Many
of you reading this went into business for yourself because some heavy-handed
boss was always telling you what to do and how to do it. You got sick and tired
of “my way or the highway” orders when you knew just as much or more about
doing your job as your old supervisor did.
Do you use Facebook? If you are over 40, the answer is maybe. If you are under 40, the answer is almost certainly yes. Did you know that Facebook was developed by a Harvard college student who wanted to create a website where people could rate how hot other Harvard students were? Half a billion dollars in venture capital later, it is the cornerstone of what has become known as social networking.
What is better than cold-calling? Making the
phone ring. A salesperson who pushes a client to buy at the wrong time is at a
disadvantage and vulnerable to combative negotiations. But when a prospect
calls you, the game changes instantly. It is a sign he is ready to buy.
Federal authorities have begun using forfeiture
laws and seizing the assets of businesses employing illegal aliens. In a
departure from the Bush-administration emphasis on worksite raids, U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on July 7, 2009, it had
recently issued Notices of Inspection (NOIs) to 652 businesses
nationwide.
As is the case with other roof systems, flashings and penetrations are the most common points of moisture intrusion on standing seam metal roof systems.
I got to thinking about this subject while
reading daily newspaper accounts of the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico
that occupied headlines throughout Spring of 2010. Eleven oil platform workers
lost their lives, and many more were injured in the accident leading to the
environmental catastrophe, which is still being played out as I write this in
mid-June.
As consultants, we are seeing a dramatic increase
in embezzlement and employee theft. During tough economic times employees can
experience more financial problems; throw in some drugs or an enabled employee
and you have a formula for disaster. Now that things are tougher and you’re
watching every penny, don’t be surprised if you find employee theft.
Are we about to encounter some new labor
challenges in the face of what many describe as a “jobless recovery”? The
evidence is gathering that it may well happen. And the roof-contracting
industry may be among the first affected.
I recently received a flurry of e-mails with news reports about a roofing contractor and his foreman in California being charged with involuntary manslaughter in the 2008 death of one of their workers. These charges were announced by the San Francisco District Attorney in April 2010. Co-workers and associates expressed shock at the news.
So, everyone out there making more than $250,000 a
year is going to end up subsidizing the rest of us who make less. Let’s pretend
we can squeeze enough out of you folks alone to pay off our federal debt - just
as it’s necessary to believe in Peter Pan if you want to visit Never Land.
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