May 2012

newslink

ncca

Features:

Buckling Fabrics Intellectual Property ŠPure by Brintons Carpets

May 2012

The official journal of the National Carpet Cleaners Association

Contents 03 From the editor President’s report 06 Stoneman’s Corner Grout colourants 08 The importance of pre-testing 09 New NCCA Code of Practice 10 QR codes - how to make the most of this impressive technology

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 Editor in Chief Keith Robertson

12 Buckling fabrics

Design Editor Nikki Law

14 A lesson in pricing The PAS 86

President/ Technical Director Paul Pearce

16 Intellectual property

Vice President/ Marketing Director Keith Robertson

19 How to deal with complaints Dirty qwerty Chemical safety 20 Handling the pressure 22 Gone but not forgotten 24 The importance of Twitter, Facebook and YouTube 26 The outlook for small business in 2012 27 The IICRC details transition to original name 28 Same game, different rules - what to do for employees working on a client’s site 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.

Vice President/ Events Director Nigel Lay Member Liaison Director Glyn Charnock Franchise Liaison Director Denise Pitt Co-opted Directors Rob Whitbread (Corporate Liason) Martin Johns 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

N

ow is the time to start thinking about booking for the 2012 Carpet Cleaners Carnival, due to take place at Wicksteed Park in Northamptonshire on 15th September.

The Carnival is a great day out for the whole family. Last year's event was a big success, so we'll be using the same format this year by combining business with fun activities to run throughout the day; there will be something for everyone to enjoy.

We would also like to provide attendees with the rare opportunity to showcase their talents, so if you have a popular party piece, anything from face painting, balloon modelling or magic tricks to perhaps something more unusual (as long as it's safe‌ and clean!) let us know and you may get the chance to share it with those in attendance.

Due to the success of the 2011 Carnival, this year we have created provision for extra exhibition stands and are pleased to say that we have already sold over half the space available. The event is shaping up nicely with bookings from big-name companies, including: Client Database Marketing Solutions Ltd (Get booked up), Columbus Cleaning Machines, Dry Fusion UK Ltd, Oates Laboratories Europe, Alltec Network, Sebo UK Ltd, Chemspec Europe, Textile Cleaning Solutions, Amtech UK, Cleansmart Ltd and Prochem Europe Ltd.

The exhibition will be further populated as the weeks progress and we will also be inviting a number of businesses, covering areas of women's interest, to exhibit their wares.

Nikki Law By popular demand we are adding an evening function to the Carnival this year. This will take place on Saturday after the event closes and will include food and live music entertainment.

The Carpet Cleaners Carnival is open to members and non-members, their partners, friends and family and, best of all, it's free to attend. There is a cost attached to visiting the fairground, but fortunately the NCCA have negotiated some excellent discounted entry rates, as well as free parking (normally ÂŁ6), for Carnival attendees.

These substantial savings will be generated on production of discount vouchers on the day. The vouchers are provided by the NCCA office, so it is vitally important that you pre-register your interest to be eligible for all the discounts available to you.

For more information on the event, or to preregister, please call the NCCA office on 0116 271 9550. For regular updates follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/NCCAFloorCare

President’s report

T

his last month has been another busy one, both personally and in business. However one of the highlights was visiting the Victoria & Albert museum (V & A ), something I had been meaning to do for some time.

The main reason I went was to look at the Ardabil Carpet, which is a stunning piece of craftsmanship.

The carpet measures thirty four by seventeen feet with some three hundred plus knots per sq inch; it has a silk foundation and wool pile.

In fact originally there were two of these carpets, th both made in the 16 century. Due to the wear and tear the rugs incurred, from the Mosque in which they were laid, they were sold to a British Carpet buyer in 1890 that restored one of the carpets by using good pieces from the other. This is quite

evident when you wander around the display.

To maintain the beauty of the carpet the V & A keep it behind glass and only turn the lights on for ten minutes every half an hour. Guess who kept coming back to have another look? I also found it interesting that a certain Mr William Morris was the representative of the V & A who championed for them to purchase the carpet. However they didn't really want it and so he started a campaign to purchase it and put some of his own money in to the pot to start the collection off. Thank goodness he did. J Paul Getty eventually purchased the remainder of the second carpet in 1931 after seeing it at an exhibition. He later donated it to the Museum of Science in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Continued on next page Page 3

Continued from previous page version is considerably smaller because of the restoration carried out in the late 19th century.

