So
now it’s 2011. How are you planning for this New Year? In some ways, it’s going
to be different than 2010. The tax credit has been cut one-third and doesn’t
sound near as inviting as the previous $1,500. And we can’t count on 100 degree
weather in July and August, although naturally that would be welcome.
Changing
the way people do business can be like trying to shave a lion’s mane with a
disposable razor. It’s difficult, messy, and someone is going to get hurt. The
image is a little extreme, but it seems that this is how many contractors view
adding new technology to their businesses. Apple’s latest technology - the iPad
- is no exception.
If I seem to be looking a little green lately, it is because
I find myself paying more and more attention to environmental matters. Such
talk, especially the regulatory aspect, has been a part of our industry for
more than 25 years going back to the days of the Montreal Protocol. But over
the years, green has become a larger part of our industry.
During my impressionable youth, I noticed that
my mother had a bizarre sense of humor. She would often utter axioms (no doubt
gained from living in the swamps of Louisiana) that made absolutely no sense,
such as: “You couldn’t pour %^&* out of a bucket if it had a hole in
it.” The use of buckets, for one reason or another, seems to occupy an
interesting place in our lexicon.
Do you hear statements like the following on a regular basis? “What’s wrong with that lady? Her furnace is 25 years old and she won’t even consider replacement.” If your service technicians and sales team are frustrated, it’s time for a new philosophy when it comes to communicating with homeowners.
These days, the political pundits are all saying that the new scene in Washington, D.C., will be a constant tug o’ war. Everyone anticipates a battle between the newly elected, Republican-controlled House and the Democratic-controlled Senate and Obama administration.
From the government to the Disney Channel, an overall message of energy efficiency is being pounded through the airwaves and television sets of the standard American consumer. It has reached a level that echoes the greenwashing epidemic from which Americans have yet to recover.
A while back we requested that you search the stacks of old NEWS issues in your offices and elsewhere, so we could find the oldest issue among our readers. We’ve heard from some folks with pretty old issues of The Electric Refrigeration News (our magazine’s first title).
I’m starting to think that what I am about to write about will become an annual column. It concerns the latest global environmental conference that didn’t seem to produce any results. But now I’m starting to wonder if there might be some good should such events start to show some results.
I have quoted Earl several times over the years. He was one of the most challenging customers I ever met, while masquerading as a territory manager at Lennox Industries in the Dallas market. Earl said, “Murphy, always look for the job that no one else wants to do. Those are the ones you make money on.”
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