ICS Cleaning Specialist August 2011

AUGUS T 2 0 11 Cleaning Specialist For Fo F or Today’ Today’s y s Floor Care and Restoration Professional Proffessional...

Author: Jeffrey Stouffer

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AUGUS T 2 0 11

Cleaning Specialist For Fo F or Today’ Today’s y s Floor Care and Restoration Professional Proffessional

Get Your Cleaning Web site Up and Running

Truckmount Q&A: The ICS Interview

I Want to Run My Business, Not Have It Run Me

W W W.I C S M A G .C O M

Scrub Wands, ExtractionandTools More

Page 18

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2011

August Vol.50 No.8 o.8

Features & Columns 16

Building the Job Ticket – Part III

18

Scrub Wands, Extraction Tools and More

22


26

Truckmounts: The ICS Interview

36

Building the Road Map for Your Business

40

The Disaster Division as a Separate Diversification: Diversification Pitfalls

16

By Steve Toburen

By Gordon Hanks

18

By John Braun

By Jeffrey Stouffer, editor

40

By Howard Partridge

Departments

By Jeff Bishop

42

I Want to Run My Business, Not Have It Run Me By Dave DeBlander

To subscribe to ICS L!VE go to www.icsmag.com OR use your smartphone’s QR Reader and subscribe now!

6 8 10 12 13 46 50 51 52 54 55 56 57 58

Editorial Comment ICS eRants & Raves ICS eMedia In My Experience News, Views & Events New Products and Technologies Must See Products Gallery Advertiser Index Buyers’ Marketplace IICRC News CRA News SCRT News PACR News CFI News

ICS CLEANING SPECIALIST (ISSN 1522-4708) is published 12 times annually, monthly, by BNP Media II, L.L.C., 2401 W. Big Beaver Rd., Suite 700, Troy, MI 48084-3333. Telephone: (248) 362-3700, Fax: (248) 362-0317. No charge for subscriptions to qualified individuals. Annual rate for subscriptions to nonqualified individuals in the U.S.A.: $115.00 USD. Annual rate for subscriptions to nonqualified individuals in Canada: $149.00 USD (includes GST & postage); all other countries: $165.00 (int’l mail) payable in U.S. funds. Printed in the U.S.A. Copyright 2011, by BNP Media II, L.L.C. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations. Periodicals Postage Paid at Troy, MI and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: ICS CLEANING SPECIALIST, P.O. Box 2146, Skokie, IL 60076. Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. GST account: 131263923. Send returns (Canada) to Pitney Bowes, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON, N6C 6B2. Change of address: Send old address label along with new address to ICS CLEANING SPECIALIST, P.O. Box 2146, Skokie, IL 60076. For single copies or back issues: contact Ann Kalb at (248) 244-6499 or [email protected].

4

Cleaning Specialist | AUGUST 2011

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Editorial Comment By Jeffrey

Stouffer

Tools of the Trade

E

very August, ICS takes a look at some of the most common tools and equipment used by the carpet cleaning professional. True, we pretty much do the same thing throughout the rest of the year as well, but we’ve designated August as our truckmount issue for…well, pretty much as long as I can remember. By any measure – including our own annual equipment market study – truckmounted cleaning equipment is the primary choice of most carpet cleaners. And anyone’s whose done even a cursory bit of window shopping of late knows that there are more models, features and options available than ever before. To that end, we thought we’d try and help clarify things a bit by going straight to the source. With “Truckmounts: The ICS Interview” (page 26) we spoke with five of the industry’s top manufacturers to get an idea of what’s been going on with truckmount R&D, what influences development and design, and where the industry’s headed in the near and not-so-near future. A high-tech, state-of-the-art powerplant is nice and all, but it’s not much more than a well-engineered paperweight without the right accessories. In “Scrub Wands, Extraction Tools and More” (page 18), “Gadget Man” Gordon Hanks breaks down some of the basics as far as style, use and options go, explaining some different design elements, features to keep in mind when walking the supplier’s aisles, and even gets into some of the less-traditional equipment that’s made its way into the marketplace in recent years. While it is our truckmount issue, we’ve also stocked August with some other, just as exciting topics. Among other things, Jeff Bishop wraps up his “The Disaster Division as a Separate Diversification” series (page 40), John Braun tells you how to “Get Your Cleaning Web site Up and Running” (page 22) and Steve Toburen ties up his latest trilogy on page 14 with “Building the Job Ticket – Part III.” Never let it be said we don’t try and cover all the bases.

®

Publisher ] Evan Kessler Eastern Regional Manager ] Chris Dunham Western Regional Manager ] Jim Roy Editor ] Jeffrey Stouffer Sr. Art Director ] Rick Arvidson Art Director ] Manda Chan Production Manager ] Amy Levin CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Jeff Bishop, John Braun, Dave DeBlander, Aaron Groseclose, Gordon Hanks, Stanley Quentin Hulin, Howard Partridge, Steve Toburen, Ruth Travis

BNP Media Company, II, L.L.C. Publishing and Sales Office: 22801 Ventura Blvd., Suite 115 Woodland Hills, CA 91364 Phone: (818) 224-8035, Fax: (818) 224-8042 E-mail: [email protected] Publisher ] Evan Kessler (303) 255-1263 Eastern Regional Manager ] Chris Dunham (410) 327-8917 Western Regional Manager ] Jim Roy (818) 224-8035, ext. 2215 Classified Sales Manager ] Sharon Ward (847) 405-4017 CORPORATE OFFICE: 2401 West Big Beaver Road, Suite 700 Troy, MI 48084 www.bnpmedia.com CORPORATE DIRECTORS Publishing ] Timothy A. Fausch Publishing ] John R. Schrei Corporate Strategy ] Rita M. Foumia Marketing ] Ariane Claire Production ] Vincent M. Miconi Finance ] Lisa L. Paulus Creative ] Michael T. Powell Directories ] Nikki Smith Human Resources ] Marlene J. Witthoft IT ] Scott Krywko Clear Seas Director ] Beth A. Surowiec Custom Media Group ] Christopher Wilson Marketing Contact/Manager ] Kelly Shekell AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Audience Development Coordinator ] Christina Gietzen Multimedia Specialist ] Alison Illes Audience Audit Coordinator ] Carolyn M. Alexander

BNP Media Helps People Succeed in Business with Superior Information

Connect with ICS, wherever you are! Follow ICS on Twitter >

www.twitter.com/ICSMag

Find us on Twitter @ICSMag. Get great article headlines, communicate with our staff and share your opinion with us. Become a Fan of ICS on Facebook > www.facebook.com/ICSCleaningSpecialist

Connect, share and interact with other individuals in your industry. We’ll share the latest information and events going on around you. 6

Cleaning Specialist | August 2011

Single Copy Sales Ann Kalb Tel. (248) 244-6499 E-mail: [email protected] For subscription information or service, please contact Customer Service at: Tel. (847) 763-9534 or Fax (847) 763-9538 or e-mail [email protected] Web: www.icsmag.com List Rental Postal contact:

Kevin Collopy at 800-223-2194 x 684 [email protected] Email contact:

Michael Costantino at 800-223-2194 x 748 [email protected]

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ICS eRants & Raves Questions, Insights and Outbursts from ICSmag.com You Know It’s Going to Wick

Back When…

I go into a place with olefin carpet and there are mystery spots here and there. Maybe urine spots here, pop spots there, and the carpet peppered with other little spots. I HATE these carpets!!! I always explain to the customer why and how spots wick back and I leave them a bottle of carpet spotter, but it still doesn’t matter: they will call back. I guess since I just went back yesterday to touch up a carpet and did a job today that has a lot of spills on it I’m kinda frustrated.

– Tim H.

Worst Job Ever! I can honestly say I’ve been to h#@l and back. Recently did a job on a carpet that was so thick in grease and filth. They have 5 vacuums and all broke (and a Hoover carpet cleaner from Walmart, LOL). Roaches, trash and bags of trash or clothes. Oh, and no AC. You might say you wouldn’t have done it, and neither would I, but it was for a Realtor who needed it for an appraisal. Oh, and the kids were walking on it with bare feet and put on shoes after we cleaned; go figure. Yes, I jacked the price up to pay for therapy, LOL – Jack D.