The day wasn't just about the Ardabil as there were many other beautiful carpets and rugs to see.

They are all under glass, which is to keep the dust off and of course to keep my hands off them. The lighting is kept low to reduce fade, although you can clearly see their beauty.

I also wandered around the textile displays from Asia; you just can't help but wonder how much work went into these items. All hand embroidered with the most intricate designs, some over four hundred years old and so precious. I can't help wondering which fabrics/textiles of today will be around in three to four hundred years time.

I ended up in the jewellery section where I found my wife drooling over the most amazing pieces of glass, gold and silver in any amount of different settings.

All in all a great day, I can't wait to go back, because there is so much you miss and so much to see again. A trip to the V & A is thoroughly recommended.

Public referrals to NCCA from big names in business Since publishing a referral statistics report in last month's Newslink there have been 64 recommendations for full members provided by the NCCA. This number is made up of 31 referrals from the NCCA office, 31 potential customers contacting members direct through the website and 2 referrals to members without an email address, which we have tracked using the office database.

Of the potential customers who contacted the NCCA office for a referral to a member, 2 had been directed to us from the carpet manufacturer Ryalux and 3 from the large pharmaceutical company Glaxosmithkline.

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.

NEW NCCA MEMBERS FULL MEMBERS Northstar UK (Bedale, North Yorkshire) Spring Clean Carpet Service (Broadstairs, Kent) Design Clean Limited (London, SE1) M&S Carpet Cleaners (Solihull, West Midlands) Blue Apple Cleaning (London, SW6)

Diary Dates 2012 NCCA COURSES Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning 25th - 26th May 13th - 14th July 21st - 22nd September 23rd - 24th November Carpet Cleaners Carnival 15th September (Wicksteed Park, Kettering, Northamptonshire) Spot & Stain Removal 19th October Health & Safety for Carpet & Upholstery Cleaners 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 6th - 7th June with Adam Jankowski Applied Structural Drying Technician 12th - 15th June with Adam Jankowski Water Restoration Technician 26th - 28th June with Adam Jankowski Held at National Flood School, Farnham, Surrey. Tel: 01252 821185 IICRC COURSES (HERTS) Carpet Cleaning Technician 23rd - 24th May with Paul Pearce

Absolute Cleaning Service (St Albans, Hertfordshire)

Stone, Masonry & Ceramic Tile Cleaning Technician 28th - 29th May with Keith Robertson

CORPORATE MEMBERS

Upholstery & Fabric Cleaning Technician 12th -13th June with Paul Pearce

Mailboxes Etc. (Maidenhead, Berkshire) Allied Insurance Services Ltd (Wigan, Greater Manchester)

Held at Alltec Network, Royston, Hertfordshire.

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

Page 5

Keith Robertson

Stoneman’s Corner

I

n the stone care business we are inevitably interested in the rocks that produce the finished materials we clean and restore.

However, there are other types of rock, in particular those that are important to our everyday lives, which are just as interesting.

Our lives would be very different without rocks and the variety of minerals contained within them; they are used in so many everyday items. Some are very expensive to mine such as the rare minerals and metals, referred to as 'rare earths', which are used in tiny quantities in our computers and smart phones.

Among these rocks there is a mineral that is edible, and in the Middle Ages was worth the same as gold. This mineral is called rock salt.

Rock salt, or to give it its correct name 'halite', has been mined in the UK from salt which was formed when the inland seas that covered England evaporated leaving behind salt deposits. Rock salt is still mined in Cleveland and Cheshire.

It is thought that salt has been produced in Cheshire for the last two thousand years and local towns such as Northwich, Middlewich and Nantwich took their names from the word 'Wych' or 'wich', which means 'Brine Town' (Brine is water page 6

strongly impregnated with salt), however, production in Winsford - Britain’s largest working salt mine - didn't start until rock salt deposits were discovered in 1844 whilst local prospectors were searching for coal.

In contrast to the mechanised chainsaws with tungsten cutting picks - that can make a 4.6 metre cut at the base of the salt face - used at Winsford, the Taoudenni mines, which are based in a remote location 400 miles north of Timbuktu in North West Africa, still mine salt in the most traditional way, hand-digging with semiprimitive tools.

