Issue 21 of eclean

eClean Magazine

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1.800.433.2113 Pressure Washers | Surface Cleaners | Chemicals | Cleaning Supplies | Parts | Pumps & Unloaders | Training Materials

2014 Course Schedules Power Wash University/Phil Ackland/PWNA 5 Day Kitchen Exhaust Certification Course •

Five full days of interactive learning and hands-on practice. You will participate in actual jobs which may be at night, depending on the instructor’s job schedule.

• Phil Ackland’s Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning and Certification Manual. Phil Ackland’s Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Systems - Sales and Marketing Manual.

• Three DVD’s (New Worker Certification, Crew Leader Certification, & PowerWash.com’s Restaurant Vent-A-Hood and Kitchen Equipment Cleaning.

• A one year membership in PWNA • A copy of the NFPA #96 Standard. Course Workbook (to help study for the Certification Test) • *Certification Test. No membership fees required!

• Specially designed forms and documents to aid you in all aspects of this field.

• All exams will be closed book The Power Wash University/Phil Ackland/PWNA 5-Day Certification Course is taught by Scott Hyde. Scott’s lessons are based on over 20 years of experience in the Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning, as the owner of Texas Vent-A-Clean, and 8 years of experience in the fire equipment business, teaching fire suppression with portable fire extinguishers as well as installing and maintaining fire suppression systems.

Pressure Washer Maintenance Workshop You will learn how to repair, rebuild and maintain your pump, your burner, and your motor/engine. Once you begin to repair and maintain your equipment, this class will pay for itself.

2 Day Awning Cleaning Class Learn how to remove mold, mildew, paint, rust, roofing tar, and dirt from awnings. Learn to repair holes and torn seams in awning fabric, reattach fabric to frames, and repair bent or broken frames.

You will also learn tons of tips to help promote your own business. This class requires a $250.00 deposit to hold your seat for up to six months.

2-Day Marketing Course If you have been in business one day or thirty years, this class can help you make more money. Each class is tailored to the needs of the students. You will develop a step by step plan to make your business a success. Your instructor, Wayne Shockey, has owned and operated a business since 1974. His motto is, “We help people change their lives.” This class requires a $250.00 deposit to hold your seat for up to six months.

Environmental Power Wash Seminar Learn best practices for wash water recovery, treatment and disposal. Get an up close look at vacuum recovery units, water filtration systems, and water containment equipment.

Five Day Mobile Power Wash School

After you complete this intense five day school you will understand what it takes to manage a growing mobile power washing business.

Our industry experts will share marketing strategies, sales techniques, record keeping practices, equipment selection advice, job pricing secrets, equipment maintenance, and wash water management.

Your instructors will be • Robert Hinderliter, Founder of PowerWash.com and the Power Washers of North America • Ismael Murillo-Small engine & power washer repair expert • Scott Hyde, owner of Texas Vent-A-Hood • Michael Hinderliter, President of PowerWash.com, Steamaway Inc., and Facilitec Southwest, and a founding member of the Power Washers of North America • Wayne Shockey, owner of Specialized Maintenance and Awning Cleaning Services.

This course requires advanced registration and a $500 deposit to hold your seat for up to six months.

www.eCleanMag.com

In This Issue:

Issue #21

5 Top 10 Signs It’s the Slow Season 6 Keeping Between the Ditches, by John C. Maxwell 8 How to Create Goals that Stick 10 Maximize Your Online Time, by Linda Chambers, Soap

20

Warehouse

14 New Product 16 How to REALLY Make Money from Facebook, by Anya

Curry, Ambidextrous Services

20 Stud Striping/Structure Striping, by Eric Schnaible, Pacific Roof & Exterior

23 Meet PWNA’s New Board Members 26 PWNA Vendor Profile: Alkota Cleaning Systems 29 IWCA’s Convention & Trade Show 32 The Northeast Pressure Washing Semina and

32

Networking Event

34 The Business Plan: Why You Really Do Need One (Even if You Think You Don’t)

35 How I Use MY Business Plan, by Terry Miller, Tegrey Family of Coatings 36 Lao Tzu on Sales, by Rick Meehan, Marko Janitorial 39 Your Financial Dashboard, by Bill Kinnard, Grandy & Associates 34 Power Washing Tips for Preventing the Spread of the

Flu, by Paul Horsley

eClean Magazine is published monthly Publisher: Paul Horsley, paul@ecleanmag.com Editor: Allison Hester, allison@ecleanmag.com eClean Magazine

Box 262, 16 Midlake Blvd S.E. Calgary, Alberta Canada T2X2X7 www.eCleanMag.com 3

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Top 10 Signs that It’s the Slow Season* 10. You crawl out of bed just to stretch out on the couch.

9. Your sweats are your only pants that still fit.

8. You can officially grab an after-work drink by 10 a.m.

7. You must scrounge for change under the seat cushions to afford that after-work drink.

6. Your deposit slips have developed cobwebs.

5. You’ve forgotten what bleach smells like.

4. You hit “refresh” on your favorite

industry bulletin forum every 30 seconds just to make sure no one has posted anything new.*

3. You catch yourself watching “Dora the Explorer” long after your kids have

left the room.

2. You argue with someone in a Facebook group that you’ve never met before – just because.

1.

Florida-based contractors are as busy as ever.

* The idea for this was inspired by a post by our friends at WindowCleaningResource.com. #4 was a post by Tim Wagner, Wagner Window Service, Upton, MA. NEXT MONTH: Top 10 Signs You’ve Hired a Bad Employee.

Send your ideas to allison@ecleanmag.com

Idea #1: Realign

Keeping Between the Ditches

by John C. Maxwell

H

ave you ever driven a car with terrible alignment? Even on a perfectly straight highway, the vehicle will drift into a ditch unless the driver constantly compensates for its misalignment. As part of normal driving, the springs in a car’s suspension system gradually stretch out, and the vehicle’s highly calibrated internal components get knocked off-kilter. For this reason, vehicles must occasionally be taken to a mechanic for realignment.

Something similar happens to us as leaders.

The daily grind of life takes its toll. We get stretched thin, grow weary, and lose our work/ life balance. Unless we pause regularly to realign our lives with our vision and values, we gradually stray off course.

M

isaligned Leaders Wear Out Faster When a car is out of alignment, it puts increased pressure on the tires. The wheels are at the wrong angle to the ground, causing the tire tread to wear down abnormally fast. In like manner, leaders who have gone too long without alignment suffer diminished durability. Having lost sight of their vision, they trudge through life without enthusiasm and energy. They desperately need to spend time dreaming about their future 6

goals in order to revitalize their spirits.

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isaligned Leaders Fall Short of Their Potential As a car cruises down the road its tires produce friction as they roll over the pavement. Misaligned tires make extra contact with the roadway, increasing the amount of friction and placing added strain on the car’s engine. Since the engine has to work harder, it uses up fuel more quickly and thereby reduces the gas mileage of the vehicle.

Similarly, misaligned leaders do not operate at their peak potential. Without the guidance of vision and values, leaders work inefficiently.

They fail to prioritize intelligently and expend extra time and resources as a result.

M

isaligned Leaders Maneuver Poorly Improper alignment negatively affects a car’s handling capabilities.

A misaligned vehicle will pull to the right or left instead of heading straight down the road. Unless leaders take time to make sure their actions align with their values, they will eventually violate their deeply held beliefs.

They will spend life chasing what looks like success without actually pausing to consider whether it actually will give them the

eClean Magazine

satisfaction and fulfillment they desire.

T

“W

hile the cold season is hought to Ponder certainly not my best season for productivity, the time does seem No one intends to end up lonely, in to go by quickly because there are so debt, physically unfit, or perpetually on the many things that can, and need to be verge of burnout. However, somewhere along done to prepare the business for the ‘inlife’s journey many people quit aligning their lives with their vision and values. They put season.’ their lives on autopilot and fail to notice that I think often about the window with each passing day they are inching closer cleaners who operate in warmer and closer to a ditch. climates who don’t really experience the As 2014 kicks off, carve out some time disappearance of work because of the to think through your vision for the future. extreme temperatures. For the owners, Consider whether your present direction is taking you toward it. In addition, think through they don’t get the same kind of ‘downwhat you hold dear in life. What changes might time’ to contemplate and prepare for an you need to make to your lifestyle in order to upcoming season. honor your deepest values?

This article was used with permission by John C. Maxwell, www.JohnCMaxwell.com.

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eClean Magazine

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Idea #2: Develop Your Goals & Action Plan

How

to

by Allison Hester

that

Create

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s

by Allison Hester

In

researching what the experts had to say on how to create goals and make them stick, there were some differences in methodologies, but the following strategy was pretty well implemented by all: 1. BRAINSTORM. Write down every goal you can think of, big or small. This article is about your business goals, but you can write down goals in all areas of your life. Often, our personal goals – such as wanting to lose weight or spend more time with our families – are actually related to our businesses. So take your time and be thorough. And dream big.

