Having a plan for regular learning and development is essential to maintaining your business, and critical to growing it. You may think that getting the right price from a contractor or pricing your product is at the foundation of keeping your business alive. They are not. Constant development of your knowledge and skills are. It’s this simple: If you are using yesterday’s method for negotiating a discount or last week’s information for pricing your product, where are you? Somewhere in history, and not in the here-and-now.

With twenty-five years in the industry, Bill Warren of Jetz Laundry Systems, Inc. has a base of knowledge that is broad and deep. Even though little could surprise him these days, Bill is still dedicated to learning. Some of the things he does are “Learn about products I represent, gather as much information as I can from the sales representatives for the machines we lease; stay abreast of the latest and greatest on the market. I also survey what my competitors are doing.” In addition, Bill says, “I like to read a lot of the articles that come out in newspapers talking about laundry services and what people think about the laundry business.” Bill’s experience has taught him to value these practices because “It’s more than just putting a washer and dryer into a room. Professional development helps to understand what your client is looking for. Regular education makes finding  the proper application to satisfy your client’s needs and their end user’s needs possible.”

Some people consider professional development “boring.” In their mind, it conjures-up pictures from their school days: sitting in class listening to a lecture or spending hours alone with their nose in a book. Lots of business owners got into business to be around customers. Plenty of them like to mix and mingle, and be social. For those extroverts who get their batteries charged through interaction, there is development by association. Glenn Berman, of R Rentals gets almost all of his ongoing training by reaching out to his peers. When he wants to learn something or stay ahead of the curve on a topic such as legal matters like evictions, Glenn picks up the phone and calls other association members, or attends association meetings. He says, “Because most of us are smaller operations we don’t have the wherewithal to have things like lawyers on a retainer; we have to rely on each other for our knowledge base.”

What should your personal, professional development plan include? Here are some ideas:

• A budget. You are purchasing products and services. Be prepared to make an investment in you and your business.
• Read. You might start with a book a month, and pick up the pace from there. Don’t have time to read, or need some motivation since you don’t enjoy reading? Check out How and Why to Find Time to Read by Mark Harrison. By the way, University Group maintains a free lending-library of real estate related books and published materials. Call and learn more about how to check out these resources.
• Attend presentations. Monthly association meetings are a great start. You can get out, away from your business for a fresh perspective, and learn how other people have succeeded or failed at the same problems that face you. Get ahead by attending special training sessions and seminars, like the Mr. Landlord event held this month. “If you want to be the best Property Professional that you can be you need to attend the upcoming Mr. Landlord convention. Jeffrey Taylor (Mr. Landlord) has over 25 years of landlording experience that we can all learn from. Do yourself a “professional” favor and meet Mr. Landlord April 20, 2010″ says Randy Hughes of Hughes Real Estate.
• Listen to CD’s, podcasts and other recorded material. Instead of having the radio playing mindless chatter while you are working, why not pick up a few tips as you go about your business?
• Converse. Grab the phone or send an e-mail and engage others whom you trust. You’d be surprised what valuable information your fellow professionals are eager to share with you.

“Developing yourself professionally begins with a commitment” says Randy Hughes. “You either commit to be the best you can be in your field or you end up “average.” In this day of lightning communications, social networks and rapid technological advances, “average” is not good enough.

Being president of an association like the Central Illinois Apartment Association opens your eyes to the need for excellence and involvement in issues relating to your life’s business. I became a landlord at the age of 19 and I am still amazed at how much about this business I do not know. We all strive to be better property owners and landlords, but it is like trying to hit a moving target. Change is inevitable and particularly in this economically challenging time period.

As president of CIAA I was privileged to meet and interact with many top professionals in our community. From city council members to community leaders the Central Illinois Apartment Association is a respected entity with a long history of portraying the property owner and property manager as a professional business person. This kind of positive public exposure is important to help offset the oftentimes negative image portrayed by the media and a few of our customers.

This month’s general meeting will be held on December 17 and will focus you and your input into the coming year. We will also hold an election of officers for 2010 and beyond. Please attend and give us your input. Our association is only as strong as the people who are involved.

Finally, I would like to thank my Board of Directors (for all of their hard work this past two years) and Marita Booker, CIAA Coordinator, for outstanding support and loyalty to me during my tenure. It has been my pleasure to serve you as president and I look forward to remaining on the Board of Directors as Past President. See you at the next meeting!

… by Spending Time Away From It

You want to grow your business. You envision less work, more profit and more of that treasure that is uniquely yours: donating to your place of worship, helping that cause that touches you. It may appear to you the straightest path to achieving those rewards is by putting your head down and going directly toward your goal. Does it surprise you then to read a less obvious road might be the best one?

