May is traditionally thought the merriest of months when the promise of spring is kept and summer is just around the corner. May 1 is celebrated as International Workers’ Day in over 80 countries across the world. So let’s hear it for all workers, but especially – in our context – for the hands-on folks in the Manufactured Housing Industry: the manufacturers, retailers, suppliers, land lease community personnel; office personnel in finance, advertising, marketing and sales; the IT/Web tech folks who work those 0’s and 1’s to facilitate communication within the Industry and to the media and public about our unique-value, budget-friendly housing options. (I would have said affordable, but George Allen’s feature article made me aware of the many controversial nuances of this term, so I’ll use other adjectives for the moment.) Well, hats off to ALL OF YOU who serve the Industry in so many countless ways, public or behind-the-scenes.
An old nursery rhyme goes:
In the merry month of May
When green leaves begin to spring,
Little lambs do skip like fairies
Birds do couple, build and sing.
Even the birds get that May is home-building time, and the 2011 Show Season that has just concluded demonstrates the vitality and resilience of the Manufactured Housing Industry to “get it” as well. Louisville… Tunica… York… Vegas… Tulsa – five giant beacons lighting the way for Industry professionals, manufacturers, retailers and home buyers to get together to make 2011 the “Great Turn-around Year” – IF – or is it WHEN? – we implement the consistent message of “evolve or die,” “adapt, migrate or die,” “change and adapt or risk extinction.”
“Evolve or Die” is what Robin Crow (Dark Horse Recording), Featured Speaker at the MHI Congress and Expo in Las Vegas, Thursday, April 28, told the industry professionals. “We find ways to reinvent ourselves to serve our customers.” Read more Evolve or Die – Seven Steps to Rethink the Way You Do Business in our Inspirations Blog.
George Porter is in the midst of a Feature Article series entitled, “Adapt, Migrate or Die.” Read Adapt from April and Migrate .
And in The Masthead Blog, L. A. ‘Tony’ Kovach wrote, “… what is certain is that WE MUST BE WILLING to adapt to the changing times…. Those who fail to change and adapt risk extinction, as IBISWorld reported.” Read more at Why Buffett Bets Against IBISWorld on Manufactured Homes.
The message doesn’t go away. Change is the essence of life. So whatever domain or niche you call your own in the Industry, what detail, what attitude, what procedure, what product, what anything can you change or adapt in order to better serve the needs of our customers… and exceed their expectations? Better-served customers = better business = better profits more housing and more jobs a better economy. That’s a win-win-win-win-win-win!
Here to help you are twenty-some pros who generously share their expertise with our readers each month. Joining them is new contributor Scott Stroud with a tribute to Industry icon Jerry Rouleau.
Featured Articles and Reports for Vol. 2, No. 8, 2011
Alphabetically by Category
BOOK REVIEW
Tracey C. Jones
• True Blue Leadership
COMMUNITIES
Edward ‘Eddie’ Hicks – Investing in Manufactured Home Communities
• A Primer on How to Make Nice Returns with Community Investments
Chrissy Jackson – Land Lease Community Management
• Standard Sections of Guidelines for Living
Joanne Stevens – Manufactured Home Community Value
• Working with Realtors to Sell Mobile and Manufactured Homes in Communities
Don Westphal – Manufactured Home Community Planning
• Extreme Makeover, Community Edition – aka Ryder Park, Milford, Connecticut – Part One
FINANCE
Chad Carr – Company Financial Evaluation
• By the Numbers – Part 3: Identifying Problems in your Business
Kenneth Rishel – Manufactured Housing Industry Finance Commentary
• Collateral Performance Can Make or Break You
Dave Shanklin Manufactured Housing Industry Financing
• Low Rates Extended and Popularity Cycles of MH Communities
GENERAL INDUSTRY/COMMENTARY
George F. Allen – Manufactured Housing Industry Commentary
• The Bugbear of Defining ‘Affordable Housing’
Michael Barnabas – Manufactured Housing Industry Solutions
• Manufactured Housing Businesses and Homeowners Working Together?
L.A. ‘Tony’ Kovach – Manufactured Housing Industry Perspective
• Invite Involve Include – A Light Mantra for Manufactured Housing Progress
George Porter – Manufactured Housing Retail and Media Education
• Adapt, Migrate or Die – Part II, Migrate
INSPIRATION/PEOPLE SKILLS
Tracey C. Jones – Manufactured Housing Leadership
• The Judas Principle
Greg McClanahan – Soft Skills and Personal Development
• Just Stay…
Zig Ziglar – Motivation & Inspiration
• ZigOn… Personal Discipline
LEGAL
Nadeen Green – Legal, Fair Housing
• Logging Can Preclude Flogging
MANAGEMENT
Tim Connor
• Are you hiring the right people?
MARKETING
Bob Stovall
• Learning Never Ends
SALES
Tim Connor
• Maintain Control of the Buying Process
Mark Hunter
• Are You Giving Away Your Profit?
Mike Moore
• Salespeople Infected with ‘Sales Repellent Virus’
TRANSITIONS
Scott Stroud
• The Housing Industry Loses an Icon