The point of all of this is to help you maximize your potential in the coming year, so write a few that will be difficult, but not impossible, to achieve.

2. CHOOSE YOUR TOP 10. From your master list of goals, pick the 10 that are most important to you. That’s not to say you are going to totally disregard all the others necessarily, but this will help you prioritize.

3. DETERMINE YOUR KEY GOAL. Out of those 10, there should be one goal that is you 8

key goal. It’s the one that must happen in order for most – or all – of the remaining nine to happen. In most cases, this is a financial goal, but not always. You may have to make more money to be able to buy that new car, or spend more time with your family, or volunteer more with your favorite charity. If one of your 10 goals does not seem like the key goal, figure out what your key goal is. What must you do to make the remaining goals – or at least most of them – happen?

4. WRITE DOWN THAT GOAL. Experts recommend writing that goal down at least once a week, preferably at the same time each week. Make it part of your schedule so that it becomes habit. Sound overkill? Perhaps.

But study after study shows that people are more likely to achieve their goals when they write them down. Also, studies have found that those who tend to generally do better in business – and life – write down their goals. So just do it!

5. Develop an Action Plan: Again, brainstorm with your goals, particularly your key goal. What has to happen to achieve that

eClean Magazine

goal? Write down everything you must do to make that happen, no matter how small. Be as specific as possible, place them in order of what needs to happen first. This will make up your action plan.

Idea #3: Get Healthier

5. SHARE YOUR GOAL AND PLAN WITH SOMEONE. Accountability is HUGE when it comes to successfully achieving goals.

6. KEEP A DAILY TO-DO LIST: Finally, each day, write down (or log it in a phone app) a list of things you need to do. Come up with a system to indicate priority. Make sure you include one or two items each day that will put you closer to your key goal. Maybe it’s just a phone call you need to make or an email you need to send.

7. FINALLY, MAKE IT A HABIT! While we all need downtime, it’s easy to get into the habit of wasting time just because we’re disorganized or unmotivate. When you have a few minutes in the day and you’re tempted to surf the Internet for nothing important, look for a quick item on your to-do list and complete it first. eClean’s 2014 Weekly Planner/Calendar helps you track of your goals, your schedule, and other important information.

Visit www.eCleanStore.com.

You physical health and fitness greatly affect your professional performance. The two are inherently intertwined; your body is with you 24 hours a day, both on the job and off.

Do what’s necessary to be healthy. You have to eat every day, so choose foods that are energizing. Although it’s quick and easy to grab food on the run, fast food will actually slow you down, so make smarter decisions during mealtime.

Exercise to stay fit or to lose weight, if necessary. It doesn’t necessarily come easily; you must work at improving and preserving good health. But the payoff, both personally and professionally, makes the effort entirely worthwhile. It will save you time and money for the rest of your life.”

Excerpt from Sales Mastery by Chuck Bauer, www.ChuckBauer.com

With Space to Write Down Your Goals, Weekly Schedule, & Notes www.eCleanStore.com eClean Magazine

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Idea #3: Maximize Your Online Time

by Linda Chambers, Soap Warehouse, www.SoapWarehouse.biz

D

on’t lose business or money in your down time. Find more of both!

First, to find more business these days you have to go where your customers are – i.e., online. Social Media can help grow your small business with both commercial and residential customers.

Here are some stats from 2012 (2013’s aren’t out yet) • 44% of business decision makers use social media to research and choose which other businesses to do business with.

• 73% of small businesses are now using social media. That is up over 25% from 2010.

So, if you are not there you are losing out.

• 24% of small businesses integrate social media into their business, and those that do had an average of 20% growth in sales.

• 83% of customer referrals are now done through Facebook; 11% on Twitter; and 3% on Pinterest. (Expect this number to have increased greatly for 2013!)

• 71% of users of social media say they purchased products from companies that they follow online, and 77% of B2C businesses said they have gotten customers through Facebook.

• 46% of users use social media before making a purchasing decision.

Besides the normal customer info like name, address and even their e-mail, now it benefits you to ask if they are on social media and if you can get permission to connect with them there.

Facebook: The #1 thing to do after having a real web site – not one that is piggy backed on another • 80% of small businesses use social media to company’s platform like many of free monitor and collect info about their competitors web site programs are – is to have a so they can leverage that info.

Facebook business page. I won’t go into all the reasons why and how to make it work best for • 80% of customers will brand themselves to you here. You can no longer afford to NOT have a business they use through Facebook. both an Internet and Social Media presence.

It is worse than not having your name listed 10 eClean Magazine

in the Yellow Pages 30 years ago. It is almost a death sentence and you are missing out on fresh organic business.

Follow people and pages your customers would also like. When a new person likes your business page, take a second to look at the other likes they have posted in their profile.

Note any that you feel could help you and follow that person or page as well, for example

eClean Magazine

a DIY show like “This Old House” or popular trucking show like “Ice Road Truckers” or even like similar music or TV shows (just be authentic with your choices).

Ask your cusomers to “like” your Facebook business page (offer an incentive such as a once a month drawing for a $25 gift card). Let them know you make offers online throughout the year with Facebook or on Twitter.

Source: www.WebDamSolutions.com

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Twitter: If you have a smart phone you need to have a Twitter account.

You can have a Twitter account from your PC but a smart phone is easier and more current – the whole reason behind Twitter. Your business Twitter should only be used for company updates, special offers, and for items of interest to your customers, not about what you had for lunch! Leave that for your personal account Tweets. Be sure to link your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn business accounts so when you post to one it posts to all to save time and increase your reach to your audience, your customers. You can also use a program like Hootsuite or Tweetdeck to schedule special posts to appear while you are busy doing other things like cleaning. This way your offers and information can be seen when your customers are most likely to be on their social media. These times will vary so do your homework for this.

LinkedIn: Ask your business accounts if they are on LinkedIn and ask for a connection. (You must at least have their business email to make a connection.) LinkedIn is three times as likely to get you B2B business over Facebook.

Pinterest: Make a Pinterest business page. Start with separate boards for each type of work you do – a before and an after board showcasing your work. You can have a board to highlight your employees. Give it a personal touch with a board or two that features a hobby or passion that you have.

Viewers need to feel a personal connection and that will get you more referrals and business. It will also bring more Pinners that do not know you to your site and web pages.

Make sure you tag every single pin and insert links back to specific pages on your web site (e.g., customer testimonial about their clean house to your house washing page and the before and after shots of that clean roof to your soft wash roof cleaning page.) Follow Pinners and boards where your customers may be: the local high school booster club, your 12

church, etc. Most Pinterest users -– 80% -– are women, which can be great for residential contractors.

Comment on the Internet: Look for and follow blogs that you can comment on that will bring you back SEO and possible customers.

Look here to learn how to find blogs to use: http://mashable.com/2011/04/11/blogdiscovery/. Now I do not mean for you to go out and “Name Plant” – i.e., picking popular blogs to make a generic comment like “love the way you write” – just so you can leave your business name and link. (I get those all the time on my blog and I just delete them.)

Instead, find and leave real comments that add to the post or that you agree or completely disagree with what was presented.

I have left comments on Youtube videos that I know are giving totally bad information and will give the correct information there for free.

It’s not a come-visit-me-to-learn-how-to-do-itright link, and we have gained business from some of these posts.

Blog: Write your own blog posts. Even if you don’t want to have a blog on your site, which is still the best, you can post blog entries on forums and as a guest on other blogs. For example, find area Realtors with a blog and see if they’ll let you post a story about why a house wash will increase the selling price of their home. Do not try to sell your business in the post. Just give free information and then list your name as the author, owner of ABC Pressure Washing with your web site address.

YouTube: You need to have a YouTube Channel for your business and post clips. Record and post customer testimonials. Document before and after views of properties you have cleaned. Use these short clips in multiple ways. For example, use your smart phone to film a job, post it directly to your Facebook page as you do the work each day and then upload it later to your Youtube Channel. Combine clips with free software programs like Windows Live Movie Maker to make longer and better videos to use on your

eClean Magazine

website and as embeds in targeted e-mail campaigns. Again tag each clip separately and uniquely for good SEO. Forums: Join non-industry forums that your customers would be using. Examples include a line-of-work forum for building contractors if you are a commercial exterior wash company, or a hobby forum for car enthusiasts if you are a car detail company. Blatant advertising in posts is frowned upon or outright banned on most forums. But feel free to join a forum and answer questions and post comments with your signature plainly showing who you are, what you do, and a website link and your contact information. Make sure you allow other members to use the forums internal email system to reach you.

Try to visit each forum at least once a week to keep current and to put your business name out in the forum as much as possible without being pushy. And if any of your current customers use a forum, join those and ask them to please give you good reviews and favorable comments. Many forums are national so it may take some time for anyone close enough to you to give you any business, but posts do show up well in search engines. Think of every post you are mentioned in as free SEO. Many forums also allow or have a blog area, like I mentioned earlier, so you can use that to highlight a type of washing you do, such as a post on how soft washing works, why trucks should be washed more in the winter (road salt), how pressure washing before painting a house increases the life of the paint job, etc.

