|
|
|
|
|
|
 QuickBooks Online vs. QuickBooks Pro or Premier-Pricing & Job-Cost Features
By Diane Gilson
Trying to decide between QuickBooks Online versus the QuickBooks Pro or Premier desktop versions?
When I spend time in the forums I see a lot of opinions from QuickBooks users regarding ease of use, cost, and which version small (or mid-sized) companies should choose. I'd like to contribute my thoughts after spending 17 years in the construction and manufacturing industries.
The first issue to consider with QuickBooks Online is that it is not designed to track or deliver the detailed job costing reports that construction and manufacturing companies need. Even if you're a small company, if you want to get good job cost reports, use Items, obtain detailed Estimated Cost vs. Actual Cost reports, etc., you'll need to use the desktop version of Pro or Premier (or for larger companies, Intuit Enterprise).
Read more...
|
Masco Contractor Services Joins Builder Partnerships
Builder Partnerships is pleased to announce the addition of Masco Contractor Services into our program.
Masco Contractor Services (MCS) is a group of independent companies that are subsidiaries of Masco Corporation, a Fortune 500 company. MCS companies are leading national installers of residential insulation, indoor and outdoor fireplaces, gutters, garage doors, closet shelving and storage systems, and more. With locations in or near most major metropolitan cities throughout the United States, MCS companies combine top-grade building products with superior installation services for builders and consumers.
Work with Builder Partnerships Manufacturers
Masco has preferred relationships with several of Builder Partnerships' manufacturer associates including: Amarr Garage Doors, Lennox Hearth, Wayne Dalton and more. By using Masco, Builder Members can increase incentive income by collecting incentives from Masco as well as participating manufacturers.
To learn more about Masco Contractor Services, please visit the website at www.mascocs.com.
As always, we encourage our members to take advantage of the opportunities available through the program to learn more about our participating manufacturers and encourage members to contact each of these organizations directly should assistance be needed.
|
|
Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something-You!
This variation of an old doggerel reflects quite accurately where new home counselling is today. For example, in this world of rush to judgment, we often forget old selling concepts that built this industry.
"Whatever happened to old fashioned closing? We think there's too much emphasis on the warm and fuzzies and not enough on closing the sale. We think it's time to take out the old closing techniques, dust them off, tweak them to the new buyer, and start using them again."
Could it be that old is in?
|
Product News
Water-Saving Fixtures Add Value, Save Money for Today's Homeowner
By Danze Inc. and Gerber Plumbing
Fixtures
As a builder, few things are more important than building a quality property that is distinct...and moves quickly! Each choice you making during the planning and building process can add to or diminish the true value of your work.
In recent years, more and more environmentally friendly choices have emerged as viable options for your residential projects. While there are many ways you can build more "green," one of the single biggest environmental impacts you can have is in water conservation.
In addition to an increase in green product choices available by manufacturers (particularly in faucets, toilets and showerheads), green building has gained traction and national attention by organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Read more...
|
 Product News
Termite New Construction Treatments: The Ups and Downs of the "Big Three"
By Chip Hughes, Nisus Corporation
As a builder, you may or may not have been particularly concerned with what type of termite new construction treatment (a.k.a., pretreatment) is being done on the homes that you build, but a builder plays an important role in whether a house will get termites in the future. This seemingly simple decision can strengthen your reputation as a quality builder - or it can cast a negative shadow on your reputation if your homes become termite infested in the future. So let's take a look at the pros and cons of your three options.
Up until ten years ago, the only way to prevent termites from infesting new homes was to treat the soil. Nowadays there are three approved pesticidal methods for preventing termites in new construction that are allowed as primary new construction termite treatments by the EPA. HUD Form 99-B describes them as EPA-registered Soil Applied Liquid Termiticides (soil treatments), Bait Systems and Wood Applied Liquid Termiticides (wood treatments).
