Southwest Mo Code Officials Offer Program on Regulations Related to Swimming Pools/Spas

On Thursday, January 8, the Southwest Missouri Code Officials organization (SMCO) is offering an educational seminar entitled, "Swimming Pool & Spa Legislative Laws and Codes", from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at OTC. The program is open to non-members for $15.00, SMCO members may attend for $10.00. For more information and to register, visit the organization's website at www.smcoweb.org or email David Siewert by clicking here.

Information Sessions on New Springfield Land Disturbance Permit Scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday

Two informal question and answer sessions have been scheduled for this week on the subject of the City of Springfield’s new Land Disturbance Permit.  These sessions will consist of a short (20 minute) presentation and handouts relating to how the City’s new Land Disturbance Permit will be implemented.  The remainder of the time will be devoted to questions and answers.  These sessions will occur on:

Wednesday, December 17

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm

Meeting Room “B” 

The Library Center

4653 South Campbell

Thursday, December 18

4:00 pm to 5:30 pm 

The Library Station

2535 North Kansas Expressway

If you are interested in the subject, but unable to attend one of the sessions more information is available at City’s Storm Water Services Division website. 

For more information, contact:

 

Aaron Nickolotsky

Senior Storm Water Technician

Department of Public Works

Storm Water Services Division

840 Boonville Avenue

Springfield, Mo 65802

office: (417) 864-1944

fax: (417) 864-1907

anickolo@springfieldmo.gov

Learn from the Guru of Web-Based Social Marketing Tools

Join us at the HBA office for this Teleclass:

FACEBOOK FORTUNES WITH MARI SMITH

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17 - 3 P.M.

HBA OFFICE, 636 W. REPUBLIC RD., D108

RSVP: 881-3711 OR CLICK HERE TO EMAIL

According to Fast Company, Mari Smith is the Pied Piper of the online world. She's a veritable engine of personal branding and a relationship marketing whiz. In this teleclass, Mari is going to show you how to leverage Facebook -- home to 100 million active users and 250,000 new members joining every day -- to strategically grow your business in a way that you've never been able to before, and have even more time for the lifestyle you want than you've ever had before.

Be prepared for specific, actionable tips that you can implement so easily, you'll be able to get them done while listening to the teleclass! Plus, they will open up the phone lines during the call to speak to Mari directly. Get your questions ready!

Best Practices in an Economic Downturn

The HBA of Greater Springfield will provide access to an NAHB sponsored telephone seminar: "Crisis Management – Best Practices During an Economic Downturn." This "Crisis Management" audio seminar on Tuesday, December 9 at 1:00 p.m., at the HBA office, 636 W. Republic Rd., D-108. The program content will be delivered by four experienced professionals:
-Brad Foster - a managing director in FTI consulting's Corporate Finance practice based in Miami, Fl.
-Phillip Schulman - an attorney with K&L Gates in WashingtonD.C.
-Sandra Stewart - an attorney with Cox, Castle & Nicholson in Los Angeles, and
-Susan Davis - also an attorney with Cox, Castle & Nicholson

The seminar will cover best business practices for survival in times of economic trouble. Topics include: marketing considerations, investments, cash reserves, credit lines, collection of accounts, dealing with insolvency, and bankruptcy. There will also be an overview of what the speakers are currently seeing in terms of risk management and litigation.

The cost to attend a seminar of this caliber would normally be hundreds of dollars. NAHB is providing it to you free of charge. This is an opportunity that should not be passed up. Email your RSVP by clicking here.

Share Your Suggestions for Financial Management Guide

The NAHB Business Management team is compiling the Financial Management Builder Business Guide for 2009. We’re looking for one- to two-paragraph submissions from members with suggestions or tips on handling the current economic condition. More specifically, insight into what has helped you, the HBA members, in the following areas:

-Increased efficiency
-Cultivating new resources or partnerships
-Developing a new branding
-Time and money savers
-Business development

The Guide will be published for IBS 2008 and we will attribute your submission accordingly. This project is time sensitive. Feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions or need more information. Your time is much appreciated. See below for an example submission.

“I survived the 17% mortgage market and 21% construction loans as well as credit tightening of the early 1980’s by changing my operation from purely speculative to purely custom. In other words, every home I started had a written commitment to lend money to my client with the only condition in the commitment was that I build the home as designed and appraised. I required a deposit from the client sufficient to close the sale, ie. their down payment and closing costs. This removed all contingencies except me performing on the construction of the home. Every lender was willing to lend money with a known take out. What it also required was a higher margin to deal with the customer who was closely watching the construction and almost never completely understood from the plans and specifications exactly what they would receive in the home. The major learning curve was dealing with the customer during and after construction. Further, 95% of the time I purchased the lot and obtained the construction loan thus giving me control of the property and not having to fight for my final draw. Customers will sign anything at the execution of the purchase agreement and most everything to get to an act of sale or own the home. Once they are in the home they will sign very little. Their highest motivation is to occupy the home. The longer I operated in this method, the more I was able to anticipate the customer’s reactions and prepared them in writing of what to expect. Controlling their expectations requires brutal honesty in the beginning. The worst words you will hear are 'I thought I got …'. Try to cover every possibility in writing as early as possible.”

