Category: NTCA Membership Benefits Box

The National Tile Contractors Association 401(k) Plan

If you’re a small business, one of the things you may struggle with is saving successfully for your eventual retirement, or managing the paperwork associated with a retirement plan. By joining the National Tile Contractors Association 401(k) Plan you are able to provide a powerful retirement plan, help save money, and spend less time administering it.

Member benefits

  • No annual audit
  • Cost savings on the investments.
  • No individual Form 5500 reporting
  • Minimal plan maintenance
  • Flexible plan features, including safe harbor, Roth, and profit sharing
  • Customizable 401(k) plan design options involving eligibility, matches, vesting schedules, and more
  • Fully integrated with the NTCA Member-endorsed payroll system NETCHEX

How?

The National Tile Contractors Association 401(k) Plan – from a government reporting standpoint – is treated like one large plan. The end result for you is a 401(k) plan with competitive investments, outstanding service, and someone else doing a majority of the plan maintenance legwork.

Strength in numbers

With 1,500 members in our association, we bring a large, powerful group to one unified plan. When you utilize the National Tile Contractors Association 401(k) Plan, you have all the advantages and flexibility of a stand-alone plan sponsor, but avoid the expenses and administrative burden associated with sponsoring a single employer plan.

Simplified paperwork

By participating in the National Tile Contractors Association 401(k) Plan, virtually all administrative tasks can be offloaded from you to Transamerica and National Tile Contractors Association. These tasks may include:

  • Administrative responsibilities
  • Employee eligibility tracking
  • Distribution processing
  • Plan compliance
  • Nondiscrimination testing 
  • Annual reporting
  • Participant enrollment/education

The result is that you have to invest less time in paperwork and more time in running your business.

Find out more and get the process started. Contact Rachel Walsh, Transamerica Sales Director at [email protected], 727-221-9126.

Introduction to the tile trade video

Over the summer, the NTCA produced a 5:57 minute video for use in introducing new tile installers to the trade and spreading the word about the many opportunities available in tile setting and finishing. It’s designed for those in the tile industry or in education to take into high schools and trade schools to raise awareness and interest in what the tile trade has to offer.

Narrated by NTCA executive director Bart Bettiga, it focuses on the timeless aspect of tile, and the craft of tile installation as an opportunity for a rewarding construction career. Art, math, science, and language skills all come into play in this multifaceted line of work. It explains that tile setters and finishers will learn and weave together creativity, exacting standards, business acumen and a variety of attributes into a hands-on career that cannot be outsourced. And because tile setting is a highly skilled career, qualified and certified tile installers command better compensation than those who trade in low-use products and services. 

The video points out that tile setting and finishing are also professions where, in many cases, you can earn as you learn with on-the-job mentorships and apprenticeships that build trusted partnerships between you and your employer. 

In addition to directing viewers to resources to get more information on potential employers, it spells out personal attributes possessed by successful tile setters: they are dependable, hardworking, mechanically inclined, have a sense of urgency, and are self motivated critical thinkers. Tile installers also benefit from being skilled in communications, time management, planning, with leadership abilities and the ability to retain knowledge. And installers and finishers have the satisfaction of having been part of visual landmarks in the community and creating functioning works of art. 

You can find the video on the National Tile Contractors Association YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/c/NationalTileContractorsAssociation. 

NTCA Position Statement Library

Are you aware that the NTCA website has a Position Statement Library (formerly known as the Consensus Document Library) at your disposal? To visit this growing resource, enter https://bit.ly/2NKhuxN in your browser or click the Education & Certification link at www.tile-assn.com and scroll down to NTCA Position Statement Library.

This new resource puts critical documents at your fingertips, including position statements and white papers on a range of industry issues on underlayments and subfloors, tile assemblies and grout joints, and types of tile. More papers will be added as they become available.

There’s a continually expanding list of papers and documents in the library, but the ones we want to draw your attention to are the documents that make up the Silica Exposure Control Plan. The recent OSHA ruling on respirable crystalline silica has marked a sea of change in the way many contractors do business in order to meet these new government requirements and ensure safe use of silica-containing materials for themselves and their employees. 

The Silica Exposure Control Plan includes the following informational and compliance-oriented documents and resources:

Silica Exposure Control Plan:

  • Respirable Crystalline Silica
  • OSHA Silica Compliance Overview
  • Silica Exposure Plan
  • OSHA Silica Compliance Guide
  • Silica Compliance Checklist
  • Silica Written Exposure Plan

Visit the NTCA Position Statement Library and view the Silica Exposure Control Plan documents. In the spirit of education and information sharing, NTCA offers this resource as a free service on its association website. Take a look today!

NTCA Business Manual

NTCA has a strong focus on training and education for the technical aspects of your business. But we also realize that being in business isn’t solely about the physical, hands-on aspect of setting tile – if you are to be a successful business person, having a clear, well-crafted business plan can mean the difference between just getting by and thriving in your work.

