Boyce Thompson: Boyce On Building
Boyce Thompson is editorial director of the BUILDER group of magazines published by Hanley Wood. Drawing on his years of experience covering home building, architecture, and retailing, Boyce tackles diverse and far-ranging industry topics in his twice-weekly blog.
The single-family home building market appears poised for recovery soon. But it will be at least a year before any meaningful recovery occurs in the multifamily sector of the industry. That was the consensus that emerged from MFE 2009, a conference for apartment executives put on by our sister magazine MFE in Las Vegas last week.
Ted Cushman: The Ten-Penny News
Ted Cushman covers the home building industry as a freelance writer from his base in the hills of Western Massachusetts. His blog promises insightful, accurate, and practical coverage of home building techniques, building science, and housing economics.
In the biggest financial catastrophe this nation has ever experienced, the Great Depression, the Roosevelt administration's program of sweeping reforms and major interventions was called the "New Deal."
Chuck Shinn: Rx from the Profit Doctor
Charles C. Shinn, Jr., PhD, often referred to as the Profit Doctor, is the founder of the Shinn Group of Cos., The Lee Evans Group, and Builder Partnerships. His constant focus is to help builders and manufacturers to improve the performance of their companies, enhance relationships, and ultimately maximize their total profits.
As we near the end of the year, it is time once again to really dive into those financials and start setting budgets and targets for next year. While your attention is there, I would like to encourage you to also review your overall accounting classifications and methods to ensure you are tracking in a manner that gives you timely and accurate reports you can use to manage your business.
Jane Meagher: Think Like A Consumer, Act Like A Retailer
Jane Meagher is President of Success Strategies, the nation’s premier design studio strategy, training, and consulting company, and the creator of many national award-winning design studios. Jane shares insights from working with leading builders in over 30 states and Canada, through extensive studies of consumer shopping behavior and retail-based on-site presentation, and from over 20 years experience in new home sales and marketing.
You’ve probably worked hard to create a superb process for bringing your buyers through a framed or rocked home to show them the quality of construction and teach them about your building methods, answer their construction questions, and use the experience to build trust and relationships. Awesome. That is what you SHOULD be doing.
Patrick Duffy: The Housing Chronicles
Patrick Duffy has consulted for nearly 20 years for the country's leading home builders, land developers, investors, and lenders on residential, mixed-use, commercial, and industrial projects. An expert on local housing markets, Duffy offers his thoughts on what’s happening around the country.
Economist Mark Zandi, co-founder of Moody's Economy.com and author of the book Financial Shock (which I reviewed last November for Inman News), hosted a webinar last Friday on the state of the economy, and he thinks the recession will officially be over by the end of 2009.
Scott Sedam: The Lean Builder
Scott Sedam is President of TrueNorth Development, an internationally-known consulting and training firm focused exclusively on the building industry. Scott’s blog, The Lean Builder, promises tips and tools for product and process improvement for your company.
I was invited to speak recently at two of the leading “green advocacies” – EEBA, the Energy & Environmental Building Association Annual Conference, in Phoenix, and the EnergyStar Summit, in Denver. The first surprising thing is that in this, the worst downturn in the history of the U.S. housing industry, was that the attendance at both of these events was up this year, each drawing more than 500 participants. Given the impact of the economy on many other long-standing conferences, this is both curious and impressive. With most conferences either downsizing or taking the year off, how is that “green” keeps pulling them in?
David Miles: Miles on Branding
David Miles’ award-winning advertising agency, Miles Strategic DNA, integrates business strategy with brand strategy through the use of a proprietary decision-making code. He shares some of his hard-won knowledge with you in this blog.
By the end of the 1970’s, more than 70% of the merchandise in a large department store was identical with that of any other department store. The shopping experience had become commoditized much like the home-buying experience today. In response, consumers have grown increasingly concerned with individualism. There is a growing demand for uniqueness, differentiation, and mass customization on every level, which in turn demands greater diversity and creativity in design.
Patrick Hendry: Going Green Globally
Patrick Hendry has been actively involved in the green building industry since 2004. For the last six months, he has been traveling around the world documenting the global green building revolution. Follow his amazing trip through his writings and photographs.
Pristine Beaches, tropical rainforests, exotic wildlife, and an inviting culture, Costa Rica is quickly becoming a model for the international Ecotourism boom.