Electical Contractor

At trade shows and distributors, you undoubtedly hear about the latest and greatest product offerings from a large contingent of vendors in electrical contractors’ domain, including those that sell power quality (PQ) monitoring equipment.

During the opening minutes of “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” set in a dimly lit saloon, Butch teasingly warns Sundance that maybe he shouldn’t be getting into gunfights anymore. “We all keep getting older,” Butch said.

Electrical contractors are realists. While you may long for a Utopian world in which your employees whistle happily as they create perfect work for delighted customers who pay you on time, earning you a healthy profit, you don’t expect this outcome.

While the economy seems to be fragile and teetering, political leaders and economic strategists fear one wrong move could bring it all down in pieces. Yet, President Obama seems steadfast in his belief that one must spend money to make money.

Anyone who has attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony knows what they are about to hear when local government officials head for the microphone.

The solar-power industry faces many challenges, and not all of them are of the financial variety. For many of your customers, entering this unfamiliar territory can seem daunting and risky, which may be a burden on them.

To borrow a horse-racing metaphor, electric vehicles (EVs) have barely left the starting gate in their efforts to transform our transportation system, but forecasters predict a growing market for the charging equipment needed to keep them on the road.

By now, most New Year’s resolutions have been forgotten, but the ability to “re-solve” and respond to changing conditions is imperative for your business in these uncertain times. For the remainder of 2011, these columns will form a 10-part series using the acronym RESOLUTION.

After one of the toughest employment years in recent history, with many electricians benched in industry layoffs, it may seem counterintuitive to focus on employment right now. As the economy recovers, the employment situation will become more complicated.