When choosing a contractor for a repair or renovation most fundamental of screening techniques is assurance that contractor is properly licensed. The tales of tragedy brought about by illegal actions of unlicensed contactors are enough to scare us into never making repairs! Thankfully, it is free and easy to eliminate these thieves from our lives if we do some simple research.

The State of Florida requires that all contractors be properly licensed under auspices of The Construction Industry Licensing Board. Each licensed contractor or company qualified to conduct business in state has a license number. The license number makes it easy to know what a particular contractor or company is licensed to do, but only if we know code!

Fortunately code is easy to break. Nearly every license issued by State of Florida is a combination of three letters and six numbers. The letters identify type of work contractor is licensed to perform and numbers specify individual contractor or company. At top of list are:

CGC Certified General Contractor (Builders of big buildings)

CBC Certified Building Contractor (Builders of small offices and stores)

CRC Certified Residential Contractor (Builders of homes)

The people onboard aircraft carriers are divided into two groups, those that make ship float and those that make planes fly. Those that make ship float are known as "ship's company", and those that make planes fly are with "the airwing". During one tour of duty, I was assigned to "airwing staff". The airwing staff coordinated activities of ten aircraft squadrons deployed aboard aircraft carrier. It was while working for our Airwing Commander, Captain Jerry Norris, that I would unknowingly learn what has to become my most valued rule as an entrepreneur.

Captain Norris was quite character. A fighter pilot with all fixings! Tall, handsome, and with enough confident charisma to handle any situation, be that in air, on land, or at sea. But truth of it is, none of eight officers on staff considered Captain Norris to be sharpest knife in drawer.

It wasn't that things were not going well for he or airwing. It just seemed strange that so simple and relaxed an individual could lead so effectively. You must understand that Captain Norris was in charge of operations of nearly 3000 men and almost 100 of most complex flying machines on planet. But fly we did, and did it well. Our airwing was often singled out for acts of excellence.

It was during a short visit in Cannes, France that Captain Norris was to give me my lesson. Like so many of life's lessons, lesson was unintended.

If there is one thing that flying fellows enjoy more than flying, it is telling of tales while ashore! And it seems nothing gets mind flowing like flow of beer. Our cup runneth over, as did our mouths!