Electrical Association

Hot Topics About How to Make and Save Money

Written by Judi Rubin, President

MEA members will share many great ideas at the 2009 Summer Conference June 11-13. Join us at Riverwood Inn and Conference Center (Albertville/Monticello) to learn more about how talking Green = New Business Now! Smart people will be there exchanging great ideas.

Here are a few of the ideas that came up at the last meeting:

Green = New Business Now...
Members are talking about the new business coming their way NOW, because they are selling more of the following:

• Upgrades that save energy, add convenience, cost more and increase customer satisfaction
• Lighting retrofits and energy saving lighting products
• VFDs
• Microturbines and generators
• Large and small solar applications
• GeoThermal installations
• More

Learn about the newest products and info at the MEA Summer Conference.
June 11:

• Equipment Show
• Energy Code speaker at the dinner meeting

June 12:

• 25 booths displaying the newest products
• New Business Now seminars

The price—FREE!

2009 NFPA 70E...
The 2009 NFPAE is complicated to understand and difficult to simplify and apply. Some of the best minds in MEA are studying the best materials available. OSHA will look to it as the standard for the personal protective equipment and practices that “should” have been used when accidents occur. Non-compliance will affect the sizes of fines. Classes will be announced soon and you will want to get this important training.

Subcontracting to other electrical contractors...
Several members have been talking about the amount of business they have been getting from other electrical contractors. Why?

• Because they are doing business with chain stores and do not want to travel to a location that is too far from their shop. As a result, they sub contract to an electrical contractor in that area.
• They do not have a certain kind of expertise required for all or part of a project so the hire another electrical contractor to do that part of the job for them.
• A job is too big for them to handle alone so they hire another electrical contractor to help.

How do you get a chunk of that business? Just do one of the following:

• Use the Specialties section in MEA’s Electrical Industry Directory
• Meet other contractors at the MEA conferences, classes and meetings.
• Join an MEA committee or Board of Directors to get to know people so they will trust doing business with you.

Articles about you in newspapers...
Publicity can bring in calls that result in new business for your company!

• Free! Several new MEA officers and Board members reported that they got a number of calls when several local papers announced they had been elected to leadership positions in their industry. Brings instant credibility so that being involved as a leader in your industry really is good for business.
• Low Cost! Run an advertisement about an interesting project that you have done. Joel Gatewood, Gatewood Electric in Willmar did this and got calls and new business because of it. Not only is he one of MEA’s ALL-STAR TRAINERS—he put together one of the first green projects in his community.

Give the office a call or go MEA’s website at www.electricalassociation.com for more info. I hope to see you there.