Salt has been produced in the Sahara for over 2,500 years. Using axes the miners clear about 1.5 metres of red clay before reaching the salt which was the bed of an ancient lake.

They dig a square hole about 5 x 5 metres down to 4 metres. Once the clay is removed the first layers of poor quality salt are removed before they reach the high quality salt. The salt is removed in slabs which are split using wood and stone tools into a transportable size.

After digging down, the miners excavate galleries

at either side of the pit to reach and remove further slabs. As each pit is exhausted another is dug so over the years thousands have been completed.

Because of the intense summer heat most of the work is carried out between October and April.

Anywhere from one hundred to a thousand miners and labourers live and work in very primitive conditions without proper housing or much else.

The salt is then transported nearly five hundred miles to Timbuktu, sometimes still by camel.

The salt trade is still important to Timbuktu although the financial value of rock salt is no longer in the same category as gold.

Nowadays, when the 25 kilo slabs reach Timbuktu, they are each worth only about ÂŁ6.00. Not much when you consider the uncomfortable existence of those who toil to dig them out of the ground.

We no longer use salt as a preservative in the way our ancestors did and we are constantly being told to take care about our daily or weekly intake of salt, nevertheless for most of us food would be very bland without it.

Grout colourants There are times when you just cannot achieve a clean even colour no matter how thoroughly you have cleaned the grout, although it is sometimes possible to use a grout tool and scrape a little off to expose a new surface.

However, if the problem is severe there are two other choices. Either cut it out and completely re-grout or use a proprietary grout colourant.

Colourants should only be used on clean, dry grout and will completely revive the appearance of not only the grout lines but also the complete floor. Some products are basically coloured dyes whereas others include a Teflon material to protect the grout.

ŠPhotograph: Paul Pearce

The importance of pre-testing

A

fter around seven years in the carpet and upholstery cleaning industry I've probably come across my fair share of carpets and fabrics where a particularly cautious approach is required, as the item to be cleaned may be subject to possible shrinkage, dye bleed or other forms of damage that would result in a phone call to our insurers.

In view of this I do heed the advice provided on training courses, and in the informative articles written by members in Newslink, reminding us of the importance of pre-testing our chemicals before use.

Recently, I was called in to clean a hallway, stairs and landing carpet. For the record the carpet was a red synthetic with yellow motifs.

Prior to vacuuming I usually brush around the edges of the carpet/skirting board with a terry towel to hook out any dust and debris. Upon commencing this I noticed, with some alarm, the red dye from the carpet appearing on the (white) towelling. I subsequently brushed several other areas of the carpet with towel and got the same result.

I immediately informed the client of this and advised that the carpet was not cleanable. After some discussion, the client said they were prepared to

Anthony George (m1449)

take a chance and have it cleaned as they were likely to be replacing it at some point in the future anyway.

I explained that this would be very unadvisable as dye that can be removed by rubbing with a dry towel, would certainly be completely destabilised by any attempt to clean these carpets. This loose dye could then potentially be walked onto the beige carpets in the surrounding rooms.

The point of this is that had I proceeded with the cleaning without testing, the outcome would have been disastrous. Not only would the hallway, stairs and landing carpets have been ruined, but the damage could potentially spread to the other carpets in the house.

This is the first time I have come across such dye instability in a domestic carpet (although I have come across similar in a couple of rugs before), however, it was a good reminder that we can never afford to be complacent.

(Editors note: In some instances of dye instability, although a wet clean is unadvisable, there are a number of low moisture methods which may have successful results. It is important that you pre-test thoroughly prior to any cleaning and, if you choose to attempt a clean, that you monitor results along the way). page 8

New Code of Practice for the NCCA

A

s you should all know, as a Member of the NCCA you have signed up to abide by the Associations Code of Practice. The Code requires periodic review to keep it up to date with changes in consumer protection legislation and best practice guidance.

We have recently undertaken a wholesale revision of the Code of Practice to assist you, our members, to use the Code to give you an advantage over your competitors by promoting your professionalism to your clients. A summary of the Code is printed below.

