February 2013

newslink

ncca

February 2013

The official journal of the National Carpet Cleaners Association

Features:

A Very Worrying Trend Customer Conversion Rates

Contents 03 From the editor From the President 06 Rug fringes 08 Stoneman’s corner

Published monthly by: The National Carpet Cleaners Association 62c London Road, Oadby, Leicestershire, LE2 5DH. Tel: 0116 271 9550 E-mail: admin@ncca.co.uk Website: www.ncca.co.uk Editor Nikki Law

10 When the best is not enough

Editor in Chief Keith Robertson

11 Carpet and upholstery cleaning misconceptions

Design Editor Nikki Law

Communicating for success How to ensure a happy workforce 12 A very worrying trend 14 Health and safety for NCCA members

President/Technical Director Paul Pearce Vice President/Marketing Director Keith Robertson

16 Is carpet a relevant flooring in the 21st century?

Vice President/Events Director Nigel Lay

18 Customer conversion rates

Member Liaison Director Glyn Charnock

20 Could you charge higher prices?

21 Getting your payroll right first time - why employee information matters 22 How to quote for wood floor sanding 24 New affordable Chip & Pin terminal An introduction to hard floor cleaning 26 How warm is your marketing ‘campfire’?

28 Employment law in 2013

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.

Assistant Membership Director Martin Johns Franchise Liaison Director Denise Pitt Corporate Liaison Director Rob Whitbread Training Director Christian Ramsey 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.

page 2

From the editor

A

s notified in the December/January Newslink, renewal documents will be sent on April 1st, due for payment by May 1st 2013.

The Articles of Association state: “Any Member wishing to resign from the Company shall give 60 clear days notice of his intended resignation in writing to the Secretary and at the expiry of such notice shall cease to be a member, but in default of giving such notice, at least 60 clear days before the expiry of the current year, such member shall be liable to pay the subscription for the ensuing year�.

This item is legally enforceable.

With the introduction of the New Membership Structure this year there are a few changes to the documents being requested. Please read your renewal letters carefully to ensure that the correct information is supplied when you renew. The letters will explain the new forms and changes in more detail.

If you are experiencing difficulties or considering

From the President

I

not renewing your membership please contact us. We never like to hear that a member has decided they no longer plan to Nicky Law be part of the NCCA, and we would like to work with you to do all we can to assist.

There is an option to split the annual subscription fee over four months using your credit/debit card on a recurring payment scheme, should you be interested. Details can be obtained from the NCCA office.

Important Notice: All members who have not yet completed a full year of membership will still be receiving a subscription invoice due on May 1st.

The fee will have been reduced in respect of how long you have been a member. Payment of this invoice will bring your renewal in line with the rest of the membership and your renewal year will run from April to April from then on.

Paul Pearce

t was 4am and I was sitting in a hotel bedroom five thousand miles away from home not able to sleep, so I turned on the television for background 'company' as I set about doing some work on my laptop.

I happened to notice that the General Manager of the restaurant I had eaten in the previous night was being interviewed. He was being asked why his restaurant was so popular and always busy.

His reply was that eating out should be 'an experience' - a pleasurable one of course - not simply an alternative to eating at home.

He went on to say that in order to create the whole 'dining out experience' obviously very high standards must be set. Firstly, it is his belief that the entrance hall, or vestibule, should be clean,

free from clutter, decorated in such a way that it is a pleasure to walk into and with someone there to greet the customers with a smile at all times.

He added that the ambience of the restaurant should be happy and bright, but also intimate. His staff are hugely important in creating the right sort of atmosphere and all of his waiters/waitresses are expected to be attentive and courteous at all times. He even stated that if any of his employees come into work with 'baggage' from home, that they can't shake off, then they are told to return home immediately.

The majority of his clients/guests make reservations, enabling staff to deal with them Continued on next page Page 3

Continued from previous page

promptly when they arrive, but should their table not be ready then they are shown to the bar where they are looked after.

Every table has to have clean linen for each new guest, the cutlery is always A ‘Wine Angel’ clean and the cruet is steward regularly replenished. The upholstery that the guest is about to sit on for two hours always has to be clean. He insists that every course is beautifully presented, tastes exquisite, and that this 'experience' continues right to the end of the meal when a wonderful tasting coffee is served. To add to the whole ambience, a forty foot wine tower has even been added to the restaurant. This tower is surrounded by glass so you can watch the 'Wine

Angel' stewards gracefully ascend the tower to retrieve the bottles.

Everything you can think of is aimed at creating a happy experience for the customer.

Now, at this point you are probably thinking 'So? Isn't that normal procedure?' Oh I wish it were! Far too often the only 'experience' we have with the companies we encounter are bad ones.

So how does this relate to carpet and upholstery cleaning? Well, the 'experience' we provide for our clients should be created with as much attention to detail as the 'restaurant experience' has been.

Our vehicle should be clean and free from clutter. Our technicians should be polite, friendly

and attentive and leave their 'baggage' at home (or at least in the van) so that they can work efficiently and concentrate on the needs of the client. We must be clean and tidy and our equipment should be clean and smell fresh. We should listen to what our clients require, take into account any concerns they may have, explain the expected outcome of the work being done and communicate effectively throughout the entire job. There should never be a rush to get to our next job and we can easily avoid this if we plan accordingly.

This whole process has to be a good experience for ourselves and our clients. Attention to detail is crucial right up to the end of any job. We should always ensure that there no marks or stains left when the cleaning process is completed and, if there are, explain to the client why this is. It is important that when we remove our equipment from the house that we don't leave a trail of water

on the floor and don't bang the paintwork with our equipment. The 'experience' should even extend right up to the point where we make a follow-up call to the client a week later, to enquire if they are happy with the work that has been done.

I'm not sure how we could emulate the equivalent of the 'Wine Angel' experience though.

Perhaps we could supply a free spotter (with the assurance of a FOC refill), a laminated stains-andspills 'first aid' chart and a small white towel, ensuring that your details are on the spotter bottle and chart of course.

The General Manager of the restaurant has obviously sought praise from his critics and Michelin Stars for his cuisine but, in his own words, the most important thing to him is that his guests enjoy the experience when visiting his establishment. We should think the same way about our own clients. After all, we want to keep them don't we?

Rug fringes

T

NCCA Library

he cleaning of Oriental and area rugs is a complicated and intricate process. A major concern during this process involves the rug fringes.

Special care should be taken when cleaning fringes as they may have been subject to untwisting and texture loss during normal use, i.e. vacuuming, walking etc. due to their loose, or low, twist and open ends.

There are also other reasons why fringes may require special treatments during or after cleaning.