Read more...
|
|
Partner Notes
Sherwin-Williams Reveals 2013 Color Forecast
 Architects, specifiers and designers interested in the latest colors can look to the Sherwin-Williams color forecast for 2013. Every year, the Cleveland-based company captures the tone for the future of residential color. To learn more, click here. Wayne Homes Promotes Energy Efficient Custom Homes with 50/50 Program
Wayne Homes has announced the results of their 50/50 Program, a promotion designed to promote the Ohio-based custom home builder's energy efficient designs.
Ohio-based custom home builderWayne Homes recently announced the results of its popular 50/50 Program. The promotion, which originally ran in 2011, highlighted the builder's commitment to energy efficiency by offering to pay homeowner energy costs that exceeded $50 per month during the first year of ownership.
To read more, click here.
Builder Reports Wieland Homes Sells Assets to Private Equity Firm
The Georgia-based builder will use a cash infusion to take fuller advantage of the market's recovery.
John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods, which has been building houses in the southeastern U.S. since 1970, has sold its assets and intellectual property to the private equity firm Wheelock Street Capital for an undisclosed amount.
To read more, click here.
For more Partner Notes, click here
|
|
|
Upcoming Events
8th Annual Networking Reception at IBS 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013 6:00pm to 7:30pm PST
Embassy Suites Convention Center, 3600 Paradise Road
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Catch up with friends in the industry Join us on Monday, January 21, the evening prior to the 2013 International Builder Show, for an excellent evening of networking and camaraderie. The Builder Partnerships Networking reception provides a great environment where you can catch up with old friends and freely interact with others in the homebuilding industry to develop relationships even before IBS begins. We are expecting this year's event to be even larger than in the past and have reserved a bigger room to accommodate the crowds. Space is still limited so be sure to register as soon as possible.
To Register, click here Webinars For Manufacturers: Working the Trade Show: Builder's Perspective Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012 at 11am EST Designed in coordination with industry expert, Charles C. Shinn, Jr., PhD, and presented by Tom Richey, Richey Resources and Mark Mitchell, Whizard Strategy, this hard-hitting educational webinar will provide an in-depth discussion on the most effective ways to work a trade show. To Register, click here. Rescheduled What Can Builders Do with QuickBooks? You'd Be Surprised! Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012 at 2pm EST In this workshop, Diane Gilson, a QuickBooks Advanced Certified ProAdvisor with nearly 20 years' experience in construction industry accounting, shares insights into just some of the ways you can empower these off-the-shelf systems to meet your unique needs. Join us to explore how you can learn to make your accounting system 'sing and dance' for you, preview new 2013 features, and discover just how powerful this (often under-rated) software has become! To Register, click here. Review and Preview: A Year in Homebuilding Friday, Dec. 14, 2012 at 11am EST In this webinar, Chuck Shinn looks at the state of the homebuilding industry over the last year, identifying brights spots and areas for concern. He digs beyond the numbers to provide strategies that are essential for homebuilder operations. And, he looks forward to what the industry can expect in 2013, providing necessary planning information for Builder Partnerships Members. Cost: $450 FREE for participating Builder Partnerships members
$50 for non-participating members
Loyal customer discount 75% ($112.50) Contact Emma Shinn (eshinn@builderpartnerships.com; 303.972.7666) to process payment. To Register, click here. |
Builder Partnerships manages highly competitive rebate and incentive programs and works to strengthen relationships between builders, manufacturers and other service providers in the home building industry. Currently, we have more than 500 builders, more than 75 manufacturers and several service providers associated with our program.
For more information, visit www.builderpartnerships.com
The Shinn Group has more than 500 builder clients located across the U.S. and Canada, including top performers among regional homebuilders. We offer sound management and financial principles and practices to home builders across the U.S. and Canada.
For more information, visit www.theshinngroup.com
Shinn Consulting is a widely recognized and well-respected leader providing consulting to homebuilders. It is dedicated to improving the professionalism of the home building industry.
For more information, visit www.shinnconsulting.com
|
|
