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Wednesday Morning, Jan. 21 (10:30am - 11:30am) First-Time Attendees If this is your first time to attend the Jack Miller Network meeting, you will want to register for the "First-Time Attendees" focus group. Jack Miller will be
there to present and answer questions on how to get the most out of the focus groups, round table discussions, and networking opportunities available to you at the three-day Network meeting. So, maximize your experience
and attend the "First-Time Attendees" meeting. Wednesday Afternoon, Jan. 21 (1:00pm - 5:00pm) Adding Pre-Eng To Your Business
Client Relationship Management All of us practice "Client Relationship Management" in some form at our business. But processes and implementation vary widely among contractors. In this new group
discussion, we will explore what tools and processes contractors are using to manage our most important asset, our customers. Do you track leads all the way through the sales process? Do you have tools in place to measure your
marketing effectiveness? How do you monitor customer satisfaction and insure repeat business and referrals? How do you manage the complex relationships of the entire building team on your projects? Do you wing it, use self
developed systems and software, or employ CRM software solutions? Join us for an interactive group discussion on these questions and many more. Communication Skills When it comes to dealing effectively with direct reports, a manager may have the best of intentions but can totally miss the mark in communicating effectively. In the book, First Break All The Rules, Buckingham says that "people do not leave companies, they leave managers." This focus group is a "crash course" in the basics of human behavior and gives practical lessons in the art of communicating effectively with different types of people. You will learn:
Construction Payment Management Consistent with its conservative reputation, the business side of the construction industry has been slow to adopt technology. The draw billing and payment process is no exception. This is a manually intensive exercise for all project participants. Technology has finally addressed this challenge within the construction industry. A solution which automates and simplifies the entire billing and payment process now exists and is actively being used. Construction project participant organizations access a secure, hosted software solution via the Internet, whereby simple workflow prompts and email alerts guide users through the seamless exchange of electronic documentation, signatures and funds. Attend this presentation and learn how user organizations benefit from:
Cost Estimating with D4COST Software How quick can you come up with a preliminary cost estimate? Learn how you can cost model from historical projects in minutes. Have fast and easy access to
your past project data. Learn how to archive your past project data for cost modeling and marketing. Share your project data with your peers effortlessly. Any questions from D4COST users will be addressed during this focus group
meeting. Creating Design/Construction Team Relationships In today's market, businesses thrive on the relationships they build and maintain with clients and their design team. In this focus group you will learn why it is
crucial to build, and maintain, solid relationships with your architects, engineers and subcontractors to ensure successful and profitable projects and repeat clients. Developing A Culture For Growth - The VSI Story VSI Construction is in a hyper growth mode . . . nearly doubling in size this year. Our leader will share lessons learned regarding:
the importance of vision; having a plan; building a team; measuring progress; providing motivation; course correction and maintaining high enthusiasm. He will share their actual experiences at VSI, and believes their success is reproducible.
Healthcare Market The sheer size of the medical market presents a vast opportunity for builders – and it is still growing! It also offers many unique challenges in construction
scope and logistics – challenges that can limit competition and provide a great opportunity for specialization. This focus group will help you jump into the medical market, or expand your existing market share. We will
cover strategies on how to choose your niche, develop a strategic plan, and win proposal calls. You will also learn what strengths your company needs to ensure project success once you have the contract! Historic Tax Credits And Preservation Attend this focus group and share information on the process of developing Historic Properties.
Whether you are interested in more information, or just have issues to discuss with other members who have similar experiences, be sure to register for this informative focus group. How To Manage Change In this focus group we will discuss how to manage change. A lot of people view change as negative, but change is absolutely necessary for growth. We as company leaders are responsible for seeking out new ways to compete, and grow, and to be able to sell those ideas to our team, get them to implement the change, and believe that change is the right choice. We will discuss the needed change to go from a "start up" company, to a company "on the move". You will learn the things that worked with 2 to 5 employees,
but won't work as your company grows to 15 to 20 employees. Jobsite Management This discussion group will give company owners, operations managers, project managers and superintendents a forum for sharing ideas and solving problems regarding the
details of jobsite management. Come with a list of suggestions and a list of questions. Good jobsite management is crucial if you want to make a profit and get repeat business. Management Succession & Wealth Transfer This discussion group is for those who have built their firms over the last 20-30 years and are looking for a way out. It is also for the young
entrepreneurs within a growing company, who want to learn how to continue the success of the corporation their employers have started. This group will discuss how to get out; how to get your money out; who should or would be
good candidates to be leaders, and how plans fail. Most succession plans take 8 to 12 years to implement, so the time to start planning is now! Online Project Collaboration We are all victims of "time poverty" now-a-days. Attend this informative focus group and learn how you can "conquer time and space" through the use of online project
collaboration.
