Better Business Bureau Serving Southwest Idaho & Eastern Oregon Blog

Recently a nonprofit organization in Idaho has begun a voluntary licensing program for contractors. Composed of government officials from cities dealing with building and other trades, the goal is to meet what they consider shortcomings in Idaho’s Contractor registration law. Idaho requires contractors to be registered to do business, a fee, liability and workers compensation insurance are required. There is a process for settling complaints managed by the Contractors Board which approves registrants. No training, experience or education requirements are included (some professions have licensing requirements, HVAC, Plumbers, Electricians etc.)  The BBB has standards which are required for becoming an accredited business, including meeting all necessary licenses, registrations and legal specifications, no lawsuits, or bankruptcies. These are cooperatively monitored by the BBB and the accredited business to be up to date  so that potential clients know this important information and can use it in their decision process .Registrations and licenses are part of their company report at www.bbb.org. BBB accredited contractors meet standards and deliver the goods. Look for the Seal of Trust when considering a contractor.

The news today is dominated by energy prices and  the effect on the ecomomy. The forecast is for energy costs to actually increase. This means change to operating costs, purchasing and employment plans to businesses. Consumers are facing major changes in buying habits, commuting choices, recreation and travel plans. At first glance the future looks dim. But is it really? This is a time of change. Past habits of energy use, purchasing, comsumerism etc. will be changing. The challenges of meeting new demands and new habits will produce new industries, new products, new entrepreneurs ( as some persons choose to work from home), and new opportunities for enterprising people to create new markets, services and  products. There will be many new start-ups, new products and opportunities. These new businesses will be seeking vendors for necessary supplies, services and materials. They will be looking for reputable partners with whom to deal in an environment of trust. Where else but the BBB to find these partners? B2B relationships are best established in trust. The accredited businesses that have met the standards and display the Seal of Trust will be ready to help new business owners, entrepreneurs and partners to meet the new challenges that are coming. Right now BBB accreditation is not an option, it is a requirement for successfully navigating the ocean of opportunity that we are sailing on today.

In February 2009, your local TV station will change the way it broadcasts. TV stations broadcast in “analog”, a means of amplifying or varying the signal to add information, to digital. This will open up many additional frequencies and drastically increase quality of the picture and sound. One morning in February, if you haven’t converted over, there will be no picture, sound or anything. The Government is making the transition more cost effective by making coupons to purchase converters which you can use to adapt your current TV to digital. The problem is that these coupons have an expiration date (90 days) and in a survey conducted by the Government Accounting Office (GAO), the official “bean-counter” of the USA, less than half of the households surveyed were ready for the transition; and 40% of the 800,000 coupons had not been redeemed. Many were not aware of the effects of the DTV transition and misunderstood what is involved. You can find the facts at www.dtv.gov. Also, if you have recently purchased a new TV, it may be ready for the transition without buying a converter. Remember, 8 months to go before the transition.