To that end, NTCA has created a Business Manual for the small contractor – a publication that is currently under review by our Business Committee. Elements of the business plan contained in the document detail:

  • Executive Summary
  • General Company Description
  • Products and Services
  • Marketing Plan
  • Operational Plan
  • Management and Organization
  • Personal Financial Statement
  • Financial History and Analysis
  • Financial Plan
  • Appendices
  • Refining the Plan

With the recent addition of two new NTCA staff members – Stephanie Samulski, Director of Technical Services, and Avia Haynes, Director of Marketing & Communications, the Business Committee will be moving ahead to update, refine and prepare this manual for widespread use within the membership. Stay tuned!

Enter.Net Web Services

Want to have a web presence but not sure where to start? A new NTCA member benefit, family-owned Enter.Net, based in Allentown, Pa., specializes in state-of-the-art web design, SEO (search engine optimization) and social media. Enter.Net was voted “Best Web Design Company” for 13 years in a row by McCall’s Reader’s Choice. They design and host over 1,000 websites and are currently running a 40% discount off all business web services for NTCA members.

Choose from these services

Web Design – Enter.Net ensures that your web presence looks amazing and is responsive on ANY platform – computer, tablet, and phone and merges platforms to bring the work you do on social media to a company-specific and branded “home” on the web.

Search Engine Optimization – Be found easily by prospective customers, stay ahead of your competition, and get top rankings on Google, Yahoo and Bing with monthly ranking reports – all at an affordable price.

Social Media Marketing Strategies – Use social media efficiently and effectively with Enter.Net’s expert marketing strategies and tools that allow you to reach all your audiences with one click.

Custom Marketing Media Packages –Integrate your presence and your message starting with your logo, moving to print pieces, email blasts, custom video products and billboard and ad design. Everything you need to keep your company in front of potential customers.

Find out more at http://www2.enter.net. Not yet a NTCA member? Contact Jim Olson at
[email protected] for information about membership.

Partnering for Success voucher program

One of the benefits of becoming a member of the NTCA is the “Partnering for Success” program. The manufacturing sponsors of this program feel strongly about the value NTCA provides and have agreed to offset your investment by providing these product vouchers. As a paid new or renewing contractor member of the NTCA you will choose $2,000 of FREE product vouchers from four categories of the $6,960 that is available. Each year the program will continue to grow as more sponsors come on board.

NTCA members applaud vouchers

This is a highly heralded benefit. Hear what a few NTCA members have to say:

“Aside from the obvious joy of free stuff, the program has allowed me to try some different products I might not have been able to before,” said Jason Jones, owner of Jones Tile, Columbiana, Ala. “Also, it’s helped to expose me to products I might not have known even existed.”

Matt Byars of Tiling Solutions, LLC, Gaffney, S.C., said, “The voucher program has turned into a rewarding opportunity for me. It allows me to try new products that I normally wouldn’t, as well as get some I am comfortable using. This year I will be able to provide 90% of the materials for a small bathroom remodel to a client who is down on their luck, and could use a helping hand. It’s a win for the client, a win for me, and a win for the industry!”

How to select your vouchers

Receiving your vouchers isn’t automatic – you need to select what you’d like, so you can tailor your selections to what’s best for your business. How does it work? Once you sign up as a contractor member, you’ll receive an email with a custom link to the vouchers. Go to the link, select vouchers from all four categories up to the Section Allowance for each category and submit your selections by November 15. You’ve got to choose all your vouchers at once and remember, vouchers expire December 15 of every year, so joining early in the year gives you the most time to use them. 

Here are the categories and sponsors for 2018: 

Category 1: Tile Options – Section Allowance $600  –Sponsors include: American Olean, Crossville, Daltile, Emser Tile, Florida Tile, Marazzi, Metropolitan Ceramics, The Tile Shop.

Category 2: Tools/ Heat Systems – Section Allowance $350 –Sponsors include: Alpha, ATR, Gundlach, Mark E. Industries, Miracle Sealants, NTCA Tile Tool, Nuheat, Porcelain Plus Speedbit, QEP, Rubi, SunTouch, Warmly Yours, Just Warm It.

Category 3: Sundries – Section Allowance $400 – Sponsors include: Aqua Mix, Blanke, Ceramic Tool Co., Compotite, Contractors Direct, Hardiebacker/Home Depot, Hollspa, MAPEI, MD Pro, NAC Products, National Gypsum, Noble Company, NTCA Online Store, NTCA University, Oceancare Enhancer, Oceancare Sealer, Proflex, Schluter Systems, Trimaco, USG, VanHearron, wedi.

Category 4: Setting Materials – Section Allowance $650 –Sponsors include: ARDEX, Bostik, Custom Building Products, C-Cure, LATICRETE, MAPEI, MERKRETE, TEC, Texrite. 

Here’s a detailed list of what’s available. http://www.tileletter.com/vouchers/. 

Do you have more questions? Call Jim Olson at 601-942-2996 or email [email protected].

CardConnect – NTCA Benefits Box – May 2018

A new benefit from NTCA is CardConnect. This credit card payment processing company gives you an easy way to process payments and manage your merchant account.

CardConnect offers best-in-class payments technology to ensure accepting debit and credit card payments is simple, secure and affordable.

