For over a dozen years,
NSPG has been providing the tools that allow contractors to
increase profits and minimize business hassles. With our
simple-to-use-tools, you can make being a business owner
what you always wanted to it be -
successful, profitable and rewarding.
The Present and The Future
 We
recently attended one of our employees daughter's
graduation from high school. It included the usual
speeches about the future and all the things they will
accomplish. The underlying theme was:
Go to college; Get a good job;
Make lots of money. Since over 90% of
the students are planning on going to college or into
the military, just about everyone seems to agree.
 A
few things came to mind when we considered the new
graduates' situations. First, how will they pay
for it? Only a small number of them will get
significant scholarship help - even the valedictorian
did not get into her first choice college. With colleges costing between $10,000 and $50,000 per
year, the kids probably won't be paying for it
themselves. Hopefully mom and dad have been saving
for this day.
So, why invest up to $200,000 in their education?
For the same reason we invest in our businesses and
careers. When our kids graduate from college with
a high quality degree backed by solid internship
experience, their market value and salary increase.
Likewise, having higher skill levels and offering a
higher level of service allows a business to charge
more. When you offer better quality and higher
levels of service, you will be able to make more profit
(and probably be able to afford to send your kids to college).
When our kids go to college to improve
their skills and potential earnings, we applaud them.
So why do many in the business criticize the successful,
high value, high profit companies when they do the same
thing?
Another thought that occurred to us at the graduation
was the prospects for the kids who were graduating from the
technical high school. Our local vo-tech is now a
stand alone school, so the kids learning trade skills
spend more time in school and less time commuting
between schools. What are their prospects?
There are still hundreds of jobs that have median
salaries that can match many college type positions.
They all involve their own special skills and training
that warrant the salaries. Of these well paying,
in demand jobs, Plumbers and Electricians are always
highly placed. With a median salary of about
$42,000, they compare well to many college based
careers. And, with growing demand, job security in
the trades can be higher than most white collar jobs.
We all know that there is
more than one path to follow in life and in business.
For most people and businesses, success rests on a solid
foundation of skills and abilities that translate into
something of value. A good education, either in
college or in a trade, combined with some real world
experience can translate into a decent living. A
business based on skilled workers and value added
services can translate into a highly profitable company.
For examples of the dollar payoff for college, take a
look at this article.
http://nyjobsource.com/2007.html
For an example of the payoff in business, read this
article about Applewood Plumbing on page 66 of the June
2007 P&M Magazine, or here:
http://tinyurl.com/2pgfxg
The average service tech at Applewood Plumbing, Heating,
and Electric earned $87,000 last year. Most
college graduates don't make that much!
Want to know where there might be
job openings or business opportunities?
Here's an interesting web site that lists the number of
plumbers relative to the local population. The
lower the number, the fewer plumbers in the community.
http://www.citytowninfo.com/employment/plumbers-and-pipefitters
For example, in Utica, NY, the median salary is $45,000
and the ratio is 0.3. This indicates that there
may be a need for more plumbers in this rural part of
New York state.
Here's a similar listing for Electricians.
http://www.citytowninfo.com/employment/electricians
We wish good luck and success to all the graduates and
to all of us who are learning what we need to be
successful every day.
Measure Monthly, Adjust Quarterly
& Achieve Annual Profit Goals
On-Line
Resources
 "We sell the best - and service the rest."
A fitting memorial for a pioneer.
Ratatouille and Department of Energy
Use the tips here to sell your services.
Solar Energy for Commercial Facilities
"Free" hot water and AC too.
Farecast
In time for the summer travel season, a tool that checks
for the best air fares and predicts if the price will do
up or down after you buy.
|
