Following are seven time-tested tips, courtesy of business owners who forged their businesses from the ground up.

There’s an old saying about advertising that 50 percent of it works — it’s just that nobody knows which 50 percent that is.

The industry survey was distributed to past and prospective attendees, as well as industry manufacturers, to gauge the market.

More consumers reported using the internet, rather than a contractor, to gather information about their impending purchase.

Heat pumps are gaining popularity in the Northeast and Northwest, even into Canada, as well as traditional markets where their acceptance is secure.

Improvements in heat-pump technology allow them to run at lower speeds, cut down energy use, and reduce homeowners’ bills.

According to the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute’s (AHRI’s) historical data, the year of 2005 marked the height of the past 20 years (since 1998) for combined air conditioning and heat pump shipments.

Economic forecasters have earned a bad rap when it comes to predicting recessions in the market. Then again, if it were easy to predict the future, everyone would do it.