The tools are ready to be used today for such events as document management, distribution and approval; virtual project meetings, project video conferencing; client webinars; intranets; project scheduling and a host of other collaborative mechanisms that can help you
"buy back time" and become more productive. In this focus group you will share your ideas as well as learn how to implement the latest technologies for online project collaboration. Photography, Photoshop, Lightroom If you'd like to take better photos of your company's projects and spend less time getting them ready for publication, this is the group for you! We'll talk
about equipment, set-ups, Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom. We're talking hands-on, so bring your camera and laptop, too. Risk Management Assessments & Planning Risk Management is quickly becoming a way of life for contractors. Quick sand is everywhere from the drawing board, in the field, and in completed
operations. Is it every team member for themselves? Clients, vendors, subs, manufacturers, financial institutions, are running the gambit from the "honestly mistaken" to "looking out for number one". How do we
look out for our team and our companies? This group will focus on understanding construction risk, mitigation of risk, understanding insurance (liability, contractor-specific, professional liability insurance, and property
insurance). Attend this focus group and discuss contract preparation, risk associated contract issues, purchase agreements and any other topic from your "good, bad and ugly" daily experiences. Timberline Software Users This session will be a users group review of Timberline's accounting and project management applications. Timberline estimating may also be a part of the
discussion. Each application will be reviewed with a discussion of problems, workarounds (solutions) and best practices. Time Management If you would like to do the things you should do, and the things you want to do, on time, you should attend this focus group. Attendees will share
their most effective time management ideas, tools and techniques. You will learn the keys to effective time management; how to get organized; what to do when setting priorities; how to deal with time wasters; and how to overcome
procrastination. Thursday Morning, Jan. 22 (8:00am - 12:00pm) Avoiding Confrontation Over Change Orders Change orders are a normal part of the construction process. Effectively managing the issues that develop during construction through the effective use of change orders
will avoid costly construction claims at the end of the project. This focus group will cover the methodology for identifying, documenting, presenting and negotiating owner and subcontractor change orders, while maintaining an
atmosphere of teamwork on your project. Benefits & Pitfalls Of Open Book Bids Benefits of open book:
Pitfalls of open book:
Building For Boomers Born between 1946 and 1964, baby boomers total 82 million and represent nearly a quarter of the U.S. population. Because the 50-and-over crowd controls more than 80 percent of the nation's disposable income, contractors and developers are increasingly focused on winning their business. A national expert claims there are 14 niches within the senior housing market. We will explore the different niches and determine how we as designers, builders and
developers, can meet these needs and make money. Building Information Modeling (BIM) "Working smarter, not harder" has never been more possible in the AEC industry thanks to the evolution of BIM (Building Information Modeling). For the CEO
who has only heard of successes with BIM, to the curious designer at the drawing board, this focus group will prove to be an exciting opportunity to learn more about what BIM can do for you. We will discuss the pros and cons
of BIM programs and interactively develop a simple project in Revit Architecture software right before your eyes. BIM is the future. Come explore the possibilities and see how you too can become a success story! Church/Religious Market Working with churches and religious clients requires a unique and quite different approach than the typical commercial or residential client. Developing that unique
approach can prove to be both rewarding and profitable. Who else is doing it; how and what are they doing differently? This group will explore this divine niche market, share success stories of what works, and exchange ideas of
how to market to the church and religious clients in your area. If you're already doing it successfully, come and share your experience. If you would like to tap into this lucrative niche market, come and learn from those
who know best. Creating & Managing Work In Progress Reports In this focus group we will look at what a "work in progress report" is, and how it is used as a tool to keep your thumb on the profitability of your
projects.