Write a Press Release. There are a number of web sites – www.prweb.com is one – that only posts press releases. Believe it or not, media writers do use these sites to find experts for quotes to put in articles they need to write.

Most companies never write a press release because they think what they are doing every day is not any big deal or something that needs to be published. Even little things can be written up as a press release: adding extra or special hours at certain times of the years to your work schedule, expanding your work area, doing a nonprofit cleaning job, adding eClean Magazine

new equipment, upgrading to a new trailer, hiring extra crew, your employee of the month, a new type of service, and so on. Make it a goal to write and publish at least one press release before the Spring. After that, do it at least once a quarter or every change of season.

If during this slow time of the year you spend the time to use social media and really learn what you did last year I promise it will pay for itself throughout the rest of this year.

Good luck, have fun and make some money.

Linda Chambers is the Brand and Sales Manager for Soap Warehouse, where she has worked since 2007. She enjoys writing blogs and social media. She also travels for thecompany, exhibiting at trade shows and events.For more information, visit their website at www.SoapWarehouse.biz.

Tip from the Field: Unfollow

One of my New Years resolutions is that I want to be more productive. So, to be more productive, I need to cut down on my time wasters (like Facebook) and limit the time I'm there.

If you're like me, I'm not big on unfriending people (mainly since this IS technically IS my business page) so I have a ton of people I care nothing about pos their daily lives. I have Realtors, business owners, pressure washing/window cleaners from around the world I don't know or interact with, etc.

There’s a new Facebook feature: "unfollow". It's to the right top of a post in the drop down features.

LOVE IT!!!

Now I don't have my feed cluttered up by things and people I care nothing about like the window cleaner in Ireland going to get a pint of his favorite ale or the Realtor I've never met who’s posting her grandchildren's baby photos. This should cut down considerably on my "news feed" time and maybe I will get more accomplished now!

– Jeremy Kiefer, Clear Shine Maintenance, Huntsville, Alabama 13

New Product

Introducing the Steel Eagle Full Line of Compact Vacuum Systems!

Why the CVU? • Are you seeing loss of income due to having to turn down jobs because of EPA regulations?

• Are you hearing complaints due to overspray and the mess associated with standard pressure washing?

• Are you tired of heavy, large systems filling up your rig?

• Are you concerned with protecting the environment?

If so, you’re not alone and you need a Steel Eagle CVU System!

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What if you could:

* Increase your bottom line by being able to bid more jobs?

• Clean interior or hard to reach areas without worrying about overspray and water damage?

• Have the same cleaning power as larger systems without using a ton of space in your rig?

• Capture dangerous chemicals before they have a chance to damage our environment?

The extensive CVU Features can provide all these benefits and more!

• Powder coat finish provides you a great looking, durable finish for years.

• Belt driven positive displacement Tuthill blower provides you with industry leading durability and warranty service.

• Oil level sight glass ensures your unit will never run low.

• Oil bath gear end on our larger models provides a more consistent and continuous lubrication for the drive assemblies on your blower.

Why the Steel Eagle CVU stands apart from the competition:

• Only one Primary Separation Tank needed for multiple Vac Tools, keeps your costs down and saves space in your vehicles.

• Extra small footprint keeps your rig tidy and leaves the space for other tools.

• 55 Gallon Primary Separation Tank vs. (2) 26-30 gallon tanks used by our competition, allowing for more fluid volume in a smaller space.

• Only one Electrical Supply Is Needed, instead of two, due to only one discharge sump pump in the primary separation tank, simplifying your connection and power requirement needs.

• Many different models to suit your particular needs, eight different models using six different engines and three different blowers ensures we can match you with the perfect unit.

• Very Powerful, able to achieve 235-450CFM and capture with two tools at 300’ and one tool at 600’ (dependent on model & tool size)

• Heavy duty vac relief valve keeps your vacuum suction at a correct and consistent level, protecting you and your equipment from vac surges.

• Extra quiet MagnaFlo blower silencer provides you and your clients a quieter cleaning experience.

• Vacuum gauge provides you easy monitoring of your vacuum.

• Cam lever hose couplings keeps your setup and breakdown time short.

• Heavy duty 7-gauge frame for long lasting durability.

• 12” Operating vacuum provides you with the vacuum power you need to get the job done. eClean Magazine

15

Idea #4: Create a Facebook Campaign

How to REALLY Make Money with Facebook

by Anya Curry, Ambidextrous Services, www.UniqueAmb.com

Last issue, we talked about how to use Facebook for business: do-not-do’s, do-do’s (lol!!), and some examples of both. Now down to the nitty gritty. How do you turn all that hard work into real, cash-paying customers?

Why You Should Use Facebook Advertising Because. Because I said so. Because the sky is blue. But mainly, because 223.4 million people in the United States are ACTIVE on Facebook. There’s only 313 million people in the US! That’s 7 out of 10 people. So the other 3 out of 10 may be, let’s say, too young or too old to have an account. You can guarantee that nearly ALL of your target market use Facebook actively at least once per week.

If this is where your customers are, why wouldn’t you?

How to Create Facebook News Feed Advertisements & Offers I’m not talking about those square inch ads on the right side of the page that no one pays attention to. I’m talking about real, photo heavy, in the news feed advertisements. These ads cost very little and work very effectively.

Here’s a step by step: 16

• From your personal account, click the little gear on the top right.

• Choose “Create Ads.”.Here’s where you decide what you’re trying to accomplish with the ad. Since we’re trying to create sales by engaging people and making appointments for service, the most effective choices would be “Page Post Engagement” or “Clicks to Website.”

“Page Post Engagement” will prompt you to choose your business Facebook page, then either select a previous post or create one.

I would recommend creating an offer that will likely grab your customer’s attention. $25 OFF a House Wash, FREE Gutter Brightening with a House Wash, etc. This is key, since it will either succeed in capturing your audience’s attention, or not.

• Choose a photo for your offer. Try to use a photo that will grab attention quickly, as well as convey a professional appearance. Before and afters work well, as well as photos of your rig at a jobsite, or in front of a freshly cleaned home. You can even link this offer to a page on your website.

Allow customers to print the offer and call you to make an appointment.

“Clicks to Website” will prompt you to enter

eClean Magazine

a website address. This will require some forethought, since you don’t really want to dump them on your home page. You want to give them a specific action, like printing a coupon. Put the coupon on a page that gives an overview of your company and the services you offer. Use that page link for the campaign.

Once you’ve done that, you can upload up to six photos that will rotate your ad. Pick photos of your work, before & afters, your rig parked in front of a job, etc. Facebook will automatically use the photo that gains the most attention more frequently.

Then you’ll select your business Facebook page and write a headline and description for your ad. Try to use something eye-catching like “$25 Off House Washing!” – then explain your service with selling words in the text (locally owned, insured, soft washing technique, etc.).

• Create your audience (see “Cloning Your Customers” below if you want this to be more focused!!).

Definitely target a city close to you, and make sure the mile+ is within your reach.

Set the age at a minimum of 25. Other demographics are available to target.

• Choose your budget - a $5.00 per day budget is sufficient, and you can choose a campaign end date so you can analyze the campaign and adjust for future runs.

Bidding & pricing - For a news feed ad, I would bid for clicks. That is the action you are looking for. An automated optimization would be best so that their computer is working for your benefit.

In either instance, Facebook will email you when the ad/offer is approved and live.

How to Track Facebook News Feed Advertisements & Offers You can’t assume a marketing campaign is successful unless you track it. So, how do you track Facebook ads & offers? A very easy and simple way is to make the offer or advertisement unique. People will inevitably use the coupon or promotion, or at least mention it when you talk to them. If you’re not asking your customers where they found you, YOU SHOULD BE. You must know where your customers come from!! eClean Magazine

ASK where your customers found you.

RECORD information from prospects & customers.

TRACK those sales & conversions using a management system.

When you know the conversion rate, cost per sale, and volume of conversions for each marketing avenue, then you can make informed decisions on where to keep spending your marketing dollars. This applies to Facebook as well.

In the campaign results below, you’ll see where tracking comes into play.

Real-Live Campaign Statistics AND Profit

$80.44 = $2,387

We ran a two-week Facebook News Feed campaign for a local pressure washing / window cleaning company. Their reach is about 50 square miles in a medium-ish metro area. We selected five images to rotate, and created a unique, Facebook fan-only $25off any house wash service promotion. We assisted in tracking all leads during that time period with Responsibid. The promotion had a unique landing page. In that two-week period, the ad: • Reached 16,533 people within the target area/demographics • Was clicked on 185 times • Resulted in 74 website visits • Generated 10 new customers • Generated $2,387 in new revenue • Cost $80.44 That’s an $8.04 cost to acquire a new customer with an average ticket of $239 each.

Just so that you can be convinced that this was an actual campaign, and that we tracked it accurately, I’ve included some screenshots of our Ad Center within Facebook, and the customer’s Responsibid dashboard (on the next page).

