How to get ServiceMonster for FREE

Did you know that you can get a free month of ServiceMonster just by referring a friend? If you have 12 friends who might benefit from using ServiceMonster, this means that you could potentially get an entire year of service at no cost!

ServiceMonster can be used by any field service company, but it is tailored specifically to cleaning companies. If you have a large network of contacts on your Facebook page, you can start referring friends by copying and pasting the following message:

Looking for a stellar business management and direct-mail marketing service? I use ServiceMonster and it’s great! Send me your phone number and email address and I can refer you for a free month’s trial.

Once you find some interested parties, here are instructions on how to refer your friends to ServiceMonster and get credit for it:

Step 1) Log into your ServiceMonster account.

Step 2) Click on the green “Get Free Service” link in the top right. See the image below:

Step 3) Fill in your friend’s contact information and click “Send Invite.”

Step 4) Let your friend know that you have referred them.

Step 5) If your friend decides to sign up for ServiceMonster at the end of their free trial, one month of service will be added to your account at no charge.

Step 6) Repeat steps 1 through 5 to keep getting ServiceMonster for free: there is no limit to how many friends you can refer!

FillMySchedule Success Story: An Interview with Shen Schulz of Environmental Carpet Care

Every once in awhile we like to feature a customer of ours who has had success using ServiceMonster to its fullest extent.

Shen Schulz of Environmental Carpet Care in Malibu, CA has only been using ServiceMonster for a year and he already has one of the highest Return-On-Investment scores among FillMySchedule users.

FillMySchedule is a direct-mail marketing service that turns one-time clients into lifetime clients, which you can manage via your ServiceMonster account. Mr. Schulz was kind enough to share some answers to a few questions about his business and marketing techniques that helped him achieve success. Read the interview below:

1) When was Environmental Carpet Care founded, and what was the “spark” that inspired you to create the business?

I began my carpet cleaning business in 1993 when I was 22 years old and it is still going strong today, 21 years later.  Before then I had an auto detail business and was inspired by the money that could be made cleaning carpets instead of waxing cars.  The other reason for getting into cleaning, especially with the high temperature truck-mounted cleaning systems, was interior air quality.  My focus has always been on improving a home for a friend or client.  Carpet is really gross when it is dirty and people don’t often see that because it hides the dirt.  I feel satisfaction knowing I can get all that stuff out, people breathe and feel better.

2) When did you start using ServiceMonster?

I started using ServiceMonster last year and I think it is the best thing that has ever happened to my business.  The FillMySchedule program is amazing, it takes all the heavy lifting out of keeping in touch with my clients so I can focus on getting new ones.

3) What is your favorite aspect of ServiceMonster, and why?

See # 2 above.

4) How important is networking to your overall business strategy, and how do you build professional contacts?

Grass roots, street smarts, it’s simple – I’ll walk into any office building, especially the smaller ones where there may not be a janitorial company already cleaning the carpets, and offer to clean their lobby for free, leave some spot remover, business cards and magnets, and follow up until they give me the account. Placing them on ServiceMonster helps too because they keep getting the cards we send.  Otherwise, word of mouth is the best and so is big visible lettering on the vans. Print ads don’t work for me as much and are too expensive.

5) In your experience, what marketing practices have been the most effective (direct mail, email, signs & stationary, websites, etc)?

Direct mail, hands down.

6) If you could give one piece of advice to an entrepreneur starting a carpet cleaning business, what would it be?

Focus, focus, focus.  Be generous, give away a free room of cleaning just to get in the door, once they see the results you will get the job.  Once you get the job, pass out 10 door hangers to 10 neighbors in the neighborhood where you are cleaning on every job.  Ask your clients to refer you.

Thank you again to Mr. Schulz for sharing your insights and experience!

If you have any questions or would like to sign up for FillMySchedule, you may contact us via email at:

support@principalfocus.com

OR call us at:

(888) 901-3300

Before & After Cleaning Pics of the Week

Welcome to another round of ServiceMonster’s ongoing Before & After series! This week’s submission comes from Rob Decker at Maxcare Carpet Cleaning and Restoration in Columbia, Missouri.

Rob’s submission fits in with the theme of our last few features: pets. Pets can be cute, cuddly, and they can even be a man’s best friend, but every carpet cleaner and restoration expert knows pets can also be destructive.