A copy of the full new Code of Practice can be seen in the members' area of the website, in the Documents section, or at www.ncca.co.uk/members/downloads/NCCA_ Code_Of_Practice.pdf Please take a few moments to look through it as the last survey showed that very few members have read the Code of Practice. I am sure you will find it contains nothing you aren't already doing to maintain your reputation but, if it does, please take this opportunity to review your working practices! A copy of the Code will also be

Glyn Charnock

sent to each of you in due course.

Please be aware that if you should receive a complaint, you are required to provide the client with a copy of the Code so that they fully understand your obligations regarding dealing with their complaint.

The Code also refers to advice regarding the Doorstep Selling Regulations and Uncollected Goods regulations. Links to the relevant legislation are in the Code of Practice, and summaries are available on the website.

Using our new PR tool we will be publicising the new Code of Practice to consumer advice organisations, trading standards organisations, our media news feed and other means.

We would ask you all to use this publication to your advantage, by pointing out to existing and potential clients that as an NCCA member you abide by a Code of Practice for the carpet and upholstery cleaning industry, and that it can be viewed on the NCCA website. You might also consider publishing the Code on your own website.

Code of Practice summary The following is a summary of the NCCA Code of Practice.

For full details please visit the NCCA website: www.ncca.co.uk/members/downloads/NCCA_Code_Of_Practice.pdf 1. Professional Standards: Customer Service and Satisfaction requires that members adhere to the relevant standards regarding due diligence, industry standards, the One to One Rule, PAS86 and timely and effective communications.

2. Pricing: The Association does not seek to impose a price structure on its members but retains the right to investigate prices charged should a complaint be received.

3. Advertising should be truthful, honest, clear and unambiguous and comply with advertising codes at all times 4. Complaints must be acknowledged within 24 hours, investigated within 14 days and rectified within 28 days should the member be found to be at fault. Should the Association be required to arbitrate in any dispute, the Associations decision is binding on the member.

5. Owners risk clauses are generally not consistent with the Code of Practice.

6. Breaches of the Code of Practice may result in expulsion from the Association or a probationary period during which further breaches will result in immediate expulsion.

7. Members are required to make the existence of the Code of Practice known to their customers and in the event of a complaint provide a copy of the Code should this be requested.

de co to e th eft A an the l NCC c S n o t the site i b vis we

QR codes - how to make the most of this impressive technology

F

ollowing Keith Robertson's recent article on QR Codes and the benefits of implementing them in to your marketing, it is the intention of the Association to further utilise this new technology and promote its use to the membership. Keith explained the various uses for QR Codes last month and the NCCA wishes to assist members in making the most of this free marketing opportunity.

If you missed the article last month, and are interested in learning more, we would recommend re-visiting the April issue for Keith's full report. To provide a summary, QR Codes are the small, square barcodes you may have noticed in advertisements, on packaging and in various forms and places.

These codes can be scanned by smart phones and

provide information direct to the handset. This can range from linking to a website to a specific message or even storing contact information and making a direct call.

With the growing number of mobile phones having access to the internet and many users wanting instant information wherever they are, QR Codes are becoming a more popular and useful tool for businesses to reach potential customers.

The Association considers them a very beneficial way to direct interested parties to your website and provide them with further information, during the instance while they have your service and company in mind.

A QR Code can be printed almost anywhere. They can be added to vehicle livery to direct interested page 10

passers-by to your website while you're doing another job, or added to flyers to assist potential customers in finding further information as soon as they take notice of your ad. You can even include the specifics of a current offer and, as they are free and very easy to create, discard the code once the offer has expired, setting up a new one for your next promotion.

The NCCA has considered how we can utilise QR Codes and introduce members to their use and benefits (you may have already noticed the code on page 2, and opposite, which directs to our website).

To start we would like to offer members the opportunity to make use of a code which confirms their membership of the Association. Any interested member can contact Lewis at the office (lewis@ncca.co.uk) and request a QR Code which will direct to their specific page within the NCCA website. Lewis will be able to email an attachment

to you which can be printed and distributed to potential customers. The code can then be scanned with a free smart phone app which will open the NCCA website on the handset, confirming your registration and providing all your contact details and service information.

As an added bonus, if you have an advanced listing on the NCCA website, a link to your own website will be instantly available to the customer along with any further information you decided to include.