The first is cellulosic browning. Rug fringes are mostly made of cotton, a cellulosic fibre, which undergoes natural changes with time. These changes may lead to the development of a brown stain or discolouration called cellulosic browning.

The second reason is the possible change in the colour of the fringes during the cleaning process.

This form of colour change often occurs when fugitive dyes, from a wet rug, are absorbed by the fringes.

There are several ways in which these stains can be removed. The first is by hand, with or without

mild acid rinsing and rapid drying with a blower. The second, a stronger treatment, involves bleaching, with or without rinsing, and rapid drying.

If severe browning or colour bleed are present, it is possible that these may not be eliminated by the first approach, the milder treatment. The second approach will result in white fringes but may also cause some physical deterioration. This generally manifests itself in loss of strength, fibre loss and/or 'stringy' texture.

Each procedure has its advantages and disadvantages. The first treatment does not weaken the fringes but may leave them off-white or slightly discoloured. The bleaching process will whiten the fringes but may result in a change in texture. The fringes may look stringy and break off during subsequent vacuuming and wear. The choice of procedures best suited for a particular rug comes from knowledge and experience.

Eventually all rug fringes will wear out from normal use and care. Many professional rug cleaners can renew the appearance of a rug by replacing the old, worn rug fringes (re-fringing). page 6

NEW NCCA MEMBERS FULL MEMBERS Master Carpet Cleaning Essex (Benfleet, Essex) Reality Clean Ltd (London, E14) SOS On the Spot Ltd (London, E4) M & A Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning (Huthwaite, Nottinghamshire) Transform London Ltd (Epsom, Surrey) Astonishingly Clean (SWC) (Towcester, Northamptonshire) SCS Cleaning Services Ltd (Midlothian, Scotland) Ideal Upholstery Cleaners (Stockport, Cheshire) Cumbria Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning (Keswick, Cumbria) Floor Wizards (Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire) GA Cleaning Services Ltd (Feltham, Middlesex) Doncaster, Rotherham & Sheffield Chem Dry (Doncaster, South Yorkshire) Hartley Square (Purley, Surrey) Carpet Fresh (Garstang, Lancashire) EJ Carpet Cleaners (London, SE20) Cleaning Magic (Ferndown, Dorset) Busy Bees Cleaning & Domestic Services (Exmouth, Devon) Domestic Bliss (Llanelli, Carmarthenshire)

CORPORATE MEMBERS Cleanpro Software Solutions Ltd (Luton, Bedfordshire) Get Booked Up Software (Doncaster, South Yorkshire)

The Woolsafe Organisation Otley, West Yorkshire

Diary Dates 2013 NCCA COURSES Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning 22nd - 23rd March 24th - 25th May 5th - 6th July 27th - 28th September 22nd -23rd November Spot & Stain Removal 8th March (extra date added due to high demand) 21st June 25th October An Introduction to Hard Floor Cleaning 18th - 19th April Carpet Cleaners Carnival 14th September (Wicksteed Park, Northamptonshire) NCCA courses held at NSPCC Training Centre, Leicester unless otherwise stated.

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

THE NATURAL STONE SHOW 30th April - 2nd May (ExCel, London) THE CLEANING SHOW 19th - 21st March (Birmingham NEC) IICRC COURSES (SURREY) Carpet Cleaning Technician (CCT) 18th - 19th June Upholstery Cleaning Technician (UFT) 6th - 7th March 10th - 11th July Stone, Masonry & Tile Cleaning Technician (SMT)*New* 9th - 10th April Odour Control Technician (OCT) 31st May Held at National Flood School, Surrey. Tel: 01252 82118 Or visit: www.nationalfloodschool.co.uk for further details on IICRC Training Courses.

Page 7

Keith Robertson

Stoneman’s Corner Never too old

T

he fact that I’m getting older came home to me this morning when I heard of the death of Reg Presley from lung cancer. Reg Presley was the front man of one of the 60's rock bands that I enjoyed in my youth.

For you younger readers who associate the song, 'Love is All Around' by Wet Wet Wet it may be a lesson to you that it was first released by the Troggs and the 90's version was a cover of their successful record. They are also remembered for songs like 'Wild Thing' and 'With a Girl Like You.' I have a clear memory of being invited by my parents to dinner at a Dundee hotel in 1966 with Angela, my future wife, where the only other guests eating in the dining room were the Troggs.

Life seemed so simple then, but the years have passed so it is not surprising that, as a man of mature years, I seem to keep coming across things that appear to be unnecessarily complicated or

encrypted and none worse so than the growing problem of the hiding of sensible words and phrases behind initials.

Many years ago I was puzzled by the acronym PPE. I am not sure if at that time I even knew the word ‘acronym’, however I did understand that the letters were an abbreviation of a phrase or a number of words but couldn't work out what they were.

Well of course I did eventually discover that PPE stood for Personal Protective Equipment and within the Trauma Cleaning business you can be sure we make good use of it.

I have now come across another acronym which is DOI. Do you know what that one is? No, not the Department of Industry although I am pretty sure this is also known as the DOI. Let me give you a hint, it's something to do with hard floor care. Got it yet? No? Well, you were not alone. page 8

DOI is a new catchphrase which, according to cleaning industry manufacturer 3M, stands for Distinctness of Image. They claim that DOI is quickly becoming the new measure for hard floor quality.

What's it all about? Well, like so many things it emanates from the US but, even so, there is more than a grain of both truth and common sense to this acronym.

In the days when all polished marble surfaces were kept sharp, crisp and scratch-free it was by using abrasives, normally diamond polishing.

As other products were developed, to make maintenance simpler to come within the scope of the daily cleaning contractor, there was gradually a noticeable change to many floors.

Some of the products developed were too harsh, sometimes they were used too frequently and sometimes they were applied carelessly.

All this has resulted in some polished floors no longer looking clear and clean so that a light bulb could be crisply reflected.

Instead of appearing sharp, reflections became indistinct or blurry.

Using this new acronym, a blurry surface would be referred to as having a low DOI, whereas a sharp and in-focus image is described as having a high DOI. A set of standards has been set by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) with a scale that runs from 0 to 100. To achieve a high score it is necessary to ensure that a maintenance system, which will produce a good result, is used by a trained technician and the

work is carried out at the correct frequency.

It does seem that we are less observant in the UK or perhaps it's just that we are less fussy.

Certainly, when I have stayed in UK hotels with stone floors, and complained about their poor appearance, I have been met by either indifference or bewilderment.

In the US floor care is, on the whole, considered to be more important than in the UK and the brilliant shine of a polished stone appears to be more appreciated. In the UK, as more people install natural stone in their own homes, it is likely that the appearance of floors in general will become more important.

