Building Relationships for Success

Summer is here and the heat has started. Please remember to stay safe and cool. Make sure you and your crews are hydrated and don’t give OSHA anywhere to grip from.

We received some great entries into our Beautification Awards competition this month. Unfortunately, we did not receive enough from a large enough variety of contractors to move forward with producing the type of awards program members have come to expect from our chapter. In an effort to encourage more entries and maintain the integrity of the program, we have extended the entry deadline to July 23. PLEASE, if you have projects to enter into this year’s competition, enter them! Forms are available online at our chapter website. The board has been working really hard to put our events together. Let’s support them! Also, next month is our sportfishing event. It’s sure to be a good time. There is limited space so don’t delay in registering!

If you read last month’s magazine, you know that there are two bills that are a priority and affect our industry. They are AB1003 (Lorena Gonzalez-D) and SB606 (Lena Gonzalez-D). CLCA opposes both. In support of CLCA’s efforts, I took it upon myself to reach out to the representatives pushing for these bills and was able to get on the phone with Lena Gonzalez’s assistant. I shared my personal stance regarding the bill and how it affects small businesses like mine. Sometimes these legislators are so fixated on the big corporations, they forget about us small business owners. Truth be told, everything is a trickle effect.

I share this to encourage you to reach out to your legislators. Believe it or not, our voice matters. As entrepreneurs, it is our duty to look out for our business. We live in the age of technology; the age in which our voice can be heard. All you have to do is reach out.

On a separate note, I want to make sure you are making the most of your CLCA membership. There are so many benefits! One major benefit is the opportunity to build relationships. Make sure to reach out to one another. From what I can see in our industry lately, there are two main types of Contractor Members. The younger, newly licensed and the more experienced, seasoned professionals. Believe it or not, both types can learn a lot from each other. Newer contractors coming into the industry tend to be more tech savvy and the seasoned vets have way more experience. Both are useful for the growth of your business.

On the topic of CLCA membership, I’d like to give you a quick update from the state membership committee. The committee will be proposing the idea of a coupon book to the state board. If approved, Associate Members will have the option to offer exclusive discounts to Contractor Members. This will be a great opportunity to link up our vendors and contractors, building a strong working relationship. Have an idea or thoughts on other ways we can strengthen our membership? Feel free to reach out to me.

Finally, the state is now accepting entries for their Trophy Awards. Enter by August 8 and receive $100 off your entry. This year’s Trophy Awards ceremony will be November 5 during the annual convention in Maui. Be sure to book early and pack your swimsuit. Learn more at www.clca.org.

For this month’s book, I encourage you to read Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki.

~Sincerely, Sal Hernandez, 2021 CLCA OC President