Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! The holidays have passed quickly and the short break in the work schedule has disappeared much like the Christmas trees in many homes across Ontario.

Last year at this time I was planning a trip to Quebec for the CHBA Awards, a couple days away at Ontario Forum for the OHBA and sitting on cloud nine. Problem was the recession was just about to catch up with the entire industry. What a difference a year makes with the dark clouds that were rolling in have almost disappeared. The great thing is as a company we survived and many new ideas thrived. The year was about measuring results and controlling spending.

The best launch in 2009 was our “Women in Construction” theme which has increased by over 100% already and we still have several weeks until deadline. A new introduction for this year will look at “Family in Construction” which will cover many business from builders to suppliers that are run by several generations of a family.

Other things that were successful for me in 2009 include new annual features with the Toronto Sheet Metal Contractors Association (TSMCA) Ontario Masonry Contractors Association (OMCA) and the Merit Open Shop Contractors Association of Ontario (MOCAO). Associations are a great place for me to provide coverage of events and begin to network new contacts for great companies and projects to profile. The key is to give more then you will ever ask to get back.

Some new changes for 2010 include new membership in the Orillia and District Construction Association as well the Hamilton-Halton Construction Association. One large association we were members of for more then 10 years is sitting on my desk either to be renewed or file away under “G”. I am weighing heavily what can I give the association and get back in return. A proposal for extensive coverage on monthly basis at no cost has not been returned. At the very least I was hoping for feedback on other ways we could work together. As the invoice goes unpaid I wonder if they will even contact us to find out why.

So as 2010 begins to gain traction I will continue to monitor new ways to increase business and to effectively network for new contacts and interesting stories. What do you have planned to launch during this period of recovery?