If you are in need of heating and air services, A Quality Heating & Air should be at the top of your list. The owners of A Quality Heating & Air, Robert Vierra and Nacho Colmenares, have 40 years of HVAC experience, professionalism and a fantastic work ethic.  Vierra sums up their mission when he says, “We are here to change the way that people look at a service company. We don’t want to make money off of people, instead we want to educate and help people make the best decisions about their HVAC needs.” For instance, A Quality Heating & Air provides their clients and potential customers with helpful tips which can be found under the “Our Tips” section of their company website. This is an invaluable resource that many other HVAC contractors would not share with the general public.

Even though the economy has been dismal and unemployment has been on the rise, a fascinating phenomenon suggests that small businesses and boutique firms stand to gain customers in these trying times.  Let’s face it, whether times are good or bad small businesses have never been able to afford the luxury of being wasteful, inefficient, or careless with money.  Large corporations, on the other hand, which are bureaucratic by their very nature, have a tendency to become highly inefficient and wasteful when times are good.  When faced with an economic downturn, the inevitable occurs in a large corporation—mass downsizing resulting in a loss of valuable talent and customer service.  Consequently, the large name brand company that customers were paying for tends to lose its luster in the face of lost relationships and customer support.

Peter Bregman, CEO of Bregman Partners, Inc., a global management consulting firm, also believes that small companies will win in this economy.  He states that “Small is the new big.  Sustainable is the new growth.  Trust is the new competitive advantage.”  He says that “small companies with low overhead, reliable owners, a small number of committed employees, personal client relationships, and sustainable business models that drive a reasonable profit are the great opportunity of our time.”  To read more about Bregman’s point of view on this topic visit his article Why Small Companies Will Win in This Economy.

Small, large, existing, and start-up businesses alike can all benefit from building a community on Twitter.  If you are not familiar with Twitter, it is a social networking site designed to help people connect and share information.  Flyte, a web design and internet marketing company located in Portland, Maine, defines how Twitter works as follows:

“Twitter users—often called Tweeple (or worse)—have 140 characters to answer the question, “What are you doing?” If you join Twitter you can “follow” other tweeple, which causes their updates to appear on your home page. In turn, they can follow you, a form of permission-based marketing. You can also direct message them, but always in 140 characters or less.”

As of August, 2009, Twitter provides access to 23.6 million people according to Web-analytics firm Compete Inc.  It is apparent that Twitter has created a wonderful platform for business people to gain the attention of millions of people.  Therefore, the only question that remains is how does one use Twitter for Business?

If you appreciate the fine art of traditional hot rods, custom cars, and motorcycles, you will not want to miss the Billetproof Norcal show.  This year Billetproof Norcal will be held at the Antioch Fairgrounds on September 19^ththrough the 20^th.  The event promises to be spectacular with live bands, unique events, great vendors, and an amazing car show.

Rules for registered rods, cars, and motorcycles are as follows:

• 1964 and prior traditional style rods and customs ONLY
• No visible billet anything! Especially wheels!
• No digital gauges
• No IFS on fenderless cars
• No trailered cars
• No mag wheels made after the 60’s
• Traditional looking choppers and bobbers ONLY! (No modern West Coast Choppers, OCC style bikes)

For detailed information on registration and tickets for this event visit Billetproof Norcal.

In recent years, green living and design have become popular subjects and business practices in California.  In fact, it is hard to go anywhere without seeing a new advertisement for a natural or eco-friendly product.  It makes one wonder if this green craze is just a passing fad or if it is truly here to stay.  One thing is for certain, Americans are demanding a healthier lifestyle and the market seems to be responding to this shift in consumer demand.

For entrepreneurs and savvy business owners, this shift in demand can be equated with opportunity—the opportunity to gain market share in the ever emerging fields of sustainable products, design, and business practices. 

For all of you water sports enthusiasts, Brentwood is hosting the 2009 Diablo ShoresPro Am Tournament on September 11, 12, 13.  According to Simon King, a writer for the Brentwood Grove, "Past event highlights are said to be blown out of the water by the talent coming together for the 2009 event. With such big celeb names as Will Asher, Chris Parrish, and Jamie Beauchesne Brentwood is sure to see some spectacular action."  To read more about this exciting event, visit the Brentwood Grove's article entitled Brentwood's Diablo Shores Pro Am Tournament.

In the month of August, auto sales were up thanks to the U.S. government Cash for Clunkers program.  Ford reported increases in August with U.S. sales up 17.2 percent from last year.  The Ford Focus and the Escape were Ford’s top selling cars with increases of 56 percent for the Focus and 49 percent for the Escape. 

The word synergy was derived from the Greek word pronounced “syn-ergos” which means working together.  Synergy can also be described as a situation where different entities cooperate advantageously for a final outcome.  The Brentwood Business Center has created a healthy business synergy in that many different companies have come together to accomplish a common goal.  For example, Easton Construction, a general contractor located in Brentwood Business Center, works with Donnelly’s Flooring Service who is also located in Brentwood Business Center in an effort to better service their customers.

For the first time in almost 3 ½ years, new construction of single-family homes is on the rise.  According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the confidence level in the industry this month is the highest in more than a year. In addition, the pace of single-family home construction went up nearly 2 percent and building permit starts climbed nearly to 6 percent.  Joel Naroff, president of Naroff Economic Advisors, wrote, “It’s the general trend that matters and with housing, the direction is up.”