If you are affluent, it’s time to fight back
The United States of America is the greatest country on Earth. It is the greatest country because of "our free society" and capitalism. Capitalism is defined in Webster's Dictionary as the economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately owned and operated for profit. Capitalist has two definitions. Definition No. 1: An owner of wealth used in business. Definition No. 2: Wealthy....
The world of thermal imaging - Part 3
This is the last in a series of articles on the budding technology of infrared cameras. At present, there are no less than a dozen different manufacturers of infrared camera technology. Each and every one of them offers a unique feature....
Making hay with the RPA
One thing that's undeniable: this recession and economy has altered the way we do business. Chances are you’re operating a bit leaner and paying closer attention to details than when the economy was firing on all eight cylinders just two years ago. It's not easy being an independent small business and it seems to get tougher with each passing year. ...
Giants fight through another tough year
Last year may have been one to forget for many contractors and this year isn’t going to be much better. The commercial, industrial and institutional markets that large mechanicals depend on will be down drastically this year. ...
They don't always get away with it
We have all heard stories of firms owned and operated by non-minority men, who appear to find a way to obtain contracts that are set-aside for women or minorities. I receive about one or two inquiries a month (more since the Stimulus Act) as to how this can be done. ...
Service management software solutions
Ventus Service Management, www.ventussoftware.com, is a customizable software solution for service contractors that can handle the full complement of service department activities, including electronic dispatching; preventative maintenance scheduling; inventory and equipment for tracking and managing stocked parts (in one or multiple warehouses or service trucks); service contract administration; and work order billing....
Drain-line carry and HETs
If ever there has been a phrase designed to strike fear into our hearts, it has to be this one. If, as has been widely suggested, drain-line carry dictated where adequate drainage stopped and stoppages began forming, we’d be spending every minute of every day occupied with clearing waste blockages....
Succession planning for the family business
Two phone calls in the same week from readers gave me reason to write a succession planning article. The first caller told me a succession planning horror story: The caller lost millions to the IRS. The second caller’s story made me want to explode: The caller spent a lot of money on lawyers and still doesn’t know what to do....
Load calculations are good for you
Not long ago a residential load calculation — also known as a heat loss calculation or a load calc — was something you had the luxury of skipping. There was a good reason for avoiding it. It was difficult and time-consuming. There wasn’t much at risk in not doing it. And furthermore, no one expected much from "the furnace guy" anyway....
Policing the showerhead outlaws
After just 18 years, the Department of Energy is cracking down on showerhead manufacturers that sell products that flow more than 2.5 GPM. DOE announced enforcement actions against four manufacturers for failing to certify that 116 products complied with EPACT92, the federal law that mandates that showerheads flow no more than 2.5 GPM....
Business development plan is a keystone
In my travels I hear contractors say, no matter how low I bid, I still can't get any work; my estimators are busy all the time; we are still striking out; and I'm at my wit's end. Usually they want to know where business can be found and how they can become successful....
A day in the life of a project manager — Pt. 2
The next day, I arrive on the jobsite early in the morning to find one of the storage trailers broken into. Checking the other trailers, especially the one used for storing copper (it has burglar bars welded to the front), not one of them shows any damage, but that’s beside the point. ...
Ten simple steps to becoming greener
It's amazing how many articles fill the trade press about "green" plumbing. Most plumbers are aware of the growing consumer awareness about the environmental impact of the choices they make in lifestyle and purchases. Yet, many are uncertain exactly what being "green" really means....
The colorful world of thermal imaging — Part 2
At the end of last month’s article, we were discussing the potential application of this technology for locating leaks below grade. That is but one of the possible applications in the HVAC field. The most obvious application is looking for energy leaks (heating or cooling) in the buildings shell and core. Again, differential in temperature is critical before attempting to look for energy leaks....
Getting paid — Part 1
Being a contractor, or a subcontractor, is not for the faint of heart in the best of times. With market conditions as they are today, nerves of steel are a prerequisite. The age old problem of timely payment has been drawn into even sharper focus as projects become scarcer and funding niggardly. General contractors are being squeezed by the architects, the architects are being squeezed by the owners, and the owners are being squeezed by the banks to get the most for their money in the fastest time possible. ...
Five keys to higher profits
Contractor Dan invested in expensive, graphic-wrapped vehicles and a state-of-the-art warehousing system with a stockpile of all the major brands. He also invested vast amounts of time, money and energy in his Yellow Page ads and Web site. ...
Be a role model for your employees
Leaders are made, not born. Occasionally an extraordinary person comes along who can inspire lofty performance by sheer charisma or overpowering intelligence, but these folks are very much the exception. You don’t have to be Alexander the Great or a Winston Churchill to be a strong effective leader....
A day in the life of a project manager
Big breakfast at McDonald’s at 6:00 a.m. Some time to relax and read the newspaper before heading down I-55 to the jobsite office trailer. A lifetime in project management and I’m still not used to getting up so early so I can be there when my guys start coming in. I’m the first one in, the last one out. ...
The color of heat — Part 1
Since its inception, FLIR has made huge leaps and bounds as it pertains to its potential application in the industrial and mechanical fields. Energy in general, has different “ranges” in the spectral field. They now have infrared detectors that can actually “see” gas vapors escaping into the atmosphere, making visual inspection of large mechanical complexes a virtual snap. ...
Three nifty software programs
Taking advantage of GPS and biometric technologies, SHARCC Time and Attendance, www.ueven.com, is a remote field service time clock solution that uses GPS coordinates to verify that a registered employee is on the job by requiring his or her biometric finger identification to clock into a customizable task or phase. ...
Cool products
Both of the major January trade shows, the International Builders Show in Las Vegas and the AHR Expo in Orlando were smaller than a few years ago, although the AHR Expo, with 28,582 registered visitors, a nearly 8% increase from the 2005 AHR Expo in Orlando, set a new record for Southeast HVACR shows....
How to improve the collection process
Most plumbing and HVAC contractors are not bankers, and do not want to be in the financing business. Yet more than ever before, I see them turned into bankers — cash-flowing projects to keep owners, developers and general contractors afloat. This is happening everywhere, on the smallest remodels to the largest new construction projects. If you don't want it to happen to you, then you will need to take some pro-active steps to protect yourself....
Business card marketing
One of the simplest and lowest cost forms of marketing can be surprisingly effective. It’s the business card. It’s amazing how many companies underutilize business cards. ...
Is there a silver lining?
The current state of the national (and international) economy is anemic, at best. The prolonged recession (depression?) has sapped almost every ounce of life from the construction trades. I am amazed and dismayed at the toll it has taken here in the Southwest, and can imagine that the rest of the country is faring just as poorly....
The risk of bidding green jobs
Going “green” is a top priority for many owners, and contractors are rushing to bid these jobs. Even with a U.S. Green Building Council LEED certified in-house expert, one may not be aware of all the potential risks associated with bidding a green project. Contractors need to be aware of the risks and account for them, so profits are not at risk....
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