Creating an effective and manageable report is one of the bigger challenges in order to manage with true accountability for project management. A good WIP will monitor Profit, Overhead, Over/Under Billings, and Approved and Pending Change Orders. This can also be a great field tool for superintendents' cost coding and budget monitoring. We will also look at the most effective way to hold WIP meetings; who will be in the meetings; how often to have them; and how long they should last.
Creativity In Construction The ability to tune into your creative potential requires a better understanding of the relatively new concept of creativity. A truly American concept,
creativity can be learned, managed and focused. The concept of creativity in the construction industry may sound like a paradox but when understood, creativity can be your leverage to success. Developing The Leader Within You What is leadership? What does it take to be a good leader? Being the leader of a successful and/or growing construction company takes guts, courage and charisma! This group will discuss proven techniques that have worked for great leaders of the past. It will also take a look at the "human dynamics" involved with leading people and motivating co-workers toward successful teamwork. If you want to be a better leader, you should attend this focus group! There's only one pre-requisite . . . an open mind! Estimating This discussion group will share ideas on how to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of your estimating process. Come with specific examples of how you handle
estimating in your company. Bring your estimating problems and you will find answers. You will have a unique opportunity to improve by Hiring/Retaining Employees Would you like to know what may be THE most important component of all in hiring good employees? What are two KEY matching aspects you should look for in the interview
that will result in such things as harmony, effective delegation, and productivity? Do you have an interviewing system that has proven effective? How are others retaining their good employees? What are our younger employees most
interested in? What motivates them? Attendees will share their most effective interviewing skills, as well as how to energize and reward your employees to retain them. Job Costing & The Project Manager Did you ever have a project that started as a winner and finished as a total loser? Job costing is a very important tool used to understand the financial
health and status of your project. It is the backbone of the financial information needed to prepare an accurate financial statement. This often misunderstood and annoying aspect of your project, when done properly, can be the
difference between pulling "the fat out of the fire" or a complete project failure. Learn how, with proper job costing and tracking, you can minimize failure. Learn the impact of being over billed or under-billed and
how this information is derived. Know the future before it hits you in the face and it's too late. Managing A Construction Office What makes the construction office different from other industries? Let's get together and talk about the challenges we see in our office and how to better manage those
challenges. From hard copies of rolled prints in your office to scanner and critical data entry's being completed by whom? Let's talk about all the "critical flow" tasks in the construction office, so we all can benefit from
each other's achievements and challenges. Managing Build/Lease Property If you are just getting into build/lease or are an established developer, this focus group is for you. Attendees will discuss: getting tenants; proper lease agreements;
tenant build-out; property management forms, checklists and details; common area maintenance fees; typical annual increases in rent; and most important of all, how to manage your property so you maintain a profitable long term
relationship with your tenant. Be sure to bring your management forms, printed material, checklists and sample lease agreements so we can share specific ideas. This will be an idea sharing focus group. Managing Subcontractors This focus group will discuss several aspects of subcontractors and their direct relationship to the project, from estimating the project, to the completion
of the project and how a subcontractor's image reflects upon your firm. Learn how to decide if your subcontractors are team players right away, and will they produce the quality of workmanship that your firm expects.
Also learn how to protect yourself if your subcontractors fail to pay their suppliers and how the liability can affect the general contractor. We will also discuss challenges that general contractors face daily with their subcontractors, and how each firm in our focus group handles these challenges.
