February 2012

newslink

ncca

February 2012

The official journal of the National Carpet Cleaners Association

Features:

Member Benefits Customer Expectations ŠBrintons Carpets

Contents

Published monthly by:

03 From the editor

The National Carpet Cleaners Association

03 President’s report 06 Looking at the way forward 08 Cellulosic fibres 10 Travelling is good for the soul 12 “Don’t bother with the cushions; I’ll put them in the washing machine”!

14 Customer expections 15 Member of public makes complaint against members 16 Membership benefits (part 2) 18 Another way to market your business 22 Westex carpet factory tour 24 Latest must-have website features 26 Added pressure on SMEs 28 Taking the breaks off business

Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Association or it’s officers or members. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the statements within this publication, we cannot accept responsibility for any errors, or omissions, or matters arising from any clerical or printing errors, and whilst every care is taken of manuscripts and photographs submitted to us, we can accept no responsibility for any loss or damage.

62c London Road, Oadby, Leicestershire, LE2 5DH Tel: 0116 271 9550 Fax: 0116 271 9588 E-mail: admin@ncca.co.uk Website: www.ncca.co.uk Editor Nikki Law Editor in Chief Keith Robertson Design Editor Nikki Law President/ Technical Director Paul Pearce Vice President/ Marketing Director Keith Robertson Vice President/ Events Director Nigel Lay Member Liaison Director Glyn Charnock Associate Liaison Director Denise Pitt Co-opted Director Rob Whitbread

www.facebook.com/NCCAFloorCare www.twitter.com/NCCA_floorcare_ ©Carpet Cleaners Association Ltd 1994 (Trading as the National Carpet Cleaners Association).

No part of this Newsletter may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the Carpet Cleaners Association Ltd.

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From the editor

I

mportant dates for your diary this year are the 8th and 9th of March. This is when Carpex/Windex 2012 is being staged at Coventry's Ricoh Arena. It’s a great show and free to attend so don’t miss it!

Quartz Business Media, organisers of Carpex/Windex, outline the events of the two days below: Carpex/Windex 2012 Carpex/Windex is organised every two years by Quartz Business Media, publisher of C&M, with the support and sponsorship of the National Carpet Cleaners Association (NCCA) and the Federation of Window Cleaners (FWC).

Show organisers are reporting strong stand sales across both events. Martin Scott, exhibition sales director, said: "Carpex/Windex is tailor-made for carpet and upholstery cleaning equipment and window cleaning equipment manufacturers and suppliers to market, sell and promote their products and services to a highly targeted audience - and the

2012 event will have more to offer than ever before. I am delighted to report that stand sales in both events are ahead of schedule, with considerable interest in the small amount of remaining stand space."

The programmes for both the Carpex and Windex free seminar sessions have now been confirmed, and are set to be compelling and useful attractions for everyone involved in the window and carpet cleaning sectors.

Visitors can register for tickets free of charge at: www.carpex.co.uk and www.windex.co.uk Contact Martin Scott on: Tel: 01737 855086 Email:martinscott@quartzltd.com Other important dates for your diary are 26th and 27th April. These are the dates we have recently scheduled for the NCCA Hard Floor Cleaning course.

So, avoid disappointment and book your place now!

Call 0116 271 9550 to book.

President’s report

H

ow about putting 'pen to paper' for Newslink and telling us a funny story or perhaps a story relating to a problem encountered during a particular job? We welcome a range of differing views and information in our publication and all members are invited to contribute. So what's stopping you? Is it because you feel you may not do it well? Well let me tell you we seldom hate doing things we are good at, so let's assume you hate writing, does this mean you think you can't write a good article? If you find it hard, follow a few pointers I have laid out for you.

Obviously you need to commit the time and effort to make it work. Your aim is to write well enough to share your thoughts and ideas, but you might have to make several attempts before you get something you are happy with.

How about assuming you are talking to a customer or a friend, picture them standing in front of you.

Then write down the words you speak to explain

your idea or story. Don't worry about the grammar; just get it down on paper.

Relax and read it with care. You will become aware of the things you wanted to say but missed, or didn't put across clearly. Think of a way of adding to, or changing, these things.

At this point you can start to take out the unnecessary words, or phrases, or perhaps even remove a sentence because it doesn't gel.

When you have done this, put the article down and walk away from it for a while. When you come back to it you'll probably find you have thought of something else to say.

What about reading it out loud? When you do this it brings the words into focus through your ears.

Listen for those bits that just don't sound right.

Change what you believe to be wrong, but recognise the worth of what you have previously written.

You could even read your article into a tape recorder, Continued on next page Page 3

Continued from previous page play it back, but don't look at what you've written, just listen to the words.

How about your partner reading it to you? If he/she looks confused because something doesn't read correctly, now's the time to fix it.

Try and write things in simple form, short sentences, simple words, avoid slang, avoid being too formal and especially avoid cute and clever.

This process can be applied to any type of article. It could help you with a sales letter, your own client newsletter and your website.

Time, or lack of it, may prove to be a barrier in producing articles. You probably think there isn't enough time in the day to do what you do now, let alone anything else, but you do manage to find the time somehow. Remember that time spent now will lay the foundations for future successes. For example, the production of your own web-page, or an article published in the local paper, which relates details of your company and its services, are both excellent forms of advertising.

NCCA member referral results Since publishing a referral statistics report in last month's Newslink there have been 97 recommendations for full members provided by the NCCA. This number is made up of 46 referrals from the NCCA office, 45 potential customers contacting members direct through the website and 6 referrals to members without an email address, which we have tracked using the office database.

If you have not yet supplied us with an email address, but would like to receive notification when your details have been given out, please contact the NCCA office on: 0116 271 9550.

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New NCCA Members FULL MEMBERS We Clean Carpets (Colchester, Essex) Cleaning Doctor (Edinburgh, Midlothian) Spotless Cleaning Services (Northampton, Northamptonshire) ICE Intensive Cleaning Experts (Slough, Berkshire) Manor Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning (Newark, Nottinghamshire) A2Z Cleaning (Leicester, Leicestershire) Marlowe Cleaning and Restoration Ltd (Cramlington, Northumberland)

Diary Dates 2012 NCCA COURSES Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning 23rd - 24th March 25th - 26th May 13th - 14th July 21st - 22nd September 23rd - 24th November Hard Floor Cleaning 26th - 27th April Carpet Cleaners Carnival 15th September (Wicksteed Park, Kettering, Northamptonshire) Spot & Stain Removal 16th March 19th October Health & Safety for Carpet & Upholstery Cleaners 15th March 18th October NCCA courses held at NSPCC Training Centre, Leicester unless otherwise stated.

Visit: www.ncca.co.uk for booking forms and further details.

