ARLINGTON, Va. - The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) has launched a new series of live online training for the HVACR industry.

The 90-minute online seminars are taught by successful contractors and other experts on topics chosen by ACCA's members. Participation in each workshop requires access to the Internet and a phone. The sessions are interactive, allowing participants to ask questions of the presenters and provide real-time feedback.

Access to the live online seminars is on a "per-login" basis. By using a projector and a speakerphone, a contractor can train his or her whole management staff for one price.

Each workshop will be held at 2 p.m. Eastern time and will last about 90 minutes. Classes and dates are:

How to Succeed in a Changing Residential Construction Marketplace(April 10, 2007): Frank Menditch, a past ACCA residential contractor of the year, will provide strategies on how to succeed in a housing downturn based on his experience through 26 years of residential new construction and four recessions. Learn how to position your organization through operational, financial, and marketing initiatives to prosper when the market slows.

Home Performance Contracting(April 18, 2007): Look at the house as a whole system as it relates to attic insulation, attic ventilation, thermal bypasses, infiltration, energy consumption, pressurization, and other issues related to building science. Past ACCA chairman Larry Taylor of Air Rite Air Conditioning will show you how to educate the consumer to ignore the low-price bidders and consider the real solutions to uneven temperatures, hot and cold rooms, duct issues, poor indoor air quality, high humidity, and other challenges.

LEED the Way: How Commercial Contractors Can Use the LEED Process(April 23, 2007): Ellis Guiles of TAG Mechanical will review LEED green building criteria for commercial buildings and their impact on the construction process, and show how mechanical contractors can set themselves apart from the competition, positively impact the environment, and increase profits.

When Employees Steal: Protect Yourself Against Embezzlement(May 1, 2007): Brooke Duncan of Adams & Reese will show you what steps to take before a problem happens, what the warning signs are for possible fraud, and how to protect yourself and your employees without making people feel paranoid.

The Price Is Right: Knowing Your True Costs and Setting the Right Price(May 8, 2007): Contractor Hugh Joyce of James River Air Conditioning will discuss the formulas and approaches that successful contractors take toward developing prices that are fair and profitable. Find out how to discover your true margins, evaluate your local business climate, and develop solid pricing techniques to help ensure a profitable future for you and your business.

Each seminar costs $95 per login for ACCA members, $125 for non-members. To learn more about these sessions and to register, go to www.acca.org/training/online. Registration for each seminar closes one week prior to its scheduled date. For more information, contact Katie Littlepage at 703-824-8840 or katie.littlepage@acca.org.

Publication date:03/05/2007