Marketing And Technology Leading edge construction companies are combining marketing and technology to develop new markets and grow existing ones. Does your company have an up-to-date web page? Does it build the image you want? Does it tell prospects why they should choose you to build their important project? Are you taking advantage of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software? What are the features of the software program that you like? Do you take advantage of email
messages to your prospects and past customers? How do you use technology to improve your sales presentations? This focus group will answer the above questions and many more. Reducing Overhead This group will focus on how to develop a practical plan for reducing overhead. Attendees will share ideas and experience. If you would like to be more profitable
or prepare for a downturn in the economy, you should attend this session. Understanding Financial Statements Your knowledge and understanding of Financial Statements – the Balance Sheet and the Profit and Loss Statement and their interrelationship – are essential to your success as a contractor. They are the basic measurements of your company's strengths and weaknesses. NEW Material ADDED – Learn how to calculate Break Even Sales and its value to your business. If you are new to contracting management or are a small contractor looking to grow then THIS CLASS IS A MUST FOR YOU. Learn what the larger more sophisticated contractors already know. Note! Because of time restraints we will be able to offer this class only once a year in Orlando. DON'T MISS OUT. SIGN UP NOW.
Thursday Afternoon, Jan. 22 (1:00pm - 5:00pm) Building An Effective Hiring System This informative focus group will review major interviewing mistakes and discuss how to read between-the-lines to find out what the applicant is not telling you. According to an article in Fast Company Magazine, "one of the biggest mistakes companies make, is hiring people with the 'right skill set' and 'wrong mind set' on the belief that they can change them." You end up hiring for "what they can do", and firing for "who they are". This session will cover three important selection methods:
Hiring new employees is a gamble. Learning to probe for information can reduce the chance of a bad hire which you may regret later. Conceptual Estimating If you negotiate your work and/or have Design/Build contracts, this focus group is for you. Business owners and project managers working in the negotiated design/build market today require much more knowledge than just estimating. They must know
how to take a "verbal description of a concept and convert that into a detailed estimate of the cost". The objective of this focus group is to be able to prepare a preliminary estimate with a detailed list of assumptions and
qualifications that will then be used to control the future design of the project. A few of the topics discussed will include: setting up databases for systems cost; learning the value to accurate quantity surveys; developing a
detailed list of assumptions and qualifications; available resources to help in design and pricing; the value of adding simple floor plans with elevations to enhance the estimate; and owner soft costs. Creating A Paperless Office Increase your profit. Attend this focus group and learn: 1. Why an organization should limit the use of paper Design/Build The popularity of design/build as a means of project delivery is rapidly spreading. Buyers of construction services want to deal with only one entity and contract for a guaranteed price and schedule. This group will share important lessons learned from years of practical experience in successfully completing design/build projects. Design/builders will get a bigger share of the market in the future. If you want to be a key member of the design/build team, you should attend this session. Disaster Mitigation & Restoration This timely focus group will take you through an overview of the insurance property damage industry since 1986; the industry evolution process, infrastructure, training and solutions since 9/11/01; including case studies of actual mitigation and restoration jobs. We will discuss property and facility pre-loss, pre-incident planning, emergency services, industry standard of care, recommended documents, national and
international expert information, and recent laws that may change the way building owners and managers prepare, respond and recover from an incident. The speaker will discuss his role at the World Trade Center, Pentagon and
NASA, and discuss the role you can play in Federal, National, State, County, City and neighborhood emergency operations. You will learn how to develop an emergency disaster program for your family and your business. Green Technology Buildings Buildings have a tremendous impact on the environment . . . both during construction and throughout their operation. "Green building" is a loosely defined collection of land-use, building design, and construction strategies that reduces these environmental impacts. Benefits of building green include reduced energy consumption, protection of ecosystems, and occupant health. This focus group will discuss: green building priorities; a green building checklist; building materials; what makes a product green; and building green on a budget. Growing Companies This group will focus on the "growing pains" encountered in a strong growth mode. How can you avoid or ease those pains? Find out what works and what doesn't. Subjects that will be discussed: managing cash flow, goal setting, monitoring growth, finding good people, helping your people cope with growth, competing with big
companies, growing too fast, and whatever else you want to discuss. Inside Sales – A Different Twist "Selling" inside the company is often more difficult than selling construction services to buyers. Attend this focus group and share tips on selling ideas to upper management and achieving "buy-in" of new programs from all levels of the company. Lean Construction What if we could build construction projects the way that Toyota builds cars? Lean Construction is a natural progression from the Lean Manufacturing techniques used by Toyota, Honda and others, and is currently being done in Europe and Latin America with some inroads being made in the U.S. This session will introduce you to what Lean is about, ideas for using simple techniques on your projects, and sources of further information. Suggested reading is "The Toyota Way".