IICRC COURSES (SURREY) Carpet Cleaning Technician 28th - 29th February with Adam Jankowski Fire & Smoke Restoration Technician 5th - 6th March with Adam Jankowski Upholstery & Fabric Cleaning Technician 21st - 22nd March with Adam Jankowski Held at National Flood School, Farnham, Surrey. Tel: 01252 821185 IICRC COURSES (HERTS) Upholstery & Fabric Cleaning Technician 28th - 29th February with Paul Pearce Stone, Masonry & Ceramic Tile Cleaning Technician 5th - 6th March with Keith Robertson Carpet Cleaning Technician 22nd - 23rd May with Paul Pearce Held at Alltec Network, Royston, Hertfordshire.

Tel: 01763 208222 Visit: www.iicrc.co.uk for further details on IICRC Training Courses

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Looking at the way forward

Keith Robertson

From left to right: Glyn Charnock, Nigel Lay, Ken Wainwright, Derek Bolton, Christian Ramsey, Paul Pearce, Ian Pitt, Tony Abbot, Denise Pitt, Pawlo Woloszyn, Rob Whitbread, Martin Johns, John Claydon, Pete Collins. Keith Robertson took the photograph at the NCCA G8 Summit Meeting in Leicester February 4th 2012

T

aking inspiration from the world of politics, the NCCA decided it was time to hold its own G8 summit in Leicester this month. In truth, it was a G15 summit, as the current Directors were joined by ten invited members who have all previously expressed an interest in supporting the Association in its desire to grow and move forward.

Three of the members, Rob Whitbread, Christian Ramsey and Martin Johns, have all volunteered to assist the Board with a view to becoming Directors and had already spent the previous day with the Board members at the Association's offices for the first quarterly meeting of 2012.

The majority of the others, including three past presidents, have all at one time or another served on the Board of Directors. There were at least three others who would like to be involved but were unable to be present.

It was long serving member, Derek Bolton, who

raised the idea of a brainstorming session to both improve the Association for existing members and to attract new members.

The directors have been working on a number of projects to this end; nevertheless, we were excited to get the opportunity to also listen to what other members were thinking.

And so it was on a cold February morning, with snow forecast to fall steadily across the country, that those participating made their way from the north, south, east and west.

Paul Pearce made the introductions and then everyone had the opportunity to present their ideas to the group. A wide range of subjects were covered from training to PR, to revenue producing ideas and improvements to the NCCA website and advertising.

As each topic was discussed, questions were raised and answered or additional ideas and comments were made. The Board also shared some of the page 6

ideas and decisions reached at the previous day's Board meeting.

Each of the ideas presented were carefully noted in order for them to be prioritised, collated and listed and tasks to be allocated to the most appropriate people.

It is very likely that some of the ideas discussed either at the Summit, or the Board meeting, will require members' approval at this year's AGM before they can be implemented whereas others, including a new way of handling the Association's Public Relations, will be started within a month or so.

The Saturday meeting lasted five hours. At the conclusion, Paul Pearce commented that he believed it was the most exciting NCCA meeting that he had ever attended.

It mustn't be forgotten that this is our Association and if any of you are in a position to volunteer any of your time, or wish to share your ideas, you may do so by contacting the office and leaving your details.

We enjoyed the first Carpet Cleaner's Carnival in 2011 and have booked to return to Wicksteed Park on 15th September for what we hope will be a bigger and even more exciting event. This is something you should not miss out on, but is only one of the things that we hope will make 2012 a memorable year.

NOTICE TO ALL MEMBERS Please be aware that the NCCA does not release members details to outside companies.

Therefore, if you should be contacted by any organisation claiming to be affiliated with the NCCA, and offering schemes at special rates to members, it is likely that they obtained your details from our website and that the company are not in any way linked to the NCCA. If unsure always check with the NCCA office.

Cellulosic fibres

F

Paul Pearce

abrics made up from cellulosic or vegetable fibres are the ones that will probably give us more problems, when cleaning, than any other known fibre, especially when little or no tests are carried out. These fibres are obtained from various areas of their respective plants; cotton comes from the seed hairs, flax, hemp and jute are taken from the stem and sisal is from the leaf. For the sake of this article I will concentrate on cotton.

Cotton and linen were in use long before historical records began. It is cultivated as a shrublike plant grown annually in temperate climate, but can be found as a perennial in tree-like plants in tropical climates. The cultivated shrub grows from

about one to two metres tall over a period of six to seven months.

Fibre quality is considerably influenced by climatic conditions. Warm and humid climates with sandy soil are the most suitable; the best qualities are obtained with high moisture levels, resulting from rainfall or irrigation during the growing season, and a dry, warm season during the picking period.

Cotton producing areas vary in climate from arid to semi-humid. Some of the biggest cotton producing areas include parts of the USA, China, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Egypt, Sudan, Turkey and India. African producers include the Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Uganda and Tanzania.

Every year new seed is planted, the crop is grown page 8

Generally these fabrics will be flat weaves, but they to maturity, the seeds with their fibres are can be pile as well, such as velour or chenille. Also harvested, the dead plants are destroyed and the land is prepared for the following season. The lint or you will find them as stuffers or fillers which will of raw cotton is shipped to textile factories all over the course be hidden underneath the finished fabric.

The fabrics can be self coloured, printed or a world. Part of the seed is processed for its food combination of both. Not only will you have to components like margarine and animal feed cake. contend with possible Only a small quantity of loose dyes but also the seed is retained for yellow cellulosic colour planting. that can appear through The size of the seed hair improper drying, over can vary from 3/8 of an wetting, alkalinity and inch to 2 ½ inches, and is lack of acidic rinsing. classified according to its When carrying out tests length, fineness, lustre and (which you should the location it was always do) you will only produced. When the be looking for fugitive cotton is picked it goes dyes, the cellulosic through several yellowing of cotton does steps before it Cotton boll not appear until the can be spun fabric is dry. Of course it into a yarn and is doubtful that you will made into a create any of the problem situations whilst carrying fabric. In some out a fifteen minute dye test. The main test you will areas it will still need to carry out is a burn test, using a pair of be hand-picked tweezers, a butane lighter, an ashtray (preferably and indeed it is one you carry with you) and a cutting of the fabric said that this can be the best way for quality possibly taken from inside the cushion. Offer the assurance. It is packed into manageable bales and flame to the piece of fabric over the ashtray and then shipped on to a processing plant where, after observe. Does it stay alight? Does the flame follow sorting, the next process is 'ginning'. the shape of the cutting? Is the ash grey? Does the Ginning machines are designed to separate the cotton fibres from the seed. The separation of fibres odour smell of burning paper? Does the ash crumble? If the answer to the above questions is from seed is effected by means of a row of circular yes, then you have a cellulosic fibre to clean. saws passing through a series of narrow grids. The In most cases, providing the colours are stable, saw teeth grip the fibres and draw them through you will be able to wet extract these fabrics, the grids. The seed is too wide to pass through and exceptions will be pile fabrics such as cotton velvet. the fibre is then pulled from the seeds. The next You will obviously vacuum first, pre-spray is then processes will include carding and combing to applied and agitated allowing a dwell time of say create a uniform sliver. This sliver will then go on to five minutes and then rinse extracted. Finally towel be twisted to form a memory, enabling it to be dry and then utilise a turbo blower to give linked to other staple filaments and plied. From maximum drying assistance. Don't forget, only clean here it will be manufactured into the fabrics and or prepare one panel at a time, this way you can stretched over a frame to create the piece of control the wetting and drying. upholstery we clean for our clients. page 9

The Gold Coast

Travelling is good for the soul

L

ast year I spent quite a bit of time away from the hum-drum of home and business life.

