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The Round-Up: Carpet Filtration Soiling, Salvaging Old Upholstery, and More!
Welcome to this week’s Round-Up! The Round-Up is our weekly column where we feature news and developments related to the cleaning industry. Enjoy!
“Carpet Filtration Soiling,” Doyle Bloss, CleanFax.com
Carpet filtration soiling is a phenomenon that professional cleaners encounter in both residential and commercial settings. Click here to learn more!
“Salvaging Old Upholstery,” Jim Pemberton, Mikey’s Board.
Upholstery cleaning can be a bit of a gamble. With so many different types of furniture and cloth out there, it can make standardized pricing difficult. Click here to learn about the art of restoring aged and damaged upholstery!
“Using Automatic Scrubbers” David Thompson, CleanLink.com
In theory, automating a process that is traditionally completed by humans can save a business time and money. But do automatic scrubbers really get the job done, or is there no substitute for elbow grease? Click here to read an expert opinion on the subject!
“12 Entrepreneurs Share Their Best Advice,” Max Nisen, Entrepreneur.com.
Ever wonder how the billionaires made it big? Click Here to hear the best advice 12 successful business people were given early in their careers, including Mark Cuban and other wealthy celebrity entrepreneurs!
Do you have ideas for coverage? Let us know at support@principalfocus.com!
Looking for “Botched DIY Horror Stories” from Cleaners & Contractors
ServiceMonster subscribes to HARO, a publicity newsletter where reporters send out mass inquiries when looking for subject matter. Here is a request you might want to respond to!
Query:
I need three to five anecdotes from home services contractors about the DIY blunders they’ve seen/corrected. The focus for these anecdotes should be “classic” mistakes – the kind anyone can make and not realize how wrong it could go. The best stories will be retold in a short article to be published on ImprovementCenter.com. Stories can be funny, cautionary, instructional or all of the above but due to space limitations, please keep them as short as possible.
To Submit Your Story, Send Via Email To: query-3kjh@helpareporter.net
Requirements:
I will need to use your name and the company you work for, or please note your DBA if you work for yourself. If you have a website, I will provide a link to it if you like. If you don’t want me to provide your location or company name to protect your clients, let me know. Please provide contact information for yourself in case I need to clarify something about your story.
Media Outlet: Improvementcenter.com
The Round-Up: Common Grout Cleaning Mistakes, Winter Carpet Care, and More!
“Are You Ready for Winter Carpet Care?,” Doyle Bloss, CleanFax.com.
Did you know that cold weather can pose problems for some traditional carpet cleaning methods? Luckily, you can adjust your technique to account for temperature, dryness, and other seasonal factors. To learn about winterizing your approach to cleaning, click here!
“Avoiding Grout Cleaning Mistakes,” Lisa Ridgely, CleanLink.com
Most carpet cleaners wind up expanding into tile and grout cleaning, but not all tiles are the same! It’s always important to follow best practices and know the potential risks of any additional services you offer. Click here to read about some common grout cleaning mistakes.
“Mikey’s Fest 2014,” Mikey’s Board.
Click here to get the details on Mikey’s Fest 2014. This event is a great opportunity to network, share stories and strategies, and keep up to date with the latest industry news and trends. Mikey’s Fest 10 will be held on February 21st and 22nd in Santa Cruz, CA.
“Calculating Your Marketing ROI” Victor Ho, Inc.com.
Marketing is an integral part of most industries, and carpet cleaning is no different. Do you ever wonder how cost effective your online marketing efforts are? Click here to learn a simple formula that every business owner should know!
Carpet Cleaner Spotlight: Phoenix Carpet Repair
ServiceMonster is proud to serve an industry filled with talented, successful people. Every once in awhile we like to feature one of our clients in our blog and newsletter to share their story. This time around we asked Robert Atlas from Phoenix Carpet Repair to answer a few questions about how he got to where he is today. Here is the full Q&A:
Q: When was Phoenix Carpet Repair and Cleaning founded, and what was the “spark” that led to creating the business?
A: I founded Phoenix in January 2010. After resigning from my job, working for Corporate America and realizing that a lot of companies overpromised and under delivered, I wanted to create something different.
Q: What aspect of your business are you most proud of?
