Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/446918
C o n s t r u c t i o n M a r k e t p l a c e 5 7 Tu e s d a y, J a n u a r y 2 0 , 2 0 1 5 improvement professionals to create and effectively manage an online presence. Having an online business presence can be intimidating, but properly managed, it can go a long way in helping you build trust and grow your business. Here are three tips to boost your online reputation and put the web to work for you. Create a Purposeful Online Presence In order for customers to hire you, they must be able to find you, and they must quickly be assured that you are experi- enced, dependable and up to the task. Make sure that you have an Internet pro- file or website that shows up in search results, and that your profile contains everything a homeowner might want to know before hiring you for a project. Consider using HomeAdvisor to assist you in creating a personalized profile page that will include your contact information and project photos, as well as personalized details about your company, your creden- tials and the services you provide. Seek Verified Ratings and Reviews An online presence that includes reviews from former clients assures homeowners of your legitimacy and tells them some- thing about your skills and abilities – and it gives you a leg up over service providers HomeAdvisor (Cont'd. from p. 1) who haven't gone the extra step to make such information available. It is important, however, to protect yourself by promoting your business only on sites that verify user- generated content for authenticity and encourage the real deal. HomeAdvisor, for example, allows homeowners to rate your company and write detailed reviews about their experiences, and since HomeAdvisor verifies its reviews, you can rest assured knowing that ratings and reviews are com- ing from actual customers, not spammers or competitors looking to damage your reputation. Show Your Credentials Use your online presence to show home- owners that you've done your due dili- gence and are licensed and insured, and whenever possible, have your informa- tion verified by a third party. The HomeAdvisor seal of approval, for example, lets potential customers know that your business has passed an exten- sive background check and meets the company's required licensing standards. This saves potential customers the hassle of verifying such information on their own and puts your business at the top of their call list. Visit HomeAdvisor at booth #C3065. For more information, go to www.pro.homeadvisor.com. SM: For decades, the ICC Evaluation Service has been an industry leader and expert in performing technical evalua- tions for product manufacturers, engi- neers, architects and specifiers looking to have their innovative building products evaluated and certified for code compli- ance. CM: What is product certification? SM: Product certification is a review of products against a standard, a criteria or a code to ensure continuous compliance of products. Certification steps include review of products, periodic inspection of plants (by an ISO/IEC17020 accredit- ed agency), periodic review of submitted information against new or revised stan- dards. CM: What accreditation does ICC-ES have? SM: ICC-ES is accredited as a product certifier by both the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Standards Council of Canada (SCC). ICC-ES reports are the most trusted and accepted reports by code officials provid- ing greater acceptance of building prod- ucts. CM: What are the benefits of having an ICC-ES Evaluation Report (ESR)? SM: Key to entering U.S. marketplace for domestic and foreign manufacturers; code officials trust and rely on ICC-ES reports, because they allow them to rap- idly approve products with confidence and peace of mind; evidence to prove your product complies with code and standards; ICC-ES brand backing the code compliance of the product; reduces regulatory barriers and allows new and innovative products to be used in con- struction projects. CM: What sets ICC-ES Apart? SM: ICC-ES upholds the highest stan- dards for safety and reliability; the only entity with direct contact with IBC/IRC ICC-ES (Cont'd. from p. 1) code development staff; ICC-ES is the only evaluation service entity who is a part of an entity (International Code Council ® ) who publishes the building code for the nation; highest quality of product review: evaluations are conduct- ed by licensed professional engineers in a variety of disciplines (structural, mechanical, civil, fire, etc.); ICC-ES is only agency qualified to evaluate prod- ucts to the requirements of its Acceptance Criteria. CM: What's the bottom line for a com- pany considering ICC-ES? SM: Building professionals require assurance that they are using code com- pliant systems. ICC-ES is an industry leader in performing technical evalua- tions for code compliance, providing reg- ulators and construction professionals with clear evidence that products comply with codes and standards. Specifying assemblies that are listed in an ICC-ES Evaluation Report ensures that I-Code requirements are met, providing peace of mind. About ICC-ES A nonprofit, limited liability company, ICC-ES is the United