In the autumn 'The Gorgeous One' and I took time out to travel, visit family, meet up with friends old and new and mix in a bit of business/education in Australia. In all we had six glorious weeks 'off the wand' and enjoyed every minute of it.

On the business front, I was able to visit a trade exhibition and, being a Certified Technician Member, attend the Woolsafe Conference on The Gold Coast, just south of Brisbane. I was also privileged to be invited to the general meeting of ICAN, a trade association with members predominantly from the East coast of Australia.

The general cleaning exhibition itself was a small and friendly event, but attendance was high.

Carpet cleaning was well represented with

Ken Wainwright

truckmounts, portables, low moisture systems, ancilliaries and chemicals.

As in the USA, truckmounts seem to hold greater importance in Australia than here in the UK. There can be many reasons for this, but one thing finally dawned on me during this visit. Here in the UK, we are blessed with a really good mains electric supply. On a rinse/extraction machine, we can run with three high powered three-stage vacuum motors plus a 500psi water pump, all run off two power cords. In Australia, they can only use a single power cord and run with two standard power three-stage vacs and a water pump. The limiting factor is the wiring in the building, not the individual power cords. They can't even support the newest, more energy efficient machines just released here. This goes page 10

part way to explaining how we are blessed with the newer generation of high power portables here in the UK. The Woolsafe Conference itself was, for me, a revelation. Australia is a huge country, but only has about 36% of the population of the UK. I was expecting attendance to be low. How wrong I was.

Attendance was in the region of 50% and although the membership is very small, the actual numbers were considerably higher than we normally encounter at our NCCA AGM! In the UK, members will often complain of having to travel 100 miles to an industry event. I didn't hear a single complaint there about travelling this distance. Nor from those who travelled 1,000 miles! And indeed not from those who had travelled 3,000 miles either! I have to say that the commitment to our industry seemed overall to be much higher with our antipodean friends.

After reading Glyn Charnock's recent excellent report on the UK Woolsafe Conference, it looks like I missed out on an excellent two days of education and networking with colleagues. But

given the same choice again, I think I still prefer the sunshine of The Gold Coast!

On a personal front, we had time to visit family and friends along with a trip to Australia Zoo to pay homage to that great man, the late Steve Irwin. The Great Barrier Reef and Tropical Rainforests were a 'must' as were visits to numerous lesser known attractions.

Being an outgoing sort of personality has allowed me to introduce myself to overseas colleagues who have now become friends. If ever you have the opportunity to do something similar, don't hang around, do it now before it's too late.

We all live and work in a great industry. We all speak the same language and share the same sort of problems. We also share the same sorts of successes, so just cast your net a bit wider and bask in the glory of what you have achieved. As a bonus, my accountant tells me that some of the trip's expenses are tax deductible. Whoopee!

If anyone is thinking of a similar trip in the future and needs some help planning and costing, I'd be only too willing to share my experiences.

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“Don’t bother with the cushions; I’ll put them in the washing machine”! Derek Bolton and this just isn't always possible.

I couldn't resist including a picture of some cushions (left) that a customer put in the washing machine prior to getting in a cleaner. I challenge anyone to produce a match! The arm is the original colour of the suite, just in case you were wondering.

This is especially a problem with off-white fabrics specifically those with a predominantly natural fibre content.

The home cleaned cushions will often look 'whiter' ©Steve Poole

I

am sure that at some point we have all come across the customer who either regularly takes off the cushions to put them in the washing machine or is intending to do so on this occasion to keep the cleaning costs down.

This is the time to pay even more attention during the pre-clean survey, noting any possible colour or texture change to the cushions. The customer will expect that your cleaning of the fabric on the frame will 'match' the results created by them putting the cushions in the washing machine

page 12

because the fabric has been bleached by ingredients in the laundry detergent or bleach additives.

The only way that a match may be obtained is by the cleaning technician trying to replicate this bleaching effect on the frame using oxidising agents. However, the use of bleaches can often weaken the fabric depending on the strength, or number of applications used.

It will be difficult to get the customer to accept any responsibility as it is now you who will be, in effect, damaging the fabric.

However there are some issues that the customer MUST understand. It must be recognised that the use of oxidising agents in this way will, to some degree, damage fibres albeit the damage will be so insignificant that it will never be noticed.

However, if multiple applications are required to create a match then the risk of damage will increase. It could prove most embarrassing for the technician if, when put back into use, the fabric splits through chemical degradation.

Applying any cleaning solution that contains

oxidising bleaches is going to provide a real challenge to achieve an overall even result. Often the result can lead to a patchy appearance that may require multiple applications. This can prove to be a very time consuming process therefore charges should be made accordingly, don't forget the damage risks too.

The mixture that will be needed to achieve the perfect match will have a suitable surfactant to act as a carrier and these require a thorough rinse, sometimes more than one. Great care should be taken to ensure that the finished result doesn't show any browning, if acidic rinses are used make sure that the fabric is left with a pH of neutral (7) to prevent any changes if a sensitive dye has been used by the fabric manufacturer.

Most of these effects can often be seen on the cotton fringes on rugs where bleaches have been repeatedly used. This is a very common procedure, adopted by some cleaners, which is unnecessary.

If you decide to go down this route make sure that you rinse thoroughly and dry the fabric off as quickly as possible.

Damaged rug fringe page 13

Customer expectations

I

t is my opinion that there are very few areas of cleaning and restoration where the degree of client expectation is as high as it is with carpet and upholstery cleaning.

People generally accept that stains present in a garment may or may not be removed. The disclaimer contained in the small piece of paper attached to a pair of trousers, stating that the best efforts have failed to remove the discolouration, is readily accepted.

But not so in the case of carpet and upholstery cleaning, because our clients expect their furnishings and carpets to be returned to 'brand new condition' and are disappointed if there are any blemishes still present following our work.

