As 2008 begins, I believe it’s a good idea to consider ways to make improvements in the way we operate. As I talk to contractors, it seems that one of the biggest problems facing most contractors is that there are not enough hours in the day to complete all of the tasks that they need and/or want to accomplish.

Already we have come to the close of another year. Is it just me or do the years seem to go by quicker for all of you as well? It has been a year with mixed results.

Retailers have diversified and have included additional products and services to their main offering. I wondered how we could apply these principles to our HVAC contracting businesses. The things that came to mind immediately are maintenance agreements, water panels for humidifiers, and replacement media for media air cleaners.

It’s interesting in our industry that no matter how much change there is, some things seem to stay the same. At contractor meetings five and even 10 years ago, the major topic on everyone’s mind was “where are the technicians of tomorrow going to come from?”

As contractors, we've always counted on certain customers to be loyal when it came time to make a purchase. However, with the availability of information, the fast pace of everyone’s lifestyle, maybe we can’t count on loyalties like we have in the past.

The New Horizons Foundation, an HVAC and Sheet Metal initiative, with its original funding from the Sheet Metal And Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA), is involved in its most comprehensive study to date. The purpose of this study, called “Identifying Alternative Futures,” is to attempt to get an idea of what the HVAC and metal industry will look like 10 years from now, in 2017.

In really busy times it's important to not forget about the importance we put on serving each and every customer. When we get busy it becomes easy to forget the basic doctrines upon which we operate.

As we think about the generation that is growing into becoming our customers, we have to change our thinking about the way they operate. It’s much more likely they’ll use the computer or their Blackberry to search for companies with whom they want to do business.

Surely everyone in business would have enough common sense to have common sense. But do we? Do we make our decisions based on common sense and well-balanced judgment?

What is the best way to deal with all of the issues and concerns of the HVACR industry? I want to take this opportunity to make a pitch for the importance of getting involved with other contractors.