Many construction-related business owners and managers are
aggressively managing their operations. They are cutting expenses, finding new
efficiencies and improving their marketing effectiveness. But one recession strategy you might be overlooking is how
to motivate your staff to help you succeed during these difficult times.
Despite the construction downturn, now might be
the best time to join a professional association or organization. Doing so
might provide you with marketing advantages that your competitors won’t have.
The new Palazzo Versace
hotel Dubai, which is now under construction, will have the first refrigerated
beach in the world-so guests can sunbathe in comfort during the hottest days of
the year. According to London’s
Sunday Times,
summer temperatures in Dubai average 103°F and can reach 122°F.
Many of your competitors will survive this recession, but
only a handful will grow stronger. How in the world are they doing it? Using the expertise of Clear Seas Research, we surveyed
members of the Buildings Materials Panel to learn their 2009 marketing
strategies.
Walking through downtown Nashville earlier this
month, I heard a country singer lamenting that he lost his girlfriend, his
pickup truck and his construction business. OK, that last one was actually his
hound dog, but it won’t be long before we hear songs about the heartbreak of
losing construction work.
We
finally got to quit talking about our Green Intelligent Buildings Conference
late last month and actually attend it. I'm happy to report that honestly, it
was worth the wait. I haven't seen the evaluations yet, but I overheard more unsolicited positive
comments on the content than ever. The current economy and the stimulus
legislation both seemed to add a sense of urgency and relevance to several of
the presentations and to the Q&A.
New Jersey (via the Uniform Construction Code and the
National Standard Plumbing code) specifically prohibit some plumbing
items. Then how come I can go into the
local big-box stores and purchase them?
I just returned from my first overseas plane
trip visiting the ISH Frankfurt fair in Germany. I had heard much about the
show, and was anxious to see for myself all the hullabaloo, but I admit I had
some reservations about the travel experience. After all, 8+ hours on an
airplane can be rather daunting.
DEATH
VALLEY, CA – July 1, 2050 – Surveying the landscape made barren from thousands
of tons of silicon tetrachloride, President Sasha Obama peered out through the
transparent face plate of her hazmat suit and for a fleeting moment wondered if
her father had sparked one bold commitment too many during his revolutionary
Administration...