It is already the case that some of the major grocery supermarket chains have changed their way of maintaining their terrazzo tiled floors to improve the appearance, so it is quite likely that it won't be long before we find that DOI will become a new measure for hard floor quality here too.

If you are involved in the care of hard floors, and particularly natural stone, it is time that you might want to review what your work practices are and also what equipment and materials you are using, to ensure that you don't fall into the trap of simply assuming that what you are currently doing is satisfactory.

If you, like me, are slightly past the blush of youth, it may not be essential to remember what the initials DOI mean, but it is extremely important that the right tools and supplies are chosen if you are serious about providing your customers with a first-class service and result, regardless of whether you are simply cleaning thoroughly or providing a lustrous finish to their floors. page 9

When the best is not enough

D

o you clean every carpet to the highest standard? Do the rates you charge represent outstanding value? Like me, do you think you are the best carpet cleaner in your town?

Surprisingly, being the best carpet cleaner may not be enough to make you the most successful in your area. I'll explain.

During the last few months, 'The Gorgeous One' and I have had two experiences where being the best was just not good enough.

The first example was when we went shopping for some new garage doors. After asking the right questions of the right, impartial people, a local joiners name kept cropping up. We had seen examples of their work and it was superb - a little expensive but good value nevertheless. We ordered. Deadlines were missed several times.

Phone calls not returned. What a disaster. I can appreciate that there were various problems outside of their control but they never informed us about anything and didn't even return our calls.

Out of frustration, we cancelled.

The second example is from when we were on

Ken Wainwright

holiday last autumn. A restaurant had changed ownership and moved a little upmarket. The food was superb. But service was a little overbearing.

The staff were visiting our table every few minutes.

More drinks? Is the food OK? Would you like a brandy on the house? Not a relaxing experience.

But the worst part was that one of the waiters was stood by the entrance and in a pretty loud voice was touting for business with every passerby. I know this is not uncommon in Mediterranean countries, but the decibels were far too high and definitely spoilt the dining experience for both us and others. We will not return there.

So, how are your business skills? It is all well and good being the best carpet cleaner in your area, but are you doing something which could inadvertently hinder the chance of repeat business?

A simple periodic analysis of the way you perform, from the initial enquiry to banking the cheque, is a very valuable exercise. The quality of service you offer should be comparable, or even superior, to what you yourself would expect from tradesmen in your own home. page 10

Communicating for success Carpet and upholstery cleaning misconceptions ! You don't need to pre-vacuum Remember, a large amount of soil is removed by pre-vacuuming. ! You don't need to clean under furniture or around the edge of rooms - Atmospheric soil is NOT selective as to where it contaminates! ! You don't need to clean the sides and backs of upholstery items - See the previous comment, plus the continual flexing of the furniture frame during use effectively turns the item into a large set of bellows.

Atmospheric soil is drawn back and forth through the fabric filtering into it. ! You don't need to rinse - Leaving pretreatments, etc. in fibres can cause resoiling problems, chemical imbalance, colour migration, the loss of 'feel' and the degradation of fibres.

Many people gain business from marketing and advertising. If your business is new then a certain amount of this type of promotion is essential, but if you have been established for a while a far more prolific way to gain business is to receive repeat, referral and recommendation work.

Clearly, with this strategy, success comes to those who provide quality cleaning and service, but it also comes from a deeper, perhaps intangible relationship with your customer.

If you make them feel at ease they are likely to return again and again. Even if they are unhappy with the results of a particular clean they will be able to address any issue and continue to use your services because they feel comfortable with you.

What you should be aiming for is to have customers who are delighted with your work, happy with the value you offer and feel so secure with you as a person that, in the unfortunate event of problematic clean, they are willing to discuss problems with you and continue to employ you!

How to ensure a happy workforce If you are not getting the best from your employees, or you have a large staff turnover, you may need to review the way you are treating them.

These days people expect to earn a good salary, the days of slave trading are long gone.

The employer/employee relationship should be give and take. Examples of this are provided in the list below. If you can answer YES to these questions, the chances are that you already have a happy team of staff. ! Do you have employees who have been properly trained in what you are asking them to do? Remember the NCCA motto 'training is an investment, not an expense'. ! Do you have employees who are made to feel part of a team? ! Do you have employees who are paid a decent wage? Would you work in that

position for the wage that you are paying? If the answer is 'NO' then do not expect others to. ! Do you have employees who are given a reasonable amount of time in which to do the work they are given? One hour to properly clean a three-piece-suite and a large carpet is absolutely impossible. ! Do you have employees who are given the correct equipment to carry out the tasks they are asked to do? ! Do you make checks on their work from time to time? If there are problems do you discuss why? It could be that they need retraining or additional training.

Remember, as an employer, you are responsible for the welfare of your staff. A happy employee will be more productive and take pride in what they do. You don't just owe it to your staff to be a good employer; you owe it to yourself and your customers too.

A very worrying trend

I

read with interest Paul Pearce's 'From the President' in the Christmas issue of Newslink and there were several things within the editorial that caught my eye and prompted me to write this article.

Paul mentioned that he had been asked to deal with some 'carpet cleaning blunders' and highlighted several cases almost all of which he was, thankfully, able to rectify. He intimated that one possible cause could be that during the 'Christmas rush' there was a tendency for people to take on too much work by squeezing in that extra job.

Like Paul, I have seen my fair share of catastrophes and many have been due to rushed

Derek Bolton (Honorary Member) jobs. However, lately I have seen some disastrous cleans which I believe are the result of a relatively new and very disconcerting trend. Now this may offend some folk but at my age I feel I am old enough and ugly enough to give my opinion. I could plead the onset of dementia‌ but I won't.

As many of you know I was involved with NCCA training for some years and am fully aware of what was, and still is, being taught on these courses.

Well, in addition to NCCA training and the other excellent courses available, there is now a relatively 'new kid on the block'‌. the internet.

Love it or hate it, the internet is here to stay and can be a remarkable media if used correctly.

There are many people however, including page 12

cleaning technicians, who totally rely on the internet for their information and training. Many take, as gospel, what they read on the web pages within forums or blogs. My personal frustration (and I am sure Paul and others will share this view) is when I see people who I/we have personally trained taking all their advice from cleaners on the internet, some of whom have never even been on a recognised training course.

There are some really bad techniques described on the internet as well as good. The trick is to stop and think it through before trying it out on a client's carpet or soft furnishings.

My particular favourite is the newcomer to our industry who posed the question 'I have booked a three piece suite to clean tomorrow, how do I go about it'? You may think that this type of question is an exception to the rule, but it is actually quite common to read queries like this. Scarily, some well-meaning folk who are sometimes newcomers to the industry themselves - and seemingly

untrained - will then reply with advice in response to the question being asked.