Here is a section of carpet Rob was called to repair which was completely destroyed by an over-eager puppy:

Bad dog!

Now, let’s see Maxcare work their magic. Step 1: remove the destroyed piece of carpet.

Step 2: it looks like there was some damage to the cushioning beneath the carpet. Time to fill in that spot!

Step 3: replace the missing section of carpet and give the whole area a good cleaning!

Right on! Now, it’s probably time to send a certain dog to obedience school.

Awesome work, Rob, and thanks for sharing!

The Round-Up: How to be Confident Even When You’re Not, How to Remove Red Wine Stains from Linen, Proper Carpet Cleaning (4-part Series), and 5 Parenting Skills that Lead to Better Business Management

Greetings, and welcome to the Round-Up! The Round-Up is a feature where we collect some of the more interesting cleaning industry stories from around the web and present them to you in one convenient post.

Please enjoy, and let us know if you have any coverage suggestions.

“How to be Confident Even When You’re Not,” Kevin Daum, Inc.com.

In business relationships, confidence is key. There are plenty of scenarios, however, where presenting an air of confidence can be difficult, such as if you’re bidding on a huge job or if you’re dealing with stress in your personal life. Here are some tips on how to seem confident, no matter what’s on your mind.  Read more here.

“How to Remove Red Wine Stains from Linen and Cotton,” Mikey’s Board.

Red wine stains can be some of the most difficult to remove, especially from fibrous materials. Lucky for us, Mikey’s Board has done it again with a thorough how-to guide to address this common problem. Read the full article here.

“The Fundamentals of Carpet Extraction,” Kassandra Kania, CleanLink blog.

A four-part article series covering the essentials of professional carpet cleaning. From beginning each job with vacuuming, to trying out some “green” alternatives to traditional carpet cleaning chemicals, this guide from CleanLink covers all the basics. Read more here.

“5 Parenting Skills That Make You Better At Running a Business” Gwen Moran, Entrepreneur.com.

There are a number of ways that parenting can prepare you for employee management (and vice versa). Enforcing the rules, calling out bad behavior, and treating everyone fairly are some of the basic tenets of family life that also apply to businesses. For more, see the full article.

Before & After Cleaning Pics of the Week

Welcome to another round of ServiceMonster’s ongoing Before & After series! This week we put out an invitation on Facebook for cleaners to submit their before and after photos, and we received quite a few impressive submissions.

This week’s feature comes from Apex Carpet Care in Charleston, South Carolina, who were called to clean an apartment after the tenants moved out.  The tenants were cat owners and (disgustingly enough) seemed to have never moved or cleaned the litter-box, which they kept ON THE CARPET!

Here is the “before” photo:

Yuck! We love our furry friends, but they definitely need some cleaning up after!

Was Apex Carpet Care able to restore this carpet to its original beauty? Let’s find out:

Now that’s a transformation! Thanks for sharing, and stay tuned for more before and after pics next week!

If you’re interested in submitting photos to “Before & After: Cleaning Pics of the Week,” please email them to support@principalfocus.com. (And if you have any interesting cleaning stories about these jobs to go with the photos, send them too.) Thanks!

House Cleaning Facts

Someone once said that behind every happy marriage is a good cleaning company. Here are some interesting statistics about house cleaning in the USA, covering gender behavior, “green” cleaning practices, and more:

*Infographic by Golden Shine

The Round-Up: Students Honored For Hand-Washing Campaign, 25 Uses For Baking Soda as Cleaner, And How to Deal With “Millenials”

Greetings, and welcome to the Round-Up! The Round-Up is a feature where we collect some of the more interesting cleaning industry stories from around the web and present them to you in one convenient post.

Please enjoy, and let us know if you have any additional coverage suggestions.

“Students Honored for Hand-Washing Campaign,” CleanLink Blog.

A group of high school students in Minnesota recently won an award for their multimedia hygiene campaign encouraging proper hand-washing technique. Way to “keep it clean,” kids! Read more here.

“25 Uses for Baking Soda as a Natural Cleaning Agent,” The Country Chic Cottage Blog.

A useful list of the ways baking soda can be used as an alternative to harsh chemicals. Read the full list here.

“Dealing With Millenials,” Steve Cody, Inc.com.

Five helpful tips for dealing with “Millenials,” or twenty-somethings who have spent a majority of their lives on the internet. Read more here.