For some, it’s too easy to let a job overtake what’s outside the job — family, friends, hobbies or vacations. And it’s not really a vacation if you’re constantly checking your smartphone for text messages or emails from work colleagues, clients or feature-interview subjects.
The World Health Organization reports that 2.6 billion people do not have access to adequate sanitation. The United Nations says more than 1 billion people are living with a shortage of fresh water.
Interest in geothermal heating and cooling systems has increased in the last five years. “With firms more cost-conscious, green initiatives receiving more media attention and tighter market conditions, business leaders have sought ways to decrease operating expenses across the board and some of them are turning to geothermal solutions for their climate control,” writes Pramod Dibble in the November 2013 issue of sister publication PM Engineer.
When I first began writing about the plumbing and heating industry in 1998, succession planning was an issue because many owners of contracting businesses weren’t looking ahead to retirement, especially those who owned smaller shops.
I grew up in Cadillac, Mich. And no, it’s not near Detroit. My parents still live there, and I like to go back and visit — especially when the high-speed pace of Chicago gets to me.
You probably have heard the story about a former director of the U.S. Patent Office. In 1899, the story goes, he recommended closing the office because “everything that can be invented has been invented.”
If you’re the owner of a small business — or small businesses make up a big part of your customer base — here’s another reason to worry about climate change.