Ahh… So Maybe This Wasn’t the Best Move On My Part I pulled a sweet move Friday, running my water pump dry. Taking it in Monday but looking for opinions on what may have been damaged. Water was clicking, so I went to truck, realizing I did not put fresh water pump on. Meanwhile, I’m thinking I had air in the line. The chatter in the pump became loud, then a sudden loud, vacuum-like noise. The belt was spinning. When I put pump on, the clutch plate stopped spinning, the belt started to grind and there’s this extremely loud sucking noise…and no water pressure. My water pump oil was low too....just changed it recently. Any ideas on this sweet move? – David

Calendar of Industry Events

Answering Services:

Conventions & Trade Shows

Worth It or Not? Anyone have any experience using an answering service like Perceptionist, MAP communications or a local company in their business? Do you use them just to answer and take messages or do they schedule work for you too? We need to add something like this and would like to hear about the experience of others, as we are researching our options.

– John B.

Ideas and inspiration for the industry, by the industry. For more go to the ICS and CFC Bulletin Boards at www.icsmag.com. 8


Aug. 15-17: ABRA 2011 Conference and Trade Show, Seattle, Wa. Call (888) 979-2272 or go to www.americanbiorecovery.org for more information.

Sept. 7-9: 2011 Connections Convention and Trade Show, Las Vegas. Call (888) 881-1001 or go to www.connectionsconvention.org for more information.

Oct. 18-21: 2011 ISSA/North America in Las Vegas. Call (800) 225-4772 or go to www.issa.com for more information.


ICS eMedia An Offline Look at What’s Happening Online

For more go to www.icsmag.com

Take Things

Where You Want Them to Go

Your altitude depends on your attitude. After twenty years in this business, sixteen years in my previous business and now five years coaching business owners, I can safely make the following statement without much fear of being wrong: The number one characteristic of successful business owners is that they have a positive attitude that is the foundation of their businesses. They are excited about the future and they don’t let obstacles or disappointments get in their way. They recognize failure as an event and not a person and they gladly accept challenges that they are faced with. Does this attitude describe you? If your answer is yes, chances are you will be winner. Taking this line of thinking a step further, if you expect great things to happen to you, chances are you they will. Consequently, expect bad things and… you will probably receive bad things. — From the Web Exclusive Feature “Expect Great Things” by Dave DeBlander

Always Keep the

Guidelines in Mind

I’ve lived in Arizona for the last 10 years. For eight months of the year, it’s a lovely place to be. But it gets just a little toasty the other four months of the year. And that puts an awful strain on air conditioners and a whole lot more stuff we took for granted back East. Having grown up in the plumbing, heating and cooling business in New York, I knew that I couldn’t push my cooling equipment too long out here without risking a breakdown at the worst time of year. There’s only so much a quality tune-up to a 20-year-old heating and cooling system can do. So I sucked it up and got three recommended contractors to stop by and provide a quote for my heating and cooling systems. I also knew that I was well in advance of the cooling season so that I wouldn’t be stuck at the busiest time of year trying to do this work.

— From “Selling Dos and Don’ts” by Al Levi

The Industry Suffers a

Great Loss

Our industry has lost a friend as well as an outstanding businessman. Paul Thompson, owner of Town & Country Services in Greenland, NH, died last week after collapsing suddenly over the weekend at a country music festival in Nashville, apparently from a brain aneurysm. He would have been 54 on July 1. Paul is a past president of the NEIRC and of Connections, and was a great contributor to our industry. I will miss Paul’s great smile and love of life. This is surely a reminder of how short life can be and that we must cherish every moment. My thoughts and prayers are with Paul’s wife Ginny, daughter Lyndsay, son Blake and the rest of his family and many friends.

— From “Life is Short” by ICS publisher Evan Kessler

10


It’s All About the

Relationships In my last blog, I introduced a partnership BNP Media forged with BirdDog Jobs, a career center specializing in the skilled trades. Today, we’re pleased to announce another partnership. BNP Media is joining forces with Mike Rowe Works Trades Hub, a new portal Web site dedicated to the advancement of the skilled trades and to helping trades people excel at their jobs. Rowe has “apprenticed” at nearly 300 job sites during the course of hosting Dirty Jobs. Through those experiences, combined with a legacy of a carpenter grandfather, Rowe developed a passion for the skilled trades. Rowe launched his mikeroweWORKS Web site in 2008, providing resources, news, and a community forum for all kinds of trades workers. With the launch of sister site Trades Hub, Rowe is connecting people from even more trades by providing additional content from a number of selected trade media.

— From “Dirty Jobs’ Mike Rowe Offers Help to the Trades” by Tim Fausch

The ICSmag.com

Web Poll: If I’ve learned anything in this business, it’s that: 50% The first impression is the best impression 25% You never miss a chance to promote yourself 0% Experience will always trump technology 25% If you stop moving, you die (professionally, that is)


In My Experience…

Employees Are Your Greatest Company Asset By

H

ow do you choose which plumbing company to use? If it is your first time using a plumber, you may choose by brand, or price, or catchiest advertising. Yet, if you have used one in the past, you are most likely choosing based on your opinion of how their employees treated you. Maybe the lady on the phone was very pleasant. Or maybe the technician was a fisherman like you.

Marcus Taylor

People bonding with other people can be a strong buying factor. At that point, brand, price, advertising, etc. become far less impacting on your choice. It’s the same case in every service system. Employees are the face of the company. They are on the frontlines developing relationships every day. It is where the rubber meets the road and the most critical moment in the service circle.

Understanding this, it becomes apparent that we must always be focusing on who we hire, how we train them to serve the customer and how we retain them as employees. We want employees that can bond and build relationships with the customers and be involved in the community for years to come. Just like nations of the world, business companies will take on cultures of their own. The culture of a company is directly related to its employees. A company cannot just simply state that their culture or core values is based on honesty, integrity and satisfaction. The employees must believe this to be true for it to be true for the company. Company leaders need to be a constant driver through example of the culture they want their company to exude. Employees will follow with pride. Every employee will need to retire at some point. That person will want their life’s work to have meant something. They will want to pass on a legacy of fine service and stability for after they leave. Companies with the right employees will have cultivated this from former employees and strive to push even further in the service than the previous generation. They will continue to build upon the excellence of yesterday. This generation to generation of craftsmanship deepens the grips of pride for your employees. The people of your company are your greatest assets. What sets you apart from your competitors? Clean is clean. Every cleaner out there will probably get the spots out. So how does the customer decide which company to choose? Will it be based on brand, price, or advertising? Or will it be decided by the interaction she has with your employees? Employees are the most important thing in your company. Be sure that you have the right people on board and keep them there.

Marcus Taylor has been working in the industry for more than 5 years. Currently the cleaning department director for the Plainwell branch of Modernistic, a large cleaning and restoration company in Troy, Mich., he is an IICRC-certified Journeyman Textile Cleaner, Journeyman Water Restorer and Journeyman Fire and Smoke Restorer. You can reach him at (800) 627-5080 ext.116

12


News, Views & Events Well-known industry presence Thompson dies Paul Thompson, co-owner of Town & Country Services in Greenland, NH died suddenly on June 14. A long-time NEIRC member, Paul joined the Board of Directors in 1995 as a regional director. Serving as president in 2002 and 2003, Paul brought big change to the association. During his tenure, the NEIRC Board of Directors took over the day to day management of the association and was instrumental in bringing the NEIRC into Connections. He was elected president of Connections and served two years in that position. Paul was honored in 2009 with the Connections Kenway Mead Leadership Award. He also served on the board of the IICRC for several years as an at large director. Townandcountryservices.com

Harl joins Viking as national sales manager Tim Harl is the new head of Viking Equipment’s sales division. Charged with “promoting and serving our national chain of Viking Equipment distributors, Tim has over 15 years of customer service experience, and is here to answer any questions you may have about Viking Equipment and Viking Equipment products,” the company said. vikingairmovers.com

7th Annual Best of Wisconsin Businesses awarded More than 125 top business people attended Corporate Report Wisconsin’s 7th annual Best of Wisconsin Business Awards luncheon in the Wisconsin Dells, where K-tech Kleening Systems was recognized as the silver winner in the Best of Janitorial Services category. “This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our management team, the operations and office support group and the field staff who take care of our customers on a daily basis. We are honored to be recognized with such a highly regarded group of janitorial companies,” said Craig Kersemeier, president of K-tech Kleening Systems, Inc. k-techkleening.com

