It might sound like newfangled science-fiction tech, but China has plans to build the world’s first space-based solar power station by 2050, according to an article in Forbes . The solar power station, owned by the state’s...
A recent administrative law judge ruling in California may pave the way for more private-sector development of the state's mandated distributed energy storage system projects. In September 2016, the state passed Assembly Bill...
The California utility Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) filed for bankruptcy protection on Jan. 29, raising some immediate, and financially critical, questions for its customers, suppliers and investors. Answers to those...
There are no guarantees in business except for one: you will eventually exit your business, voluntarily or involuntarily. As the average owner has over 70 percent of their wealth trapped inside their illiquid business,...
At the beginning of the Republic, tariffs were the primary source of money for the federal government. They were, and are, basically a tax. Since then, tariffs have been imposed, and the rates set, for innumerable...
Every January, many of us make New Year’s resolutions. However, sometimes we can’t get through February before we have forgotten about them or we have little internal motivation to follow through. One resolution we should all...
Happy New Year! Now that there is a lot of new construction going on, it is easy to put testing and servicing of fire alarms on the back burner. Since a number of companies will do just that, now is the best time for...
Since 2002, I have written columns and features for this magazine, sharing lessons I learned as a subcontractor, volunteer leader and business educator. During the last few years, I also taught high school and middle school,...
“This place looks like a dump!” bellowed Larry, a service electrician, as he opened the door to his customer’s electrical equipment room. He should have closed the door behind him before blurting out his assessment of the...
The baby boomer generation makes up approximately one quarter of the current U.S. workforce, and each day about 10,000 reach the traditional retirement age of 65. The potential mass exodus of these retirees is creating a...
As the economy improves and unemployment rates decline, it becomes more difficult for electrical contractors to recruit and retain qualified employees. The number of skilled employees available to manage and install projects...
Just 20 years ago, open communication between the trades and management about day-to-day work was not the norm. Herman Ballard wrote in his Ph.D. thesis, “The Last Planner System of Production Control,” it is essential to...
Having a digital presence could boost your presence in the marketplace, make it easier to develop your workforce with job postings and keep people updated about news related to your business. You can start digitizing your...
The most successful electrical contractors choose to invest in assets that enable them to perform efficiently and recruit employees who have the skills necessary to complete their projects to the satisfaction of their...
We are in the second longest expansion of the U.S. economy (eight years and 11 months). Strong fundamentals continue to fuel growth as “slow and steady” wins the day. However, recessions are part of every economic cycle. So,...
Every electrical contractor will tell you their business is relationship-based. They owe their success to strong customer relationships. We agree. We also think most ECs could get much more out these relationships. We tested...
When safety is second nature for electrical contractors, they are stronger and better construction team members. However, making safety a core company value takes more than good management; it takes leaders. If your crew...
As a contractor with a degree in biological science, I looked for ways to improve productivity without increased physical or mental stress for my employees. Employers have benefitted from new products developed after years of...
Teams are made up of individuals with different skill sets, expertise and years of experience, not to mention different personalities. Someone needs to be in charge and direct the diversified team to accomplish the objectives...
The recent stock market volatility should cause us to at least think about preparing for a potential economic downturn. That can be hard to do, especially as we are in a relative upturn now. If you have worked in the...