It is true that the promise of 'I'll make it as good as new' will add to the high expectation. However, the anticipation of a carpet being returned to its original new condition will usually exist despite this.

There is an old adage in our industry, that people inspect their floor coverings twice; once when brand new and again following cleaning. The wear

Cecil Aigin (Honorary Member) and tear of ten years or more does not exist in our client's memory and we are expected to remove the ravages of concentrated foot traffic, light and atmospheric fade and any contaminants that have been applied to the carpet.

You will need to manage your client's expectations.

Never over-promise the results, I always subscribed to the policy of 'pleasant surprise' in preference to 'disappointment'. Advise your client that their carpet or item of furniture will be returned to the best possible condition. It will be hygienically cleaned and injurious materials such as dust and grit, which cause premature wear, will be removed. Explain why the effects of wear and tear cannot be totally reversed and do not oversell the expectation of a 'sparkling new appearance'.

It may be that I will be accused of a pessimistic or negative approach to selling our services. I do not agree; an honest and well presented description of the probable results of our work will generate reliance and trust and our clients will continue to use our services and recommend us to their friends. page 14

Member of public makes complaint against members Lewis Scroby

W

e have recently received a complaint from a member of the public that the two members he contacted using the NCCA website have failed to respond to his enquiries. This is not the first time a complaint of this type has been reported to us and, considering that some members do not feel they receive enough referrals through the Association, we find it very surprising that two companies would ignore a potential customer.

Although we have apologised and asked that they consider contacting other members in the area, it is likely that the enquirer will now employ a nonmember to take on the work.

If you have received an email or been left a message, a courtesy reply is recommended. Even if you are unable to assist the enquirer, acknowledgement of an enquiry is good practice to

establish your professionalism. Ignoring their correspondence may leave the customer in doubt of the integrity of your company and the Association, along with taking away any opportunity for you to get that job.

NCCA Name and Logo Current Full members of the NCCA only, are permitted to use the NCCA name or logo in advertising.

Both the name and logo are registered trademarks and misuse of either is considered copyright infringement.

The use of wording such as ‘trained by NCCA’ or ‘trained to NCCA standard’ is also regarded as misuse.

The association considers all logo or name misuse as theft and has the backing of the Trading Standards Office.

I

n the last issue of Newslink, I outlined what I think are the major benefits of membership of our Association. This month I would like to consider some of the indirect benefits and suggest how you can make the most of your membership.

Not For Profit First of all, the NCCA is a not for profit organisation.

This means that ALL of the membership fees you pay and any profits from training courses, events and sales from the NCCA shop go back in to supporting the membership.

Codes of Practice The NCCA have a code of practice which you as members have signed up to abide by. It is available to read on the website by yourselves or by members of the public, and if you are not aware of what it contains, please read it. A good confidence booster for your clients is to let them know you are a member and that you abide by our code of practice.

We are looking to update the Code of Practice this year, as it hasn't been reviewed for a few years, but it is still highly relevant.

The NCCA were also the instigators for the Publicly Available Specification on Carpet Cleaning (PAS 86), together with the British Standards Institute and other industry partners. I would recommend getting a copy if you don't have one, as it is an excellent reminder of what constitutes best practice in our industry.

Links and Endorsements The NCCA has established links with many well known manufacturers of carpets and carpet fibres.

As a result some of the best known carpet brands

Benefits of membership Glyn Charnock

now bear the NCCA endorsement. Manufacturers and some retailers recommend NCCA members when professional cleaning is required.

International Links The NCCA are shareholders in The Clean Trust (formerly the IICRC), which is an international nonprofit organisation. They are a standard setting and certification body for the cleaning industry, and the NCCA recognise and support their aims, and assist in the administration of their programmes in the UK. Public Relations The NCCA is widely recognised by government, industry and the media as the authoritative source of information on all aspects of soft furnishing cleaning. Membership allows you to use the distinctive NCCA logo on your letterheads, vehicles and advertising, telling your clients all they need to know about professionalism. It is their guarantee that you are competent, reliable, reputable, trained and properly insured.

Public recognition of the Association is not as great as we would all wish for, and we are continually looking for ways to improve this. You can help by letting all your clients know what your page 16

(part two)

membership means and encouraging them to tell others about you and your Association.

Associate Members The NCCA has a long list of Associate companies who provide products, equipment and service to NCCA members, often at special rates or with discounts. They pay a fee to be a member just as we do, so take a fresh look at the list on the inside back cover of Newslink, and see if you can use the businesses that are supporting your Association. It may well save you money.

Business Assistance Also on the inside back cover of Newslink is a list titled Member Benefits. These are businesses who, although not Associates, have special offers or discounts specifically for NCCA members, saving you money on

advertising, workwear clothing and accessories, marketing, credit and debit card acceptance schemes, website creation and SEO, and also includes the free legal helpline. The more use of these services you make, the better value for money you will be getting for your membership fees.

Networking Opportunities One of the benefits of membership I enjoy most is the opportunity to meet face to face with other NCCA members and like minded professionals from all over the country, that attend shows like Carpex, the Cleaning Show and our own Carpet Cleaners Carnival to exchange ideas and stories. These are great networking opportunities, and we would like

to arrange more events around the country in the form of road shows, local meetings, talks and demonstrations, but to do this we need your help in finding suitable venues and organising events. If you have a suitable venue please contact the office to let us know and we will help you organise something interesting in your local area.

NCCA Shop Finally, don't forget the NCCA shop. We can provide promotional leaflets, survey forms, copies of PAS86, ties and badges, vehicle stickers and more. Remember, promoting your association promotes your professionalism.

A happy and prosperous new year to you all. page 17

Another way to market your business

D

aily deals like Groupon, LivingSocial Deals, Your Daily Deal, Deal Monster, QypeDeals or even my local Yes DealOn are generating a real buzz and do appear to be here to stay.

Have you checked your emails this morning to see what they have on offer today? Do you want to rent a camper van, eat in a Michelin starred restaurant, visit Disney Land, get a subscription for National Geographic Magazine, visit the theatre, treat yourself or your wife to a haircut, manicure or massage, attend a dance class or have a weekend break in Scotland? Well, they are all regularly available on one of the on-line offer services.

Now described as the Yellow Pages of the 21st

Keith Robertson

century - and yes many of the sales people have come from Yellow Pages or a similar background Groupon and equivalent companies do appear to have made their mark. They may have become useful in your daily life, as they have in mine, but how do they fit in with your business?

Concerns have been raised by members on a number of fronts including the prices offered, the wording of the copy and the geographical area that some companies are prepared to service. It is not up to the Association to tell members what advertising or marketing they can or cannot do, nevertheless, there are a number of factors that are important for us to consider.

Most of us have come to realise that more of our page 18

customers are looking for a deal. If you are looking for new customers, or wishing to encourage previous customers to re-use your services, it is often no longer enough to offer a good service with fair prices.