Cooper leaving IICRC after 27 years Larry Cooper, president of Textile Consultants, will leave the IICRC after 27 years of service and contracting at the end of 2011. Cooper served as vice president of IICUC, the former name of the IICRC, in 1984 and president from 1985 to 1988. He served on the IICRC Board of Directors for 19 years and provided leadership during the major growth and development years of the organization. Serving as the first chairman of the Instructors and Schools Committee, helped write the first IICRC carpet inspector course and test; he also worked to develop curriculum and the platform for the format of the IICRC today. iicrc.com

Fiberlock Technologies expands sales team Fiberlock Technologies announces the addition of Alan Snow as Northeast U.S. and Eastern Canada sales manager. “Alan is a tremendous addition to our team,” said Cole Stanton, Vice President of Sales. “This addition is the latest in a number of strategic expansions that will allow Fiberlock to better service our existing customers and generate new business as part of our overall market strategy.” Fiberlock.com

SteamMaster hosts emergency planning/disaster management seminar SteamMaster recently hosted an Emergency Planning and Disaster Management seminar at The Westin Riverfront Resort for Hotel and Lodging Properties. The seminar included discussions on proactive emergency planning, Colorado’s Regulation 8 regarding asbestos law, as well as common issues that can cause water damage during extreme winter condition. The event brought together the valley’s leading property managers and engineering personnel to have an open discussion about preventing costly damage to their organization before is happens. Steammaster.com

IICRC names Washington the New Standards Director The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification announced that Mili Washington has been hired as the new IICRC Standards Director. “We welcome Ms. Washington to the IICRC,” said IICRC President Patrick Winters. “Her strong background with ANSI accredited standards development will continue to help the IICRC reach its goal of being recognized as developing the most credible, collaborative and up-to-date standards of care for our allied industries.” iicrc.com August 2011 | www.icsmag.com

13

To Your Success

By

Steve Toburen

Steve Toburen sold his carpet cleaning and restoration business and retired at the age of 38. He now serves as Director of Training for Jon-Don’s Strategies for Success program and created their Value Added Service for Technicians seminar. JonDon is the exclusive distributor for Steve’s “Winning on the Home Front” line of audio customer service programs. For more information call (800) 556-6366 or go to Jon-Don’s new information resource for all carpet cleaners at SFS.JonDon.com Steve welcomes your comments and/or questions at [email protected]

Building the Job Ticket – Part III “With money in your pocket you are wise and handsome and you sing well too.” – Yiddish proverb

W

e are all in the same boat. Like other businesses, carpet cleaners have been slammed lately with increased competition, declining revenues and much higher fuel and supply prices. But your “secret weapon” is that you can easily increase the amount of each job ticket. In my May “To Your Success” column, we discussed “pre-orienting” your customer on all the additional services you offer. (Your customer can’t buy more if they don’t know about their options!) Far too many times, a ten-year or longer client would say to me, “Hey, Steve, 14


I didn’t know you carried ScotchGard. How much extra would that be?” Well, duh! Shame on me! Last month we reviewed the old maxim, “Friends buy from friends.” So I shared the philosophy of Value Added Service along with a grab-bag of tips on how to make a Cheerleader out of your customer based on how you deliver your great cleaning job. Cheerleaders not only sing your praise from the rooftops, they also happily buy more from you while you are in their home! But let’s finish up this Building the Job Ticket series by focusing on the single

1

Never forget your “secret weapon”

2

Never apply, always “reapply”

3

Let your people sell what they believe in

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To Your Success

easiest, fastest and most profitable addon sale for carpet cleaners: “reapplying” a carpet protector finish. Here is a grab bag of protector tips:

“Reapply” the Carpet Protector Never “apply”, always “reapply”! Or you can use the equally effective “renew”. Both phrases recognize that over time carpet traffic (abrasion) will reduce the effectiveness of the mill applied protector. By using the word “reapply” you subliminally emphasize the importance of “renewing” the protector! As it happens, I’ll be sharing how to “Double your Carpet Protector Sales” on the ICS panel at the Connections Convention in Las Vegas at 1:15pm on Sept. 7. (Until then, a free step-by-step carpet protection sales script is available at http://tiny.cc/SFSscotch.)

Splash the Protector Logo Everywhere Once again, your customer can’t buy if they don’t know. So piggyback on the national advertising and brand awareness of your carpet protector product by putting their logo on your vans, uniforms, paperwork, advertising and most importantly, your web site.

reward your phone personnel for booking sales

16


Reward Your Employees – And Yourself At an applied cost of 3 to 4 cents per foot and an average price of 15 cents per foot, you have a huge profit margin to work with. So be very generous with your techs when they sell carpet protection. I suggest slightly increasing your protector pricing, and then double the typical 10 to 15 percent technician commission. Trust me, a 20 to 30 percent commission will motivate your techs, and you’ll make more money too! I also kept a mental record on my own sales efforts. Every week that I personally booked over $1,000 in protector sales meant Sioux and I would enjoy a really nice restaurant on “date night”! Note: Never allow any high pressure sales tactics in your customer’s homes.

Note: Each time you bring up the protector option and the customer wavers toward saying “no” just quickly “fade away” by saying, “Why don’t you wait and see how the carpet cleans up and then you can decide on reapplying the protector?”

Just “Ask For the Order” The No. 1 reason your company doesn’t sell more protector (and make more money for you!) is because your employees (and you!) are not even bringing the option up to your customers!

We Sell What We Believe In Let your employees apply protector free when they clean their own carpets. Nothing is more powerful than a tech weighing in with just how great his or her own carpets look after protecting them.

Give Your Customer Multiple Opportunities to “Say Yes”

Allow More Time on Each Job

Stop depending on an already running behind tech to sell carpet protector at the end of a rushed job; it isn’t going to happen! Instead, program in many chances for your customer to approve the protector application right from the get-go. Here’s how: a. Offer protector as an option on your Web site booking form. (Many homeowners love the quick and anonymous aspects of online booking. Check into this feature for your web site.) b. Bring up carpet protection during the initial phone call booking the job. (Give your phone person a small 5% bonus on his or her booked protector sale.) c. When you send the home owner their confirmation email include a link to your Web site page explaining carpet protector features and benefits. d. Price and demonstrate how the protector works during your pre-inspection of the carpets. e. Train your technicians to “no-pressure sell” the protection option during the cleaning.

With the wisdom of hindsight I now recognize I ran my employees ragged. Cramming in too many jobs means burned out techs, unhappy customers and lost opportunities for high profit upsells. I challenge every SFS class to book one less carpet cleaning on average each day and double their tech’s protector commissions. The results are in: Happy, relaxed, better-paid employees, delighted customers and a much more profitable company due to not leaving money on the table at each job.

Train Your People to Demo Customers love a “show and tell.” So if the homeowner is unsure on the carpet protector just ask if you can show them how the protector works over their kitchen sink. There will usually be a used coffee cup in the sink so sprinkle a few drops of coffee on to a pre-treated “blotter card.” The coffee will soak into the untreated side while you just rinse it off of the treated part of the card. The result? Another job ticket built up with a protector sale!

Note: Another great sales tip? Do this blotter demo by drawing a line across the card with a yellow hi-liter. Then just rinse the card off and like magic the hi-liter stain will disappear from the protected side of the card!

Offer a Free 12-Month “Spot and Spill Warranty” on Every Protector Application Your customer’s biggest Unspoken Question (and fear) is “Will this protector actually work?” If you give a free warranty with the protector you are “putting your money where your mouth is” and adding credibility to your offer. Even better, you now have a “time-dated urgency” reason to motivate your customers. You can gently push the homeowner to have their carpets cleaned and the protector reapplied 12 months from now by saying, “Mrs. Jones, we just wanted to remind you that your free Spot and Spill Protection Plan is almost out of warranty.” Note: John Mapes of EcoSteam in Sycamore, IL has a great way to reach out to carpet retailers using the free 12-month “Spot and Spill Warranty” concept. I recently shared John’s idea at http://tiny.cc/SFSmfw. Now more than ever business is tough. But you can choose not to participate in this “Great Recession.” How? By “Building the Job Ticket” on each and every job when you “reapply” the carpet protector.