There is rarely any thought given as to what the fabric is, how it's made, all those questions a professional technician should consider before embarking on a cleaning process.

A good training course should inform the delegate how to clean an item 'safely and effectively' whilst stressing the various evaluation procedures that should be implemented. One cleaning chemical or system will NOT be able to do every job; the choice of these should be influenced by the initial evaluation.

So when you read that a pre-treatment of 'Superwhiz Plus' at a pH of 12 with a mix of 'Blasto' in the rinse tank at pH 9.8 will clean everything please, PLEASE stop and remember what you were taught on your training course.

The internet should be used sensibly as part of a learning curve and information gathering process.

Remember it is no substitute for 'proper' training.

Health and safety for NCCA members

A

s Members, we have all attended the NCCA basic training or equivalent, passed an exam and have insurance in place. We all joined the Association to prove ourselves to the public as professionals, separating us from the 'cowboys' in the industry. Also many of us have applied to join the government approved trusted trader scheme, TrustMark, further proving our credentials.

An issue that has been the cause of much discussion amongst the Directors of late is whether the majority of members are well-informed on the matter of health and safety. It was proposed, at one point, that all members should do a day's training on the subject, although this suggestion was discounted. Instead it was decided that membership should include the same declaration of health and safety as is used for TrustMark, by

Glyn Charnock

scheme operator Diversity, bringing the membership in line with TrustMark and leaving the responsibility of health and safety to each individual.

However, this subject is a minefield, so you may still need some help. If you feel that you do, then why not attend the NCCA course run by Paul Pearce? It is specifically tailored to carpet and upholstery cleaners. I myself attended last year and it was well worth it. I realised that my own health and safety paperwork needed some updating and was pleased to find that the CD supplied on the course contains twenty templates for health and safety documents and over forty guidance and advice documents, all of which are, as I thought they would be, excellent. This has saved me a lot of time in the office.

A big “thank you� must go to Paul, as I can't page 14

imagine how much time it must have taken for him to put all this together. Not only is the course informative, but talking to other attendees made me realise there were some health and safety issues that I hadn't even considered. One was related to an experience had by fellow Director Martin Johns. He told us about a time his van had been pulled over by VOSA (Vehicle and Operator Services Agency). Not only did they check the road worthiness of his vehicle and his driving documents, they also went through every chemical container that he had in the back of his vehicle and checked it for an up-to-date Material Data Safety Sheet. So make sure you keep MSDS up-to-date, for yours and others safety, because you never know when you might need to produce them.

I also recently had a conversation with an NCCA member who was unknowingly seriously risking his health. He was using a dust mask and gloves, but he didn't wear goggles or any other PPE, whilst spraying insecticide. I warned him that insecticide

entering the body through the eyes has a direct route to the brain.

Any disposable PPE, which has come into contact with insecticide, is classed as hazardous waste and needs to be disposed of as such. You cannot dispose of any insecticide that is left over safely.

Never put it down a soil drain, it is hazardous waste, it has to remain in the sprayer and the sprayer used must never be utilized for anything else. If you are using insecticide, or other hazardous products without the proper training, please stop!

It is a concern that not everyone undertakes the appropriate training when adding further services to their business. As NCCA Members we have all recognised the benefits and importance of training to undertake carpet and upholstery cleaning safely, and this conscientious approach should apply to all areas of our work.

We must be professional and responsible; keep learning and most of all stay safe!

page 15

Keith Robertson

Is carpet a relevant flooring in the 21st century?

M

uch has been discussed in recent years regarding the reduction in carpet usage as more people install hard floor surfaces in their homes. It is certainly true that there has been a steady contraction within the carpet manufacturing industry over recent years, but are carpets becoming something to be consigned to the history of floor coverings?

I don't think so. There are still plenty of interesting carpets being produced throughout the world and carpet manufacturers, in general, have understood how important the environment is to

us. They have reacted to the criticisms of carpets and have been working progressively to run their operations in a more sustainable way.

One example of this is Belgium carpet and rug manufacturer, Lano, who have developed their own green signature. In case you are not aware who Lano are, here is a brief rundown. The company has its head office in Harelbeke, a small town about forty miles inland from Ostend. The Harelbeke mill produces around 1,200,000m² of woven carpet per year.

In nearby Stasegem the company have thirty page 16

eight tufting machines which, along with its weaving looms producing Axminster carpets, allow it to produce up to 20,000,000m² in a year. The Stasegem facility is a vertically integrated plant as on site it is capable of yarn preparation, twining, heatsetting, tufting, dyeing, printing, latexing, storing and shipping of both the tufted and woven carpets. At any one time there may be up to 20,000 rolls of tufted carpet stored ready for distribution. In addition, the company operate a spinning mill with a three hundred tonne capacity at Forceville in France.

In line with most forward thinking carpet manufacturers, Lano have worked hard to reduce manufacturing emissions, energy usage, waste and water use, to recycle waste material and to improve the lifecycle of their products through both quality and longevity. They not only source raw materials that comply with their environmental philosophy, but also have minimised the use of virgin material by maximizing the use of recycled material and working at minimising post-consumer waste by supporting industry-led recycling initiatives. The manufacturers of fibres have also consistently been researching and developing ways to ensure that high quality product is available to the carpet manufacturers.

Recently Lano announced a new addition to their Perlana range called Grandeur. This is a 40oz/sq yd, 1/8� cut pile available in both four metre and five metre width with a seven year warranty. Perlana is

a PET fibre which means it is a polyester. The pile content of Grandeur is 100% recycled material and is advertised as bleach cleanable to provide the ultimate reassurance against spillage.

As carpet cleaners we should share Lano's belief that good carpets increase the user's quality of life and feeling of wellbeing, as they are comfortable to the touch and absorb noise, assisting in providing a quieter environment. No doubt we also reassure our own customers that carpets have many benefits as they act as a first-rate thermal insulator and contribute to reduction in energy consumption.

As part of our customer education programme we should also be reminding them of the other benefits of carpet, which include the fact that carpets are slipresistant and assist in limiting the number of falls, particularly important if there are very young or old occupants in the building.

It is also important that our customers understand that carpets improve indoor air quality because dust is trapped and therefore far fewer particles are left airborne. Furthermore this allows us to remind them that, because the carpet is acting like a filter, it does need to be cleaned regularly and not just in preparation for a forthcoming special event or in response to a past accident. Now, if they have chosen a carpet such as Lano's Grandeur we should be assured of producing a fine result with a clean pile unmarred by residual staining. page 17

Customer conversion rates

I

n the December/January Newslink, David Coker raised a very interesting, even intriguing, issue in his article titled ‘The Principle of Inverse Appointment Time' with regard to the conversion rate of a certain category of home calls.

