Electical Contractor

Valerie Chan, president of Electricwork Solutions Inc., Oakland, Calif., began her business in 2005. She is a one-person operation, with 30 to 40 percent of her business being low-voltage work.


With lighting and communications technology evolving rapidly, lighting manufacturers are under pressure to determine how to best reach out to and train busy electrical contractors (ECs) on new and existing products.

Large corporations and general contractors have evaluated the safety programs and performance of subcontractors—including electrical contractors—for years. Now, the number of companies evaluating contractors seems to be growing.

By the time you read this, the 2012 elections will be over, and you will either be optimistic about the future or wary of planning for 2013. Too often, business owners allow external factors to influence their strategic decisions; they lack confidence in their ability to create their own destiny.

In his 2011 State of the Union address, President Obama said, “With more research and incentives, we could become the first country to have a million electric vehicles on the road by 2015.”

As we enter the final month of the presidential election campaign, the political rhetoric remains heated. Among the many issues to be debated, renewable energies and the federal policies that support them will no doubt feature prominently.

Did you ever wonder why some companies succeed and expand even in a down economy while others struggle to keep their doors open? It is a question worth considering because, once you analyze their reasons for success, you may find ideas you can use to increase your own business.

Service work provides a vital revenue stream for electrical contractors.

According to the Energy Star program, lighting accounts for nearly 20 percent of the average U.S. home’s electricity use and close to 35 percent of the total commercial building electricity use.