The question is, should we use this new medium as a mainstay of our future marketing?

Forget what others do in their business and consider what is right for you. Do you consider that the influx of some hundreds of customers would put you on your feet or swamp you and wash you away?

Remember, the companies offering these deals want you to sell in volume as they will probably want to negotiate 50%, or perhaps more, of the advertised job price. Now, if you have already

discounted by 50 or 60%, can you survive on what is left? If you think you can, are you going to be forced to reduce the quality of your work? Now if that were the case you would be bringing yourself and, by association, the NCCA into disrepute and that is something which you cannot afford and we will not accept.

There are other pitfalls. It would be all too easy for the cheap price to be used simply as a way to get our feet in the door. It would be so easy, almost in the blink of an eye, to transform into a ‘Bait and Switch’ operator. As soon as we are tempted to offer vacuuming or the application of a traffic lane cleaner we are crossing the line. We know that we are never going to stop carpet cleaners in general offering completely ridiculous prices any more than Continued on next page

page 19

Continued from previous page you can stop them leafleting or advertising crazy prices in the local paper. However, there is no place within the NCCA for any ‘Bait and Switch’operators.

Most of us understand that our marketplace is divided into different segments. The largest of course are those who do not have their carpets cleaned, then there are those who hire a machine from the supermarket or dry cleaner, followed by the 'all carpet cleaners are the same' brigade who believe the cheapest will do, moving on to the more careful and thoughtful who recognise that the cheapest won't provide what they want and finally the much smaller group who understand that you need to pay to get service.

Do we really understand which of these groups is our target market and have we considered the best ways to approach them?

It is true that heavy price cutting may well bring in a number of price shoppers but how many of these will ever use you in the future?

The operators of the on-line marketing projects suggest that their customer profile indicates that their average customer is thirty-plus with good financial resources, but how will this translate into 'long term' repeat-use customers?

It is a well proven marketing technique to use a low entry price point where there is a good chance of residual back-end sales, but if only 15 to 20% of the customers generated from a Groupon type campaign ever use you in the future and then not for two or three years, is it going to be cost effective and how will it affect your cash flow?

If I wanted to fill seats in a theatre, where my costs are already fixed, or if I was offering a service where customers are likely to come back next week or within a month then I would without hesitation use this type of marketing.

But what about our businesses? Is this really the way forward?

Experienced carpet cleaner and Franchise owner William Little quotes an example where a Carpet Cleaner booked 349 jobs using one of the providers by discounting to £17.00 to clean a

staircase and landing, but the provider only received £10.00 per job. How could you possibly cope with that number of jobs for that return and stay in business? Even if you were an expert at upselling you would still have to be fortunate to survive unless you dramatically reduced the standard of your work.

Some of you will have decided that this type of marketing is not for you. A few of you may have tried and either discarded it, or at least put it to one side, and some of you may still be considering whether or not to get involved.

I am in the latter category. I do believe there are ways this type of marketing can be used and I will return to share ideas with you in the future, but in the meantime if you do believe it does suit your business I have one final admonition and that is to read the advert that the copywriters produce.

There was a recent instance where a member using a Groupon advert gave the impression that the three rooms or areas that made up the offer could be cleaned in one hour. Nearby members understandably took exception as there is no way that a thorough, professional job can be produced in three rooms in one hour. In this case I believe he was trying to convey the idea that he wasn't providing a rush in and rush out job, which would only take a few minutes, whereas to another carpet cleaner it read as the complete opposite.

Don't view this style of marketing either as an evil or a panacea because it is neither. It is important that we each share in the education of our customers and prospective customers so that an ever growing pool of informed people understand the importance, value and relevance of regular thorough cleaning. Be very careful that low price based marketing doesn't take your focus away from the main deal which, without doubt, is customer loyalty. It is better to centre your focus on customer retention and loyalty as your first priority rather than on customer acquisition, especially when they may turn out to be one-offs.

If you have tried this type of marketing I would very much appreciate your comments on how it worked for you and what you have learned from it. page 20

Premier Performance on the spot!

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Virtually all spots come clean with Chemspec's Professional Spotting Kit. ! New Super Effective Spotting Range (473ml handy sizes)

! Easy to use ! Complete easy to follow instructions are included with each kit.

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Chemspec Europe, Tong Park, Otley Road, Baildon, West Yorkshire, BD17 7QD. Tel: 01274 597333 Fax: 01274 597444 E-mail: info@chemspec-europe.com Website: www.chemspec-europe.com

Westex Carpet Factory Tour

I

recently enjoyed a guided tour of the Westex Carpet Factory at Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire.

Before the tour began we were given an introduction to Westex and their niche in the carpet market. Westex manufacture high quality, high-end tufted carpets with 100% wool or 80/20 wool/nylon mix face fibre carpets with a 2 fold or 3 fold yarn, for domestic and contract installations, along with a range of contract carpet tiles.

Unlike most carpet manufacturers they control the entire process from raw wool, through carding, spinning and dyeing of the yarn to tufting

Glyn Charnock

of the primary backing, the application of latex and the secondary backing, treatment applications and right through to delivery to the client, enabling them to maintain quality at every stage in production.

They have a range of over 1200 stock colours and styles and they also offer a custom dyeing service if they don't have an exact match for the colour required. Custom colours can be made in quantities of as little as 40 square metres with a turn around time as little as ten days.

During the tour we were shown the entire production process except dyeing, which takes page 22

ŠPhotographs: Glyn Charnock

Spinning machine

place at a different site. The process starts with bales of wool, or wool and nylon for mixed fibre yarns, being mixed thoroughly in huge vats. The mix of different wools from different countries and different breeds of sheep is carefully controlled to produce the properties required for the end product. Contract carpets require a different blend of wools to domestic carpets, and the blend is different again for carpet tiles.

Once mixed, the fibres are carded and spun in to yarn, which is wound into hanks for dyeing at the dye plant. On their return the yarn is twisted in to a two or three fold yarn depending on end use, and spooled onto cones ready for loading onto the looms. The location of each spool dictates where that colour yarn appears in the carpet, so the loading of the spools is critical to the final pattern.

The carpet is visibly checked for faults at every

stage of the manufacturing process, faults are repaired using a tufting gun and trimmed by hand.

The final process for cut pile carpets is cropping to ensure a smooth, even finish.

The finished carpet is then rolled, wrapped, labelled and stored in the warehouse, or shipped directly to the client. Westex carry approximately ÂŁ4million worth of stock at any one time to be able to respond to the majority of orders from their standard range in 24 hours. All orders shipped from stock are unrolled and checked again for quality before shipping.

