington Post, and USA Today have all told me in recent weeks that they used the Directory as a resource for stories they were working on. And once they discover its existence, they often use it for other stories as well. This makes it an excellent way to get noticed and featured by both local and national media -- something that is worth more than any amount of advertising.

    

Homeowners - Search the Directory for
Professionals in Your Area
 
The Home Professionals Directory

Looking for help to design, build or remodel your home in a Not So Big way?  Check out the Home Professionals Directory.  The Directory allows visitors to search by country and state for all the different types of professionals they may need to help them with their project.  Though I don't vet registrants, all those listed are familiar with the Not So Big book series, and are interested in serving clients who want such a house or remodeling.  Here's a list of all the different professions that are searchable:
 
architects
builders
craftspeople
design/build companies

developers

interior designers
landscape architects and designers
mortgage lenders
real estate agents
remodelers
residential designers
structural engineers

Click here to search the directory for professionals in your area.  
Pass it On

Sarah SusankaAt times like these, when so many architects and other home professionals are out of work or struggling to sustain their businesses, it's important for all of us to pull together to help promote good solutions to the problems confronting fellow professionals as well as the homeowners who need their services.  I am quite certain that there's plenty of work out there. We just have to be a bit more innovative in how we go about finding it.  So, if you know of any firms or other talented professionals with a Not So Big bent, please forward this article to them and encourage them to register.

Don't hesitate to contact us with any feedback about the Directory.  We'd love to hear from you. 


Sarah

 



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The Not So Big House website

notsobigshowhouse.com

The Not So Big Life website 


Susanka.com

On Susanka.com, Sarah offers several tools and resources for architects, designers, and remodelers, ranging from press release templates to help you promote your remodeling projects to pdfs on ways to improve your residential architecture practice. 
to access them.
 





Wait!  I'm already registered for the Directory!
 

  Are you currently listed on the Directory but missed our e-mails about the updates? Or were you previously registered but unintentionally let your listing expire in the last six months? No problem.  

 

Just go to the password look-up page and enter your e-mail address to retrieve your temporary password. You can then sign in and either update or renew your listing.

 

Sign in - Already registered  







Coming this Fall in Paperback:

Not So Big Remodeling: Tailoring Your Home for the Way You Really Live
Not So Big Remodeling: Tailoring Your Home for the Way You Really Live

Click here
to order the hardcover from Amazon.com







 
  Speaking Engagements with Sarah Susanka

Sarah giving a talk at the St. Catherine Forum on Women in Leadership
Interested in inviting Sarah to speak at your next event?  Go to Sarah's Lectures page for more information, and to see her current schedule of upcoming events.

 








Architects -- Need HSW/SD CEUs?  
GreenExpo365
Over 400 people attended Sarah's virtual keynote about the Not So Big Showhouse at GreenExpo365's March Live Event this year.  If you missed it, you can still watch this talk and several others from Sarah by going to the Education page.  It's free, but registration is required.

 



 
 

 

  

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