Advanced Users: Use Your Customer Email List to “Clone” Your Customers on Facebook If you’ve been using a customer manager 17

or are keeping a list of email addresses, you can create an audience of ideal customers to target on Facebook. Here’s how it works: you have a list of customer’s email addresses. You upload that list to Facebook, and they scan your customer’s location, age, gender, likes, follows, and activity to find similar people. You can also market to JUST your customer list. Here’s how to do it: 1. Login to Facebook 2. Click the settings wheel (upper right corner) and click “Manage Ads” 3. Midway down on the left click “Audiences” 4. Click the green button on the right that says “Create Audience” 5. You’ll notice Mailchimp has partnered here! You can upload from an excel spreadsheet or connect your Mailchimp account to import a. For an Excel file: i. You’ll first name your audience, give it a description, select what type of info you’re uploading, and select your file. ii. If it uploads correctly, Facebook will tell you how many emails it successfully uploaded, and that it will notify you when the audience is ready to be used. b. For Mailchimp: i. You’ll be prompted to login to Mailchimp. ii. You’ll be asked to select a list to import (or you can select them all!). iii. Facebook will popup with a Thank You screen - and then notify you when the audience is ready to be used.

6. Once you have created an audience, you can use this to target your Facebook ads to - or create a campaign specifically for them!

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What Now? Don’t get overwhelmed. Bookmark this article. Take one section at a time. Doing too many things without doing them well will result in not doing anything profitable. Facebook is evolving just like many things on the Internet.

It may not last forever, and it may not be the end all be all of reaching your market. But you won’t know unless you try!

Anya Curry is the owner of Ambidextrous Services, which specializes in designing websites for the mobile cleaning industry. She is the wife of Alex Curry, a second generation power washer and owner of ARC Powerwashing in Raleigh, NC. Visit wwww.UniqueAmb.com to learn more.

eClean Magazine

The Coolest Trade Show in the Industry JANUARY 30 & 31, 2014 • SOUTH POINT HOTEL • LAS VEGAS, NV

Register now for FREE at www.iceexpo.org What’s So Cool About ICE?

FREE SEMINARS

$2,500 worth of seminars for FREE! Gain the knowledge necessary to expand and market your detailing business without the cost.

DEMOS See live demos of the newest products and techniques by industry experts.

PRODUCT Pre-register NOW for your chance to win great prizes donated by some of the best GIVEAWAYS

manufacturers in the industry. Visit www.iceexpo.org/giveaways for more info.

What Are The FREE Seminars?

Thursday

Friday (cont.)

More Money. More Time. (Part 1)– Lisa Wagner & Mark Kennedy Cypress Room

How To Build Your Auto Detailing Business Brand– Nick Vacco Cypress Room

Cleaning For Health– John Sales Cypress Room

Truckmount Maintenance 101– Les Jones Show Floor Stage

Advanced Spot & Stain Class– Taf Baig Cypress Room

Benefits of the IICRC– Craig Jasper Cypress Room

Are You Ready For Rug Cleaning?– Aaron Groseclose Show Floor Stage

Detailing Made Simple– Tony Goren Cypress Room

Establishing a Stronghold in the Industry– Paul Brown Cypress Room

Natural Stone Services Will Instantly Increase Your Revenue– Rob Fairfield Show Floor Stage

Spot Dyeing (with contest)– Melody David Show Floor Stage

Getting Into Restoration- The High Profit Side of Cleaning– Annissa Coy Cypress Room

Live Music Featuring: The Day Trippers Show Floor Stage

Trivia Show Floor Stage

Friday

Grand Prize & Exhibitor Awards Announced Show Floor Stage

Sharpening the Impact of your Website– Jeff Cross Cypress Room How to Make Big Money Cleaning Little Apartments– Jerry Valentine Cypress Room

LIVE MUSIC FEATURING:

More Money. More Time. (Part 2)– Lisa Wagner & Mark Kennedy Cypress Room

a Beatles tribute band

Who Will Be There?

Firehouse Education

& more joining constantly!

Stud Striping/ Structure Striping What it is and How to Remove It

by Eric Schnaible, Pacific Roof & Exterior Cleaning, www.PacificRoofCleaning.com

rafters being the heat transferring members.

“Stud Striping” or “Structure Striping” is a While GM has infested all roof types, a visible pattern that can be seen on building pattern due to the bacteria can typically be exteriors, typically on the north side and other found at unheated areas such as eaves and shaded areas. A common site on building overhangs. This perimeter roof shading is exteriors, particularly in areas where there is particularly obvious when the attic space has consistent moisture due to humidity, coastal marine layers, low lying valley fog etc. not been well insulated and allows heat from the home into the attic area.

The dark shading is due to the proliferation of the cyano bacteria, gloeocapsa magma In general, wood and tile roofs do not show a patterned growth of GM. This is because (GM). The pattern effect is the result of the wood shingle and shake roofs have moderate direct contact transfer of heat from structural insulating properties. Properly installed tile members such as studs, plates, headers etc., roofs create a natural thermal break and because the bacteria requires moisture to grow generally do not come into direct contact with and flourish. The transfer of heat from framing, heat transferring structural members. dries the exterior surface quicker than areas where there are open or insulated bays. The Darker colors tend to hide the bacteria while lighter colors make the shading more obvious. result, over time, is a pattern, clearly showing As the bacteria develops and darkens with the location of structural members below the time, structural framing, heated and nonexterior surface. heated areas, and even areas with irregular Structural striping is not limited to walls. It can also be evident on composition roofs, with insulation become clearly visible. Solid 20 eClean Magazine

building materials such as brick and mortar are equally affected by GM but there is no pattern due to internal heat transfer.

Commercial surfaces accentuate structural striping. Smaller residential homes with many windows, doors and comparatively smaller surface areas, tend to obscure the pattern effect. On the other hand, commercial buildings with large monotone surfaces accentuate the effects of structural striping. Typically, commercial building walls show the consistent stud pattern that result from both metal and wood studs.

The best way to remove stud Striping The safest and most effective method to remove the bacteria that causes “Stud Striping” is using a chemical “soft wash” cleaning. This is true for at least two reasons: 1. Soft wash cleaning eradicates the bacteria that is the source of the problem.

While using high pressure may remove the visible bacteria from the surface, it does not kill it. The great results from the “soft wash” method last much longer than cleaning with

pressure.

2. Soft washing causes no damage. Many of the exterior surfaces where stud striping is evident can be damaged from the use of high pressure. Chemical cleaning uses no more pressure than a garden hose yet the results are fast, thorough and effective.

Eric Schnaible is a licensed building contractor and certified roof inspector. He is also the owner of Pacific Roof & Exterior Cleaning, www.PacificRoofCleaning.com

Our Popular Issue Dedicated to Soft Washing is Now Available in Print www.eCleanStore.com

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y.

Meet PWNA’s New Board Members

by Allison Hester

This past October, during the PWNA National Convention, the Board of Directors (BOD) elected five new PWNA members to the board: Jim Gamble, Nigel Griffith, Jerome Khan, Paul Laramee and Matt Pierce.

Jim Gamble, Crystal Cleaning Company, California Jim Gamble has been in the cleaning industry since 1989, specializing in parking garage cleaning. In the early part of 1990, Jim saw the waste water discharge from the cleaning parking garages as something that would not be good for the environment. In 1992, Jim was the first Environmental Parking Garage Cleaning contractor to be permitted to discharge into the San Francisco Bay Area sanitation system while cleaning parking garages.

Since then, Jim has been using current and advanced technologies to meet or exceed current discharge requirements for parking garage cleaning.

Jim hosted last year’s garage cleaning event in Las Vegas, as well as spoke on the garage cleaning industry at this past PWNA National Convention. “Afterward, I had several guys come up and comment that

they had no idea there were so many details involved in cleaning a garage.

While Jim has been a PWNA member for a few years, this past convention was his first PWNA event. “I really enjoyed talking with others and teaching them how they could make top dollar for their work,” he explained.

As a new member of the BOD, Jim has been busy at work on a number of projects.

“I’m excited to see the direction that the PWNA is heading and happy to be a part of it,” he concluded.

Nigel Griffith, Griffs Services, Elkridge Maryland Nigel Griffith started in the pressure washing industry in 2007, specializing in commercial flatwork and residential cleaning, as well as other services such as mowing and commercial snow and ice management. He first learned about the PWNA in 2005 when doing a general pressure cleaning search online.

Although he had served on the PWNA Environmental Committee prior to October, the 2013 PWNA Convention was his first to attend. “It was all I imagined – fellow contractors sharing shop talk and work

experiences,” he explained. “Everyone was communicating, from the companies at the top of their game the ones just beginning.”

As a nice sidenote, it was through this event that Nigel met fellow board member Jerome Khan of Clean Image Trinidad, Ltd. Nigel, who is originally from Trinidad, was able to meet up with Jerome at his shop on a recent trip home.

