I’ve heard numerous speakers utter this phrase at least a hundred times: The question is not what happens if I train my employees and they leave; the question is, what if I don’t train them and they stay?

Your company name could be in front of thousands of potential customers, and you could be recognized as the authority in your marketplace. You can’t put a price tag on that.

Just because your company has been doing things one way for a long time — maybe 15 years — does not mean that is the right way to do things today. 

For the second time, online marketing solutions company Blue Corona has done a deep dive by analyzing more than 10,000 HVAC and plumbing websites. The analysis indicates a digital divide forming in the HVAC industry. 

Johnson Controls is buying 60 percent of that business and creating a joint venture with Hitachi Appliances retaining ownership of the remaining 40 percent. The new business is valued at around $2.8 billion.

I would urge everyone who works for an outstanding boss to fill out the online form. The contest is now open, and runs through Nov. 23.

We’re a society that wants communication to take place at our convenience, and, as the years go by, the number of people who want to communicate electronically with yoru business will only continue to increase. Are you prepared?

At the end of the day, isn’t $7,000 a small price to pay to clean up the HVAC industry? What do you think about the plan?

It’s the industry’s job to get the word out and harness the young talent that arrives. So check out the inaugural Top 40 Under 40 list. And, look around your office. Do you have any young folks who deserve some recognition? If so, there’s always next year.