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17

The Gadget Man

By

Gordon Hanks

Bridgewater Corp. CEO Gordon Hanks got the nickname “Gadget Man” as a result of his brainchild that developed into one of the industry’s leading cleaning and restoration accessories. The Gadget man series is about making life easier and improving profitability. For more information call (800) 658-5314 or e-mail [email protected].

Scrub Wands, Extraction Tools and More Times have changed, and so has the wand since my first professional cleaning experience 37 years ago. At 50-plus pounds, the drag wand I used was a serious issue for my back.

T

he light carpet wands available today are much easier to use, remove more soil and water, and are more ergonomically designed. If you’re using one of these innovative designs, I’m sure your back is thankful. What might seem like a simple, straightforward tool has seen many improvements and variations in recent years.

Lighter Weight/Wider Head Wands are now available built from titanium, a corrosion resistant, space-age metal with the highest strength to weight ratio of any metal. Additional innovations in low-weight, high-performance design include the use of carbon fiber composites and roto-molded plastic. These light but strong materials allow a carpet cleaning tech to clean a 13”, 14” or even 16” wide path for greater pro18


ductivity and reduced fatigue. If you have large areas of carpet to clean at one time or your work days are often long, you will appreciate the benefits of faster production time with less stress when these high-performance wands are used.

this design that considers the health of the technician. No more numb fingers, carpal tunnel syndrome, or similar problems. Great for any company that wants to keep all its techs healthy and productive, almost any wand can be fitted with a soft touch valve. A comfortable grip that doesn’t trans-

Ergonomics Repeating the same motion hundreds of times in a day can result in what are known as repetitive stress injuries. That is exactly what cleaning techs do as they trigger and release a wand valve. Recently introduced soft touch valves are easier to operate and significantly reduce such injuries. Soft touch valves operate smoothly, don’t require as much force to squeeze the trigger and are comfortable to grip. Ergonomics is the word to describe

1

Today’s wands are leagues beyond those of yesteryear

2

Ergonomic designs are a primary consideration

3

Not all extraction tools are created equal

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The Gadget Man

thusiasm he put forth when he started at 8 a.m. But electrically powered rotary extraction wands continue to spin at the same speed producing numerous cleaning passes and similar results all day long, no matter how long the day. This assures consistency on large jobs. The availability of glides is another way that carpet cleaners can make the job easier. Teflon, polished plastic, stainless steel and other friction resisting materials on the head of the wand allow it to move almost effortlessly over the face yarns. The design of the glide can also assist in extra water removal.

mit heat and a properly positioned handle are also important to comfort of the user. It is also suggested that you learn to use the wand by alternating hands, on both sides of your body. This can lower the potential for muscle injury as you are strengthening equal sides of your body.

Fighting Fatigue The speed and effectiveness of a carpet tech finishing his work day late in the evening usually won’t match the energy and en-

Vacuum Performance Vacuum performance is crucial to removing soil and water for the cleanest possible carpet and shortest drying times. You may have given a lot of attention to the performance abilities of your equipment and selection of vacuum hose, but don’t overlook the role that a wand plays in delivering that vacuum to the carpet. Wands engineered for use with truckmounts usually have a 2” diameter tube and a manifold design that doesn’t unnecessarily restrict airflow.

Additional Options When selecting a new wand, you can choose between a single bend style, which some prefer as easier to push across the carpet, and the double bend or S-bend design that makes it easier to get the wand head under tables, beds and some other furniture. If multiple jets are used, the jets can be located closer to the carpet. The cleaning solution will not cool down as much before reaching the carpet. Partially enclosed spray pattern or “wings” is another way to help keep the cleaning solution hotter. There are also specialized tools for cleaning stairs, cleaning under beds, cleaning along baseboards or other situations. Circle 5 on the Free Information Card 20


Although stainless steel is more durable than brass, all spray jets wear down with use. This wear distorts the spray pattern, increases volume of flow while reducing water pressure. Even though the change may be almost imperceptible, it affects your cleaning and drying times. Whatever wand you use, be sure to change the spray jets regularly.

Crossover Wands

Spray Nozzles Before we leave our discussion of carpet cleaning wands, I should mention spray jets, a vital component of any wand. The flow of pressurized water through a nozzle will gradually wear away the surrounding metal and enlarge the opening.

In the automotive industry a crossover vehicle is a passenger car with features that make it suitable for use as an SUV or maybe vice-versa. In a similar way, wands designed for extraction in the water damage restoration industry have features make them suitable for use in carpet and rug cleaning. Stationary extraction tools have demonstrated their ability to remove well over 90% of water from both carpet and the cushion (pad) underneath. This abil-

ity makes these tools ideal for use in spot and stain removal. Many stain removal procedures, such as using oxidizers to treat pet urine stains and odors, require that the carpet and pad be saturated or that the carpet be thoroughly flushed. There is no more convenient and efficient way to accomplish this than with a stationary extraction tool, either one designed specifically for spot removal or a larger tool that can perform well in both the restoration and cleaning fields. Recent advances in engineering with computer aided design have produce extraction tools that are easier to use, more durable and extract more water from carpet and cushion than ever before. If you realize that you are still using the same wand you cleaned with for years, it is time to give serious consideration to taking advantage of improved technology to make your job easier and improve your cleaning performance.


21

Get Your Cleaning Web site

Up and Running L

ast month we talked about your options for a cleaning Web site. Now we’ll talk about the specifics of what you need to get a site up and running. For those of you who don’t have a Web site, I’ll walk you through very slowly. And even if you’ve already had a site for years, you may pick up a few tips to help you further understand how Web sites work. You can get a better Web site and better search engine ranking when you understand all this. Plus, your life will be easier when you know how to better use and market your site. Remember, your Web site is the core of how you market your business on the Internet. Here are two requirements to get a Web site online:


John Braun

Domain Name

Hosting

The first thing you’ll need is a domain name. An example is www.mikescarpetcare.com. This is the actual address of where your site will be located. This is what people will type to find your Web site. It’s kind of like if you were building a new house, this would be your empty lot. It’s the location in which your Web site will exist. Godaddy.com is currently the place people buy domain names more than anywhere else. Their prices are great for domain names and their service is reliable. However, you can buy a domain name from most any hosting company. You can usually expect to pay $7-15 per year for a domain name registration.

Once you pick a domain name, you’ll need to have a place to store the information you’re going to put on that domain name. This is called hosting. It’s how your Web site gets up on the Internet. Some commonly known, reliable hosting companies are Hostgator, Bluehost, Lunarpages and Hostmonster. I strongly recommend you avoid free hosting, as the service is often poor and your site potentially may not rank as well in the searches. You can expect to pay $4-15 per month for hosting.

John Braun owns Premium Carpet Care in Pensacola, Florida, and is the principal behind Hitman Advertising. To get a FREE advertising strategy guide for carpet cleaning companies plus a 19-minute audio on how to use these strategies, go to www.HitmanAdvertising.com or call toll free (888) 211-7702.

22

By

1

Understand both domain and hosting

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Be sure you pick the right domain name

3

Explore all your options before making a decision

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Picking the Right Domain Name It’s true that choosing a domain name with your keywords in the domain name will help your ranking in the search engines. For instance, the domain name www.carpetcleaningatlanta.com would be perfect for a carpet cleaning company

Continued

in Atlanta, Georgia. However, the problem is most of these ideal domain names are taken. But don’t worry! It’s not the end of the world if you can’t get a domain name with your keywords. Your site can still rank in Google without your keywords in your domain name. You could instead have your company and city name in your domain name. For instance, www. joescarpetcleaningatlanta.com would work well. Or you could even leave the city name out of the domain name. Like I said, it helps, but it won’t make or break your search engine ranking. Once you purchase a domain name, go ahead and register it for a few years. This is not only convenient, but it also shows the search engines you are serious about the long-term success of your Web site. In some cases, this can slightly bump up your search engine rankings. Will buying multiple domain names help you? It depends. If you are going to

put up a Web site on that domain name, it will help. But if you are simply forwarding the domain name to a different site, this strategy won’t help your rankings at all.

