While it is true that good businesspeople - the haves - should not give away their secrets of success to competitors in the same market, it is not true that these wise people should keep their wisdom from spreading to their peers in the same industry.

What would happen if a farmer discovered a means to increase production of corn crops and refused to share his idea with anyone? The entire corn growing industry would remain stagnant and suffer from his selfishness. All corn growers would benefit from this knowledge and so too would consumers. Can you say ethanol?

What if a physician discovered a new way to diagnose an illness and kept that secret to herself because the “competition” for new patients in her market was more important than helping everyone with her discovery? Keeping the pot of gold to one’s self hurts everyone. Can you say angioplasty?

There are probably a few HVACR contractors out there who remember what it was like to struggle. I bet that out of that bunch, some care not to relive those memories and share their struggles and successes with others. Out of sight and out of mind - move on and let the struggling find their own paths through the darkness.

It wouldn’t hurt to lend a flashlight and a map.

Let’s not be stingy with our knowledge. There are many vehicles of communication in our trade, including the pages of The NEWS. Drop me a line and I’ll share your successes with everyone - because the entire industry will benefit from your knowledge, not your selfishness. After all, isn’t the HVACR trade better off with fewer have nots?