NKBA’s free webinars in January focus on business strategies in a changing environment. By Dianne M. Pogoda

The business of doing business in a creative environment is changing at a rapid pace, being transformed by the digital landscape and social media platforms, so it’s increasingly critical to stay on top of these operational elements. But even the basic principles of driving profitability and customer acquisition and retention can use a tune-up now and then.

January’s free webinar series kicks off the new decade with a concentration on business and marketing. Each month, NKBA offers free 60-minute webinars, each of which features a presentation by an expert in the specific subject matter, delivered via a virtual platform. The sessions offer certified participants 0.1 CEU per event — it’s an easy way for designers to collect the CEUs needed to maintain NKBA certification. Participants must engage in 80 percent of the sessions to receive CEU credit; registration closes two hours prior to start times. All webinars in 2020 begin at 12 noon, Eastern Time. Create an account at the NKBA store at www.nkba.org to register.

Beginning on Jan. 7, Jim Gurule, founder and president of KitchenPlan.ai, will present   “Capture, Create, Collaborate – Improve Your Customer Experience Through Innovative Technology.” This webinar was rescheduled from December, and is generously sponsored by Samsung. Technology is changing how consumers approach just about all aspects of their life, including kitchen renovation projects, buying behaviors and decision-making processes. Breakthrough approaches in technology can improve the kitchen remodeling experience, making it more efficient and enjoyable. This webinar, will teach how to use these technologies to better qualify prospects, capture more clients, gather valuable information during the planning process to save time, reduce errors and better collaborate with the trade professionals involved in the project. The result will be  more revenue and improved margins.

This session will also share a case study of study of Gurule’s collaboration with Habitat for Humanity ReStore and EPAM, a global technology leader and user experience expert, that will illustrate how the K&B  industry can use technology to promote kitchen renovation sustainability and divert waste from landfills.

Habitat for Humanity ReStore is using a proprietary technology that was specifically developed for the kitchen renovation virtual donation. This AI technology helps homeowners, designers and contractors during the planning and budgeting phase of a kitchen renovation save time and reduce cost by donating their pre-owned kitchen to local non-profits. The session. Will illustrate how technology improves ReStore center’s current donation process, reduces the difficulty of collecting and sharing information that is needed to submit items for donation, and enables Habitat for Humanity to more easily help the environment and communities in need. Attendees will learn about future inexpensive or free AI technologies and to ask a few guided questions about their preferences and project, streamlining the project and improving the client experience. They’ll also discover how the latest mobile camera phone AR technology will allow potential clients to capture their existing kitchen renovation project data, saving time and expense, and how to dreate a real-time 3D kitchen project file in the cloud for further iterations, easy access and collaboration with all project stakeholders. To register for “Capture, Create, Collaborate – Improve Your Customer Experience Through Innovative Technology,” click here.

Next up, on Jan. 10, Jim Nowakowski, president and owner of Interline Group, will present “Staying in Front of Your Customers in a Digital Environment.” This webinar will address how businesses can get a better understanding of servicing customers with the digital disruption in today’s market. He will decipher the different types of tools available to keep a designer’s services relevant and to determine a designer’s branded value in the scheme of business today. He’ll also explain the importance of differentiation and what sets one business’ brand apart from another, and why that’s critical to a healthy operation.

To register for “Staying in Front of Your Customers in a Digital Environment,” click here.

On Jan. 14, register for “Are You Taking the Time for Proper Discovery with Your Prospects?” Duane Becker, owner of Sapre Training, dives into sales techniques that will help a business owner dig deeper into answering client questions, enhance listening and notetaking skills.

“We as salespeople are frequently so passionate about our work and our company that we are all too anxious to jump into descriptions and presentations about what we offer for products and services and why they are great choices,” Becker says. “If you have just met a customer for the first time, do not fall into this trap of being just like the next closest competitor. Spend ample time doing discovery of your client and their desires so when it comes to recommending a product or service, you have a reason why.”

Click here to register for “Are You Taking the Time for Proper Discovery with Your Prospects?”

On Jan. 28, Joan Ravasy, founder and CEO of Joan Ravasy Design LLC, hosts a panel of experts to discuss “Building Your Team to Build Your Business and Brand.” Join Ravasy and Leslie Carothers, CEO of The Kaleidoscope Partnership LLC; Nicole Heymer, owner of Curio Electro; Diana Mosher, principal of Diana Mosher Associates LLC, and Darla Powell, founder and principal of Darla Powell Interiors – Wingnut Social, in a conversation about marketing, social media, branding and content creation about building a team and crafting a marketable brand to grow a business in the digital world. Ravasy says the era of having a “business of one is over. How do you make that transition and find the right resources to help you grow?  How do you establish authentic relationships with other creatives to open your business to potential customers and clients? How much does it cost?” The panel will cover these and other issues, as well as Ravasy’s own journey of rebranding her business and the various aspects involved in the process of moving her firm forward, including building a website and a social media presence, creating a business strategy and brand identification, information about gathering project data, photography, copywriting, social media strategy and coordinating with your team of “creatives” with best practices for a successful outcome.

To register for “Building Your Team to Build Your Business and Brand,” click here.

Finally, on Jan. 30, Fred Reikowsky, principal of Legacy Business Leaders, will explore “Solving the Business Owner’s Matrix: The 5 Drivers of Breakthrough Success in the Kitchen & Bath Industry.”

Business success is not a random outcome, especially in the kitchen and bath industry. As market opportunities continue to increase, so does competition, which means that functioning on gut instinct and intuition just won’t cut it for business owners and leaders who are serious about long-term success.

The ability to make well-informed decisions drives competitive advantage and profitability. But what defines a “well-informed” decision? Is business expertise merely a byproduct of past experience, construction knowledge or market constraints? Are good financial practices and well-documented business plans the best predictors of successful outcomes? While all valuable assets, these attributes, until integrally connected with one another, do not deliver the clarity required to ultimately guide a kitchen and bath business to optimal levels of profitability. This session will help attendees understand and connect these distinct drivers and gain the ability to better quantify and leverage their finite resources, increase efficiency and preempt limiting factors. The Business Owner’s Matrix is a blueprint for control and confidence that when solved, will change how business owners operate; offer ways to track profit impact and adjust their approach in real time, and provide a clear road map to superlative results.

To register for “Solving the Business Owner’s Matrix: The 5 Drivers of Breakthrough Success in the Kitchen & Bath Industry,” click here.