A: I think our service reviews are the thing I am most proud of. My company has over 600 five-stars reviews across Google, Yelp, Angie’s List, Home Adviser, Rosie on the House, Customer Lobby, BBB, and To Fix It. My company’s growth is also something I take pride in; I have been the starting point for 12 franchises for my company nationwide. I enjoy reading and hearing all the nice things our customers say about my technicians and how great of a job they do in the field. Each of those things bring a lot of satisfaction to me personally.
Q: What is the weirdest mess you’ve ever been called in to handle?
A: About three years ago as an individual contractor I was called by a woman whose house was being inspected the following day. She had four pet ferrets and, in her home, she had so much stuff it was piled from floor to ceiling and had one pathway through her house. The ferrets had soiled the floors for an extended period of time and the path of carpet in the hallway needed replacing. I cut and pulled out the contaminated carpet and pad and installed new carpet.
Q: If you could offer one piece of advice to an entrepreneur going into the service industry, what would it be?
A: Focus on marketing, customer service, and integrity. Educate your marketplace. I started as a beginner working around the internet and over time I have developed a solid system that has helped my company appear on the first page of Google. But great customer service is the backbone for any company. If you leave a customer with a bad taste in their mouth, what do you think they will do? They will give bad reviews online as well as to the people they know. The best form of advertising is word of mouth and you get there with outstanding customer service. Have integrity and teach your employees to do the same. Being honest and having strong moral principles will not only help your business, it will help you at becoming a better human being. You will sleep better at night knowing you helped people with your knowledge and expertise instead of trying to squeeze every dollar your customer has for work they may not necessarily need.
Q: Thanks, Robert. Anything else you would like to share?
A: I run my company the way I do because I don’t want to just be another carpet repair or carpet cleaning service the customer will never remember again or even want to call again. I want to provide a level of service that they will remember and will call back time and time again for life. I send my technicians out in the field not to make a quick buck, but to build a lifelong customer base.
Excellent advice from a successful entrepreneur: thanks for sharing, Robert!
Click here to see some of Phoenix Carpet Repair’s recent work! Robert Atlas also offers business coaching services to business owners who want to transform their approach to success.
The Round-Up: Proper Wand Usage, All About Residue, and More!
“All About Residue,” Doyle Bloss, Mikey’s Board
Residue is something that every carpet cleaner should know about. Chemical residues left after a cleaning can actually lead to the carpet re-soiling at a much faster rate, but there are some types of residue that can help a carpet stay cleaner longer. Click here to read the full article!
“Proper Carpet Wand Usage” CleanLink.com
Not all truck mount wands are created equal! This article covers the basics of knowing which wand is right for your application. Click here to read about which wands to use in different situations and how to take advantage of their features.
“Adjusting Heat on your Truck Mount,” CleanFax.com
What heat setting do you use with your truck mount cleaner? Click here to answer the latest carpet cleaning poll from CleanFax. Share your experience and see what others say!
“How to Hire Awesome Employees” Peter Economy, Inc.com.
Having rock-star employees is always a plus, but how do you identify a rock-star in an interview? Also, an employee’s performance can directly correspond to the workplace practices and atmosphere that you establish at your business. Click here for tips on hiring the best employees!
Do you have ideas for coverage? Let us know at newsletter@principalfocus.com!
The Round-Up: Getting Into Granite, Earning Your Employees’ Trust, and More!
“Gearing Up For Granite,” Bill Griffin, CleanFax.com.
Most carpet cleaners eventually wind up diversifying their cleaning service portfolio. There are many obvious cross-over cleaning services that make sense: tile and grout, upholstery cleaning, pressure washing, and rug cleaning. One that is not so obvious is granite floors and counters. Click here to read the full article!
“How to Build Employees’ Trust” Geoffrey James, Inc.com.
Being a good boss can be tough. Where do you draw the line between authority and approachability? Click here to read about some ways to maintain the balance of power while keeping your employees happy.
“Using Hospital-Grade Disinfectants,” Corinne Zudonyi, CleanLink.com
As a professional cleaner, you are probably familiar with a large array of different cleaning chemicals. Some disinfectants are stronger than others: here is an explanation of when (and how) to use hospital-grade disinfectants! Click here to read more.
“Thinking Abstract to Help With Negotiations” Art Markman, Entrepreneur.com.
