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2. News & Notes
3. Learning from the Competition?

Learning from the Competition?

Koontz team takes advantage of multiple opportunities to network

What can we learn from our competitors?

There are  a couple different ways to look at that question.  In the “zero sum game” sense (where you must lose, if I am going to win) we evaluate our competition to look for weaknesses to be exploited or strengths to be copied and improved upon.

If we allow ourselves to think more collaboratively, there are organizations and opportunities to learn from competitors that benefit all involved.  Being part of groups like the Quincy Chamber of Commerce and the Home Builders Association of Quincy allow our company to work with businesses to share knowledge - both specific to our field and about the business world in general.  

The Koontz Builder team has found a group to partner with that takes this collaborative work to an even higher level with its involvement in the National Association of Home Builders’ Professional Builders Alliance.  Scott and Tim Koontz represent their company in meetings with a group of up to 20 different builders at summits held around the country.

This Builders Alliance is made up of custom home builders from different markets across the US.  These builders are not direct competitors geographically and they agree to abide by rules of confidentiality.  Under this setup, the members are free to discuss in detail the specific operational and financial successes and struggles of their businesses.

Twice yearly meetings bring members face to face for fast-paced, informational meetings and the opportunity to pose questions to an impartial group of other successful business owners who can serve as a “Board of Directors”.  Between meetings the Builders Alliance utilizes an email system to share information.  Recent threads have seen builders discussing everything from the expectations you should have about finishing drywall to the viability of speculative home building in the current economic climate.

The Chamber of Commerce allows a company to keep up to speed about the area’s business climate, and the local Home Builders Association lets a builder stay current on market conditions and specific issues faced by their community.  The beauty of the Professional Builders Alliance is its ability to go in-depth with other business owners in the same industry, yet who do not compete directly with each other.

And at Dale Koontz Builder, we have found that is an excellent way to learn from our “competitors”.