Thank you in advance for your help -- send submissions directly to me via fax (number below) or email: jnester@nahb.com

Joshua Nester
Communications Manager
Business Management
National Association of Home Builders
1201 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005-2800
(202) 266-8461 (direct)
(800) 368-5242 x8461 (toll free)
(202) 266-8195(Fax)

For builder business resources, go to http://www.nahb.org/biztools and also http://www.nahb.org/bmitc

Understanding Our Housing Market

On October 30, Joe Zanola of the Zanola Company, provider of MarketGraphics® services, conducted a Lenders Summit on local residential development and construction. Zanola has been conducting research in five counties in the region gathering local housing data far beyond permit numbers. Zanola and his team drive subdivisions, count lots, homes under construction, completed unoccupied homes, etc.

In an effort to improve access to timely data which drills deeper than simply the number of housing permits issued in a particular jurisdiction, the HBA of Greater Springfield will be working with the company in '09 to provide three "hot-off-the-press" updates for members regarding local housing and subdivision data. "Zanola's information is designed to help assess opportunities and risks. They map their information in a way that is incredibly useful for those in housing, development, and real estate. The way they overlay this information with other market data and local, relevant demographic information makes it a highly unique forecasting resource," said HBA EO Matt Morrow. Watch for information about upcoming programs presented in partnership with Zanola Co. For more information about the company, click here.

Green Building for Building Professionals in KC November 20 & 21

The Green Building for Building Professionals Course will be offered by the HBA of Greater Kansas City on November 20 and 21, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost of the course is $325 for HBA members. As well, Business Management for Building Professionals will be offered on November 19 for a cost of $180 for HBA members. For more information, contact Lonny at the HBA of Greater KC, 816-733-2221.

Safety Pays for Everyone

By Mike Mulhall, Director of Occupational Programs
Safety Council of the Ozarks

Why should you put the effort into improving workplace safety and health?
Work-related injuries, illnesses and deaths are costly to everyone. A safe and healthy work environment pays, in more ways than one. In Missouri each year about 19,000 workers lose time from work because of job-related injury or illness. The National Safety Council estimates the average cost of a lost-time injury to be $78,000 in 2006.

That's $877,000,000 wasted each year in Missouri alone. At $540 billion a year nationwide, the direct and indirect costs of work injuries and illnesses equal those of cancer, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

These are only financial costs. There's no way to know the value of the quality of life lost to injuries and illnesses. Work injuries and illnesses can affect every aspect of life for workers and their families. For workers, injuries or illnesses can cause:
•Loss of life,
•Pain and suffering,
•Loss of income/financial well-being,
•Stress on relationships,
•Loss of job or career,
•Health-care costs beyond coverage.
Workers may also suffer from low self-esteem, loss of independence, mental health problems, other medical problems, and damaged relationships.

For employers a safe and healthy workplace not only protects workers from injury and illness, it can also lower injury/illness costs, reduce absenteeism and turnover, increase productivity and quality, and raise employee morale. In other words, safety is good for business. Plus, protecting workers is the right thing to do. We have maintenance and care programs for our expensive production machinery should we not have as much concern for our human capital?

Employers can save $4.00 to $6.00 for every dollar spent on a safety and health program. Workplaces with successful safety and health management systems reduce injury and illness costs 20-40%, according to OSHA. For a small to moderate sized construction company, one injury can mean financial disaster. Costs to business include:
•Production losses
•Wages for work not performed
•Increased workers' compensation
insurance costs
•Damage to equipment or machinery
•Hiring and/or training new employees
•Decline in quality/worker morale
•Decline in worker morale
•High turnover and lost work time

The cost of worksite injuries, illnesses and deaths is much greater than the cost of workers' compensation insurance alone. Insurance is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to these costs. Anyone that has ever taken a cost benefit analysis class realizes that the cost of prevention is far smaller than the costs of a reactive fix.

Safety Pays for Everyone
The cost of injury prevention is far less than the cost of an injury. A safe and healthy workplace attracts and retains quality employees. Keep in mind the indirect cost of replacing a seasoned employee. Characteristics of safe and healthy workplaces:
•Have more satisfied, productive workers who
•Produce higher quality products and services
•Return to work more quickly after an injury or illness
•Feel loyal to the organization
•Are better places to work
•Retain employees
•Establish positive community
relations

It's an asset to a community and attracts more quality employees, operates more efficiently and enjoys a healthy bottom line. The business and the workers thrive in a safe, healthy, respectful and caring environment.

Dr. W. Edwards Demmings, the founder of quality management, made the statement that satisfied workers are more innovative and productive workers. We often look at the bottom line and compare that to the quality or quantity of safety we provide. The businesses that get it: Safety Pays, are those businesses that will survive and thrive, even in years of uncertainly.