It has been David's experience that the conversion rate of customers requiring an urgent estimate is extremely low.

It would be interesting to know if other members suffer similarly.

But, accepting that David's experience is the norm, why should impatience and urgency lead to

Cecil Aigin (Honorary Member)

low conversions, and how can the trend be reversed?

One reason could be that the prospective client has previously accepted an estimate and, at the last moment, wants to make certain that this original quotation is competitive. Should the next estimate appear to be similar, the clients will not have a change of mind, unless they are given good reason to do so.

Alternatively, an imminent and important event might be about to take place in their home/place of work and there is a last minute panic regarding page 18

the condition of the carpets. Subsequent to receiving a quotation, the event might be cancelled or the thought of spending money reduces the degree of anxiety with regard to the appearance of the carpet.

A further reason for not accepting a quotation could be that other 'panic' estimates were obtained which appeared to be more advantageous.

Needless to say, there are numerous other reasons for the lack of success.

So, what do we need to do to improve our conversion rate in the above situations?

Tactfully ask; “you have indicated urgency in requiring me to call at short notice, may I ask what has occurred that has caused you to do so?”

In the first instance, use the apparent urgency to your advantage.

Should the client indicate a competing estimate, provide an assurance that you are able to complete the work to their timescale and describe fully your processing.

In the case of impending visitors, appreciate their concern at the condition of the carpet and assure them that your process will substantially improve its appearance and indicate an immediate appointment.

In all cases, prior to quoting your charges, provide a verbal and written detailed description of your processing.

For example: ‘We are members of the National Carpet Cleaners Association which is your assurance of the highest standard of work.

Having inspected your carpets, I have decided on the most efficient process to return them to the best possible appearance.

1) We will first do our best to remove stains that will be more difficult to remove if not treated prior to the cleaning process.

2) We will then efficiently vacuum all carpets with our specialised equipment.

3) Having completed the above treatments we will clean the carpets using the most appropriate equipment and materials.

4) All carpets will then be inspected and any residual stains will be treated.

5) Finally, the carpet pile will be conditioned and groomed.

6) We will take every care in the movement and replacement of all items of furniture and will place protective pads as necessary.

7) We will promptly attend to any concerns that you may have following completion’.

A detailed account of your process will give you an enormous advantage in encouraging a client to think twice before passing the work to a competitor who only provided a price and will, hopefully, result in more successful conversions.

There's an old adage in selling that many sales trainers love to quote; “You have convinced me that I need your product/service, but you haven't convinced me that I need to buy it from you.”

No doubt members already follow a similar plan, but a reappraisal often helps and will serve to convince a prospective client that you are the company from whom they need to buy. page 19

Could you charge higher prices?

I

've just started reading for the second or third time Robert Cialdini's famous book ‘Influence, Science and Practice’.

He opens by talking about a friend who had an Indian jewellery store. She was having trouble selling some turquoise jewellery despite it being good quality and there being plenty of customers to the shop. She had even moved the jewellery to a prime location in the store.

Finally, before leaving on an out-of-town trip, she left written instructions to her staff to sell it all at ‘price X ½’ - in other words ‘half-price’.

When she returned after a business trip she was therefore not surprised to see that all these items of jewellery had been sold. She was surprised though, to discover that because the employee had read the ½ as a 2, the entire lot had been sold

David Coker

at twice the original price!

At first it seems incredible that INCREASING the price actually increased sales. It seems to run counter to basic economics. However, if you look at the psychology behind it, it follows our natural inclination to believe that 'you get what you pay for'. In this case her customers, mostly affluent holiday makers with little knowledge of turquoise, were using a standard principle to guide their buying decision, i.e. 'expensive = good quality'.

Thus the holiday makers, who wanted 'good quality' jewellery, saw the turquoise pieces as more valuable and desirable when they were twice the price. The price alone indicated quality, and a dramatic increase in price led to a dramatic increase in sales.

We usually believe that lower prices will mean page 20

more sales. A few years ago, one of my former employees started his own carpet cleaning business. I'll never forget what a mutual friend told me when we met, “Now you'll have to lower your prices”. Yet as far as I know, he's still cleaning carpets… and we're still at least double his prices!

Of course, people don't buy on price alone (usually), they buy value. Otherwise there would be no Mercedes, BMW's and Audis on the road.

And we'd all be wearing the cheapest clothes certainly NOT designer label.

However, getting a Ford or Vauxhall and slapping a premium price on it is not enough. You can put lipstick on a pig… but it's still a pig!

So if you want to get higher prices, give greater value! And that can include PERCEIVED greater value. Provide exceptional customer service, send a newsletter that positions, informs and educates and send thank you cards. Even send gifts occasionally. Ask yourself, “Do I look like a Mercedes business or just a Vauxhall business?”

I have a friend who, many years ago, had written on his business card: “I have no quibble with those who charge less. They obviously know what their work is worth.”

Indeed if you are not losing at least SOME of your business based on price - you are too cheap!

Better to seek out highquality seekers, charge a higher price and use the extra profit to deliver exceptional value.

Getting your payroll right the first time - why employee information matters

H

MRC is introducing a new way of reporting PAYE - called Real Time Information, or RTI. From April 2013, employers will be legally required to report PAYE in real time. This means that information about all PAYE payments needs to be submitted to HMRC online each time a payment is made as part of the payroll process, rather than at the end of the year as they are now.

Before they are able to report in real time, employers and pension providers will need to go through a payroll alignment process to help ensure

that information on their payroll can be matched efficiently to the correct individual record.

Improving data quality is important preparation for a successful transition to RTI. The following links to the HMRC website will provide full details. www.hmrc.gov.uk/rti/dip www.hmrc.gov.uk/rti/dip/data-quality.htm www.hmrc.gov.uk/rti/dip/media.htm http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/paye/employerbulletin/bulletin42.pdf page 21

How to quote for wood floor sanding Terry Guilford (The Ultimate Floor Sanding Co.)

O

k, so you have bought your machines, designed your website and started your marketing. Now comes the scary bit.

Someone has contacted you and actually wants you to look at their wood floor! Carpet and upholstery you can quote in your sleep…. stone, tile and vinyl you've maybe just got to grips with, but wood?

Starting with the basics, you cannot do floor sanding quotations without visiting the premises and seeing the floor. Even if the potential client says “I just want a rough idea” don't do it, the variables involved in our business make it easy to get it VERY wrong and that person will forget the “rough” part of their request and just will just remember the figures.

So, when you turn up, what are you looking for?

When you start, try dividing the floors into two categories, floors in reasonable condition that show wear and some scratches and floors that are in poor condition that need repairs and/or very heavy sanding. In the case of the former… happy days!

