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One of the things I remembered from journalism classes is to get both sides of a story. Then there is one of those news networks that say that what it presents is “fair and balanced.” The thing is, these days, you sometimes have to go to several sources to end up with a fair and balanced perspective on two sides of a story.

Everyone is born, everyone dies, and everyone pays taxes. These are three known facts. But during tax season, the known facts are not what endanger a contractor and his business. It is the unknown facts that can cause financial peril and often a financial loss.

Just getting off the Building Information Modeling (BIM) issue left me with a lot of interesting information and food for thought. Viewing the consequences of changes, of course, is what makes this technique so special. Being able to predict probable consequences in all areas of life would certainly be a great advantage.

Not acting on health care will decrease profits.

In 2005, the green building movement was relatively small - only about 2 percent of both nonresidential and residential construction, valued at $10 billion, according to McGraw-Hill Construction’s Green Outlook 2009 report. In 2009, the green market was approximately $36 to $49 billion, and is projected to be between $96 and $140 billion by 2013.

A proven solution for immediate job creation recently came from President Obama and his administration - investment in nuclear energy. And immediate truly means just that. Bulldozers in Georgia are already on the move and making preparations. Long-awaited jobs in the skilled labor sector could materialize within months.

Contractors should focus on reducing energy use. Warranties cause loss of revenue.

In my last column, I noted that it was being written before the Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Expo in Orlando so there would not be much to talk about. And there wasn’t. Now that the AHR Expo is over and I had a chance to wander the expo floor for a few days, there is a bit more to discuss.

People in the southern United States will be talking about the winter of 2010 for a long time. Snow, ice, and freezing temperatures are normal January weather for many of us, but not for the folks who live in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, and Florida. And not for the contractors who service their systems.

According to a recent article in USA Today, a new generation is being identified that is even difficult for older siblings to completely understand. This latest demographic group is dubbed the iGeneration by some. The “i” in iGeneration might represent information, but more likely will stand for “individualized,” according to psychologist Larry Rosen.