What impressed me the most was the amount of care taken at every single stage to ensure a high quality finished product. The tour was an excellent insight in to the manufacturing process for carpets, giving a new perspective on the 'stuff' we clean every day.

Just some of the vast array of stock page 23

Latest must-have website features

H

aving a website and not updating it regularly is like driving around in a brand new van with beautiful sign writing, but then not cleaning it so no-one can see the contact details clearly. Websites age much faster than any other form of advertising or marketing medium as there are constantly new features and designs being created.

When was the last time that you looked at your website? Take a look at it today and compare it to your biggest competitor's website. Now honestly ask yourself the question, 'which one would you buy from?' If the answer is your competitor then you need to do something regarding your website.

SiteWizard have taken a look at the most current

www.sitewizard.co.uk

features that help visitors engage with a website and explain some of the benefits of having them.

Editable Banner Images Editable banners enable the owner of the website to update their banner with new images easily without having to pay a website designer to update them. As they include movement (they generally slide across to replace the previous image) they can modernise a tired looking website and can be updated regularly. Just make sure that you are either taking the photos you use yourself or that you have paid to use the image. If you use images from another website without permission you are likely to be in breach of the owner of the images rights. page 24

Links to Social Media Websites If you are using a social media platform e.g.

FaceBook, Twitter, Linked In, then make sure that you include a link from your website to it. With almost half of the UK on FaceBook most of your clients will recognise this logo. Ask your website visitors to 'like' your FaceBook page. If you are on Linked In then also add a link to your profile as people love to buy from a person, plus you might find yourself networking more and in turn generate more business. The other big player is Twitter, again another logo that most of the population will recognise so if you are Tweeting add the logo to your website to get your clients to follow you.

A Quick Call Back Form You are more likely to get people to contact you using this method as less information is required therefore saving the visitor to your website time and enabling you to store their contact details.

Online Chat With more and more people sitting at a computer for their work and being familiar with live chat facilities, we are finding that this is a very popular feature to have on a website.

You are able to switch off the feature when you are not at your computer and an email will be waiting for you to say that you were contacted, together with who had contacted you and what their question was.

Search Engine Optimisation Every website is different and every website owner should know how much traffic they get through

their website. The question is do you want more traffic?

Companies often build a website and assume it will magically be found ahead of their competitor's websites in the search engines. The only way to get your website found in Google is to spend time and money promoting it online. The more promotion carried out the further your website will move towards the coveted first Google page.

The real success comes in the combination of lots of traffic going to your website and then the website looking good enough for those visitors to pick up the phone, or send you an email, and book your services. Some people spend over ÂŁ2,000 per month on Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising (that is the advertisers that appear at the top in a coloured box or down the right hand side of Google). An alternative approach would be to try a Search Engine Optimisation service which would be a fraction of that cost and just as effective. Many of our clients have had huge success with SEO and have been able to stop spending on PPC. Now imagine that this is your business and suddenly you are generating so much traffic via your website that you have to sub-contract the work out, or pick and choose from the enquiries that roll in.

If you would like to know about SEO, or any of the other features, please feel free to contact us. page 25

Added pressure on SMEs

S

mall firms are being over scrutinised by HM Revenue & Customs and face crippling fines for misdemeanour offences such as missing due dates by just a few days.

That was the accusation from the Forum of Private Business - a not-for-profit business support group which has warned small firms to pay their tax bills on time or face hefty fines from an increasingly inflexible HMRC that's fast ramping up paperwork spot checks.

Earlier this month the not-for-profit group wrote to David Gauke, the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, complaining about HMRC's “harassment and mistreatment� of small businesses. This included imposing steep fines for even slight delays in tax bill payments as well as records errors or omissions.

The accusation of unfair treatment comes just

Robert Downes (FPB) weeks after it was widely reported in the UK media how HMRC bosses had agreed 'sweetheart' deals with some of the UK's largest companies, effectively letting them off millions of pounds in tax.

Operating such a strict, punitive small business records checks regime, while effectively allowing large companies to do as they please, is completely unfair.

The Forum says small businesses want to keep proper records but struggle with the significant administrative barriers that exist in the UK. They also want to pay their tax bills on time, but claim the reality is many firms are struggling with cash flow in extremely tough economic conditions, yet HMRC is being completely inflexible.

Entrepreneurs are crying out for a better tax regime that supports their ambitions and is conducive to growth, not one that provides page 26

constant hurdles to overcome and punishes them disproportionately.

According to Forum's latest 'cost of compliance' Referendum survey, carried out last summer among its members, tax administration is actually now the main regulatory burden faced by small business owners. The cost is a staggering ÂŁ5.1 billion per year.

And that figure, says the Forum, is only likely to increase because of HMRC's clampdown, and flies directly in the face of the Government's plans to reform small business regulation to allow SMEs to act as a catalyst for economic growth.

The government is therefore in danger of seriously undermining its own deregulatory agenda and damaging small firms, particularly in the present economic climate, the Forum warns.

As part of its headline Get Britain Trading campaign, which began last year - and will re-launch for Spring 2012 - the Forum has been calling for major reforms of the PAYE system as part of a 'rootand-branch' simplification of the tax process. Its chief aim would be to make it easier for small

businesses to negotiate their tax responsibilities.

A recent survey carried out by the group suggests, perhaps surprisingly, business owners would even be willing to pay more in tax in exchange for a simplified system that saves them money in the long run if they can avoid fines for making honest mistakes.

To prevent mistakes small firms may be tempted to seek advice from HMRC on issues such as completing tax forms, although past evidence suggests it might not be as simple as picking up the phone with call handling a major bone of contention.

National Audit Office (NAO) figures from 2010 showed that 44 million calls to the taxman went unanswered, including many during busy tax return periods. In all, HMRC failed to pick up 43% of the 103 million calls it received. There have also been issues reported with HMRCs email response services.

It's an age old story, is the accusation from the Forum: small businesses are struggling to stay afloat and all HMRC can do is add to the pressure with the introduction of yet more stringent penalties. In addition to this their lack of assistance, to those who are bamboozled by tax returns, is forcing firms to pay out for costly accounting services.

The Forum maintains the department needs to give SMEs a break and concentrate on reforming the tax system and clawing back what they're owed from the larger firms. At the moment, says the FPB, it just doesn't seem like small firms are getting a fair deal.

page 27

Taking the brakes off business

W

riting on 5 January 2012 and published in the London Evening

Standard, David Cameron¹ announced that he was “waging war against the excessive health and safety culture that has become an albatross around the neck of British businesses”.

However, this fighting talk came just days after the Health and Safety Executive issued a fresh warning about workplace safety.

This article will examine what Mr Cameron's war game entails and whether this will affect the health and safety regime for businesses in the carpet cleaning sector.

