I was looking at a list of some of our readers on MHProNews.com's twice weekly emailed 'newsletter' update. The thousands of names reads like a Who's Who for the fabled and powerful in our Industry, for association leaders and also includes throngs of the mom and pop operations, managers and rank and file from every corner of our Industry.

That made me think, why don't we as a significant sector of the new housing industry have an actual 'who is who' for Manufactured Housing and modular home professionals?

What also sparked the thought was LinkedIn. From time to time, I will take a look to see the LinkedIn tab, 'who is looking at your profile.' Fascinating, when one has a few moments. I've plugged LinkedIn as a resource many times before, and people are connecting with me on a regular basis (please do reach out if you are a user, send your invite to connect to tony@mhmsm.com). While I like and use LinkedIn, the total numbers in groups and participation by our Industry's professionals remains relatively small.

In this electronic era, we as an industry are way behind, folks!

Information and Ideas access often translates into New Business!

Sure, some want to remain anonymous or semi-hidden, while others may be known but are shielded behind layers of gate keepers. But doesn't enhanced, positive visibility for most businesses and professionals mean more success?

I had an MHI member tell me last year a rather shocking statement. He said, the further west you go, the less people know what the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) is or what it does. Taking that at face value, as an MHI member, I'd say, Ouch. The same professional then observed that names that would be rather well known, say in the manufactured home communities world in the Chicago market area, would be less known the further west and south you go. We have not researched the topic, and who else has…

…or would?

Ladies and gents, the opportunities that lay all around us is manufactured and modular housing are nothing short of stunning. The quality, value and economics of factory built homes ought to make us the darling of the mainstream media, but we know that the opposite is sadly often true.

But we have to rally and inspire a significant part of our own Industry forces first.

If we were wise and pulled together better, we – manufactured housing – could swing many close elections. Think about that concept. One reason we have launched a new initiative to help our Industry connect with more mobile home (defined here as pre-HUD Code factory built homes) and manufactured homes owners is precisely to begin the process of connecting our industry to the potential power of 19 million Americans living in our homes in virtually every state.

Do pass that website linked above on to your peers, but also to your customers and residents. Over time, that effort will pay off.

Factory built homes can become first choice housing, not an also ran.

We can become respected, but first we must better connect our forward looking Industry's members with each other and to our existing customer base. The 'park' or 'dealer' down the road is NOT your competitor or 'enemy,' they are – or ought to be – a potential ally in the effort to improve our Industry's image, acceptance and thus our growth and profitability!

We have the makings of a potential 'Who's Who' in manufactured housing.

We had 114,377 visits in March 2012. Imagine pros like you coming to this website 114,377 times! Nothing like it has never happened before in the Business to Business (B2B) side of our Industry. Page Views = 709,415. Hits = 1,829,728. While there are websites in our Industry that get more traffic, they typically have a business to consumer (B2C) focus. B2B, nothing comes close.

This isn't bragging,the point is that we have this resource that can help associations, your peers, your team mates and thus you advance your professional cause.

If you are an owner or manager, are you sharing the stories and the with your team?

Are you encouraging your team to learn and grow in our Industry, by reading news, tips and views they can use?

Back in the glory days of the Manufactured Home Merchandiser Magazine, I encouraged my team members to subscribe and read. The Merchandiser is history, but you have a new resource – right here – with more information and news than ever before.

• Imagine what we could accomplish when say half of the 250,000 in our Industry cared enough to read daily about what their industry is doing, and what thinkers in our Industry have to say!

• Imagine what we could do as an industry when we could have 19,000,000 Americans living in mobile or manufactured housing voting for the Industry on key issues!

• Imagine holding your head higher, no longer having to make excuses or carefully explain what you do and why.

• Imagine the increase in your bank accounts…

Please, spread the word. Spread our influence with www.MHLivingNews.com for our new outreach to residents and MH owners, and for www.MHProNews.com for business to business Industry professionals. Who's Who?

You, that's who!

“We've only just begun to fight!” (FDR, October 31, 1936. Madison Square Garden, New York, radio address) # #

post by

L. A. 'Tony' Kovach, MHM

www.MHProNews.com
www.MHMarketingSalesManagement.com or www.MHMSM.com
Innovation – Information – Inspiration for Industry Professionals

Office – 815-270-0500

latonyk@gmail.com or tony@mhmsm.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach