Building, Design and Remodeling Associations: To Associate or Not to Associate

Fitzpatrick-Well, you’re partially right Peg. I will give you grief for not networking—but not with other building and design folk at building, design or remodeling associations. How do we procure more business and acquaint ourselves with new vendors and subcontractors if we’re in a room full of our competitors—oops, peers? People in our lines of work need to be out there meetin’ n’ greetin’ in other industries, where we can educate the ignorant about our professions and cajole them into being our clients (can’t you see Peg at the Lion’s Club). Most remodeling association gatherings deteriorate into venting sessions; but it seems like you needed of one of those!

There are many building and design professional associations and trade groups. I belong to three: the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) and the California Council for Interior Design Certification (CCIDC). Of these, NKBA does by far the best job of educating and providing services to its members and outreach to the public. Their meetings are well worth my time, since even at the local level, they are organized and offer a variety of Continuing Education courses. That's right, to keep my membership with NKBA, I must complete ten, yes count them, ten hours per year of CE. If you are a homeowner just beginning a kitchen or bath remodeling project, their website is one of the best for consumers. And the link is to the right.

Notes on Today

Koontz - I had a fun conversation with my stucco guy at the end of today's work day. It's rare that I get to talk with other tradespeople. Neither my partner nor I are big networkers; the one trade association we joined years ago seemed to have more to do with drinking and schmoozing than "work" and I found it to be a colossal bore. ( I expect Jody will insert a note here telling me that "schmoozing" is exactly what networking is about...and that apparently I don't get it!). I really don't---and perhaps to my downfall, don't feel like learning at this late date. BUT, I do enjoy taking the time now and again to actually talk with someone that gets what I'm talking about. Mates and friends might be sympathetic, but only other self-employed tradespeople can finish my stories for me, because they've been there too.

So my stucco guy, Ron, comes by for a bid and five minutes later, we're emeshed in a conversation about employees, clients, wages, being underbid and the bullshit we saw on a show about flipping houses. (Buy the property low, upgrade/rehab it and resell it). I laughed and laughed and then drove home wondering how on earth any of us make it in this field and why we do it.

I expect that regardless of the field you work in, the highs and lows are similar. The things that burn you and the things that make it worthwhile run along the same lines. Why do I work in this field? Because the highs still outweigh the lows I guess, and when you can share some of those lows with someone who's also experienced them, they don't seem so bad-they become downright comical.

Gee, I think we had theraphy today