The Training, Education and Management (TEAM) Lab will offer users in-depth guidance, training and educational opportunities.

The student recipients will receive a $3,500 award and up to six awards will be granted.

It sounds simple, but few marketing efforts begin with a clearly defined objective. What, specifically, do you want to accomplish?

The other day, my husband and I ventured over to our local hardware store to purchase a Big Green Egg grill and smoker. You see, it was a deal between the two of us: Last year, I got my bucket list Italian vacation and this year, he gets his smoker.

Plumbers, like most technical people, value their technical skills above all else. Consumers, who have little ability to discern good plumbing from poor or average work, tend to judge plumbers based on their soft skills. Ignoring the soft skills is like ignoring half of a repair. Here is a 10-point soft skills checklist for your team.

When Lenny Siers retired from active military duty in 1995, he decided to open his own residential home services company in Niceville, Florida. Siers’ background was heavy in air conditioning and heating and he saw an opportunity; however he had no experience as a businessman.

When I say “the lack of training and systems can be disastrous,” it might sound a bit dramatic to you. I can assure you, however, that the quality of your training and systems can truly make or break your business, your reputation, the level of service you offer, safety on the job and your overall profitability.

The plumbing and mechanical industry is changing quickly, and the biggest catalyst of that change is technology. New products are coming to market, the Internet of Things is influencing product design, and connectivity is becoming less of a novelty and more of a commodity.

In 1989 when we started our business, The Lovely Marianne asked me what I was going to do to make money for her and our four daughters. I told her I was going to write books, but it would take some time to do that.