Nigel has always strongly believed in the importance of being environmentally responsible with cleaning, and has posted several YouTube videos on the subject. “I occasionally receive emails and calls from contractors about washwater recovery. I approached the largest POTW in my area in 2010 to urge and assist in the development of BMP’s that would allow the contract cleaner to discharge with pre-treatment into the properties sanitary sewer. This is now on their books as of mid 2012,” he explained.

Working on the PWNA Enviromental Committee is what led him to his decision to serve on the BOD. “I hope to further bolster and support the PWNA members, Robert Hinderliter, the Environmental Committee and the power washing industry.”

Jerome Khan, Clean Image Limited, St. James Port of Spain, Trinidad Jerome Khan has been in the pressure washing industry for three years, specializing in commercial and residential cleaning, as well as glass and aluminum building siding restoration.

Prior to that, he worked in the oilfield industry – “great money but no social life” – and the telecommunications industry.

Jerome learned about the PWNA through the Internet, and decided to fly to Florida to attend his first conference in 2012. “I got involved with the PWNA because I believe in doing things the right way the first time.

I wanted to ensure that I was trained in 24

cleaning buildings, grounds and roofs properly, efficiently and effectively,” he explained.

Jerome came to the convention thinking he would get “a little training and be done with it.” However, “I left the convention with the knowledge of how to properly and effectively clean buildings, roofs and grounds, as well as the realization that there are of a lot of other services that I could offer here in Trinidad and Tobago. I also left with the names and numbers of the right product suppliers – all whom I met at the convention – and the industry standards that I needed to follow.”

Because of the PWNA, Jerome has implemented several positive changes in his company: These include: • Carrying Public Liability Insurance for all jobs at all times • Including his company’s insurances, certifications, affiliations, etc. on all presentations and marketing materials • Adding soft washing, concrete, and wood restoration to his portfolio • Adding the right safety systems for his company • Adding a range of chemicals to do different jobs • Working smarter and more effectively all around “If I had to pick one thing I gained the most from in the 2013 PWNA Convention it would be the multitude of knowledge, information and experiences that all the members and exhibitors willingly shared with me,” Jerome added. “The training and classes that I attended were very informative and enlightening and have already impacted my business in a positive manner.”

Jerome said he agreed to serve on the BOD because he believes he can contribute to the growth of the organization and its members. “I strongly believe in the PWNA networking, allowing all to learn from each other by sharing information, experiences and ideas. I am always willing to help anyone.”

eClean Magazine

Paul Laramee, Exquisite Finishes, Ltd., Rhode Island Paul started pressure washing at a young age back in 1989, and currently cleans everything but the kitchen sink (kitchen exhaust cleaning, that is). “With Rhode Island being so small, we have to diversify in order to survive,” he explained. Exquisite Finishes provides a variety of services, ranging from residential, to commercial, to fleets.

Paul started participating in industry events around seven years ago, and there he began building a number of long-term relationships – including PWNA’s past president Eric Clark, and current BOD member Dan Galvin, who happens to live just 45 minutes away. “I really enjoy getting to know and connect with others in the industry,” he explained.

Paul has been a PWNA member for several years, and has attended numerous PWNA (and other industry) events. Through this participation and by networking with others, Paul said he has gained “a ton of knowledge,” which has made him feel more confident when interacting with customers.”

The PWNA Board has asked Laramee to consider joining the BOD in the past, “but the timing just wasn’t right,” he explained.

However, Laramee decided in October that it was time to serve. “It’s an honor to be asked, and I’m looking forward to giving back.”

He added that he is very pleased about serving with the other BOD members this year. “I think we have a really strong group of guys who are excited about the direction the PWNA is heading.”

Matt Pierce, Pierce Property Services, LLC – Boston Massachusetts Matt has been in the cleaning industry for over 10 years, initially providing storefront window cleaning, then progressing to larger properties. Today, Matt eClean Magazine

Property Services specializes in maintaining commercial properties of all heights and sizes by providing window cleaning, power washing, caulking, bird abatement, façade inspections and more.

Matt joined the PWNA in 2013 in search of education and relationships with other business owners who were leading the power washing industry. “Whether learning about equipment or techniques, business strategies for growth, EPA regulations or general business questions the PWNA has so much to offer!”

October’s 2013 PWNA Convention was his first PWNA event, and exceded his expectations in several ways. “It was refreshing to experience such open, honest and candid presents providing information that’s relevant, current and practical for my business. I was also impressed by the diversity of services within the PWNA – whether it’s fleet washing, flatwork, residential, commercial, roof cleaning, garage cleaning, etc., there are companies in the PWNA that represent all of those segments of the industry.”

Matt, who served four years on the International Window Cleaning Association’s (IWCA) BOD, said he was both “honored and sobered” by the opportunity to join the PWNA board. “It’s an honor to be able to give back to a great industry and to be recognized as someone who has something worthy of giving,” he explained. “Although I believe I have more to learn than to teach, I feel my past BOD experience gives me insight into how to help an association grow and stay current and relevant to its members.”

Coming from the window cleaning industry also provides the board a connection to another industry and association that could help create a new avenue for membership. “I believe that we as an association are at a really good place.

I encourage all members and non-members alike to get involved and get active, because there is definitely something for everyone.”

To learn more about the PWNA, visit their website: www.PWNA.org.

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PWNA Vendor Profile

W

hat separates Alkota Cleaning Equipment from other manufacturers? First and foremost, it’s the people.

“We have great employees who manufacture and market our equipment,” explained Alkota President Gary Scott. “Most of our 87 employees have been with us for at least 15 years, which means they understand the equipment inside and out and can solve all kinds of cleaning problems. The longevity of our staff helps ensure that customers get the equipment they need for their specific situations.”

While Alkota offers a variety of pressure washer and steam cleaner models, they also manufacture a large volume of customdesigned equipment. “We specialize in working with customers to help them identify if the equipment they think they want is actually what they need,” Scott said.

Alkota was founded over 50 years ago, and has manufactured steam cleaners since 1963. While pressure washers are the company’s top commodity these days, the steam cleaner remains an important product line even today. “The steam cleaner is a piece of equipment that a lot of our competitors have forgotten about, but there still times when you need high heat and low water volume, Scott explained. Alkota’s steam cleaners are still a top choice for melting grease or animal fat, such as shop situations, meat packing facilities, and so on. They can also be used for sterilization, 26

such as in greenhouses. “Steam cleaners are also a great choice for cleaning kitchen hoods because you’re getting high heat while producing a lot less wastewater that has to be cleaned up.”

Reduced water volume is the trend that Alkota is heading toward in its pressure washing equipment as well. “With higher psi, lower gpm units, your water bill goes down and so does the amount of water you have to deal with,” Scott explained.

Another area that Alkota is always researching is more efficient power sources.

“We have experimented with a lot of things,” said Scott. “We even have garbage sites that use methanol for power. The problem is the fuel is pretty inconsistent.” Additionally, Alkota is constantly striving to create equipment that is more portable, easier to operate, and safer to use.

However, one component that has not changed over the years is Alkota’s heat exchange system. “Our coils provide the highest efficiency and the lowest amount of maintenance in the industry.”

Working with the PWNA This past October, Alkota exhibited at the PWNA Convention for the very first time, and they were pleased with the results. “The event met our expectations. We were able to meet a lot of people, introduce ourselves, and demo our trailer mounted Model 4405E pressure washer with a Model 8-VFS-1 vacuum filtration system. With this system,

eClean Magazine

we wash, recover and recycle water on the jobsite so we minimize the need for an onsite water source.”

Scott said it will continue to support the PWNA and participate in future events.

“PWNA members are our customers. If we’re going to learn about their needs, we need to be involved,” he explained. “It benefits us, it benefits our distributors, and it benefits our customers.”

Alkota has a large network of distributors across the country who are willing and capable of helping contractors get the right products for their needs. “Our distributors can provide guidance in both your equipment and detergent needs, as well as service your equipment when needed,” Scott emphasized. “They also can give advice and help you get work. People looking for pressure washing contractors don’t call us, but they do call our distributors, who in turn refer the work to their customers. It’s a win-win situation all around.”

To learn more about Alkota, or to locate a distributor near you, visit www.Alkota.com. eClean Magazine

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The International Window Cleaning Association Annual Convention & Trade Show February 12-15, 2014 • The Peabody Hotel • Memphis, TN

celebrating 25 years The Annual Convention & Trade Show brings together more than 400 professional window cleaning companies from around the globe. Learn from colleagues how to grow your business! Attend the educational seminars, hands-on demonstrations and hands-on safety training to keep you and your employees current with OSHA regulations and American National Standards. Equipment vendors, manufacturers of products and suppliers in the window cleaning industry will be on hand and demonstrating the latest tools for window cleaners.

Visit www.IWCA.org for more information.

If you are interested in exhibiting, complete the exhibitor prospectus and return it to IWCA at Info@IWCA.org. Questions can be directed to the IWCA Business Office at 800-845-4922, ext. 3351.

