Chapter News: What Do You Do When the Only Direction to Go is Up?
Part 2. Read Part 1 here.
Photo: The Ohio Chapter Board of Directors and executive director enjoyed being part of the turnaround. Back row, l to r: Brian “B.K.” Thompson, Marty Eblin, Tom Horning, George Basista. Front row, l to r: Howard Snyder, executive director; Tim Buell; Ken Harrington. Not pictured is David Argabright.
Last month, I shared with you the beginning of an amazing turnaround, when the chapter education chair was asked to step up to the presidency after the chapter president resigned.
Faced with debt, declining membership and turmoil, Tim Buell, the new president, built a core group of leaders that established and was accountable for shared goals.
Improving communication, making it possible for all the members to take part in decision-making, was an important step forward, as was joining forces with other Ohio chapters and NAHI.
Fix finances
One of the most important goals was to get the chapter’s finances in order. Tim ensured the chapter had its own federal ID number, was incorporated, was recognized as a 501 c (6) tax-exempt entity by the IRS and the state, file all tax forms, obtained general liability insurance, and filed a financial report with ASHI for Directors and Officers insurance. The next step was to extinguish the debt and build the cash in the bank. The chapter had not been financially irresponsible in the past, but it had spent more than $100,000 to lobby for favorable home inspection state legislation. The debts were addressed, arrangements made and the debt whittled down by watching expenses, adding members and providing top-quality and profitable continuing-education events. In just two years, all of the debt was paid, and the chapter had a healthy balance in the bank.
Measure success by growth
One of the yardsticks used to measure the success of a chapter is that it is attracting new members and is growing. Everyone would like to have a quick fix: Go to a seminar or read a book and in a couple of days, the membership doubles.
Unfortunately, there are no quick fixes. It takes hard work by all involved, great leadership, and a clear and concise understanding of what it will take to achieve established goals.
Similar to what John Maxwell said in his book “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership:” ‘There is no one item, and all 21 items must be met to become a leader;’ there is not one item that will cause a chapter to grow. It takes a group of items, leaders complementing each other and, over time, the result will be growth.
Tim Buell had no previous experience in growing membership in a professional organization, but he knew there were leaders in ASHI who had been successful in growing their chapter’s membership. He contacted ASHI headquarters, volunteered to work on the Chapter Relations Committee and was able to learn from the successful chapter leaders. Soon, he learned the chapters that were successful and growing provided quality education to their members and returned value greater than the cost of membership.
Revitalize the website
The first step in this direction was to develop the neglected website. The chapter retained a grad student at Ohio State University to be the webmaster, and members’ information was added to the “Find an Inspector” section of the site. The next step was to drive traffic to the site by advertising in the monthly Ohio REALTOR® magazine, which goes to over 30,000 Realtors in Ohio. To drive more Ohio Realtors to the website, they were offered the chance to win an iPad if they registered on the site. Advertising and promoting the use of an Ohio ASHI member added inspections to the members’ schedules and money in the bank. Ohio has grown from 62 members to over 100 in the last 18 months.
Chart the course
When I decided to write this article, I called Tim Buell. He gave all the credit to the officers and board of his chapter. Then, I contacted chapter officers and directors, who told a different story of the leadership Tim had provided during a difficult time. One officer said, “Anyone can steer the ship, but it took a leader like Tim Buell to chart the course.” I agree. Tim has been instrumental in the success of the Chapter Relations Committee, and I appreciate his dedication and loyalty to ASHI. Tim and other chapter leaders across the ASHI nation will be presenters at this year’s Leadership Training Conference to share stories of success. Make plans to attend October 20-21 in Chicago.
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