Picking the Best Hosting Yes, there are good and bad hosting companies out there. Some aren’t reliable with keeping your site online. And others aren’t good with customer support. Most of the big companies have fairly good service with both support and reliability, but you may want to check some of their reviews online. As we discussed last month, you should decide which type of platform you want your site to be based on. If you are hiring a Webmaster he will normally decide this for you. Currently, Webmasters will often either code the site with HTML/PHP or they will create the site in Wordpress. If you are creating a site in Wordpress, consider getting hosting that

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has a Cpanel. Hostgator and Hostmonster both have reliable Cpanel configurations. If you are not using Wordpress, any type of hosting configuration will work. See last month’s column for more details on these options.

How Do You Get Your Site Online? After you choose your domain name and hosting, you’ll need to create your Web site and get it on the web. If a Webmaster is creating the site for you, it will often be created offline and then uploaded via an FTP (aka File Transfer Protocol). This is what puts your Web site files to your hosting company. You can do this yourself too with a little learning. You can get the software free from Filezilla or Core FTP. That, along with your FTP log in information from your hosting company, will allow you or your Webmaster the ability to load your Web site files up on your domain name. If you have a standard coded HTML or PHP based Web site, you’ll need some sort of software with an FTP in order to make changes to your site. However, if you have a Wordpress site, you’ll be able to easily make most changes without the use of an FTP. Make sure you explore both options before deciding which route to go with. If you are using a Webmaster you trust, he can help you with this decision. Those are the basics of getting the site up and running. All you need is a domain name, hosting, Web site creation and software to get your site up on the Internet. Circle 18 on the Free Information Card August 2011 | www.icsmag.com

25


By

Jeffrey Stouffer editor

W

hen it comes to carpet cleaning, truck-mounted equipment does occupy a dominant space in the industry, and in the last 10 years, the segment has seen some definitive changes; to that end, ICS recently turned to some of the industry’s top experts – Prochem’s Glen Wilson, MasterBlend’s Brent Wiegand, Sapphire Scientific’s Mike Roden, Cleanco’s Lou Querin and HydraMaster’s Mickey McKee – to find out just what’s been going on in the realm of truck-mounted cleaning equipment.

26


ICS Cleaning Specialist: In your opinion, what would you say is the No. 1 attribute of truck-mounted cleaning equipment? Glen Wilson: Quality. At the end of the day, the quality and reliability of a truckmount is what separates a great truckmount from a good one. At Prochem, we realize how important this is, since professional cleaners rely on their equipment to make a living. Brent Wiegand: Truck-mounted cleaning equipment gives the cleaner several advantages. The obvious is the combina-

1 2

Heat, heat and more heat

3

Cleaners have a great deal of influence on truckmount design

Know the right questions to ask your distributor

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Continued

tion of vacuum, pressure and heat that the truckmount provides. This performance also gives the operator the ability to complete the job quicker and leave the customer with a cleaner and drier carpet. This will result in increased customer satisfaction and increased productivity. Mike Roden: Heat-exchange efficiency and precise heat control together are the most important. High heat doesn’t do any good if you can’t deliver it consistently all day long. At Sapphire, we’ve developed control systems that deliver heat consistently and provide accurate temperature control. This allows operators to dial in exactly the temperatures they want for the cleaning situation at hand. That’s critical for consistent cleaning results. Lou Querin: The number one attribute of truckmount cleaning equipment is making the cleaning technician’s job easier and more profitable. Carpet cleaning is hard work. That’s why our units

28


are designed with user-friendly operation features, extraordinary engineering and quality craftsmanship. The easier the job is for the operator, the more work they’ll get done quicker and the more profitable they’ll be. Mickey McKee: The ability to maintain heat throughout the entire cleaning cycle. The truckmount, through design,

retains its heated product better than utilizing a portable. ICS: A lot’s changed in the past 10 years; can you run down a few key advances in truckmount technology? BW: The engines have come along way in the last decade. They have gone away from breaker point ignition systems to the new electronic ignition systems that

have not only simplified maintenance but also have lengthened the intervals between the services. In our case, the El Diablo uses a diesel-fired heating system that uses less than half the fuel of older systems, and in most cases it is even close to using only one-quarter the fuel, and still maintaining temperatures of 250-degrees-plus if desired. MR: The most important advancements include extended belt life through the use of EPDM belt material and belt cooling, improved heat-exchange efficiency, better high-temp seals in the solution pumps, and cleaner, more efficient engines. But the most important advance is size reduction. In the last two years we’ve reduced the size of truckmounts by 40% or more while maintaining the same high levels of performance. LQ: Many advances have been made over the last 10 years, including hotter water temperatures, simplified engineering and better fuel economy. This technology improves both the end result of each job performed and the bottom line for the owner. MM: Focus on CFM has taken main stage over vacuum lift. Movement of air trumps the principle that vacuum lift is the most important feature of extracting byproduct. The second item of importance is that the design of the truckmount units has incorporated easier serviceability compared to older models. GW: Truckmounts have maintained or even increased their performance in a much-simplified product. Once again, resulting in reliability that a professional cleaner to rely upon. I hear stories all the time of truckmounts that are 10-plus years old and still performing like new. ICS: What are the top three questions you hear from cleaners when they’re shopping for truckmounts? MR: The three main questions that stick out in my mind that truckmount buyers ask are “How much CFM?” “How much heat?” and “How reliable?” And of course they ask about price. A truckmount is a major investment, and these are important questions to get the

decision process started. LQ: One, What water temperature can the Cleanco Compact reach and maintain? Two, What size is the vacuum blower, how much CFM and lift will the unit produce? And three, Are the units easy to maintain? MM: How hot does the unit heat water? How big is the blower? What benefits would I receive for the price of purchasing a truckmount unit? GW: What is the performance like of the truckmount, the heat, vacuum, hose run length? What is the warranty? What type of engine does the truckmount have? BW: Price, performance, and reliability. I get these questions almost every time and it appears that they are usually asked in this order. With today’s economy, the customer wants to find the best performance he can get with out breaking the bank. He also wants to have confidence that his equipment will keep going well into the future. ICS: What’s the one question cleaners don’t ask, but should, when they’re shopping for a new truckmount?

need to get the job done right. MM: How easy is the unit to service? They rarely ask how to access certain components on the unit until it becomes absolutely necessary, and find out how difficult it is to access certain components given the decision they made. GW: Is there a qualified servicing dealer in my local area? BW: This is a great question. They should ask about the support the manufacturer provides. This can include support on cleaning and spotting issues, as well as the equipment. The customer may also want to find out what type of national distribution network is available in the event they decide to either open a new location or relocate. MR: Customers often overlook fuel consumption and put too much emphasis on CFM. This leads many buyers to purchase more machine than they need. The question should be “Does this unit provide the performance I need at the level of fuel consumption that makes economic sense for my business?” That’s a much better way to approach the buying decision.

LQ: What model best fits my requirements? Most of us think bigger is better which is not always the case. We would rather see our customers with a unit they will utilize to its fullest potential than in one that has bells and whistles they don’t

Buyers should also consider the ease and efficiency of servicing the machine. Downtime can quickly turn a profitable job into a money-losing job, so the ability to get the machine up and running quickly is very important. Look for August 2011 | www.icsmag.com

29

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Continued

tiple truck operation he needs to be able to teach his tech to operate the machine and do the scheduled maintenance. MR: I have been deep in the truckmount engineering trenches for decades. But when we launched Sapphire Scientific in 2009, I spent almost all of the first two months doing just one thing: meeting with, restoration and carpet cleaning industry leaders, and a whole range of customers. My purpose was to find out just what customers really want in a truckmount. That experience was eye-opening, and has led directly to the key innovations we have introduced. LQ: Cleanco has always had an open door policy with our distributors to the quick-remove access panels and easy-toreach components. Truckmounts should be designed so that all routine service can be done in just a few minutes with basic tools. ICS: When you’re developing new truckmount features, innovations or even new models, how much input do cleaners have in the process? MM: The end user of the product has a tremendous amount of influence over the development process at HydraMaster, through feedback during the design, mock up of new models, and the test phase of any product. Customer focus groups and continuous customer engagement is also part of recognizing trends that affect your product roadmap. GW: At Prochem, we utilize a QFD (Quality Function Deployment) process that involves cleaner from across the country. During the process we ask cleaners from different geographic areas of the world because each area can have specific requirements or needs. We frequently complete focus groups to make sure we are keeping up with any changes in the needs to cleaners. BW: The cleaners are the people that are going to be operating and maintaining the equipment, so I listen to what the cleaner has to say. The machines need to be easy to maintain, and also need to be user friendly. If the cleaner has a mul32




