Keeping Cool Under the Heat

My latest article on CB Hotmail...

The series of heat waves sweeping across the country this summer have been a welcome source of business activity for HVAC contractors reeling from successive regulatory blows, mild summers, and the nation’s economic malaise. Yet, the heat not only stresses compressors, it stresses customers, employees, and company owners. Losing your cool under the summer’s stress rarely works well for anyone but is especially detrimental if you’re the boss (i.e., the role model in your company). Here’s 11 ways to keep cool under the heat.

Read more at Contracting Business.

The Impact of Awareness

Source:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/gagilas/

It’s killing your sales. In fact it may be the single greatest barrier to the growth of your company. It’s prospect and customer ignorance about the products and services you offer.

Read more at Contracting Business.

Low Pricing: There’s No Virtue in Bankruptcy

Too many contractors set their service pricing by accident. For this reason one contractor out of five closes every year when the economy’s strong, let alone when it’s weak. Service pricing should be set at a level where you can pay your bills, pay yourself, pay your employees, provide training, invest in the growth of your company, and leave a little left over. In other words, service prices should be set to earn a targeted net profit.
Sounds obvious, right? The question then, is why don’t more service companies charge what they should?

Read More at Contracting Business.

Anthropogenic Business Climate Change

On this page two years ago I wrote, “What if it doesn't get warmer? What if it gets colder?” After a summer that wasn't and one of the coldest and snowiest winters on record, it certainly seems to be getting colder.

Read the rest at ContractingBusiness.com

Even Accidental Plagiarism Can Cost You

Not only can plagiarism cost your company; it can cost you, your company. That’s right; you can lose your company over plagiarism, even without malicious intent on your part.


Click for the full article at Contracting Business by Charlie Greer and Matt Michel. 

Forward this one to your mail list.  Every business owner needs to be aware of the risk from using plagiarized material.

Are you selling vanilla?

Suppose you decide to open an ice cream parlor. More than likely you will face a number of competing ice cream parlors. You will battle a host of competitors all screaming for the consumer’s attention. The rallying cry of your new industry might well be, “I scream. You scream. We all scream ‘ice cream.’”

It’s a tough business you’ve entered. You know you’ve got to promote yourself. So, you ask yourself, “What do most customers want?”

You check with the International Ice Cream Association and discover that the number one flavor is vanilla. In fact, vanilla is preferred by more than a three to one margin over the number two flavor. Okay, that’s it. You’re going to promote vanilla. You’re going to paint, “Vanilla ice cream here!” on the window of your storefront. You’re going to devote your yellow pages ad to the theme, “We’ve got vanilla!” Everywhere you can, you’re going to trumpet your vanilla ice cream.

You’re going to go out of business.

Read The Rest at ContractingBusiness.com

The Social Media Leap of Faith

My new "Rant" is out...

Social media is sweeping the business community. Ford Motors, for example, is spending 25% of its marketing budget on digital/social media. Yet most contractors are slow to adopt it. Stunningly, there's apparently no shortage of industry skeptics willing to speak out and shout down digital technologies, proclaiming everything this side of email to be a fad.

Read More At ContractingBusiness.com