Whether hardwood or softwood they will respond well to sanding and the client will be delighted. In the event of the latter you need to consider the value of the floor versus the cost of sanding it. If it is a Victorian softwood (Scots pine or similar) it may not represent the best of floors when it is finished, but it can look good and the value to the client of retaining the original floor boards is worth considering. Don't forget you have to hammer all page 22

those nails in to avoid damage to your sander!

If it is a poor condition engineered (semi solid) board, you might want to advise the client it really isn't worth sanding, especially if it is the older three strip type board. On any engineered floor check out the thickness of the wear layer or veneer, most are 4mm or above but not all.

Hardwood floors (oak, maple, beech etc.) are nearly always worth repairing and sanding, whatever their condition, and if they are old it will add value to the property by being restored.

Many old hardwood floors (and some softwood) are wood block or parquet. They should always be retained wherever possible, but there are considerations for you when quoting these. It is very important, particularly with finger parquet (five thin blocks in one direction surrounded by sets of five blocks in the opposite direction), that you go around the WHOLE floor tapping it to listen for hollow sounding, loose, blocks. On five finger parquet any loose blocks need to be secured as they can get inside your machine and do serious damage. Don't forget the weight and power of your machine may loosen others as well, so be thorough in your survey. If a lot of blocks are loose, repairing a five finger parquet floor may be uneconomical as they do not have the value of the larger wood blocks. Remember, if you take on the repair of five finger parquet, each block must go back where it came from, they are NOT all the same size!

In the case of the larger wood blocks, if one is loose it can be ignored if it is connected to its neighbours by a tongue and groove arrangement, however, any blocks that are straight sided and can be lifted out must be bonded back into place.

There are two basic ways to work out your price,

either a straight area calculation multiplied by whatever figure you charge, or you can do a materials used plus labour plus profit calculation, or you can do a combination of the two. In many cases the latter is the ONLY way to calculate because situations like repairs and staircases cannot be done on anything other than a costs plus profit basis. Stairs are particularly tricky and I would advise charging well over whatever is involved and also let the client know that there will be dust, as extraction is lost at the edges of the tread. It is usual that floor sanding companies sand the stair and riser but stringers, spindles and handrails are left to painters and decorators. Check that the spindle doesn't sit on the tread and if it does, remember that you will have to hand scrape around each spindle.

Ok, the final consideration that comes within the limited scope of this article is concerning the products used.

Staining a floor adds substantially to the time a job will take and also the cost. It is also the biggest area of dispute between client and contractor, as often their expectations of the colour that will be achieved are unrealistic no matter how many caveats you add at the quotation stage. Charge well! If you are using a lacquer you can only apply one seal coat and two top coats in one day and in any case after sanding you may not have time to even do this, many jobs go into more than one day.

In the case of catalysed oils they make it much easier to finish in one day, the good ones are expensive but do have a great deal of coverage.

As with everything, there is no substitute for experience, but I hope this very brief guide will be of some help. page 23

New! Affordable mobile Chip & Pin terminal for Uk’s millions of small businesses, professionals and home service traders

P

ayatrader.com has launched the UK's first, low cost, pocket sized stand-alone card processing terminal with electronic receipting - specifically designed for small businesses.

Not much bigger than a pocket calculator, the new terminal is a fully accredited, secure chip & pin device with immediate authorisation and cardholder authentication.

Bill Thomson, MD at Payatrader.com, commented “Adding a PayMate Chip & Pin terminal into the 'trader tool kit' makes strong commercial sense; not only does it mean payment can be taken straightaway, which is good for cash flow, it means traders have a dedicated payment device which closely matches the existing cardholder experience, avoids Bluetooth pairing with other mobile devices, and avoids cardholder concern about entering their details into someone else's mobile phone”.

The design, development and introduction of the new PayMate pocket mobile (GPRS) Chip & Pin

terminal is a natural extension to Payatrader's successful low cost 'terminal free' proposition, where small businesses can take card payments on a 'Pay As You Go' basis without the worry of monthly and minimum usage charges or lengthy contracts.

Is it for you? It's definitely worth checking it out at www.payatrader.com MEMBER OFFER As a member of the NCCA, you can join Payatrader FREE of charge - saving you £99! A special referral code can be found by logging in to the Members' Area of the NCCA website. In the Benefits and Schemes section you can access the Payatrader website by clicking on the link displayed under the heading 'Electronic Payments'.

An introduction to hard floor cleaning

A

growing number of NCCA members are adding hard floor cleaning and maintenance to their list of services. Although most NCCA members were primarily carpet cleaners, many have now come to understand that there are an ever increasing number of hard surfaces and a need to care for them.

If you currently only clean soft furnishings there's no need to feel threatened by this. It actually presents a brilliant opportunity for your business to expand.

Some of the equipment needed you probably already have, some you may not have used for a while and you're probably thinking you need to have a clear out. Well don't do that just yet.

If you'd like an introduction to hard floor cleaning, then why not come along to our course on the 18th and 19th April.

The programme includes some practical hands-on

training and covers the cleaning and care of Resilient, Wood, Ceramic and Natural Stone. Each delegate is provided with an excellent accompanying reference manual, which is theirs to take home once the course is over.

The course instructor is NCCA Director and hard flooring expert, Keith Robertson, a true professional with over thirty years experience running a floor care company in Edinburgh. As well as being a committed affiliate of the National Carpet Cleaners Association, Keith is a member of the British Institute of Cleaning Science, an IICRC Master Textile Cleaner, an IICRC Stone Masonry and Tile instructor and writes regularly for the trade press.

When you have the knowledge and equipment to do the job, why lose the work to a competitor?

Just call us on 0116 271 9550 or visit www.ncca.co.uk for more information or to book. page 24

Member referral report Since publishing a referral statistics report in last month's Newslink there have been 61 recommendations for full members provided by the NCCA. This number is made up of 25 referrals from the NCCA office, 31 potential customers contacting members direct through the website and 5 referrals to members without an email address, which we have tracked using the office database.

How warm is your marketing ‘campfire’?

Pierre De Wet (Art of Clean)

A

s I was lighting my fireplace the other day it dawned on me how similar this process is to marketing a business.

When starting our business we might have used a good bit of kindling nestled on top of some dry newspaper with a good few thinner logs on top with some thick logs ready to go on when the fire is roaring.

Let's analyse this setup and take you back to when you first constructed your 'campfire'.

Your newspaper might have been your friends and family that know and trust you.

They were happy to give you their carpet to practice on with a small financial reward.

Possibly a bottle of wine. I would have to point out that attending professional training is crucial - no hands on experience can replace this!

