Going Green

Going Green is the way of the world these days, or so it seems, so why not help your residents (and your complex) find ways to do this...

There are several websites that can help find ideas that are doable. Changing the light bulbs we use, cutting off the lights when we leave a room, etc. are just a few simple ideas.

Here's a few websites to help you with ideas for your residents:

http://www.ivillage.com/green - iVillage is a site that is full of information on all areas of life.

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/shows_hlwed - Living With Ed is a show on HGTV. It stars Ed Begley and his wife. He has made it his job to teach everyone about going green.

http://www.earthshare.org/tips/moreeasy.html - a list of ideas that can help go green

These are just a few sites that can help you pass along some ideas to your residents.

A menu of ideas

Have you ever thought about doing up a "menu" of sorts for your resident activities? Do up a list of fun things that you are able to do with your residents, send it out and let them choose what they would like to do...when they turn the "menu" back in, you can see which items your residents want to do and do those.

This will help keep you from planning something and having no one or very few residents show up...

A few of the things you could list are:

crafts for adults, crafts for children, book club, learning more about budget planning, cooking lessons, learning a new language, learn about container gardening, resident breakfast/lunch/dinner/cookout, decorating for an apartment (decorating ideas that won't hurt the walls, etc.), fitness club (the biggest loser sort of thing), quilt making, etc.

Things that you have the money to do (you don't want these "menu" items to cost your resident too much. A little cost to the resident isn't that bad, just make sure the cost doesn't go overboard.)

Things that fit your residents. If you have an elderly property, you probably don't want to plan a relay race that ends in a water balloon throwing contest.

"Menus" can be a fun way to find out what your residents would like to do...and don't forget to leave them a space to write down some ideas of their own.

Welcome back to you all...

2008 is bringing a lot of changes for me and I hope that those changes will be evident in this blog. I think instead of having a "day for a certain thing", I'm going to play it by ear. Whatever comes to mind, will be posted.

I still want this to be a blog that will share information between managers to help each of us be better managers. So please SHARE!!!

The beginning of the year is a time to start fresh. Fresh ideas...a fresh take on things and fresh new attitudes...

Please share some of your fresh ideas with me and the other readers...

How can we make our newsletters to our residents better?

We can add the normal things, like...resident birthdays, things that are happening around your complex or town, but what else. What can make our residents really want to read our newsletters...

1. What is the name of your newsletter? If the newsletter has a boring name, then why would someone read it? Better yet, let your residents name your newsletter...give them a deadline to enter a name...then list all those names and let your residents choose the one they like best...that way your residents feel like they are a part of the newsletter.
2. Have a section in the newsletter for your residents to "speak their mind"...ask a monthly question and catch a few residents and put their answers in the newsletter...Have a section that a resident can tell people about their hobbies...get your residents involved and they will read it..
3. Give them suggestions that pertain to them...If you have an elderly property, then you don't want to rate the newest Brittany Spears CD...If you have an affordable property, then you don't want to tell them about the Broadway shows that are coming out...because they can't afford them...Give them a newsletter that helps them in their everyday life...
4. Set up a "Newsletter Group" and let them gather the information. Maybe one of them can type up the original and then you can make copies for everyone. This is getting your residents involved and they will read things that they had something to do with...

So what would (do) you put in your newsletter? Where do you find your information? Share with us. I know that right now, we don't have much of a following, but each day is a chance to help a new manager who is reading this for the first time...