IWCA National Convention & Trade Show

Idea #5: Attend an Industry Event

Feb. 12-15, Memphis

F

rom February 12 through 15, hundreds of window cleaners from around the world will gather in Memphis, Tennessee, to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the International Window Cleaning Association (IWCA) during the IWCA’s annual convention and trade show.

“Twenty-five years is a huge accomplishment, especially when you consider that there essentially were no safety standards for window cleaning when the IWCA was founded,” explained Mark Reinhart of Award Window Cleaning, who also will become the association’s 25th president. “This is a huge honor for me personally.”

While every year, the IWCA National Convention and Trade Show hosts leading vendors and quality education and networking opportunities, this year’s celebratory event will also be packed with tons of extras, starting with the IWCA museum, which will be located on the trade show floor and feature reminders of how the industry has grown and changed over the years.

“The museum will portray some of the tool from 25 years ago, feature people from the past, and a lot of interesting facts from over the years,” Reinhart explained.

“I’m excited for those who are coming who were involved in the association early on but have not been involved for awhile,” said current IWCA President Jack Evans, owner of 20/20 Window Cleaning. “They will get to see first eClean Magazine

hand what they were instrumental in creating.

I think we all want to be able to look back at our lives 25 years from now and see that what we’re doing is worthwhile. These early IWCA members can certainly say that now.”

Wednesday, February 12 The convention begins on Wednesday, February 12, with a day packed with educational sessions. “We have sessions geared toward everyone – from the business owner to

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Trade Show

the guys actually cleaning the windows,” said Reinhart. “That’s why we encourage people in all kinds of window-cleaning related roles to participate in the convention. Everyone who participates will leave with knowledge hey can apply to their jobs and to their lives.”

While the full schedule can be found on the IWCA website, Wednesday’s seminar topics include: • WaterFed Pole Safety • Don Chute’s Tips and Tricks • Innovative Approaches for Moving Your Business Forward” • Highrise Panel Q&A • Successor Plan for Your Business • Window Restoration/Mineral Deposits Wednesday also features the popular “Women in the Industry” Luncheon. I personally was honored to attend this event last year where I was able to connect and be encouraged by some amazing women with extremely successful careers in the window cleaning field.

Wednesday afternoon will feature the outdoor demonstrations. Participants will be able to see and test some of the latest in window cleaning equipment and accessories.

Finally, Wednesday evening will feature a new event that should be a blas. Evans, who plays the drums, is encouraging any attendees who play and instrument or sing to take part 30

in a special jam session, to be held Wednesday night from 8 to 11 p.m. “This should be a fun way to help people come together, celebrate, and just have a good time that firs night,” he explained. “We hope this will start the tradition of hosting an annual social night.”

Thursday, February 13 Sessions continue on Thursday morning with a variety of classes to choose from.

These include: • Explode Your Profits With Power Washing and Roof Cleaning • Highrise Safety- Tips, Tiebacks and Knots • Ronald McDonald House Cleaning • Insurance: What You Should Know • Residential Q&A Session The trade show floor opens at 11:30 on Thursday, and will feature the latest products and services from the industry’s top names.

Thursday night will highlight another industry favorite, and one that gains international attention every year: the speed and medley competitions. Teams from around the world fly in to compete in this unique event, which gains national media attention as well. “This year we’re going to actually have the competition on the trade show floor to make it easier for everyone to be involved,” explained Reinhart.

Friday, February 14 Following the morning’s breakfast roundtable, the trade show floor will open on Friday at 9:30. The trade show will conclude after a lunch with the exhibitors at 12:30.

eClean Magazine

Educational sessions continue in the afternoon, however, with another packed schedule. Friday’s sessions include: • Getting the Most Out of QuickBooks • Residential Safety Do’s & Don’ts • Marketing: What Works For Us” • Best BusinessApps” • How Your Business Can Benefit from OSHA • The Science of Glass Friday evening, the Past President’s Reception and Cocktail Reception will begin at 4, followed by the Auction and Awards Banquet, and conclude with the President’s Party.

Safety Training The IWCA was founded as a means for promoting safety in the window cleaning industry, and safety training remains a cornerstone of the association’s educational offerings.

For the second year, Sunbelt Rentals is again offering its Permit and Lift Training. This is a two-part class that begins on Thursday morning (in class) and continues Thursday afternoon (outdoor/hands-on).

Saturday hosts the IWCA’s Safety Training and Certification program. In an industry where one error can potentially be fatal, it is important that to have the most up-to-date training possible, which is why the IWCA Safety Training session is so important. By investing one day, you and your staff members can experience hands-on safety training taught by experts in the field. Finally, on Sunday, the SAIA (Scaffold and Access Industry) will offer its Competent Person Training – Suspended Scaffolding.

Why Should You Attend?

I asked both Reinhart and Evans what being involved in the IWCA has meant for them and their companies. If, after reading all that will be taking place, you are still not sure why you should attend the IWCA convention, perhaps the current and incoming association presidents eClean Magazine

can help convince you.

“When my son and I attended our first IWCA convention, I felt like I had been slapped in the face. I had no idea of all the things we were doing wrong, both safety wise and business wise,” Reinhart explained. That year’s keynote speaker was Michael Gerber, author of Emyth. “It was through that talk that I realized I needed to be a lot more than just a window cleaner. I had to be a business man.

I can’t begin to tell you how that impacted my business.”

“For me, the most fulfilling benefit of being involved in the IWCA has been being able to pay it forward,” Evans adds. “There are people out there who really want to learn and be successful, and the IWCA is helping them do just that. We’re building a safer, more professional industry, and I’m honored to be a part in that.”

To learn more about the IWCA Convention and Trade Show, or to reserve your spot, visit the IWCA website: www.IWCA.org.

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The Northeast Pressure Washing Seminar & Networking Event March 7 thru 9, Bethlehem, Penn.

T

ake one of the industry’s most renowned teachers, one of the industry’s favorite distributors, and the co-founder of the industry’s fastestgrowing association – and what do you get?

The Northeast Pressure Washing Seminar and Educational Event – and it’s sure to be fantastic.

On March 7 through 9, three industry powerhouses – Jack Kramer (Pressure Washing Seminar in Albany, NY), Tom Vogel (ACR Products Roundtable), and Thad Eckhoff (PWRA National Convention and the New Orleans Contractor Networking Event) – will come together in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, for a weekend packed with education and networking.

Each of these industry leaders has experience producing successful past events, and each brings something unique to the table. Jack Kramer was a professional speaker and educator prior to entering the cleaning

industry, and he applies those skills into his in-depth pressure washing and wood restoration courses. Tom Vogel is one of the top vendors in the country and has put on several popular round tables over the past 12 years. PWRA’s Thad Eckhoff brings in his expertise in networking, marketing and seminar organization.

Together, “this seminar will have it all – quality speakers, exceptional educational classes, vendors with quality products, professional industry organization representation, and product giveaways that benefit the contractors,” Kramer explained.

“The three of us combining forces allows us to have more vendors, which will benefit the contractors. The vendors will benefit due to the large number of contractors expected to participate.”

The pre-seminar educational classes will begin on Thursday, March 6, and Friday for those who choose to participate. On Thursday,

Jack Kramer

Prior to starting his pressure washing business in 2001, Jack Kramer worked in information technology teaching in classroom settings and at national conference events. A natural teacher, Jack has been producing industry round tables and seminars since 2006, the most recent of which were the popular 2012 and 2013 Pressure Washing Seminars in Albany, NY. “What I am most proud of about the past events is teaching power washing classes to new and established contractors, and seeing their business grow beyond their own expectations,” he explained. “I pride myself in bringing together quality vendors and contractors to benefit everyone.”

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eClean Magazine

Jack will teach classes on both pressure washing and wood restoration. (The Wood Restoration class can be taken alone as well).

Friday will also feature a class on pressure washer repair and maintenance.

The actual seminar kicks off Friday night with a networking reception, which will include drinks and hors d’oeurves, and also highlight vendors. The seminar starts Saturday with a general session that includes three key presentations focused on ways to improve your business.

Lunch will be provided to all participants, followed by demos and vendor exhibits.

Vendor giveaways will take place throughout the day. “All of our sponsors have committed to give away products and merchandise with an approximate total value of $10,000,” Jack explained.

All attendees can enjoy a hot buffet dinner Saturday night. “We want to give attendees more time to network, and also make sure those who are new or don’t know anyone at the event are not left out,” Jack explained.

“Providing dinner seemed like a great way to do that.”

Thad Eckhoff

Thad Eckhoff is the owner of Apex Services in Hattiesburg, MS. He has hosted the always sold out New Orleans Networking Event (NOLA) since 2008.

In 2012, he cofounded the Pressure Washing Resource Association, a nonpolitical pressure washing association dedicated to helping the contractor make more money in their business and to keep more of what they made. He has been a speaker at several national events and industry conventions. eClean Magazine

Sunday morning will feature a total of nine presentations – three different tracks offered simultaneously in three different sessions.

Speakers and topics were being finalized at the time of publishing, but we will announce those as soon as they are available. The seminar concludes on Sunday around noon.

