Re-Building Your Company in Tough Times:
A Series of Articles

Collier Building Industry Association
Articles for “Business Builder” newsletter
Published Summer 2007
by John A. Haas, Ph.D.
Management Strategies Group

It’s painfully obvious that Collier County, Southwest Florida and many parts of the whole country have been experiencing a slowdown in new construction, hitting the residential market particularly hard. Housing prices have come down some, but are still out of the reach of many current and would-be Collier County residents. Thus, the re-sale market has slowed, with a glut of inventory on the market that is moving much more slowly, even with relatively low interest rates. With questionable mortgage lending practices, the number of foreclosures has reached alarming rates.

Many CBIA members have grown and thrived in the construction boom of the last 10 years or so, and now clearly and strongly feel the effects of the current economic realities. Many of you needed to step back and take a look at your organizations in light of the business climate. Some of you may have “downsized” your organizations, shifted your business focus, changed your business model, etc. in order to “re-group.” While this introspection is difficult and often forces you to make painful decisions about people and direction, it also represents an opportunity to strengthen your company’s foundation, including its structure and business processes.

Next                     Previous