By Todd Polifka, 2021 Housing First Minnesota President
Countless members of Housing First Minnesota can tie at least some of their business growth and success directly to their engagement and involvement in the industry association. I’m one of them. And each of us has benefited from our involvement in different ways. For me, I’ve built friendships and gained access to the best minds in the industry who have been incredibly generous in sharing with me and helping me.
As we finally begin to put COVID-19 behind us, I thought I’d take this moment early in 2021 to reinforce the value of membership and how you can use the association to help grow your business.
Connections
For many of our members, the connections and often friendships that develop through their membership in the association can actually help grow their business. Just the other day, I had a call from a builder who was considering building a spec home and he wanted my opinion. I helped him with my feedback, just as so many of our members have helped me. And who knows, maybe that product launch will be just the ticket to a more profitable and successful year.
I know it’s harder to connect in the virtual world of COVID-19, but the phone still works. Zoom and Teams are easy. And we’ll be returning to in-person events as 2021 continues. So, reach out now using the tools at hand, and get ready for the June Member Bash, Golf Open, Foundation Gala, Clay Shoot, The BIG Night, and other opportunities to build and reinforce connections.
Advocacy
Housing First Minnesota continues every day to battle against increases in the cost of housing through regulation and fees. Whether it’s the energy code, the electrical code, plan review and inspection permits, or removing the air gap for dishwasher installation, we’re in the mix. Now, our newly launched homeownership campaign broadens our audience and reminds all of Minnesota why they need to care and what action they can take to keep homeownership possible.
Education
This is an area in which we’re seeing dramatic growth for the association. Our online, on-demand courses are high quality, easy, affordable, and exceptionally welcome right now. We get great reviews, and we’re proud to see this program grow. Just look at the lineup for Contractor University and education at the Northern Design Build Expo to get a flavor for the best-in-industry education.
Marketing
The Parade of Homes, Remodelers Showcase, and Artisan Home Tour continue to be of solid value for our builders. Demand is high right now and that’s likely to continue. So, leverage the power of the Parade of Homes brand and grow your business. Introduce your new product lines and your new communities. The Twin Cities consumer looks for these while touring. And our Green Path program is the largest green building program in the state, providing our builders great recognition for their quality work.
Savings
We often neglect to mention a couple of the very basic money-saving programs that can drive improvement to your bottom line and help you grow your business. These include the association Health Plan with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Belzer auto and truck discount program, Verizon cell phone program, and HomeSphere rebate offerings.
You can generate a strong return on investment for your membership. Thanks for being a part of the association. Now let’s go grow your business and our industry.