Continued

end use cleaners and owners for new ideas and improvements. Our units today have many features and innovations that were suggested to us over the years by both sides. ICS: Let’s break out the crystal ball: what does the future hold in truckmount R&D? What should cleaners expect to see 5 or even 10 years from now? GW: Truckmounts today offer plenty of heat, vacuum and solution pressure required for most jobs. The biggest changes in the future will be driven by other factors such as changes in emis-

sion requirements of the engines, noise restrictions and fuel costs. BW: The engines will be fuel injected due to EPA emission regulations. Even today, there are standards for the small engine emissions. 2 or 3 years away, the regulations are going to get tougher, just like in the automotive industry. As the automotive industry is being pressure to increase the fuel economy of their vehicles, they are going to be forced to make the vehicles, including cargo vans smaller. This will make truckmount manufactures design our machines to fit in these vans. We will have to come up with new ways of accomplishing this without sacrificing performance. MR: The desire for greater efficiency is driving change at an incredible pace. I think we’re going to see some radical changes in powerplant technology. We’re going to see gas/electric hybrids and we’re going to see alternative fuels like com-

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RR &

Restoration & Remediation

pressed natural gas. And I think change is going to move fast. In ten years, maybe even in five, every engine that is available now is going to be obsolete. LQ: With technology changing daily anything is possible for the future of truckmounts! Looking back at the evolution of direct drive truckmounts over the last 30 years, power, hotter water temperatures and space saving design have been the front-runners of innovative concepts that satisfy the operator needs. In the future, truckmounts may use less water in the cleaning process, be quieter, easier to maintain and even more fuelefficient than today’s models. Stay tuned to find out! MM: We believe that that the “green movement” has and will impact the design and function of units moving forward. Exhaust regulations, alternative fuel designs, utilizing less water etc… will be driving force in our market’s future. The ecological side of our collective businesses will and must drive the expansion of our markets. Beyond that, creating a smaller “footprint” with space and weight will be a major focus on all designs moving forward.

For more information: HydraMaster www.hydramaster.com

Prochem www.prochem.com

Sapphire Scientific www.sapphirescientific.com

MasterBlend www.masterblend.net

www.icsmag icsmag..com

www.RandRmagonline RandRmagonline..com 34


Cleanco Truckmounts www.cleanco.com

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Building a Phenomenally Successful Business

By

Howard Partridge

Howard Partridge started his carpet cleaning company (Clean As A Whistle) out of the truck of his car over 25 years ago and built it up to a 14 truck company that bills as much as $2.8 million per year. For over a decade he’s been helping carpet cleaners from around the world build phenomenally successful businesses through Phenomenal Products, Inc. In January he launched Clean As A Whistle Franchising, LLC., offering turnkey Clean As A Whistle franchises. To get Howard’s FREE Tip of the Week, free videos, webinars, and resources, visit www.HowardPartridge.com or call 281-634-0404.

Building the Road Map for Your Business One of my coaching clients, Lisa Giesler, is an organizing consultant. She has a book called “My Life is a Mess.” Owning your own business can be overwhelming because of the number of “hats” you have to wear.

S

omeone not only has to clean the carpet, but someone has to market, someone has to go on sales calls, someone has to do the bookkeeping, someone has to order supplies, someone has to fix the truck, someone has to clean the truck, and so on. If you are a larger company and you have people actually doing some of these things, you are most likely overwhelmed as you try to manage them, and end up involved in many things that you don’t want to be involved in and probably shouldn’t be. You are involved in too many areas because you haven’t learned the skill of leadership and systems. 36


How do you ever get over this? You need a vision, a road map – a big, clear picture of the business. A great tool for developing this is an Organizational Chart. This is component two of five in building systems into your business. Most cleaning businesses, regardless of the size look like this (Chart I). No wonder you are overwhelmed! You’re in every box! So how do you get organized? You begin by understanding the 12 functions of the business. Every one of these functions is vital to be phenomenally successful in your business. And if you want a turn-key business, all of them are absolutely crucial.

Does someone have to plan the business to be more successful? You bet.

1

Don’t let managing people overwhelm you

2

Adhere closely to the 4 Pillars

3

Use your chart to maximum effect

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Building a Phenomenally Successful Business

Chart 1

That’s the role of what I call the “Director.” Does someone have to manage the business? Absolutely. Someone must make sure that all of the things that are supposed to happen actually get implemented. I call that the “Manager.” And of course someone has to actually do the work. The work of cleaning. The work of marketing. The work of accounting. The good news is that it doesn’t always have to be you. And folks, your spouse is not the only one that can answer the phone and do the books. He/she needs a life too. So, understanding the three levels (Director, Manager and Technician) gives you a picture of how to separate and organized the major functions. And “Technician” is not just cleaning carpet. This is doing the work of the business. Any of the work “in” the business – like labeling mailers to go out, or making a sales call, or doing data entry – is a technician function. Then there are what I call the 4 Pillars of a Phenomenally Successful Business. I went through them in great detail in a previous ICS article, but here’s a brief description of each:

Pillar No. 1: Marketing Marketing is everything you do to attract prospects to your business. This includes advertising, referral programs, client mailers, internet marketing, networking, direct selling, and any other things you might do to attract prospects to your business.

Pillar No. 2: Sales Sales is everything you do to turn a prospect into a paying customer. This 38


phone. Then I merged with a couple of other cleaners and put one in charge of operations and the other in charge of administration.

includes answering the phone, your phone scripts, presentations and so on. Once they are on the schedule, they are a customer.

Pillar No. 3: Operations Once the customer is scheduled, you now must provide them with an outstanding service experience so that they will return again and again and so that they will refer you as well. So operations is everything you do to serve the client. This includes getting the equipment ready, driving to the jobsite, your cleaning procedures and everything you actually do to serve the client.

Pillar No. 4: Administration The final pillar is the tracking piece. This included your sales reports, income statement, your job average, production rates, closing rates and everything else that needs to be tracked to confirm that you are profitable and efficient.

How to Use the Organizational Chart Begin to replace yourself in the bottom boxes. Start with the things that aren’t getting done and the things you despise doing (I know there are some of those!). Start with the things you aren’t good at. I started my company out of the trunk of my car. My name was in every box. Of course, at that time, I didn’t even know there were boxes! Eventually I hired a helper. Then I hired a couple of technicians. Then I hired people to answer the

We then hired people to do inside sales and on-location sales. Eventually, I got someone doing marketing with me and then for me. Eventually, I was only in two boxes: “Marketing Director” and “Sales Director.” Today my business is turn-key. Although I meet with my staff once a week and we work on projects, I don’t really have a “job” in the business other than the responsibility of owning it. Systematizing your business can be done. A turn-key business is possible. But you must have a compelling vi-

sion to drive you. Without it, you will never do the hard work (yes, it is hard work) of building systems in your business. I knew I wanted to do what I am doing now. My vision to do that drove me to build a turn-key business. You can do it to. Next month, we will talk about how to get others to take some of the boxes for you. Remember, you were created to be phenomenal, to do phenomenal things and to have a phenomenal life!

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Rx for Restoration

By

Jeff Bishop

Jeff Bishop is a 40-year veteran of the restoration industry. He teaches and consults internationally, and has published 13 books and videos on cleaning and restoration topics. This article is excerpted from his newly revised “Fire’s Out! . . Now What?” For more information access www.CleanCareSeminars.net.

The Disaster Division as a Separate Diversification: Diversification Pitfalls Let’s face it: most owners of restoration companies are great people, people you’d like to hang out with, great technicians who can sniff out every particle of soot and predict to the nearest second when a structure will dry.

