Help York Enterprises fill their truck for NW Harvest at Remodelers Council

Members York Enterprises are doing a food drive to benefit Northwest Harvest. Their goal is to fill their biggest truck as seen in this photo. MBA members can help by bringing non-perishble foods to the next Remodelers Council Meeting at Anderson Appliance, Inc (5306 Pacific Hwy E, Ste D, Fife) on Tuesday November 23rd, or you can drop off your items at the York offices at 3517 S 13th St, Tacoma. Thanks for participating!

Navigating a Challenging Market- Success Stories from MBA Members

Welcome to a new feature brought to you by the MBA of Pierce County. Navigating a Challenging Market will feature tips, tricks and success stories from you-the members. In time we hope that you will find this monthly feature to be a valuable resource for ideas, positive local coverage and more. Thank you for reading.

MAKE YOURSELF WORTH IT

Sometimes we find ourselves jumping to lower our prices to keep competitive. While this is good for short term sales, MBA President Gordon Neu, Neu Construction, Inc. disagrees that this method is effective for the long term sustainability of your business. "Part of the home building process is building a relationship with your customer," says Neu. "I often get over the hurdle of cost by explaining how my services differ from my competitors and listening to the customers’ needs."

Recently, Neu had a customer make additional changes his products after pricing a kitchen remodel, resulting in a hefty increase on their bid. Instead of lowering his price, he asked the buyer to think it over for a night. Neu recalls, "The customer called me back the next day, and said 'you know, at first I was really upset. But after I calmed down, I thought to myself, is Gordon worth it?' I'm happy to report he is having me do three more projects on his home." Neu's advice to members would be to stick to your company's standards. You may lose a sale, but often times if a consumer's main focus is the price, they may be more difficult to work for than they are worth. When putting together a bid make sure the potential customer knows every step in your thought process, and definitely be upfront about costs! Make sure they understand your company's quality and craftsmanship is worth it!

Bottom Line: Make it "Extra Special" - Basic marketing boils down to what do you do that's different. What's your competive edge? Make everything you do something "extra special" and clients will take notice. Not only will they come back for more, they'll tell their friends.

MBA of Pierce County Inducts Local Publisher to Board of Directors

The Master Builders Association of Pierce County recently inducted South Sound Magazine Publisher Josh Dunn to their Board of Directors. Dunn will act as a State Director for the Association.

“The local building industry is always looking for fresh ideas. Josh is an entrepreneur and has proven to be a valuable asset to this Association,” said MBA 2010 President Gordon Neu.

Dunn has been a member of the MBA since 2002, and is an active member of their Remodelors Council and Public Relations Committee. The Association works with South Sound Magazine to create promotional material to coincide with their Annual Tour of Remodeled Homes. Dunn’s company Premier Media Group also publishes 425 magazine and has won numerous national publishing awards.

The Master Builders Association of Pierce County (MBA) is a non-profit trade association comprised of more than 850 builder and associate member companies employing over 10,000 people in Pierce County. The MBA's purpose is to promote through membership involvement, legislative action, networking and education, the opportunity for affordable housing to all while striving to maintain the highest ethical standards.


MEDIA CONTACT:

Laura Haworth, MBA of Pierce County Communications Coordinator
253.272.2112
communications@mbapierce.com