Not knowing what to expect, I stood at attention, braced myself, and saluted smartly. He quickly saluted back, looked me in the eyes, and reached over to shake my hand. “OK, Waldo, it’s a new day, new jet! Are you ready to pass this flight?"
I used to think that attitude had a lot to do with how one responds to the missiles of business and life. But the more time I spend in business, the more I’m convinced that the success or failure of a mission is determined by how we prepare for adversity.
Often we find ourselves so caught up in the day-to-day activities in which we are putting out fires that we are unable to step back and try to figure out how to prevent the fires in the first place. There is one method that I have found that can really help to make you take the time to look at why there are fires and emergencies in your organization.
Striking the balance between the need to hire qualified employees and the need to avoid disability discrimination claims has become even more challenging since changes to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) went into effect in 2009.
We, as contractors, have to walk a very fine line when it comes to deciding what issues/opportunities we go after. The reason for this is that we have a responsibility to our customers to make them aware of upcoming issues in order that they, the customers, may make informed decisions regarding the issues confronting them.
No small company has been immune to the negative business forces that have besieged the HVAC industry since the implosion of the housing market and the economic downturn. How did two contractors use IAQ to fight back?
In a tight economy, contractors have to move beyond just selling the basic furnace or air conditioner to customers. One way to expand sales and improve profits is by focusing on IAQ products.
How did the economy fare in 2011? What will it do in 2012? These questions are tricky to answer, but as contractors prepare their business strategies for the coming year, many are looking to numbers and forecasts for direction.