Volunteering for a committee in organizations to which you belong, such as your Central Illinois Apartment Association, adds value to your business that you cannot get elsewhere. It is sort of like those companies that match their employee’s contribution to a retirement plan; when you invest in your association, you get a matching investment in your business.

Your service on a committee broadens and deepens your connections. Working side-by-side with your industry peers allows you to encounter diverse views on issues that matter to you. These perspectives are often valid ways of seeing opportunities or pitfalls, and are effectively like seeing your profession with new eyes. When the work you do is renewed you enjoy it more, which is a gratifying return on your investment immediately. In addition, when you are freely offered different approaches that others are using to do the same thing you are, the result often is that you save time or money or both.

Committee service is a way to promote your business too. Whether you offer property for rent, have a product or service, you are going to be around others who are naturally interested in what you do and how you do it. It is often said that marketing is getting people to know, like and trust you. How much easier is it to get over those thresholds when you have rolled-up your sleeves and worked along side someone who might buy your product, service or refer prospects to you? “No amount of advertising can compare with direct interaction with current and potential clients. Working in a committee for a service organization is an ideal method to achieve positive marketing results as others will see your business abilities and dedication to the task at hand. You will build relationships and a solid reputation, which will prove to be much more powerful than simple advertising.” states Matt Carr, Vice President and Senior Commercial Lender at First Bank of Savoy. If these marketing benefits are not quite convincing enough, then remember this: Committee work can be published. Whether it is as simple as adding it to a resume, or even more widely read because it is printed in a newspaper, magazine or blog post, your name and the name of your business can be linked to producing results. And in this context, there is a credibility with which you and your business are imbued that money can’t buy. When the public reads an article that says you were part of a group that surpassed membership goals, redeveloped a web site, launched a new campaign or helped some needy cause, those readers are confident they are reading an impartial report of your work, not a paid advertisement. That’s convincing stuff.

While on the topic of credibility, let’s be sure to mention that committee members have more of it among the association members they serve. Individuals who are contributing their time and expertise are understandably perceived as leaders. With that perception comes recognition and trust. They are seen as people who get things done. As Stephanie Holderfield, Realtor with Re/Max Realty Associates, Champaign County Association of Realtors, Governmental Affairs Chair says, “Committee involvement within your organization also makes the association run more effectively, efficiently and with greater strength.” When other organization members see this, they take note. It is common for committee members to be approached as the go-to person. This is how people regularly have spontaneous opportunities gravitate their way.

You can look at this volunteer work as a learn-as-you-go program. One or two committee positions should be filled by people who are novices at the task and want to learn more. As they learn, the initiates ask questions that challenge seasoned members to rethink how they have done things in the past. Sometimes those questions are the source of improvement and enhancement. Coincidentally, the new volunteer is like an intern who gets years worth of experience handed to them by those who have served on the committee longer then they have. And since the task of a committee is usually either limited in scope or on a recurring cycle, volunteers learn in a low or no-cost way whether the work, like overseeing the financial health of the organization or planning a fund-raiser, is appealing.

A sense of camaraderie can develop among the team of fellow committee members. You might find yourself at a backyard barbecue or a holiday party you have never attended before. There might be a teammate in whom you can count to lend a hand with your work when you are overloaded. It could be as simple as being out shopping and running into a familiar smile. Holderfield adds: “Being a part of something bigger than you are and then taking a step back to appreciate, not only what you offered yourself, but more importantly how together a committed group of individuals collectively flourish the organization. The structure of the organization relies upon individuals who are willing to uphold the integrity of the past as well as grow along side of the future. Without those ideals and willingness to participate, an organization falls apart.”

These are just a few of the benefits of joining and pitching-in on a committee that reflects your interests. You start experiencing them first hand by contacting Randy Hughes, Andrew Timms, Susan Jepsen, Chandre Marino or any of your C.I.A.A. board members. Let them know what sorts of things you like to do or would like to try, and they can help you get into the mix of friendly, conscientious men and women who are eager to have your contribution.

For many years, corporations have been able to list the intangible asset “Goodwill” on their balance sheet. Why not consider service work on an association committee as a way to deepen and broaden your Goodwill assets? And don’t be surprised if you find yourself arriving at your chosen treasure sooner than you expected, even if it didn’t feel like you were running directly toward it.

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About the author: Andrew R. Timms has served in his community on various boards and committees for over fifteen years. He is currently actively involved in several apartment associations, learning and sharing best practices from around the State of Illinois. If you’d like to determine if his experience and network of leasing professionals can help you, contact him to arrange a free consultation.

Come out to the Hawthorn to see CIAA’s own Sally Eissfeldt of Property Management People, inc, Randy Hughes of Hughes R.E., Tammy Wittig of One Atkins Group & Chandre’ Marino of The Pointe @ U of I