States' leading evaluation service for innovative build- ing materials, components and systems. ICC-ES Evaluation Reports (ESRs), Building Product Listings and PMG Listings provide evidence that products and systems meet requirements of codes and technical standards. The ICC-ES Environmental Programs issue VAR environmental reports that verify a prod- uct meets specific sustainability targets defined by today's codes, standards, green rating systems and ICC-ES envi- ronmental criteria. The Environmental Programs now offer Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), to meet global market demand for science-based, transparent, quality-assured information about a product's environmental per- formance. ICC-ES is a subsidiary of the International Code Council ® (ICC ® ). For more information, visit www.icc- es.org, call 800.423.6587 or stop by booth #C6347 at IBS and booth #N1639 at KBIS. construction managers can spend their time dazzling and amazing their clients instead of struggling with software. SAM is very simple to use, combin- ing the latest technologies of the comput- er, tablets and smartphones. Automated Trackers, the company behind the soft- ware, does all the set-up for it at no addi- tional cost. Once it's set up, you'll get a simple training class that'll have you up and running in minutes. Best of all, this is the one construction management soft- ware package that truly is designed specifically to meet the needs of con- struction managers, and it isn't cluttered up with a lot of other accounting and cus- tomer relations management modules that do nothing to simplify construction scheduling. "I have built houses for years. This software looks and feels exactly like the paper schedules that builders use out in the field," said Automated Trackers Owner Danny LeBlanc, who will be in the Automated Trackers booth #C3059 during the International Builders Show. "What you hear over and over again from my competitors is that it was built by builders for builders. That's hogwash. It's usually a standard accounting program Automated Trackers (Cont'd. from p. 1) that doesn't operate the way builders need to operate. With SAM, you have a complete tactical view of your organiza- tion and you can send hundreds of sched- uling notices with a mouse click and know that everyone got the message you intended to deliver." Now in its tenth year on the market, SAM is widely used throughout the con- struction industry precisely because it's easy to use and it eliminates construction delays and excuses. "SAM gives you the complete tactical view of your organiza- tion," LeBlanc said. "No more, 'He said, she said,' in the field." SAM even includes real-time reporting, which elim- inates the need to involve multiple people handling the data to produce the reports that construction managers need to direct projects efficiently. "We give them the eyes they need to do their job," LeBlanc said. "They're building houses blind if they don't have software in place. SAM can decrease build times on homes by 10 days, just by giving the project manager the tools to stay on schedule through every step of the construction process." For further information, visit Automated Trackers in booth #C3059. After the Builders Show, visit www.automated trackers.com. AGA MARVEL STRENGTHENS U.S. DISTRIBUTION In preparation for the company's indus- try-changing undercounter refrigeration product launch, AGA MARVEL strengthened distribution channels across the United States to provide retail part- ners with better access to products, faster lead times, marketing resources and other dealer support. The company appointed Viking East Distributing as the new primary distribu- tor of premium brands AGA, Marvel and Heartland for the southern U.S. states of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and Florida. In addition, AGA MARVEL expanded territory in the Midwest under Potter Distributing, which now includes North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan. These changes are timed to ready the channel for the launch of the complete Marvel line of ENERGY STAR compli- ant undercounter products, including beverage centers, ice machines, all refrigerators, refrigerator/freezers, refrig- erated drawers and keg dispensers. The company also used this innovation as a springboard to develop the industry's most efficient wine cellar line, despite its current exception in the DOE require- ments. Already known for its quality craftsmanship throughout the industry, Marvel products are engineered, hand- built, tested and inspected against strict quality standards in the AGA MARVEL facility based in Greenville, Michigan. The new Marvel undercounter refrigera- tion line is something the company can be proud of — each product is tested and proven to exceed the more demand- ing energy requirements of today's con- sumer. The Marvel Dynamic Cooling system will provide rapid cool down combined with the most even tempera- ture stability on the market. The manu- facturer also added new hallmark fea- tures to offer greater storage configura- tions, quieter operation, smart tempera- ture controls, chic style options and a fully integrated seamless fit. All prod- ucts are available now.