The detail Mr Cameron highlighted two fronts on which the Government will be fighting:

Philip Crosbie (Eversheds LLP)

1. Addressing the fear of being sued; and 2. Investigating the demands made by insurance companies.

The focus of Mr Cameron's article is placed primarily on civil injury claims and the so-called 'compensation culture', forcing businesses to take over-the-top precautions for fear of being sued. As stated by Mr Cameron, “it is simply much too easy for no-win no-fee lawyers to encourage trivial claims against businesses”.

Rather than focussing on health and safety it appears that efforts are being aligned on reducing the cost to businesses of compensating workers following accidents at work and the cost of insurance against such cost. When invoking talk of health and safety, it may be that Mr Cameron has page 28

confused the health and safety of workers with the blossoming compensation culture which was identified by Lord Young in his October 2010 report, 'Common Sense, Common Safety'.

Personal injury might broadly be covered under the heading of health and safety, but the dualpronged attack led by Mr Cameron appears initially to miss the key issues associated with 'health and safety culture': regulation, interpretation and enforcement. However, on closer inspection, there are some proposals in formation to “kill off the health and safety culture for good”.

Health and safety In the realm of traditional health and safety, Mr Cameron makes reference to some “big changes”.

Briefly: ! businesses will no longer have to report minor accidents; ! up to a million self-employed workers will be exempted from health and safety regulation completely; ! a new panel will give businesses the right to challenge controversial inspection decisions; and ! The Health and Safety Executive will commence the task of abolishing or consolidating up to half of all existing regulations.

These changes are likely to be welcomed by most businesses, particularly smaller businesses in the carpet cleaning sector, but whether they are truly the 'big changes' envisaged by some is debatable. It is also doubtful whether these changes will stem the 'tide of risk assessment' for the majority of businesses.

Killing off the health and safety nonsense?

Attempts to reduce the health and safety burden on companies should be welcomed, provided that the changes are clear and they do not compromise on safety. In the context of the current Government push for lesser regulation, the HSE recently reported that the number of deaths in the workplace rose from 147 in 2009/2010 to 171 in 2010/2011².

Whether 'big changes' are truly necessary is a question that has not been fully answered by Mr Cameron. A general review of health and safety legislation was carried out last year by Professor

Löfstedt and published in November 2011, titled 'Reclaiming health and safety for all’³. The conclusion of that report was that the health and safety legislative framework in the UK remains robust and fit for purpose; reflected in the fact that the UK has one of the lowest rates of workplace deaths in Europe.

Professor Löfstedt noted that “In general, the problem lies less with the regulations themselves and more with the way in which they are interpreted and applied”. Therefore, it appears to be the case that rather than 'waging war', the government should be pushing for better understanding and communication. Businesses want to be safe and legally compliant. By educating and making regulation clearer, more informed decisions can be made on health and safety issues and the climate of fear and overprotection need not dominate.

Conclusion The changes made to the civil injury regime are noted. However, Mr Cameron appears to have tangled up the need to keep workers safe with the bureaucracy of paying out when something goes wrong.

Reducing regulation is arguably not the answer.

Businesses need clearer regulation and enforcement so that they can understand the duties imposed on them and the best way to satisfy them. The effect of the proposed changes remains to be seen and businesses in this sector will be watching with great interest. Whilst the war has begun, there is still debate on what we are fighting for.

¹http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/stand ard/article-24025525-health-andsafety-laws-are-holding-backbusiness.do

²HSE Annual Statistics Report 2010/11 ³http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/lofsted t-report.pdf

page 29

Items for sale BUSINESS FOR SALE Small, long-established, reputable NCCA Registered, working carpet, upholstery and soft furnishings cleaning company.

Essex based. Owner Operator retiring. To be sold as a complete package only. Mobile HWE and dry cleaning system. Domestic and commercial clients. Genuine interested parties only please to call 07903 497298 and leave details.

CLEANING EQUIPMENT AND VAN 2 Dryfusion carpet cleaning machines, 2 Drizair 110 dehumidifiers, 2 turbo dryers, 1 Dri-eaz fogging machine, 2 Dryfusion stair tools with pads, 1 Advance Dryfoam rotary upholstery cleaner, plus 1 large sign-written white Fiat Ducato Turbo Diesel van (less than 5 years old - mileage 41,000). Total cost: £13,500 ONO. Phone Mike on: 01443 492455 or mob: 07881 807436.

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Prochem 250 ft vacuum hoses for truck mount - £150.00.

Chemspec hose reel for truck mount plastic - £200. Prochem sadle tank for truckmount 227 litre/60 gallons - £300.00.

Chemspec pile lifter hoover - £800.00. contact aquadriinfo@btconnect.com for further information or contact andy on: 07970 544806 CARPET, UPHOLSTERY, PATIO AND PATHCLEANING BUSINESS FOR SALE The sale includes full training and ongoing support. Twenty five years of customer base and goodwill of the north London and Hertfordshire area. Interactive website, plus a VW transporter van, fully wrapped with a comprehensive equipment list. This includes an Ashbys Enforcer 600 psi (only 6months old) and an Ashbys Ninja 500 psi (only 6 months old). For full equipment list and business details, please contact Nicky on: 07774438007 or 0208 807 3722. Please visit: www.therightclean.co.uk STEAMWAY 9100 LX TRUCKMOUNT Steamway 9100LX Truck Mount, all accessories included.

Comes with solution tank, waste tank, solution and vacuum hoses, hose reel, 4 jet wands. Has been serviced by Alltec and comes with a 3 month guarantee through Alltec. Price: £2750 + VAT. For full fitting to van the extra charge is £400 + VAT. Call 0118 931 0516 for more details. Or Visit: www.truckmount.info MACHINERY FOR SALE Gloria 5 litre stainless steal pump-up sprayer: £67.50. No VAT.Please call Steve on 07973-264783 or alternatively email: s.matczak@btinternet.com TRUCKMOUNT AND VAN FOR SALE Baneclean Truck Mount and van for sale. Due to retirement I will consider offers in region of £3500. For further details of this bargain contact Derek at Aquamaster on 01845 537640, 07976 218304 or email at derek@aquamasteryorkshire.co.uk MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT 3 Ozone plates 4'' x 6'' to fit Jetazone 600 ozone generator £15.00 for the 3, plus £5.00 p & p. Chemspec stainless steel 4 jet floor wand in good condition - £300.00 plus delivery charge if applicable. Ashbys stainless steel chewing gum floor wand in good condition - £50.00 plus delivery charge if applicable. Please phone Pete Collins on 07885804560.

BUSINESS FOR SALE Reputable working carpet, upholstery and hard floor cleaning company servicing both Domestic and Commercial Clients.