Your kindling would have been those who your family and friends referred on to you as well as those in your local community that know you. They possibly paid you a bit more for the work and might have likely helped transfer your fire on to the smaller logs that will become your future repeat customers. Now you have to control this process carefully, if the fire does not take off as anticipated you can choose to place a bit more paper on, or top-up the kindling. It is not advisable to stack the big logs on if your fire is not ready‌ I am referring

here to longer life marketing strategies that are likely to cost you a great deal more. Things like a large leaflet drop or a whole page advert in a bigger publication like Yellow Pages.

Now that you see how the fire burns you will know when it will be ready for the next bit of wood. It is important that you stay in control of your fire!

You will also remember that a fire always needs a good flow of air (oxygen in the air is the reason the fire burns).

The oxygen can easily be compared to your drive behind this business. You must be willing to get some smoke in your eyes sometimes by working really hard in your business to ensure you will see the return you desire.

With your fire well on the way, now is the time you might see some small embers forming and there is now a bit of time to sit back and enjoy the heat from your fire. It is important to keep those red embers close together to give you all the heat they can. Scrape one out and keep it separate from the rest. You will soon see it lose its glow and die.

You could compare this to keeping your clients close together in a database and sending them a regular offer or newsletter.

In your business, this might be the time to start rewarding yourself by paying yourself a bit more.

This is very important when building a business.

This is probably one of the main reasons you page 26

started this fire - I mean business - in the first place.

The time has now come to carefully lay one of those big logs on your fire. Make sure the flames lick round the wood you just placed on. In your business, this will be the process of demonstrating your abilities by showing off your testimonials from your 'kindling and thinner wood' or as we know it, previous clients you worked for. Always ensure you have a strategy to obtain testimonials.

Just like some fires, do not judge your marketing response too early or expect a return when it has burnt out a long time ago.

You might now be sitting back and enjoying your warm fire and feel you have everything under control. As you invite others to come and sit next to you to enjoy the warmth, it can easily happen that you get distracted from keeping the logs going on.

If so you might find yourself scraping a few

embers out of the ash to try and revive it again.

You might need to get some kindling on there remember this kindling was earlier compared to the instant return lower paying jobs.

In our business world this means you might have been busy working in the business serving your clients and forgotten about a quiet January and February while you were working all hours over December. You will now also find the cash levels in the business are really low and you would have to scrape a bit of money together to get things going again.

If you are constantly rebuilding your 'campfire' it might be a sign you need to put a strategy in place to ensure your fire does not go out. Reading business building books, attending business development training and educating yourself in how to work ON your business and not IN your business might just be what you need.

Keep those campfires burning warm!

Employment law in 2013

T

here have been numerous predictions for what 2013 has in store for UK business.

But without a crystal ball the only real thing we know will definitely happen is the raft of changes to employment law, because this is the year that the Government's Red Tape Challenge a scheme to ditch outdated legislation for businesses - will start to take effect.

As part of the overhaul the Cabinet Office has examined approximately 6,500 regulations with the pledge to substantially reduce or scrap at least 3,000 of these. They're a bit behind schedule but the fact the Government has embarked on this is still reason enough to cheer for most employers so long burdened by red tape

Robert Downes (FPB) The Forum of Private Business is a proactive business support organisation focused on the growth and profitability of small businesses. We offer a comprehensive package of member services to help you make money and save money.

- although it's not all good news for employers because certain changes won't be welcome.

The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill contains many of the changes prompted by the Red Tape Challenge, and is now in its final stages.

This will become law at some point early in 2013 but no exact date has been given as yet. page 28

So far, the Bill appears to offer a bit of a mixed bag for small business with some proposed laws removing red tape, but others potentially penalising them.

Whatever makes the finished product, there's no doubt that 2013 will be a busy year for employers, who will need to keep on top of what exactly is changing and when, how and why any revisions will affect their business. But there are some changes we already know about.

Following the simplification of the CRB system earlier this year, checks migrate online in March and become portable from job to job. Employers will be able to confirm that no new information has been added since the check was originally made, meaning businesses won't have to obtain a new check each time they take on an employee.

This will speed up the system considerably, and will be much less onerous for employers. There should be cost implications here too in terms of required manpower if nothing else, so this new way of doing things will be most welcome for those small businesses who have to CRB their staff, particularly those with high employee turnover.

March also sees parental leave following the birth or adoption of a child increase from three to four months - employers won't welcome this much. To complicate matters some of these months will be transferable between parents.

This is not just costly to business in terms of sorting cover, but it'll mean complicated form filling. We don't think this is a necessary burden for businesses in the current climate.

At some point in the summer, fees for tribunal claims will be introduced. This will be a date of note for employers who have seen the number of tribunal cases spiral during the past ten years, in part thanks to the rise of 'no win, no fee' legal practices. Claimants will be required to pay an initial fee to make a claim and a further fee if it proceeds to a full hearing. This should put a stop to those making vexatious claims, and will likely mean only those with a valid case will proceed to court. Tribunal judges will, however, have the power to order the fees to be repaid to the claimant by the employer if they are successful in their claim. Employees in England and Wales will no longer be able to get legal aid for most employment claims though, but will still be able to get assistance in relation to a claim under the Equality Act 2010.

It is clear 2013 is going to be an exhausting year for employers who must keep up to speed with all the changes to employment law. Laws in, laws out - it will be a minefield, but it's not something employers can afford to get wrong. This is why we're anticipating record sales of our employment and our health and safety guides.

These are available to purchase year round from us by telephoning 0845 130 1722. 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.

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.

Contact aquadriinfo@btconnect.com for further information or contact andy on: 07970 544806.

VAN AND TRUCKM0UNT FOR SALE - £4500 IVECO van, 2001, very good condition, 2800 cc engine size, 124,000 miles, fitted with shelving, all the necessary hoses, 2 wands go with it + Steam Way Sidekick 6100 truckmount, very good condition with 2165 hours on the clock. As an extra goodwill gesture we will include a rotary jet extractor R X 20, which is worth more than £2000 to buy brand new! Selling price is NON NOGOTIABLE because this very good price for someone maybe looking at starting up in the industry. Interested buyers are more than welcome to come to Market Harborough and test drive the van and truckmount. MOT until end of March 2013 and Tax until end of Feb 2013. Call Angelo on 07949 214588.

VACANCY & BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Experienced full time Carpet and Floor Care Technician required. Own van and equipment would be an advantage but not essential. Good business incentive package (profit share or buy in). Area coverage M4 corridor from Bristol to London. Apply by email to glynn.norcutt@gnccontractservices.com with full CV, etc.) or telephone: 01672 871882 or mobile: 07831 172743.