Negotiating is a big part of doing business, and messing it up can lead to you missing out on opportunities or selling yourself short. Here’s an article explaining how thinking abstractly can help you be a better negotiator. Click here for the full article!
Do you have ideas for coverage? Let us know at support@principalfocus.com!
The Round-Up: IICRC Board Announcement, The Entrepreneurial Lifestyle, and More!
“Why Do We Do It?,” Rick Gelinas, Mikey’s Board
“Juggling Responsibilities,” Steve Marsh, CleanFax.com
“IICRC Board Announcement,” CleanLink.com
“5 Tips to Master Pinterest,” Gabrielle Karol, Entrepreneur.com
The Round-Up: Odor Control, Expanding into Stone Floor Polishing, and More!
“Expanding into Stone and Concrete Polishing,” Robert Falzone, Mikey’s Board.
Diversification is a strategy that many successful carpet cleaners wind up experimenting with. A lot of cleaners choose to include upholstery, tile and grout, and even pressure washing. But what about the stone flooring game? Click here to read a great piece from Mikey’s Board about getting started in polishing!
“Odor Control Science” Aziz Ullah, CleanFax.com
Ever wonder why smells can linger even after a thorough cleaning? Believe it or not, there is a lot of chemistry behind different scents, how long they last, and what can be done about them. Check out this article from CleanFax about the science behind odor control. Click here to read more.
“Sustainable Vacuum Cleaners,” Lisa Ridgeley, CleanLink.com
“Sustainability” is a growing trend in the cleaning industry. Having environmentally-friendly chemicals is a good start, but what about your equipment? Click here to read some tips about choosing the most sustainable vacuum cleaners for your cleaning business!
“Social Media for Small Business” Ian Lurie, Entrepreneur.
Do you need to be active on every social media platform as a small business? Definitely not! But, it is important to know which platforms are the best for your business, and to make sure that you are using them strategically. Click here to read more!
Do you have ideas for news coverage in our round-up? Let us know at support@principalfocus.com!
The Round-Up: Winterizing Your Gear, Carpet Spotting, and More!
“Poll: Winterizing Your Truckmount,” Cleanfax.com
Summer has past, and the cold weather is coming! How do you go about protecting your truckmount from winter damage? Click here to take part in the CleanFax poll!
“8 Ways You Can Mess Up Your Marketing” Ann Handley, Entrepreneur.com.
Getting your name out there is one of the most important tasks for a small business, but marketing isn’t always cut-and-dry. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you can really give people a bad impression: Click here to learn what NOT to do!
“The Art of Sticking With It,” Lee Colan, Inc.com.
Every business faces serious obstacles at some point in time. Just remember: if times are tough, don’t give up! Here are some tips about motivating yourself to succeed: Click here to read more!
“The Four Steps of Carpet Spotting” Mickey Crowe, Cleanlink.com
What to do about those small, isolated stains? Mickey Crowe presents a simple guide to carpet-spotting, broken down into four easy steps. Click here to read the full article!
The Cleaning Industry News Round-up
Welcome to the Round-up, where we feature recent news affecting the cleaning industry from around the web!
“Cashing Out: Selling Your Cleaning Business,” Steve Toburen, JonDon.
So you built a successful business and are thinking about retirement: now what? Instead of hiring someone to manage your business for you, which can be risky, it might be worth “cashing out” to an investor who sees potential in the company you built. But how do you go about selling your company? Click here to read more.
“What To Do When Chemicals Freeze?” Mikey P, Mikey’s Board.
Winter is just around the corner and depending on where you live, you might have to start thinking about storing your supplies somewhere other than the back of your truck. While some chemicals can handle being frozen, some can’t. Click here to learn more!
“Webcast: Keys To Proper Carpet Cleaning,” CleanLink.com
Are you an industry veteran who has tried all of the methods and figured out exactly what works and what doesn’t? Sign up for the CleanLink webcast for carpet cleaners! Contribute to the discussion or sit back and listen: Click here to register!
“How To Find ‘Influencers’ On Social Media” Mark Trueman, Entrepreneur.com.
Everyone is talking about “going social” these days, and there are countless strategies out there for building your online audience. While having a lot of fans can be beneficial, the best social media followers are the ones who have large followings themselves. Click here to learn how to attract them!
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