Space is limited and spots are filling up quickly. The host hotel – the Best Western Plus Lehigh Valley Hotel & Conference Center – is offering a special rate of just $69. The hotel offers a free airport shuttle and complimentary hot breakfast each morning.

To learn more about the Northeast Pressure Washing Seminar and Networking Event, or to register, visit the event website a www.pwseminar.com.

Tom Vogel

Tom Vogel, who opened ACR Products, Inc,. in 2001 in (location), is known for his customer-friendly approach and willingness to do all he can to help the contract cleaner.

Tom has been around the pressure washing industry since the age of 15 when he started pressure washing at meat packing facilities. He opened his own residential and commercial cleaning company – Dynamic Detailing Plus Power Washing – in 1992, which he later sold and started GumBusters, another cleaning company that focused on commercial flatwork. Today, ACR sells pressure washers and accessories, water reclaim systems and specialty, custom rigs.

Over the years, ACR has become known for their annual round table event, which has gained a reputation for not only providing top-notch education and hospitality, but for having the most fantastic food (i.e., Pig Roast) hands down.

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Idea #6 Write or Revise Your Business Plan

The Business Plan: Why You Really Do Need One (Even if You Think You Don’t)

by Allison Hester

So, do YOU have a business plan?

I know, I know. I can see you rolling your eyes: “I’ve never had a business plan and I’ve done just fine. Never had one. Don’t need one.”

You may be doing fine without one, but the fact is you will probably be doing even better WITH one.

Do you know why business experts stress over and over that you NEED a business plan?

Because it’s true.

Many of us think of business plans as a formal, legalese-filled document that’s required for getting business capital when you start your business. And that can be true. But a business plan should actually be about much more than just getting funding.

A business plan should be a living document. That means it changes as you do.

So if you wrote a plan when you started your business, great – but your plan should not be collecting cobwebs. And if you never wrote a business plan, the slow season is the perfect time to do it.

Rather than write an article on how to write a business plan – because there are hundreds of them out there – let’s look, briefly, at how writing a business plan can give you a competitive edge: 1. Business plans help you better understand your competition. All companies have competition – whether it be the other professional cleaning companies in your community, or the homeowner who wants to pressure wash his own house.

2. They help you better understand your customer. A business plan requires that you identify your customers, going beyond the basics (i.e., “homeowners”) and look into more specific aspects about your customer. What do they like? (And what do they not like?) Where do they shop? Why? 3. It helps you define – and test – your 34

assumptions. As the saying goes, to “assume” usually just “makes an ass out of you (u) and me.” Just because you assume something is one way doesn’t necessarily make it so. Writing out your hidden assumptions helps you analyze and test them for validity.

4. It helps define roles, and helps you see staffing issues. Once you write (or rewrite) your business plan, you may realize that you do not have all the staff you need, or that you need to redefine some of the roles of your current staff in order to maximize efficiency. It can also help you see if expanding your staff is really what you need to do at that particular time.

5. It helps you determine what’s not working in your business. By comparing your projected sales and operational expenses with the actual numbers, you can see what is and is no working, then adjust.

It helps create new opportunities. When you brainstorm and really examine your business and its priorities, you may come up with new, unexpected, natural add-ons or opportunities.

Some Resources There are tons and tons of articles and resources online about how to write a business plan. Here are a couple of resources specific to cleaning: • PowerWash.com has a great example plan on their website entitled “Pressure Washing Business Plan For Mobile Power Wash ContraCleaners” in their www.PowerWash. com/articles section.

• Linda Chambers of Soap Warehouse has a good blog entitled “What a Business Plan Is and Why I Should Have One.” • Finally, if you have a Small Business Development Center near you, they can help you write a business plan – and a lot more – and it’s a free service.

eClean Magazine

How I Use MY Business Plan

by Terry Miller, Tegrey Family of Coatings, Inc., www.TegreyPainting.com

I really do not need a business plan, do I? Ok folks, now I need to see your business plan. You don’t have one? How do you know where you’re going with your business? How do you know if you’re making money or whether you can afford the line of credit you’re applying for?

This was our first attempt at getting a Line of Credit for our business. Chances of getting any money to grow your business may be based on your business plan.

Often times we feel we are invincible and don’t need help building our business. The numbers are out there. Information from Entrepreneur Weekly, states that full time businesses in the service field have a failure rate of 55% after four years. After 10 years there is a 71% failure rate. To grow an idea into a profitable business that is successful you need to know as much about your business as possible. Where you started, where you are and where you’re going. That is all contained in a business plan.

Networking with business organizations, we at Tegrey Family of Coatings Inc., have learned the value of writing a business plan. There are hundreds of templates for business plans available to grow your business. That’s good for basic information, but the real plan is written with your numbers from your business.

We wrote our own plan, based on the information we had available from our business. Providing the bank with our business plan as well as other paperwork required, we received our Line of credit and more. Respect as professional business that knows what it takes to survive.

Seventeen years later, we are in business and profitable. We rewrite our plan once or twice a year as needed. eClean Magazine

The idea of having our goals in front of us anytime we need and knowing what we are capable of accomplishing is quite valuable.

I have heard other business owners state that they know everything about their business and do not need a business plan. We all have to make a choice as to where we want to go with our businesses. For us, either a full-time business or part-time job, a decision that takes a lot of thought and many hours of dedication.

No one is right and no one is wrong. As for our business, we like the idea of knowing where we are going, whether we can afford the next piece of equipment, hire more help, pay benefits or give ourselves a raise. These answers can be answered by having a properly written business plan. All good, profitable businesses have a business plan.

I would like to say that I wrote this article about our business, Tegrey Family of Coatings Inc., and as business owners, we believe we must make our own business decisions based on our ideas of what we want for our business.

As explained to me a long time ago, “you only live so many years, work so many years, that’s it. Do you want it to be a job or a business?”

The choice is yours.

We hope this information has helped you in making a better decision about your business and wish you the very best. Thank you for reading this article we appreciate your time.

Terry Miller is the COO of Tegrey Family of Coatings Inc., a Nationally Certified, Woman Owned Business, WBENC and Nationally Accredited by PDCA. www.TegreyPainting.com.

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Lao Tzu on Sales

by Rick Meehan Vice President of Marko Janitorial Supply

“Have patience and the world will be yours to command.”

The

Ancient Chinese philosophy of Taoism incorporates many beliefs of the Old Master, Lao Tzu. In the “Classic of the Way of Power,” Tao Te Ching, he tells us, “The conquest of the world comes invariably from doing nothing.” It is the ultimate statement for Patience, the ability to suppress annoyance in waiting. Said another way, “Have patience and the world will be yours to command.”

This is not a statement advocating sitting on your duff, although it may sound that way at first. Instead, I find it an exciting philosophy on the use of time.

sales progress, impatient to make higher commissions, and worst of all, impatient with customers.

Our American society has the ingrained need for immediate satisfaction of personal desires, especially with the advent of the “smart” phone.

1. Salespeople must learn to resist the constant use of their thumbs on tiny screens in order to rediscover the Virtue of Patience.

Since none of us will live long enough to take over the world, what does Lao Tzu and ancient mysticism have to do with modern cleaning contract sales? Have patience and I will illuminate!

For some this may be a weaning process, but it must be done! Live customers deserve our complete attention, not our thumbs.

A good first step is to learn what Patience is not. By definition, lack of patience is called Impatience. Impatience manifests itself in a variety of negative ways:

Remembering from prior articles that I define all employees of any company as salespeople, perhaps the biggest mistake we salespeople make is being impatient: impatient with

• The prospective buyer is talking and the salesperson interrupts rudely to hit the silence button on the cell phone, or starts texting.

(Yes, I’ve seen it done!)

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eClean Magazine

• The salesperson shows thoughtlessness by arriving to an appointment early, late, or not at all. (Happens all the time.)

• The salesperson harasses a prospect over a quote, appointment, demonstration, order, et cetera, many times using text messages. (Every single workday.)

• Follow-ups on quotes, demonstrations, problems, needs, and questions, are carelessly ignored by the salesperson. (Too many text messages and too few face-to-face meetings?)

• A salesperson causes services to happen although the customer never ordered them. (I’ve seen entire buildings cleaned for free because the cleaning company had been fired and the janitorial staff didn’t get the memo, or text message.)

To summarize: IMPATIENCE = rudeness + thoughtlessness + harassment + carelessness + stupidity = PUSHINESS In the buyer’s mind, Impatience is transformed to Pushiness by an exhibition of bad manners. Everyone hates pushy salespeople, even other pushy salespeople!

Avoid this stigma at all costs by reevaluating your habits.

are no longer constrained by time. This means you don’t have to use questionable techniques to nudge a buyer into a hasty decision. This means you don’t have to change jobs in an attempt to jockey a better paycheck. This means you can build a customer base indefinitely, thereby increasing your commissions.

This means you no longer have to PUSH! Maybe you are asking, “But, what about my competitors?

