the Creative Edge
Photo Courtsey of Jim Martin Design  
 
3rd Quarter 2016
 Issue No. 10
ENHANCING MEMBER SUCCESS AND EXCELLENCE WHILE PROMOTING PROFESSIONALISM AND ETHICAL BUSINESS PRACTICES, AND PROVIDING LEADERSHIP AND DIRECTION FOR THE KITCHEN & BATH INDUSTRY.


Upcoming NKBA Events

August 2016 - Golf Outing - Details to Follow
Gold Sponsor
Member Spotlight:
Showcasing Susquehanna Valley chapter
members and their success!

Name: Jim Martin, CKD
Company: Jim Martin Design
Years in the Industry: 40
Awards/Recognition's: Certified Kitchen Designer; Projects published in This Old House, Lancaster, Susquehanna Style, Kitchen & Bath Design News 
  
NKBA: Describe a little about your background and how Jim Martin Designs was created.
 
Jim: Jim Martin Design has been my full time career since October of 2013. My tag line 'Shaping Your Living Spaces' identifies in a general sense what my company is all about. My initial connection with a client typically happens in the realm of a residential kitchen or bath remodel project. Working as a designer, I help them 'shape the space' in question, through an interactive process including meetings in the home, floor plans, perspectives and assembling selections and samples. My primary objective is to help them understand and create what it is that they love and what works for them by taking on a role more of a facilitator than a signature designer. This process segues very conveniently into my role as their general contractor and project manager. Though there are some projects where I am hired solely as a designer, in the large majority of cases I serve as the contractor to oversee the project in its entirety.  
 
NKBA: What was one of your favorite projects you've worked on and why? 
Jim: My favorite project has been with a client who initially hired me to remodel a master bath in a house he was purchasing. As it turned out, we got into the house and remodeled the master bath and bedroom, the adjacent office, kitchen, powder room, laundry, added a bedroom and bath to the upstairs flex space, painted the entire house, redid all the flooring, built a brick detached two level garage and reworked the entire basement to create a theater area, pub and fitness room, a bath and some storage areas. This client has become my good friend!

NKBA: How valuable has the local NKBA chapter been for you and your business?
Jim: I've been a member of the local NKBA chapter for years, starting out as a member through my previous employer. As a CKD, I value the local chapter for offering accredited programming needed to maintain my credentialing. I also appreciate the network of designers and tradespeople I'm able to interact with through the chapter. My favorite programs are those that involve field trips to showrooms and manufacturers, such as the Monogram trip to Manhattan and the Grothouse Lumber tour several years ago. I have never been to KBIS but it is on my bucket list.
 
NKBA: What is one piece of advice that you abide by? 
Jim: In my world of design and project managing where selections and schedules grasp for center stage, in the end it's people and relationships that endure. 
Membership 101  
The National Kitchen & Bath Association offers so many different services and benefits to our members that even long-time NKBA members might not be aware of all of them.
Resources are available to help our members expand their businesses through marketing and business development - from free consumer leads, business forms, and branding to sponsorship opportunities, publicity tools, and health insurance. The NKBA offers you the tools to help your kitchen and bath business succeed.

CONSUMER LEADS: The NKBA offers a number of opportunities for our members to promote their businesses without having to spend a dime on advertising.
Thousands of consumers use the NKBA's ProSearch tool every month to find designers, remodelers, dealers, and other kitchen and bath professionals in their local areas. Leads are generated by consumers who order the free NKBA kitchen and bath planners and these leads are passed on to NKBA members.

NKBA KITCHEN PLANNER & NKBA BATH PLANNER: The NKBA Kitchen Planner and NKBA Bath Planner allow professionals to place a consumer resource in the hands of potential clients. The planners offer a platform for conversation between kitchen and bath professionals and their clients, helping to initiate a dialogue that may result in a completed project and a satisfied return customer. Budget, design layout, products, priorities and lifestyle are all topics that can be introduced, and this marketing piece is a catalyst for further discussion.

COMPANY BRANDING: The NKBA name and logo is well known throughout the industry. As an NKBA member, you are able to take advantage of that recognition and credibility by aligning your company's brand with the NKBA. A high-resolution copy of the NKBA logo can be downloaded to include on your business cards, website, letterhead, showroom windows, email signature, and delivery trucks.
 
KITCHEN & BATH INDUSTRY DIRECTORY: NKBA member companies receive complimentary, special listings in the Kitchen & Bath Industry Directory-the premiere business-to-business search engine for companies involved in the kitchen and bath industry. As a member, enjoy a free basic company listing that includes preferred placement, highlighted by the NKBA member logo.
 
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT FORMS: Managing your kitchen and bath business can be daunting. That's why
the NKBA offers its members free business management forms. Price quotations, client agreements, subcontractor agreements, limited warranties, time cards, design estimate sheets, and lead analyses are just a few of the dozens of forms freely available to NKBA members. 
 
MARKET RESEARCH: The NKBA provides its members with up-to-date facts and figures on the kitchen and bath industry through regular surveys of dealers, designers, and other industry segments, providing market data on topics such as sales, market health, and style trends.
 
HEALTH INSURANCE AFFINITY PROGRAMS: The NKBA offers a health insurance affinity program that offers premium savings with a variety of coverage options for your employees and their family members. The program offers a shrinking deductible healthy member discounts, extensive networks, low co-pays for doctor visits, wellness benefits, and a prescription drug card. Other options include dental insurance, disability coverage, and a free Health Savings Account (HSA).
 
KITCHEN & BATH CAREER CENTER: The Kitchen & Bath Career Center allows individuals to search job listings and post their resumes free of charge, while industry companies can post jobs and search resumes for a fraction of the cost of other job sites, while being specifically targeted to kitchen and bath professionals. NKBA member companies receive special discounts, as well as the ability to post internships at no cost.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Whether you're an established professional looking to expand your business or a student who wants to break into the kitchen and bath market, the NKBA offers educational opportunities that will improve your position in the industry through virtual instructor led training, on-demand courses and in-person training at chapter meetings and NKBA sanctioned events.  As a member of the NKBA, you can take advantage of professional development courses, become an NKBA-certified professional, and enjoy discounts on the NKBA's Professional Resource Library. The NKBA also provides accreditation for college design programs, giving members a supply of qualified interns.
 
CHAPTER MEETINGS: NKBA members have the opportunity to connect with other kitchen and bath professionals on a local level by networking at chapter meetings.   Business partnerships are forged through personal interaction at chapter meetings and these meetings also provide a great venue where industry professionals can discuss common issues and find answers to problems.
 
SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY CHAPTER meets several times a year, and provides educational hours that enable members to stay current on the latest kitchen and bath prod ucts and practices. 
 
Membership maintenance and growth are required to help a chapter remain vital and active.  All members are encouraged to extend an invitation for membership to local businesses, design students, and other design professionals with whom they have kitchen and bath business connections.  Please forward their contact information to the Chapter, we will invite the prospective member to a meeting as our guest where we will welcome them and make introductions and they can share their business information to begin networking. 
 
Stay tuned for more information our chapter's annual membership drive and we'll see you at a meeting. 

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