NTCA members enjoy a wide range of services from CardConnect at deeply discounted prices. You can easily add secure payment acceptance capabilities into any application, so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to process payments. Card Connect offers developer tools, enterprise solutions as well as ISV integrations, for point-to-point encryption. 

With Card Connect, transactions are protected with highly effective security solutions that ensure PCI compliance. A full range of reporting tools makes keeping track of transactions easy and efficient, from your office or on the road. 

For more information about CardConnect, or about joining NTCA, please contact Jim Olson at [email protected] or phone 601-942-2996. 

Benefits Box – April 2018 – Insperity

Insperity System Integrator Program: a new HR solution from NTCA

Business challenges have HR solutions. Insperity®, a trusted advisor to America’s best businesses for more than 31 years, provides an array of human resources and business solutions designed to help improve business performance. Insperity® Business Performance Advisors offer a comprehensive suite of products and services. Insperity delivers administrative relief, better benefits, reduced liabilities and a systematic way to improve productivity through its premier Workforce Optimization® solution. 

Additional company offerings include Human Capital Management, Payroll Services, Time and Attendance, Performance Management, Organizational Planning, Recruiting Services, Employment Screening, Financial Services, Expense Management, Retirement Services and Insurance Services. Insperity business performance solutions support more than 100,000 businesses with over 2 million employees. With 2017 revenues of $3.3 billion, Insperity operates in 68 offices throughout the United States.

The partnership between Insperity and NTCA provides preferred member pricing on select Insperity® HR solutions.  As an NTCA member company, you can customize your back office from the many products and services Insperity offers. Visit http://bit.ly/2HPDyF3 and scroll down to learn more about Insperity while exploring member benefits on the NTCA Why Join? For information about membership, contact Jim Olson at [email protected]. 

NTCA Benefits Box – March 2018


NTCA offers numerous benefits for non-members

There are a tremendous number of benefits of being a NTCA member, not the least of which is the ability to participate in the new Members-Only Regional Training Programs touring the country right now.

However, NTCA offers a number of features that even benefit non-members. Any contractor or installer can attend one of the many free NTCA Workshops or CTEF Workshops that crisscross the country, bringing information and education to local markets. TileLetter magazine is free with a membership, but it can also be accessed online for free at tileletter.com or obtained for the price of mailing for non-members.

The NTCA Reference Manual, part of the triumvirate of industry documents that include the TCNA Handbook of Ceramic, Glass and Stone Tile Installation and the ANSI manual, can be obtained by clicking on the link to the NTCA Online Store, located on the tile-assn.com home page. It brings you information about many tile issues in a problem-cause-cure format, and many other important resources that add to the success of your jobs.

Under the Education & Certification tab on tile-assn.com, you can access other free resources – Webinars (and archived webinars about an array of pertinent topics), free educational videos through NTCA’s YouTube channel, the NTCA Position Statement library, and Question Mark videos in which NTCA Training Director Mark Heinlein answers common questions about tile installation and more. Non-members can also view our monthly TileTV video magazines at tile-assn.com website under News & Awards.

For more information about all the benefits of being a member, visit www.tile-assn.com/?page=Membership. Networking, camaraderie, support, technical advice, the ability to truly shape the industry and help learn and teach industry-approved installation practices are all some of the things membership in NTCA brings. Check it out today.

For more information on membership, contact Jim Olson at [email protected]

Newest NTCA member benefit: Zlien

One of NTCA’s newest member benefits is Zlien, a company that assists over 24,000 contractors nationwide in protecting lien rights and reducing financial risk.

Zlien’s mission is to empower successful construction projects by getting the lien rights “mess” out of the way. Zlien’s website (zlien.com) explains that “Mechanics lien and bond claim rights are connected to every payment in construction – a $960 billion a year industry. By helping material suppliers, lenders, and everybody in between easily manage these rights, we strive to facilitate successful projects, smooth payments, and happy people.
“Our mission is to enable all project stakeholders to protect their finances and succeed in their jobs, all without a drop of stress.”

Building a fair payment process for the construction industry, Zlien’s cloud-based platform makes lien rights easy. Construction firms, contractors, suppliers, and other project stakeholders nationwide use Zlien to eliminate the administrative headaches and legal guesswork associated with lien waiver exchanges, preliminary notices, and mechanics lien compliance.

Zlien employs what it calls “The Lien Genome™” that the site explains like this:

“Four out of 5 construction businesses believe that managing lien security and lien waivers is hard. It’s no wonder, since lien laws around the United States demand more than 100,000 combinations of deadlines, documents, dates, and other requirements. We’ve mapped this landscape of lien laws, calling it the Lien Genome™. With a few basic pieces of project information, the Lien Genome™ will instantly explain how to protect lien rights and exchange proper lien waivers. Our goal isn’t to help you understand lien laws. With zlien, you’ll never think about lien laws again.”

Visit the Member Benefits section of the NTCA website at www.tile-assn.com to find out more about how Zlien can help you. Interested in becoming a member to make the most of this and other member benefits? Contact Jim Olson at [email protected] tile-assn.com.

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