BUSINESS FOR SALE Small, well established carpet, hard floor and upholstery cleaning business based on the London and Kent borders. The package includes a 57 plate Vauxhall Vivaro LWB Van with 53k miles on the clock, Prochem Blazer GT Truck Mount machine with only 270hrs on the clock, established interactive website (which had SEO programme last year), chemicals, turbo drier, 250 feet of solution and suction hose and van mounted hose reels, together with a property maintenance company name, website and promotional materials. Contact telephone number 020 8309 6517. Sale price: £18,000 O.N.O.

CITROEN RELAY HDi LWB HR + TRUCK MOUNTED CARPET CLEANING MACHINE VAN: Year-56plate. Miles-38453. TAX-End March 2013.

MOT Due-August 2013. Serviced March 2012.

TRUCK MOUNT: Chemspec 860 High Heat. Hours2537.5hrs. This was Chemspec's largest and most powerful petrol truck mount. The same was used as their demonstrator mounted on a trailer. It is designed as a dual wand system so a 2man team can work continuously at impressive distances if required, but equally can be run as a simple wand system. The machine is mounted on the vehicle complete with: large waste tank, large capacity clean water tank, retractable hose reel for easy filling, fuel tank, chemical shelf, 5 x 50' extraction hoses on van mounted reel for easy set up, 5 x 50' solution hoses on van mounted reel for easy set up, 3 x large carpet wands, 1 x Hand Tool, 2 x yellow/black hose pavement ramps, chemical tanks. We have it set up so you can have up to 4 different chemicals ready to go and can simply be switched from one to the other without moving/switching tanks. We have also invested and have installed an Eberspacher cab heater (http://www.eberspacher.com/products/air-heating/) which allows the back of the vehicle to be kept warm overnight during the winter months if the vehicle can't be garaged. This runs independently from the engine. Cost: £10,750+VAT. Contact Peter Booth on: 01553 762762.

TRUCKMOUNT Banclene truck mount complete with base unit, stainless steel 80 gallon recovery tank, 100 gallon solution tank, 150 feet of Vaccuum/solution hoses, floor, stair and various upholstery hand tools, inline heater and misc parts etc..The van has been sold seperately. Selling due to retirement and will consider the highest offer. Call Derek at Aquamaster on 01845 537640 - mobile 07976 218304 or email derek @aquamaster-yorkshire.co.uk CLEANING AND RESTORATION MACHINERY EQUIPMENT - ACCESSORIES Dri-Eaz Dehumidifier 1200 as New Boxed £450.00. DriEaz Sahara Pro TurboDryer - New Boxed £150.00. DriEaz Dri X Airchanger Dehumidifier New Boxed. Normal Price £1900.00. Our Price £500.00. Plus much more.

For a complete list please telephone: 07580 182 325 or E-mail: info@restoration-direct.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 - £100.00 plus delivery charge if applicable.

Please phone Pete Collins on 07885 804560. page 30

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Mobile container/bin (red) - comes with lid.

Heavy duty container on wheels. L55” x W32” x H31”, ideal hose and other carpet clng equipment storage. List price: £199 - selling for £95. Whole room drier/air mover. List price: £534 - selling for £250 (no VAT). Professional spot carpet cleaning machine, one year old, includes vacuum hose plus product cleaning hose - selling for £250 (no VAT). 6 Litre spray bottle (comes with nozzle) - selling for £40.

Contact: Chis on: 02380 898 212 or email:mncrostance@googlemail.com or phone Chris on: 07970 040729.

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Prochem bazooka plus citrus gel Good condition £20.00. Extracta electric power sprayer.

Excellent condition £40.00. Contact Lester Gale 07949 207777 based in Oxfordshire.

NCCA Corporate Members + Allied Insurance Services Ltd: 0844 8156211 (I) + Alltec Network: 01763 208222 (C/M/F/T) + Amtech UK: 01444 232211 (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 Franchising Ltd: 01482 872770 (C/M/Fr) + Chemspec Europe Ltd: 01274 597333 (C/M/T/D/F) + Cleanerswarehouse Ltd: 01772 434333 (T/C/R/M) + Cleaning Systems UK: 01334 656787 (C/M/T/F) + Cleanpro Software Solutions Ltd: 01582 518467 + Cleansmart Ltd: 0115 8240034 (T/C/R/M/K) + Cleantec Innovation Ltd: 0870 733 7733 (T/C/W/M) + Columbus Cleaning Machines Ltd: 01772 426527 (M)

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.

+ Dri-Eaz Products Ltd: 01908 611211 (C/M/T) + Dry Fusion UK Ltd: 01772 433711 (C/M/T/W/Fr) + Forum of Private Business: 01565 634467 + Get Booked Up Software: 01405 813665 + 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)T) + Mailboxes Etc: 01628 633336

NCCA Member Benefits + HMCA (free legal and councelling helpline): 0117 934 2600 + SiteWizard (website creation): 08450 608860 + EMJ Management Ltd (workwear clothing and accessories): 02392 434650 + Thompson Local - ask for Corporate Advertsing Department: 01252 390385

+ McGregor Lloyd (insurance brokers): 0121 706 0616 (I) + NSL Restormate: 01670 590099: (M/C/Tr) + Nu Life Stone Care Ltd: 0161 480 7284 (M/C) + Oates Laboratories (Europe): 01772 433711 (C) + Prochem Europe Ltd: 0208 974 1515 (C/F/M/T) + Rainbow International: 01623 422488 (M/C/Fr) + Restoration Express: 01252 726106 (M/C/T/A) + Sebo UK Ltd: 01494 465533 (M) + ServiceMaster Ltd: 0116 275 9000 (M/C/Fr) + Stainshield Ltd: 01372 841467 (C) + Textile Cleaning Solutions: 01934 521155 (M/C)

+ Hibu (previously Yell) - ask for Corporate Advertising Department: 0808 100 7890

+ The Big Clean: 0208 3934778 (M,C,W,K)

+ Adalante Merchant Services: 01628 820500

+ Truvox International Ltd: 02380 702200 (M)

+ Payatrader: 01296 660177

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 / Tr - Training.

+ Control Account PLC: 01527 882901 + TrustMark (Diversity): 0115 9673767

+ The Ultimate Floor Sanding Co.: 00353 91846488 (M/C/Fr) + The Woolsafe Organisation: 01943 850817 + Woodbridge Comercial Ltd: 01279 422220 (C/M)

page 31

Going Going - Gone Dye Gone offers a unique new package and application device to remove the severest of dye stains including: coffee, tea, wine, hair dyes, paints, candle colours etc.

No need to mix - just spray - wait and the stain is gone.*

ye odb n o g Say ake ta to f ains! st

*pre-test carefully and rinse out after stain is removed with cold water after use.

See this product, and many more, on stand A19 at the Cleaning Show - 19th, 20th and 21st March - at the NEC in Birmingham.

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