Currently based in Northumberland but can easily be relocated. To be sold as a complete package, which includes VW Caddy van, Steempro 2000 Powerplus HWE machine with all extras, Sebo vacuum, Numatic wet and dry vac, professional spotting kit, Rondo-Matic sprayer, cleaning chemicals and many other accessories. The sale also includes a branded uniform, website and domain names. Owner operator retiring on medical grounds.

Sale price £25,000. Please call 01434 679 303 or e-mail: info@fibrescarpetcare.co.uk for more information.

PROCHEM TRUCKMOUNT AND VAN Excellent opportunity to upgrade to a quality truckmount without the big price tag. 2003 LWB Transit in very good condition with FSH, long MOT, 125K miles on the clock.

Prochem Performer dual wand truckmount, with fresh water tanks, auto pump-out and all usual accessories. £5000 + vat ONO. Ring David on 01428 722551 TEXATHERM EQUIPMENT 1 x EMV201 Twin 3 Texatherm / Extraction machine, 2 x 10 meter x 38mm Superflex solution recovery hose, 1 x S/Steel twin jet wand, 1 x S/Steel Upholstery tool + 2 meters whip & S/Steep connector, 1 x TC170 Rotary Machine, 1 x Tc170 Drive Board, 15 x Thermal Pads for Texathurm system ( retail for £21.00 each ), 1 x S/Steel 5ltr Sprayer with lance Vinton 8002. Can also offer training and support to purchaser and can arrange ongoing training with manufacturer.

All equipment purchased earlier this year, hardly used and in excellent condition. Ideal for use in domestic and commercial situations. Reason for sale: alternative full-time employment.

Total cost new: approximately £6882.00 inc VAT. Equipment is practically new, so looking to recover as much of original value as possible. This is a great opportunity to get a discount on some excellent equipment. Please call me any time on 07850 881135 or email on mikefolkes@hotmail.co.uk CITROEN RELAY / BLUELINE THERMAL WAVE HP TRUCKMOUNT Double your income with the latest in carpet cleaning technology. Excellent condition. 5 years young. Very low hours - just 1835. True dual wand capability. 3,000 psi.

Includes these bonuses: carpet wand, detailer hand tool, SX12, SX7 hard floor tools, turbo dryer, battery power sprayer, 2 large pump up sprayers, Geko hard floor tool and Geko hard floor wand, jet wash lance with power head, hp jet wash high pressure hose reel, Alltec spotting kit. Call Right Now on: 07711 454402 TEXATHERM SYSTEM Texatherm System: 70 Pads - Rotary - Heater - Cleaning Solution. £550 + vat. Call Liz 01934 750977

The Association advises that all goods are checked to be in a satisfactory condition, and comply to electrical and health and safety standards, etc. It is recommended that equipment serial numbers should be checked to ensure the seller is the legitimate owner.

The Association accepts no responsibility or liability arising from any transaction or dispute between the buyer and seller.

page 30

NCCA Shop The NCCA has a number of items to order by members. Below are some of the more popular items purchased. For a full list of merchandise please visit the website on: www.ncca.co.uk.

Orders may be placed online, or you can contact the NCCA office on: 0116 271 9550. + PAS86 Code of Practice £40.00 each + Carpet Care Survey Forms (Pad of 100) £19.50 each or £50 for 3

NCCA Associate Members + Alltec Network: 01763 208222 (C/M/F/T) + Amtech UK: 0845 130 4755 (C/M) + Ashby's Cleaning Equipment: 01322 227806 (C/M/E) + Asset Finance Solutions UK Ltd: 01254 584404 (FI) + Bio Productions Ltd (inc. Stapro): 01444 244000 (C) + Camberford Law (insurance brokers): 0208 315 5000 (I) + Chemdry UK: 01482 872770 (C/M/Fr) + Chemspec Europe Ltd: 01274 597333 (C/M/T/D/F)

+ NCCA Lapel Pin Badge £3.00 each

+ Cleanerswarehouse Ltd: 01772 434333 (T/C/R/M)

+ Large NCCA Van Sticker (21x7 inches approx) Pack of 2 for £17.63

+ Cleaning Systems UK: 01334 656787 (C/M/T/F)

+ Small NCCA Van/Machine Sticker (12x3 inches approx) £2.50 each + Promotional Leaflet 10p each (under 500), 8.5p each (500 and over) + NCCA Tie £12.93 each All prices include VAT and Postage and packaging. A receipt invoice will be sent by the office. Please allow 21 days for delivery. Goods will not be sent until payment is received.

+ Cleaning Support Ltd: 0844 8482371 (C/M/W) + Cleansmart Ltd: 0115 8240034 (T/C/R/M/K) + Cleantec Innovation Ltd: 0870 733 7733 (T/C/W/M) + Dri-Eaz: 01908 611211 (C/M/T) + Dry Fusion UK Ltd: 01772 433711 (C/M/T/W/Fr) + Forum of Private Business: 01565 634467 + Gleaming Insurance (insurance brokers): 0845 4740068 (I) + Hi-Tec Cleaning Group: 02866 341416 (C/E/F/M/T) + Host Von Schrader Ltd: 0151 347 1900 (M/C) + Hydro Dynamix: 01622 664993 (Fr) + LTT Leathercare: 01423 881027 (T) + McGregor Lloyd (insurance brokers): 0121 706 0616 (I)

NCCA Member Benefits

+ Nu Life Stone Care Ltd: 0161 480 7284 (M/C)

+ Amicus Legal Ltd (free legal helpline): 01206 366500

+ Prochem Europe Ltd: 0208 974 1515 (C/F/M/T)

+ SiteWizard (website creation) 08450 608860 + EMJ Management Ltd (workwear clothing and accessories): 02392 434650 + Brian James (Marketing Consultant): 08450 608860 + Thompson Local (Ask for Corporate Advertsing Department) 01252 390385 + Yellow Pages (Ask for Corporate Advertising Department) 0808 100 7890 + Adalante Merchant Services 01628 820500 + Payatrader www.payatrader.com

+ Rainbow International: 01623 422488 (M/C/Fr) + Restoration Express: 01252 726106 (M/C/T/A) + ServiceMaster Ltd: 0116 275 9000 (M/C/Fr) + Sebo UK Ltd: 01494 465533 (M) + Stainshield Ltd: 01372 841467 (C) + Textile Cleaning Solutions: 01934 521155 (M/C) + The Big Clean: 0208 3934778 (M,C,W,K) + Truvox International Ltd: 02380 702200 (M) + Vitec Global: 02392 666053 (C) + Woodbridge Comercial Ltd: 01279 422220 (C/M) C - Chemicals / M - Machinery / W - Wholesalers / Fr Franchises / I - Insurance / K - Marketing / T - Technical Services / F - Fire Retardents / A - Auxiliary Services (Restoration Cleaners) / E - Supply/Repair of Curtains and Blinds / Fi - Finance

page 31