U

nfortunately, management just isn’t one of their priorities, that is, until their mistakes get them so deep in a financial hole that they can see no other way out. It’s then that they get serious about their diversification decisions. O.K. At this point I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention at least a couple of pitfalls that are routinely encountered in operating a full-service, disaster diversification. The first is called the “see-saw effect.” The see-saw effect occurs when company owners or managers fail to get one division of the company operating independently before opening another. What usually happens is that the division which they used as the foundation of the

40


company’s success, and which was operating smoothly under their unique and creative supervision, is left to struggle on its own while managers attend to opening the new diversification; in this case, a disaster (fire) restoration diversification. Because of their creative talents and aggressive ability, the new diversification, like the original one, begins to flourish, while the old one – say, the company’s original cleaning division (carpet, upholstery, flooring, rug cleaning) – takes a nose dive! As soon as managers see what’s happening, they rush back into the old diversification (cleaning services) to build it back to a profitable level. Meanwhile, the new

diversification (fire services), experiences a rapid fall-off from its dramatic start. From then on a manager, playing the

1

Don’t fall victim to the “see-saw effect”

2

Watch out for the “cross-over catastrophe”

3

Often, the problem lies with management, not employees

see-saw game, runs back and forth, back and forth, without either of the diversifications maintaining a uniform level of productivity and growth. Sound like you? The solution to the problem, as previously mentioned, is to get the company’s original service (now a division) operating independently, productively, before opening a new one. Then, as soon as possible, business owners/managers should get the new diversification operating independently, so that they can return to their original jobs of providing pure management, allocating time to each division as required to ensure maximum productivity for the company overall. The second, and probably the major mistake made in opening a fire restoration diversification is what’s referred to as the “cross-over catastrophe.” This begins when business managers obtain their first major claim to process. Since they’re overly concerned about non-productive personnel costs, they’ve yet to interview any part-time or supervisory personnel. Upon obtaining this first major claim, they return to their facility and inform loyal staff members in the on-location cleaning division that they have their first major “restoration opportunity.” Because of their loyalty and commitment to the company, on-location cleaning staff jumps on board restoration vehicles and everyone goes out, throwing full energy and enthusiasm into this first claim. For the next several days, everyone works diligently, accomplishing whatever tasks are required to bring the claim to a successful conclusion. When the claim’s complete and all the soot has been successfully eliminated,

the on-location cleaning personnel return to the company - only to find that their division of the company has no business to process! Well, being faithful employees, they hitch up their belts and begin a super-human effort to get their division of the company back on track. Now, just as progress is being made, a second major fire claim comes in; the company manager rushes in the front door and announces that it’s time for everyone to load up and go process this new claim. This situation repeats itself several times before the on-location cleaning division personnel begin to display signs of progressive disenchantment with the company’s operating procedures.

If not detected by sensitive managers, this disenchantment progresses to the point that resignations of key people appear on the manager’s desk - to his or her great surprise - and the company is in chaos once again. Usually, at this point, managers ask, “Where did I fail?” or “How could they be so disloyal?” or the ultimate cop-out, “You just can’t get good people anymore.” Let me suggest that the problem isn’t with the employees, but rather with management, or perhaps, lack thereof. Good employees are always willing to lend a hand and provide extra effort when “the ox is in the ditch.” However, if the ox repeatedly keeps getting in the ditch - if there’s always a crisis situation demanding super-human effort - this results in feelings of frustration for experienced employees who can no longer perform the job they were hired to do. If asked to work outside their job description for too long a period, especially when tasks required (scrubbing baseboards and toilets?) are considered less

glamorous than their normal job (piloting a $75,000-plus super-squirt-and-suck rig around town all day), ultimately an attitude problem will arise. Count on it! This is the essence of the “cross-over catastrophe.” It, along with the “see-saw effect,” may be avoided by simply following the guidelines presented in this chapter before diversifying into major fire restoration services, or by going back and analyzing your company’s present structure in light of this information. Since many managers have a difficult time visualizing the basic organizational structure we’ve been discussing, the organizational chart that follows illustrates a suggested starting structure for a manager interested in organized diversification. It’s an extremely flexible chart in that it may be expanded first, by adding more supervisors, and ultimately, by adding as many disaster coordinators (estimators) as required. Proper staffing, and separation between company divisions, prevents the “see-saw effect” and the “cross-over catastrophe!” Remember, initially we’re envisioning owners or managers serving as Disaster Coordinators (Project Managers) with only one other full-time person - the Disaster Supervisor. The Disaster Coordinator and the Disaster Supervisor then interview and establish a reliable group of part-time personnel, along with a separate group of subcontractors who are qualified to perform various specialty services. The tremendous advantage of this organization format lies in the fact that it allows the disaster staff to expand as much as necessary to meet the demands of any claim, no matter how large. Equally important is the fact that, when there are no claims to process, the staff (along with related costs) can be reduced to practically nothing! If yours is a small, underfinanced company - like most beginning restoration firms - this is quite reassuring. And even if you’ve been in business for 50 years, it’s still worth careful consideration. August 2011 | www.icsmag.com

41

I Want To Run My Business, Not Have It Run Me

W

hat is that first thought you have when you wake up in the morning? “I can’t wait to get to work, I am loving this.” “I hope that the phone rings today and I get a few jobs on the books.” Or has come to, “How did I get myself into this mess? I thought I was going to have financial freedom and I am imprisoned in my own company. Help!” Having traveled the country and spoken to many carpet cleaners, I am afraid these statements and many more like them are the stark reality for hundreds and thousands of business owners. It

does not have to be and actually it can be quite different. We are very fortunate to be in an industry that can have very high profit margins, fairly quick training periods, a high per-hour price rate and marketing costs that, if done right, can be fairly inexpensive. We are in an industry where you can make lots of money and have a turn-key business in a relatively short period of time. In short, we are in a great industry and there is no reason to be imprisoned. I would like to give you a blueprint for

Dave DeBlander owns Pro Clean Restoration and Cleaning and Marblelife of Northwest Florida in Pensacola, Florida. He is the author of How to Get Off the Truck and on to the Beach, How to Develop a Turn-Key Business, How to Market a Water Damage Business and 40 Words (To Awaken the Entrepreneur Within). He can be reached at www.davedeblander.com; www.howtogetoffthetruck.com; www.UpsellVideo.com; www.40wordsbook.com and 850-637-SELL.

42


Byy

Dave DeBlander

turning your business into a wildly successful turn-key business. I do know a thing or two about this subject; I have a turn-key business in Pensacola, Fla. that does over $1 million in sales and has a great profit margin and I only need to be there a few hours a week. My staff runs the show; my job is to be the visionary, look at the numbers and keep a pulse on things. Oh yes, and have a lot of fun!

1

Don’t let your business imprison you

2

Creating a turn-key business is a lot of work, but a lot of fun too

3

Systems are a key component to your success

Have Only Great People Work For You Certainly you need systems and I will mention that in a minute but great people are the key. You can have some good

people but why not have the best and definitely don’t have any low performers. Don’t be afraid to let people go or, better yet, as my friend Howard Partridge says, “Help them to quit!” Attract great people by being great yourself and having high standards. Believe that great people will come to you, pay them well and treat them well. Exceptional employees are out there, find them and give them responsibilities. Let go and let them.

Incorporate Systems Into Your Company

Hire the best people to help you run your business

Have a comprehensive policy and procedure manual along with job descriptions and host of other written documents. Take the time to write out as much as you can about what goes on in your business and learn from other businesses, classes and seminars. How do you rate yourself when it comes to systems? Quite telling, isn’t it?

Plan, plan and plan some more. Here is where most businesses fall short. You should spend at least 10% of your business work time in planning. That’s right, 10%! It may sound like a lot of time but you can’t go wrong, writing out your strategies and vision for your company. Much has been written about dreams, goals and planning and you should read, study and incorporate those concepts. A business should have an exit strategy, five-year, one-year, quarterly, monthly, weekly and daily goals. Do you? All busi-

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I Want To Run My Business, Not Have It Run Me

Continued

ness owners must have a daily to do list to keep the owner focused and accountable. Without, you will be lost and spin your wheels.

one ever accomplished anything without believing in themselves.

Go Fast, and Get Outside Your Comfort Zone

Why should customers use your services instead of the other guys? How do you stand out from the crowd? Are your technicians uniformed, neat, courteous, good up-sellers, able to communicate with your customers? Is your marketing message well thought out and do you use the famous radio station, WIIFM, What’s In It For Me, as the basis of how you market to clients?

