Regardless of which group they’re in, peer review participants can be like religious converts, urging everyone to join. “If you’re not involved, I’d highly recommend you get involved and see which one best suits your needs,” says Jim Strite of Strite Design + Remodel. Strite, who often speaks to remodelers and teaches courses for RAR, oversees a successful $2.7 million company in Boise, Idaho. They “offer opportunities and skills beyond other types of group settings. Both BN and RAR provide a strong culture and goals and procedures so you can excel.”
Patty McDaniel, president of Boardwalk Builders in Rehoboth Beach, Del., had been in R20, and about 18 months ago started with RAR. She says joining a peer group was the best thing she ever did. “You think you’ll be told how fabulous you are and what really happens is they clean the mirror for you,” she says. “They help you make the tough decisions you can’t make yourself.”
There’s a $3,500 start-up fee, which includes thousands of dollars’ worth of tapes, plus one-on-one instruction; a $550 per month fee, which includes one-on-one consulting, member discounts, newsletters, recordings, and use of the CINC programs. www.contractors.net; 610.642.9505.
MasterMind Training, based in Cummings, Ga, offers help via teleconference as well as a select peer review group. President Phil Rea, who had been a remodeler for 15 years, facilitates a peer group of 20 top remodelers that meets once a quarter. He expects to start another group of 20 next month. “We’re entrepreneurial based,” says Rea, rather than grouping people by revenue or size. Platinum Group members pay $10,000 a year to attend four meetings, have access to all MasterMind teleconferences and to SuperConference, a two-day annual event. www.mastermind-training.com; 866.441.7445.
TEC International (originally The Executive Committee) is a leadership development organization for chief executives. Membership is by invitation only, but interested CEOs can contact TEC offices to see if they qualify. The traditional program, for companies with more than $5 million in annual revenues, costs a one-time enrollment fee of $1,800 and $950 per month. The Emerging Entrepreneur program, for companies with revenues between $1 million and $5 million, requires a $1,000 one-time fee and $750 per month. Members meet each month with up to 15 other CEOs from non-competing industries. Once a month each member also meets privately with his or her group “chair.” www.teconline.com; 800.274.2367.
Another diverse-industry group is TAB (The Alternative Board), a franchise operation. TAB groups comprise up to 10 locally based non-competing business owners. Members are matched by revenue and employee size as well as by perceived problems and opportunities. Typical members have between $1 million and $15 million in revenue. TAB, which operates in three countries, offers a hot-line for business questions (answers given by any facilitator or member); two conferences each year; and does full administration and billing for the franchisee. Membership is by invitation only and costs between $400 and $600 per month depending on market and size of company. www.tabboards.com” ; 800.727.0126.
This is by no means an exhaustive list. Look on the Web for other reputable groups that might meet your needs.
| Business Networks P.O. Box 175, 41429 McKenzie Highway Walterville, Ore. 97489-0175 Phone: 541.746.8800 www.businessnetworks.com | The Remodelor 20 Clubs National Association of Home Builders 1201 15th Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20005 Phone: 800.368.5242 www.nahb.org; from the home page click “community” to find 20 Club Program. | Remodelers Advantage 8504 Edenton Road Fulton, Md. 20759 Phone: 301.490.5620 www.remodelersadvantage.com |
| Who’s in charge: | ||
| Les Cunningham, CGC, CR, CCR, CGR, ran an award-winning remodeling company in Miami and in 1980 began a non-competing remodeler peer group with Dave Sauer of Qualified Remodeler magazine. Cunningham started BN in 1986. | The NAHB’s Cheryl Fortin is director of the 20 Club programs. | Linda Case and Victoria Downing, veteran remodeling consultants, are co-owners of Remodelers Advantage Inc., the company that offers Remodelers Advantage Roundtables as well as consulting and other services. |
| Philosophy/ mission: | ||
| “Business Networks will be the leader in supporting individuals who desire greater success, more profitable companies, and the ability to contribute to the success of their industry.” “We will help members develop and achieve goals for personal, business, and professional endeavors by providing network review, business tools, and one-on-one consulting.” —vision and mission statements from BN’s Web site | “The 20 Clubs are a unique networking and educational opportunity designed to help members maximize the benefit of NAHB membership.” “Membership in the 20 Clubs gives you access to your personal ‘board of directors’ who understand your business concerns.” —from the NAHB’s Web site | “Remodelers Advantage Roundtables provides a safe, encouraging, yet exacting environment where members are helped to grow toward their dreams and aspirations. We believe those goals should include adequate owner compensation, a healthy net profit, and working hours that allow for a rich life outside work.” —from RA’s Web site |
| How it works: | ||
| BN places your company in a “network” made up of 16 or fewer businesses of similar size, orientation, and annual volume. Members of each group are geographically non-competing. Before the first network meeting, new members must attend an orientation, known as flight school. Members attend two three-day meetings or two two-day meetings. Flight school is considered one meeting. Meetings are facilitated by one of several business management consultants familiar with the remodeling and construction industry as well as by Cunningham. | The NAHB’s 20 Club staff puts together the initial members of a club, who are in the same volume range with similar operations. Members of each group are geographically non-competing.Groups can be as large as 20 companies (hence the name), but most are smaller. Groups usually hold two-day meetings twice a year. Members run the groups and sometimes invite outside speakers. Usually, at one meeting, the groups invite Steve Maltzman, an independent consultant and accountant with NAHB, to review financials. | Roundtables places your company in a group (limited to 12 companies) of other remodelers that have similar yearly volume, challenges, and goals. Members of each group are geographically non-competing.Each group meets twice a year: once to concentrate on a specific area of your business and the second time to do an in-depth review of one of the group’s members. Each of these meetings lasts three days. Meetings are facilitated by nationally recognized remodeling company owners as well as Case and Downing. |
| Who is eligible: | ||
| The two-day membership is designed for companies with annual produced revenues of less than $1 million; the three-day membership, more than $1 million. | Any remodeler member of the NAHB. | Companies with annual volume of at least $500,000. The majority of companies have volumes of more than $1 million. Only two groups are dedicated to annual volumes between $500,000 and $1 million. Company owner must be main member, but other key employees may attend. |
| Investment: | ||
| For the network level of memberships the cost is $3,600 per year for the three-day and $2,600 for the two-day. Individual networks are organized and facilitated by BN and all meeting arrangements are made through the BN office. Each company is responsible for its own food, hotel, and transportation expenses. Other levels of membership include alumni; business development; and associate, for those companies with annual produced revenues of less than $150,000. | Group members split the cost of a yearly fee, which was $7,500 in 2004. Members are responsible for their own expenses associated with the meeting. 20 Club staff duties include but are not limited to organizing meetings, meals, transportation, and hotels and providing a staff member to take the minutes. | $3,700 per year for the Executive level; $4,100 for the Mentor level. (There’s a money-back guarantee.) These prices are for one-person memberships only. If the company chooses to send two people to each meeting, the investment is $4,200 for Executive and $4,600 for Mentor. RA pays all meeting costs and 95% of meals. Companies are responsible for their own hotel and transportation to the meeting. |
| Other benefits: | ||
| Depending on the level of membership, members have access to the Web-based bulletin board, newsletter, phone coaching, on-site consulting, conferences, and other events. | Communication with group members in between meetings via a list serve set up by the NAHB; access to NAHB electronic publications as well as a newsletter solely for 20 Club members. | Use of a Systems Resource Library with access to hundreds of forms, samples, and articles; access to members-only area of the Web site, including peer-to-peer message boards; monthly newsletter; discount on books, products, consulting plans, and conferences. |