Your Business

 

 

Articles in this section are intended to help electrical contractors grow and improve their businesses, from financial and legal advice to creating a service and maintenance department. You’ll find articles on estimating projects and more below. 

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Breaking New Ground

by
Thomas E. Glavinich
|
May 2013

When marketing energy services, the electrical contractor usually focuses on customers with existing facilities that can benefit from reducing energy use and improving operational efficiency.

Energy Services, New Construction, Design/Build, Design/Bid/Build
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Cool Tools: Hole Saws

by
Jeff Griffin
|
May 2013

Hole saws technically aren’t saws. They are cutting accessories used with power drills to make clean, round holes in a variety of materials, including wood, steel, aluminum, plastic and fiberglass.


Cool Tools, Hole Saws, Power Tools
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Ideas That Work: Sealing Conduits With Bags, Improvising Wire Numbering and More
by
Staff  
|
May 2013

Every month, Jack Pullizzi picks the top four Ideas That Work submitted by you, ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR readers.

Ideas That Work
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Building Commissioning Services on the Rise
by
Rick Laezman
|
May 2013

The volume of energy consumed by buildings and the importance of energy efficiency in reducing that consumption are both now well-established elements of today’s green power movement. At the point where the two converge, building commissioning services are about to take a spin.

Commissioning, Energy Efficiency, green building

More on Your Business

 
How Far and Deep Can You See?
February 2001
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Your contract may involve new construction or rehabilitation of an existing facility. In both cases, the contract will likely contain a site inspection clause requiring you to familiarize yourself with existing conditions and take those conditions into account in your estimating and scheduling.

READ MORE
 
An Ounce of Prevention
February 2001
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When I went through “Firefighter 101” training, the instructors emphasized that the primary purpose of a fire department is to prevent fires, not to put them out. The old adage that, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” applies to the power quality world as well.

READ MORE
 
Is It Overhead or a Direct Cost?
January 2001
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There’s a thin line between overhead and direct costs in project estimating. Further implications exist in those direct costs that relate directly to project coordination. Many factors cause price fluctuations on the same project depending on the expected efficiencies of administering the project.

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The Crystal Ball of Power Quality
January 2001
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One of my favorite scenes from the “Wizard of Oz” is when Dorothy stops at the traveling magician’s (soon-to-be Wizard’s) trailer. He tells her future by looking into the crystal ball while rummaging through her belongings for information about her when she closes her eyes.

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ET2––Squaring Evolving Trends with Emerging Technologies
January 2001
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Many of us have experienced the sensation of time speeding up. Things we planned to achieve didn’t happen because we were busy with other “stuff”—and then another year was over and opportunities missed. It is often no different in the electrical contracting business.

READ MORE
 
Service: Key to Becoming Your Customers' Preferred Supplier
January 2001
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Customers continue to downsize and outsource services to specialists who can perform these services more efficiently than their own employees.

READ MORE
 
Innovative Service Contracting Strategies
January 2001
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Service contracting can be very profitable, providing electrical contractors with a steady income that may balance the cyclical nature of new construction.

READ MORE

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