Won’t they get the business?” Trust me – have PATIENCE! Good things come to those who wait.

The greatest tool a salesperson can wield is the true claim, “I’ve been with XYZ Janitorial Contractors for many years and have no plans to move. In other words, I’m in this for the long run. I would greatly appreciate your business, but please, take your time and make the right decision for you.”

Odds are if this salesperson spoke truthfully, with the track record to back it up, then this sale will go to him or her. Buyers

1. The first step toward rediscovering Patience is to decide that selling is what you want to do as a lifelong career. It is imperative that you make this decision and strive to maintain it! This will provide you with a view of the future known as the Long Run. In the long run, you can prove to your customers and prospects that you will be available to serve them if they need you. You eClean Magazine

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like to hear the “ring of honesty” in a salesperson’s voice.

Now, let’s see what the competition is in for. I’ve been in sanitation sales for more than 32years. Obviously I’m in it for the long run. I’ve discovered over time that most of my competitors have one thing in common: they lack a stable sales force.

Why? Their salespeople are not taught the Virtue of Patience, of course.

Salespeople come and go like changes in the weather. Considering this, I must say that I take complete advantage of the situation. my competitors’ clients know me as the salesperson “in it for the long run.”

Maybe not precisely in those words, but nonetheless, they know I’m available in case their current suppliers let them down.

Eventually, my competitors do! It pays to have patience.

2. Never lose sight of the Short Run. In the short run, sales quotas, goals,

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commissions, and myriad other details can wear you down. If you truly have decided to achieve the Virtue of Patience, then use some of it to plan your destiny.

No one can handle the stress of sales without resorting to Patience. Patience is the means you must use to map out your sales day, make your best proposals, handle your finicky clients and bosses, space your appointments so you are not rushed, listen well, and speak with precision. Every aspect of sanitary sales begs for Patience – even the discipline to learn the facts about your product line! Yes, contract cleaning companies offer product lines: window washing, carpet cleaning, pressure washing, bathroom disinfection, construction cleanup, etc.

Have the patience to learn and understand every available offering so you don’t miss an opportunity.

By the time your competitors discover how you gleaned so much of their business, it will be too late. Once you have a customer, only circumstances beyond your control could remove that customer from you. Among those are the Will of God, death (of either you or the customer), retirement, and winning the New York State Lottery. Never let it be said that you failed a customer simply by not having enough patience to deal with them fairly! There is no excuse.

The use of Patience demands responsibility.

If you lose patience, and probably a customer, only you are responsible. All the philosophical words in Ancient China won’t change that fact.

Don’t blame your company for missing your quota, or the competition for having lower prices, or even the car for breaking down at an inopportune time. Have the fortitude to take responsibility for your impatience and get back on the job! Remember to use the Virtue of Patience in your dealings and the world is yours to control. Confucius didn’t say this, but the Old Master did!

Rick Meehan is the Vice President of Marko Janitorial, www.MarkoInc.com.

eClean Magazine

on his dashboard to cover up the warning lights. That way, when the light came on, he couldn’t see it. He found that if he didn’t know the problem was there, it didn’t bother him. He had much less stress in his life.

As you can imagine, it wasn’t any good for his car, but he felt better. After about a year of this, his car did actually quit…and it was permanent. When I asked him about it, he told me he never knew there was a problem.

Many business owners are the same way. If they don’t know there is a problem, they don’t

by Bill Kinnard, Grandy & Associates, www.GrandyAssociates.com have to worry about it. Ignorance truly is bliss! Your company have a friend, Lee, who is not at all has dashboard lights that will tell you when mechanically inclined. If you have any there is something going wrong. If you don’t kind of problem that requires him to dig watch for them, you will never see when in with his hands to fix it – he is not your guy. your company’s engine is about to quit…

He can keep you company while you’re working permanently. Some of these dashboard lights on fixing the problem but he will certainly not are: venture in to help in the repair itself.

1. Do you pay yourself a regular and Lee has had several used cars over the reasonable salary? If you don’t, this tells me years. If there’s ever an issue with it, he will something about the health of your company. call someone or bring the car in for repairs, but Your pricing is not adequate to handle all the will never look at it himself. You get the picture. costs of running your business. You should Well, if a dashboard light comes on in his car, not consider whatever is left after you pay he immediately thinks the worst. The car is your bills as your wages. You need to build a broke, it’s going to cost a lot of money to fix it reasonable wage into your pricing. and surely, I should pull over right now or I will 2. Do you bring your line of credit back permanently blow the engine (his words, not to zero at least once or twice per year? If mine). Even if the light is only a warning light, you don’t, this tells your banker something he gets so uptight and stressed he can hardly about the financial health of your company. function.

A line of credit is intended only for short term Lee came up with a solution that works borrowing against receivables. A properly used for him. He went down to Office Depot and line of credit will have lots of activity and come bought some Post-It notes. He put the Post-Its back to zero at least once or twice per year.

Your Financial Dashboard

I

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If your not doing this, you don’t need a line of credit, you need a loan.

3. Are you current with your suppliers?

Your payables should tell you something about the financial health of your company. If you’re not paying off suppliers every month, you are either not handling your cash flow properly or your pricing is not in line. Whichever it is, fix it.

4. Do you pay cash for your trucks?

Equipment replacement costs are the second greatest expense you have in your company. If you don’t plan for it, you end up having to take out loans. I was taught at an early age, there are two ways to buy something. You can buy it and then pay for it, or you can pay for it and then buy it. One will just cost you a lot more.

Many consider payments on trucks a necessary evil. If this is you, you have bought into a great myth. Even in today’s economy, contractors are paying cash for trucks. They are just planning ahead.

5. Are you current with your taxes? If there is one thing you never want to fall behind on it’s taxes. Make sure your quarterlies and

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estimates are paid on time. The interest and penalties charged by your state and the IRS are huge and will suck the life out of your company. The worst part is, they really don’t have to negotiate with you. They just come and take stuff.

6. Do you have real cash left over at the end of the year? Not money on paper. Not your P&L showing you that you made money last year but real cash left over in your bank account even after you have accomplished the items above. There are real differences between accounting and cash flow. You can’t run your business from your P&L. You have to run it based on the money coming into and out of your check book There is nothing wrong with not knowing what one of these dashboard lights is telling you. I don’t always know what every one of the lights are that come on on my car’s dashboard but I know where to go to find out. There is nothing wrong with not knowing how to accomplish these things. Not doing something about not knowing is a problem.

eClean Magazine

Power Washing Tips for Preventing the Spread of the Flu

by Paul Horsley, Publisher

This flu season has been brutal.

We’ve all heard about the importance of regular hand washing to prevent picking up flu viruses, and flu shots can protect against the sickness. But business owners and government workers can also help stop the spread of influenza by regularly cleaning shared spaces.

The influenza viruses can live on a nonporous surface for up to 24 hours. When an infected individual touches a railing, door handle or any other object in your business, they are unwittingly passing on influenza virions (virus particles) to the next person who happens to touch that spot. Once the flu virus is on your fingertips, it takes only one touch of the mouth, nose or eyes to send the virus into your body.

Protect your customers and employees from the misery of the flu by following the tips we’ve gathered below on how to clean communal areas during an influenza epidemic.

Stopping the Spread of Flu: Effective Cleaning for Communal Areas Clean and disinfect frequently touched areas.

Any surface that is touched often should be cleaned daily. Start with soap and water, and follow up with a disinfectant spray. Computer screens and keyboards, desks, doorknobs, phones and faucet handles are just a few of the surfaces that should be cleaned every day during flu season. Disinfectant wipes may come in handy for this purpose.

If you maintain a group of shared assets, such as a truck fleet, wash out the common areas directly after each shift. eClean Magazine

Don’t forget the flu virus hangs around ouside your building as well.

There’s nothing quite like pressure washing for intense cleaning. A professional pressure washer can deep clean any part of your business, whisking away the flu virus along with the built-up grime.

Schedule pressure washing for off hours.

Government guidelines state that transit stations and other shared areas should be pressure cleaned when no passengers are present. It also makes sense for business owners to schedule pressure washing for off hours, when customers won’t be inconvenienced.

It has been estimated that the flu costs businesses $10.4 billion annually. Following the above tips can keep your employees and customers healthy, reducing the investment lost to this persistent illness.

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Tip from the Field: Removing Scratches from Sunglasses My sunglasses have been getting etched from spraying solution, soap, and SH for quite a while.Vision was becoming non-existent and water and the worthless carrying case rag was doing nothing.

I do NOT believe in buying crappy eyewear. So, in a desperate attempt to revive them, I found some headlight lens restorer in my garage ($5@ Auto Zone) and applied generously to the lenses. Buffed them with an old t-shirt. All together, it took less than 10 minutes while I watched TV and they are literally like brand new again.

– Jared Greene, DCS of Fayetteveille, NC

Next Issue: All About Employees

Advertising Deadline: February 5 Contact Allison @ allison@ecleanmag.com 501-517-1620 eClean Magazine

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