Collaboration on Construction Safety Recognition Program Begins

The HBA and the Safety Council of the Ozarks are partnering to develop an ongoing branding program for HBA members which will establish basic construction safety standards and recognize those companies who demonstrate their commitment to safety by meeting those standards for a designated period of time. As a safety partner, the SCO also will provide information about construction safety educational opportunities and topics for HBA member publications and programs. (Photo: HBA President Kevin Clingan and Mike Mulhall, Director of Occupational Safety Programs for SCO. The organization was recognized at the recent HBA Awards Banquet to "kick-off" this partnership effort.)

In October, the Safety Council of the Ozarks hosts its 22nd Annual Safety and Health Conference, October 27 - 31 in Branson at the Convention Center. There will be a number of educational programs pertinent to HBA members including OSHA training, prevening electrical injuries, work zone safety, dangers in trenching and shoring, and workers' compensation insurance. For more information and to register, visit the Safety Council's website by clicking here.

2009 International Builders Show Now Taking Registrations

The International Builders' Show heads back to Las Vegas in 2009, and registration is now open. The event (Jan. 20-23, 2009) continues to grab more headlines and impress more builders with its spectacular offerings every year. The NAHB annual convention is easily one of the biggest and most comprehensive benefits for HBA members, drawing thousands of exhibitors with the latest products and services geared specifically to housing and light commercial construction and putting them under the same roof with top educational programs designed to help you grow your business. For many attendees, the value of what you learn and save at the IBS is far greater than your annual membership dues. So make your plans early and don't miss out.  Visit the all-newwww.buildersshow.com site to lock in the best registration rates and choice hotels right now!

Take the First Step to Your CGR or CGB Designation!

BUILDERS AND REMODELERS – START THE PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATION PROCESS! THE ASSESSMENT EXAMS WILL BE OFFERED AT THE HBA OF GREATER SPRINGFIELD OFFICE ON FEBRUARY 27, 2009!

Are you ready to join the elite ranks of the nation’s top building industry professionals? The Certified Graduate Builder (CGB) designation is your sign to clients and colleagues that you are a member of this respected group of professionals. The Builder Assessment Review (BAR) is your first step towards obtaining this prestigious designation.
This comprehensive assessment will measure your expertise in the four key areas of the building industry: Building Technology, Business and Finance, Project Management, and Sales and Marketing. Your results will show you the areas where your knowledge is strongest, where it is weakest, and will determine the courses required for you to obtain your CGB.

The PREP is the required first step in the process of becoming a Certified Graduate Remodelor tm (CGR). It is a 3-hour 130 multiple- choice question assessment that measures a candidate’s knowledge in five core areas of remodeling business management:
- Marketing and Sales
- Business Administration
- Design, Estimating and Job Costing
- Contracts, Liability and Risk Management
- Project Management
Candidates do not pass or fail the PREP. Results determine the course of study for CGR candidates and will count as one CGR course. The registration fee is $195. If you would like more information about registering for the assessment test, email jennifer@springfieldhba.com

SCAFFOLD SAFETY VIDEO IS ESSENTIAL FOR FALL PREVENTION

June 24, 2008 - In an effort to increase job-site safety and reduce the chance of job-related accidents, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) recently released its new Scaffold Safety Video. The video, which is available through NAHB’s publishing arm, BuilderBooks, is an important resource that provides easy-to-follow instructions on how to prevent construction-related falls.

 

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the vast majority of falls are not from skyscrapers, but are from buildings as low as one to three stories and from less than 30 feet. OSHA incident reports clearly indicate that scaffold safety training, procedures, supervision and equipment is critical to preventing accidents.“We take job-site safety very seriously, and education must be part of the equation for success,” said NAHB President Sandy Dunn, a home builder from Point Pleasant, W.Va. “This new video provides great demonstrations and tips for protecting against falls and other job site injuries and will enhance any builder’s scaffold safety efforts.”

 

The video, which is made up of two 30-minute segments—one in English, the other in Spanish—clearly demonstrates how to safely build, use and dismantle the most common types of scaffolding found in residential construction. These include fabricated frame, pump jack, ladder jack, mobile and aerial.

 

Both video segments highlight OSHA’s general requirements for scaffolding and identify safe work practices that address the most common scaffold hazards on the job site. The Scaffold Safety Video is an excellent companion to the NAHB-OSHA Scaffold Safety Handbook, English-Spanish.

 

[Editor’s Notes: Editors interested in receiving a review copy of Scaffold Safety Video, English-Spanish may contact Patricia Potts at 202-266-8224 or ppotts@nahb.com.]

 

Scaffold Safety Video, English-Spanish is available for purchase ($49.95 retail/$29.95 member, ISBN 978-86718-639-0) atwww.BuilderBooks.com or by calling 800-223-2665.

 

ABOUT BUILDERBOOKS: BuilderBooks publishes inspirational and educational products for the housing industry and is the official bookstore for the National Association of Home Builders, offering a variety of books, software, brochures, and more in English and Spanish.