Dallas Electrician and Small-business owner sets out to change the world one outlet at a time

Americans dream of throwing off the shackles of the workaday world and trying their hand at something new. That something new often takes the form of owning your own business and that’s exactly what Dallas Electrician, Nick Schaeffer set out to do in 2004.

Back when Nick was still working for other companies, he thought that there had to be a better way to do business; he looked at how his company handled their customers and employees, and thought that the people deserved better. That’s when Nick started ElectricMan Inc. His dream of having a family owned business, and applying the knowledge he gained as a Master Electrician, were the perfect opportunities for Nick to open ElectricMan inc’s doors to local customers. Further, Nick strives to meet his customers’ expectations and do their electrical repair in a quickly and efficient manner, while preserving a strong customer service mentality at an affordable price.. He wanted to be able to meet his customers and do their electrical repair quickly, while still having a strong customer service presence.

After he left his job, he bought a van and outfitted it so he and his electricians could better serve his customers. After spreading the word to his friends and family, word started spreading and the ElectricMan name began coming up more often within the North Texas community. And in 2005, due to the overwhelming amount of phone calls, Nick hired his first employee and bought a second van.

Texas has long been a thriving hub of small business, currently there are over 1.7 million small businesses in the state. And of those businesses, nearly 400,000 have employees. So not only was Nick helping his family, but he was helping other Texas families by adding jobs.

Nick believes that a family owned business is important to his customers, and people don’t want to have to turn to a huge, faceless corporation every time they need something. People want options and when they can call their local electrician, they want him to be local and able to come out and do the work the right way. ElectricMan started with the slogan, “Whenever there’s an emergency, its Electric Man to the rescue!”And that stays true today, whenever customers are in need, they know to call ElectricMan, and he will go above and beyond to make sure his customers are taken care of right.

ElectricMan Inc. achieved success through constant attention to customer service and through their family owned business values. Nick’s wife Michele, his sister in-law El, his daughter Lauren and his father-in-law all work at the business in various capacities. But, they all work as a family and they are dedicated to see ElectricMan Inc. grow to become something their whole family will be proud of.

Nick may not have set out to change the world but his principles of family owned business and employing local Texans has fostered an environment for success. And the entire ElectricMan family is proud of it.

As electricians, energy efficiency is always at the forefront of our mission. Since heating and cooling account for nearly half your utility costs, we believe that it is our duty to help customers integrate efficient home practices that cut costs but not comfort. Now that the spring season is in full swing, make sure your home is a respite by installing ceiling fans throughout your home. Ceiling fans boast numerous benefits, all of which you will thoroughly enjoy throughout every season. With temperatures soon to be on the rise, you’ll want to act quickly before it’s sweltering.

There’s a common misconception that ceiling fans cool rooms, however, the truth is that they actually cool skin. Therefore, if you were to leave a fan on in a room where nobody is present, you would only waste energy. To get the most out of your ceiling fan, you need to actually be in the room for the wind chill effect to work.

Now is the time to evaluate your outdoor and landscape lighting needs in preparation for the summer season.  Follow our step-by-step landscape lighting design plan and get the job done right.

Learn how to get luxurious landscape lighting effects and make your home shine by Memorial Day 2014…

Step One:  Review the perimeters of your home, including surrounding outdoor property—front yards, back yards, side yards—to see which features you would like to accentuate, such as fountains, sculpture, or flower boxes. Choose a few areas that will stand out and add a luxurious element to your home at night.

Step Two:  Scout out areas where you will need security lighting—leading up to and at all home entryways.  Take note of areas where path lighting, step lighting, and task lighting are needed.

LED strip lighting under steps, railings and benches provides excellent security lighting and may be custom-tailored to your decor. LED light strips are especially suitable for outdoor areas, as they are long-lasting and extremely durable, radiate very little heat, and use up to 80 percent less electricity than standard light sources.

Step Three:  If you have existing outdoor lighting—review your property at night to see where you can upgrade your lighting design.  Check that everything is in working order and adequate illumination is provided at all significant locations.

• Where there are large areas blanketed in darkness, consider installing a floodlight equipped with energy-efficient lamps and lighting controls.

• Equally important is to check for areas that are excessively bright. Overly bright outdoor lighting, including path lighting and patio lighting, creates glare and can actually make it harder to see at night and diminish safety and security.

Your landscape lighting should be soothing and comfortable.  Make sure that  landscape and outdoor fixtures do not cast light into your neighbors’ property.  Keep “light trespass” from invading your own home at night.

Step Four:  If you like to entertain outdoors—see that your property is safely lit for guests—pay attention to elevation levels and unusual dips or risings; boundaries defining rock gardens, Koi ponds, and small shrubs should be clearly visible.  Make sure you have enough ambient illumination for safe navigation, as well as sufficient task lighting for cooking and food preparation.

Step Five:  Lighting techniques, such as shadowing, silhouetting and cross lighting add artistry and depth to your landscape at night.  But do not overdo it.  Depending on the size of your property, select one to three key areas that will expand and complement your overall landscape lighting presentation.

• Conceal lights behind and below a statue or small tree to highlight form and create definition.

• Show off a sculpted garden,  a textured rock wall or a unique architectural feature of your home that will stand out at night.

Light responsibly.  Keep an eye on the safety.  Having top-quality outdoor lighting makes for the best “Neighborhood Watch Program.”

Light conservatively.  The most wonderful aspect of outdoor and landscape lighting is that you only need a few well-chosen light sources to deliver a great deal of illumination and an overall luxuriant feel to your home.  Compared to other home improvement projects, top quality landscape lighting adds substantially to the value of your property.

Light efficiently.  You will save money in the long run, if you invest in automated lighting systems and LED landscape lighting now.  For maintenance-free, durable, long-lasting illumination—buy your LED landscape lighting and automated control systems from a reputable dealer.

Top-quality LED landscape lighting fixture are built to last with finishes guaranteed to withstand harsh weather conditions; many come with life-time product warranties.

Find qualified lighting professionals and electricians.  Professional lighting consultants will help you design your landscape lighting to exact specifications with outdoor fixtures that are UL-listed for outdoor use; electricians, familiar with updated LED lighting systems, should be licensed and aware of current electrical codes and ordinances in your town or city.

Order your fixtures early, set the job up now with energy-efficient security lighting and luxurious landscape illumination to ensure you will be ready for summer holiday celebrations.

THE SEASON’S TOP PICS:

Can you smell that? It’s grilling season in Bethesda, and the succulent aroma of grilling meats and sides is wafting through the air! But before you break out the electric grill and get to cooking, our Bethesda electricians would like to weigh in on a matter of pressing importance.

To our team at Kolb Electric, nothing is more important than providing superior services to our patrons. Except, of course, the safety of said consumers. An electric grill is the perfect tool to get the seared meat you crave, but it can be just as dangerous as any other piece of equipment if handled improperly.

Need electrical wiring for your Bethesda home? Contact Kolb Electric today!

Most grill safety is entirely precautionary, so you needn’t worry that our tips will spoil your fun. It’s all about preparedness:

Our Bethesda electricians can ensure your gill, wiring, outlets, and electrical panel are all fit for service, so you can cook with confidence this summer season! Our service and skill are unmatched, and we guarantee your complete satisfaction.