Don’t waste time and utilize slow times to go out and market your services. If things are slow, rejoice, and appreciate the fact that you now have time to meet clients, referral sources, commercial clients and do your marketing and work on systems.

Have a Winning, Dog-On-a-Bone Attitude If you think you can, you can and if you think you can’t, that’s right, you can’t. Attitude is everything and if you really want to have it all and achieve a turn-key business, you must believe in yourself and that you can pull it off. Confidence comes from victories and planning. No

Have a Compelling Marketing Message

Get the Right Support Put in Place Nearly all successful people and organizations have plenty of people to lend support, give advice and add to the overall strategy. Your team ought to include your web designer, office manager, operations manager, technicians, sales people

and outside sources of help. When you have a technical problem can you turn to an industry expert? Do you have marketing experts to help guide your marketing efforts? Are your

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• Dec. 9-10: Carpet Repair & Reinstall Tech (RRT) in Dalton, GA by Jim Carfield • Dec. 12-17: Applied Sr. Carpet Inspector (ASCI) in Dalton, GA Jeff Bishop Need IICRC Continuing Education Credits (CECs) – or employee pre-training??? We have on-line, web-based training programs; no travel, at your convenience! • Principles and Methods of Carpet Cleaning at www.CleanCareSeminars.net/PCCM • Practical Psychrometry: The Art of Drying at www.CleanCareSeminars.net/PPP • Microbial Contamination Remediation at www.CleanCareSeminars.net/MCR • WOOLSAFE® Fabric Care Specialist at www.CleanCareSeminars.net/WoolSafe

Check out our educational Books and Videos Visit www.CleanCareSeminars.net Circle 21 on the Free Information Card 44



books clean, clear and precise and able to give you valuable information? Is your office staff able to communicate with clients in a professional manner and do they keep you in contact with your past clients? Is your printer part of the team, giving you a quality product at a fair price? Take some time to think about who is on your team and think about if you can improve your team in any way.

Grow Yourself A business is truly a reflection of the owner. If you are constantly reading great motivational books, you will probably be inspired. If you take the time to attend industry conventions and meet with other business leaders, you will probably be on the cutting edge of the business world. If you want to have a fabulous business, you will have to be a fabulous leader, so do what it takes to make yourself someone who is admired by their employees. Be friendly, a good listener and as kind as possible while still maintaining a productive workplace.

Make Mistakes and Fail Well, that is quite a funny way to end the article and tell everyone how to be successful. Have you lost your marbles, Dave? Actually, what I am saying, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, is to try lots of things and put in plenty of effort. The most successful people are the ones with the most failures, too. Take a look at the life of Thomas Edison. Losers are too scared to try anything, while winners have the guts to step out into the unknown and sometimes fall flat on their faces. I could safely say that the folks who will be the most successful in this industry will also be the ones with the most mistakes. At my company I lost around $90,000 getting into the air duct business and failing in it. Why? Well, that’s another story. At the same time, though, I also launched out into the deep into the natural stone polishing and water damage businesses. These two have been extremely successful, so two out of three ain’t bad. Many people have not tried any of these options. A successful turn-key business owner is willing to step out of the comfort zone and take chances. At the end of the day, simply ask yourself, “Is the risk in the opportunity larger than the opportunity in the risk?” You are in the right industry, so go ahead and stake your claim for freedom and wealth and get to work with the right attitude. It is well worth it. Circle 27 on the Free Information Card August 2011 | www.icsmag.com

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New Products & Technologies 3 1

2 6

5 4

1 Delmhorst/Dri-Eaz

3 Mark Kennedy edy

Delmhorst, Dri-Eaz partner on new meter kit

“Secrets of The Carpet Cleaning Super-Giants” now available

Made exclusively for Dri-Eaz, the new QuickNav kit includes the QuickNav meter, carrying case, hammer probe, a short pin electrode, and another Dri-Eaz exclusive: an electrode extension harness used to extend the reach of the meter to check for moisture under cabinets and other hard-to-reach areas. “We are thrilled to have partnered with DriEaz,” notes Paul Laurenzi, vice-president of Sales and Marketing of Delmhorst Instrument Co. “From the start, it was clear that our combined years of experience in the restoration industry, and the similarities we share as manufacturers, made us a great match.” Circle 253 on the Reader Inquiry Card.

Carpet cleaning and restoration industry business consultant Mark Kennedy, released his first book, “Secrets Of The Carpet Cleaning SuperGiants” to bookstores recently. For the past 14 years, Mark specialized in working with the some of the largest and most successful cleaning and restoration companies in the industry. He details many of his most effective business and sales strategies that can be used by smaller owner/operators, as well as larger cleaning companies, to build their businesses. The book is currently available on Amazon. com and will be available through other mainstream booksellers like Borders and Barnes and Noble within four to six weeks. Circle 251 on the Reader Inquiry Card.

2 Hoover

4 Lignomat

Hoover introduces new line of uprights Hoover offers a new line of upright commercial vacuums. Called INSIGHT, the new line features advanced technology to facilitate maintenance and maximize productivity. The INSIGHT line consists of five models, two of which are now available. “We monitored market trends and conducted extensive research among distributors, customers, end-users and competitors to deliver innovative features that address the unmet needs of the commercial market,” said Brad Nyholm, TTI Floor Care product manager commercial division. Circle 252 on the Reader Inquiry Card. 46


Lignomat unveils new mini-meter Handheld meters are still an indispensable tool for checking areas of high moisture levels. The moisture meter mini-Ligno S/DC has all the features necessary for measuring different materials from wood to carpet to drywall, etc. A hand-probe E14 is available with 3/4” Teflon-insulated pins to reach into corners, under moldings, around pipes and other hard to reach areas. The black hand probe comes with a top, which can be unscrewed and replaced by a standard broom-stick handle to elongate the reach. Now carpet can be measured without crouching down or ceilings can be checked without a ladder. Circle 250 on the Reader Inquiry Card.

5 CTI/Pro’s Choice Forensic kit takes aim at urine detection “CTI has released a light designed specifically for urine detection that outperforms most UV lights in the market,” the company said. “These lights are available in the newly re-released Forensic Kit that includes optical enhancing solution to maximize performance and florescence enhancing protective glasses.” Circle 249 on the Reader Inquiry Card.

6 Core Products New Fragrance for Core’s Rid’z Odor Rid’z Odor is “a popular component of the enduring Unbelievable! brand and is used to fight the toughest odors at the source, wherever unpleasant odors are present,” the company said. “This unique, water soluble concentrate cleans as it eliminates odors with a powerful counteractant, cleaning agents and fragrance. Ridz’ Odor effectively neutralizes malodors through molecular bonding, working long after the initial fragrance has dissipated.” Rid’z Odors may be used for general cleaning and deodorizing, mopping, and in carpet extraction. Circle 248 on the Reader Inquiry Card.

7 Bridgepoint Systems

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Bridgepoint Encapuclean Green DS now Certified Bridgepoint Encapuclean Green DS is now certified in the Carpet and Rug Institute Seal of Approval program and by the United States EPA Design for Environment Program. “This confirms what professional cleaners have already discovered, that Bridgepoint Encapuclean Green DS is a low moisture encapsulation cleaner that dries faster, stretches farther, is green, and cleans even better,” the company said. Based on the latest technology in green surfactants and encapsulating polymers, Encapuclean Green DS suspends and releases soils from carpet during cleaning. Circle 247 on the Reader Inquiry Card.

8 Hydro-Force Sprayer line provides more choices than ever before The Hydro-Force Plus is “designed for those who want an exceptional sprayer at a great price. The stainless steel wand and high pressure gun will take a beating and ask for more. It comes with a transparent blow-molded five quart container and when used with metering tips offers seven different dilution ratios,” the company said. The new Hydro-Force Pro Sprayer has been enhanced with a new patentpending roto-molded container. The container has a large side fill port so you can refill without removing the injector assembly, and has a built-in wand holder to keep your wand off your customer’s floor. Circle 246 on the Reader Inquiry Card.

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The Hottest Extractor In The Industry. 9 EDIC’s Galaxy features the optional Heat ‘N’ Run™ — the only heating system that flat out will not clog! How? For the whole story go to ,+0*

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