Master Builder Software Users This discussion group will touch on all aspects of the Master Builder software. Sharing the dynamics of the software's ability in all modules to include the Accounting,
Project Management, Payroll, Review and Reporting and Estimating. Discussion will touch on the effects of the company set-up on day-to-day operations. All positions from the firm can benefit from this discussion on cost
reduction, by utilizing this software to its fullest capacity. Office Support Of Field Managers This focus group will discuss the different types of relationships that can occur between the office and the field in the construction industry. Do you have a set
hierarchy . . . someone reporting to someone else? Or do you use a "team" approach? How do companies bridge the "communication gaps" that often exist between the office and the field? What should be the roles of the office and
the field with respect to: job kick off, job progress and job close out? Do you empower your field supervisors or must they check with someone else? We're looking for "best procedures and methods"
that will produce a profitable successful project and satisfied customer. This will be a discussion group so come prepared to show us how you do it. Planning And Scheduling This focus group will look at the history and evolution of planning and scheduling with an introduction to planning and the development of a project schedule using the
Critical Path Method. We will discuss how to manage every aspect of a project to achieve schedule, cost and performance objectives and how to develop and coordinate the total project plan. Updating and evaluating the schedule
and legal aspects of planning and scheduling will also be covered. Producing Effective Proposals This discussion group will look at new techniques in proposal graphics and how the "look" and "presentation" of written proposals can positively influence a firm's selection. We will also discuss how to effectively respond to a technical proposal request, use of the Executive Summary to establish basis for a firm being selected, and organizing a team of firms to complete such a proposal in a limited time frame.
Join in this discussion regarding profitable redevelopment opportunities and municipal involvement. Use these techniques to further your opportunities and return on
design/build/lease/finance projects. Hear how Smet Construction Services has used the design/build approach to strengthen relationships with municipalities interested in redevelopment projects. In turn, share in the
documentation that Smet will provide regarding municipal financing of projects, proformas, redevelopment authority (RDA) terms and conditions, Brownfield sites, and municipal development agreements. Share your experiences and
learn from what others have already done successfully! Public Relations Want to get your company's name and stories about your projects in newspapers and business publications on a regular basis? PR is the most cost-effective marketing tool there is (it's free!), and any contractor is capable of doing it in-house without paying an outside consultant. Find out not only how and why PR works, but learn step-by-step how to write, structure and distribute press releases, who to send them to, tips on cultivating relationships with the media, getting quoted in the press, and how to become regarded as an expert in your field. You'll leave this focus group armed with everything you need to know to significantly raise your company's visibility and improve its image and reputation.
Thursday Evening, Jan. 22 (5:00pm - 8:00pm) Informal "get acquainted" reception. First time attendees wear a special color name tag so active members can meet you, and make you feel welcome. Lots of good food and fellowship.
Friday, Jan. 23 (8:00am - 4:30pm) General Forum for All Members
3-hours of peer group roundtable discussions
You will be able to pick the group and discussion subjects that best relate to your job. You can get copies of other members': Company brochures, marketing tools, presentation material, advertising ideas, compensation programs, mission statements, personnel policy manuals, employee handbooks, job descriptions, procedure manuals, quality assurance manuals, safety manuals, performance review forms, drug testing policies and procedures, training manuals, joint venture agreements, contract documents, sample proposals, sample proformas, sample feasibility studies, partnering procedures and agreements, and company buy-out agreements. (You don't have to re-invent anything.) What do you need? Be sure to attend and get the printed material you need to improve your company. Friday, Jan. 23 (4:30pm - 8:00pm) Miller Time! Jack will provide the good ole German snack food and drink. You can enjoy more networking and get to know your fellow members. Members make you feel like you are part of a special team . . . because you are, when you attend a Jack Miller Network meeting. Don't miss this opportunity to improve. We all need a positive balance to all the negative and controversial junk that comes out of the news media. Come join us and get your positive charge of energy!
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