Obviously, members have the option to investigate QR Codes for themselves and discover the many uses and benefits these simple images provide. There are several websites which create codes based on any information you are willing to provide, should it be a link, message or telephone number. And the best part is all of this is completely free of charge.

page 11

ŠPhotographs: Derek Bolton

Wrinkled sofa following the cleaning process

Buckling fabrics

Derek Bolton (Honorary Member)

B

immediately. A cleaning process uckling in carpets has can often make matters worse, been well documented especially if excess heat or within the pages of agitation is used.

Newslink for several years now However, on this occasion I am and I do believe we have all not referring to a delamination come across it at some time or problem, but to a phenomenon other. that developed immediately Now, I have to admit I haven't following a light application of come across many cases of pre-treatment spray to a buckling in fabrics until recently. cotton/polyester flatweave I have seen buckling caused by fabric. the delamination of a secondary There was nothing unusual backing from the fabric itself on Wrinkled arm about the fabric to look at and I many occasions and this can have satisfactorily cleaned similar and should - be picked up during materials many times in the past without any the pre-clean survey and discussed with the client page 12

problems. I even tried a method of hand-application but the fabric buckled as soon as it came into contact with the moisture.

I called the client into the room and showed her the wrinkled fabric and asked if she wanted me to proceed. I told her that I hadn't experienced this type of buckling in fabrics before, but that in carpets it was quite common and they usually returned back to normal once dry. My client authorised me to go ahead as she wanted a pair of clean settees.

The work progressed and as each panel was subjected to moisture the buckling appeared as expected. I dried each section by extensive use of the vacuum on the hand tool, terry towels and lastly an air mover. I was pleased to see some improvement as the fabric started to dry and was able to reassure the client that it would look much better when it was completely dry.

It was a Friday and my client was due to go away for the weekend so I arranged to give her a call when she returned to make sure she was happy.

Although I was pretty confident that everything would be alright, I gave a big sigh of relief when I called her on the Monday morning and she said she was delighted with the cleaning and the fabric had returned to normal.

I popped back to see for myself and took an 'after' picture for this article.

The buckling seemed to follow a distinct pattern and so may have been something to do with the way that the upholsterer had stitched the seams.

You may be able to see in the first picture the buckling in the form of a series of pleats across the back, the same appearance was on all the cushions too.

Isn't cleaning upholstery fabrics FUN?

Dry and back to normal

page 13

A lesson in pricing

David Coker

“In the amped-up war of commerce and 75-cent pizza on 6th Avenue in Midtown, a perilous moment is approaching. Circumstances suggest that ravenous New Yorkers might soon witness 50-cent pizza, 25-cent pizza or yes, free pizza…” so began an article in the New York Times of 30th March this year.

But what has this got to do with carpet cleaners?

Well, there's a very important lesson about pricing here, one that transfers very nicely to our business.

Apparently a price war has developed between competing pizza parlours in New York. A year ago, pizza was selling for $1.50 a slice at a popular pizzeria on 6th Avenue. Then another pizzeria opened nearby offering pizza for $1, so the first one dropped its price to $1 too.

All was good until last October, when a third pizza parlour - part of a growing New York chain of shops that sell slices for a dollar - opened virtually next door to the first pizzeria.

Price stability at a dollar continued until March this year when both the third and the first pizzeria

began selling pizza for the eye-catching price of 75 cents a slice!

The owner of the first establishment, who has other business interests including property in India, was apparently unhappy that the third establishment had dropped the price to 75 cents for a piece of pizza, stating that they were trying to drive him out of business. Allegedly the sudden slash in cost to 75 cents instigated by the third pizzeria had forced him to follow and the result was that the property in India had to be sold to keep the place going.

At the office of the third establishment, which is owned by two brothers, they reported that they simply matched the price of the first pizzeria to sell at 75 cents a slice and that's where everything sits. “We don't sell pizza at 75 cents” said one of the brothers “But if they think they're going to sit next to us and sell at 75 cents, they've got another thing coming.”

So, it appears that the first pizzeria lowered their prices first, but why? “He was taking away our customers,” said the manager “How were we going to pay our rent?”

For his part, one of the brothers at the third pizzeria page 14

made it clear that 75 cents was a temporary price point. He said he could not make money at that level and eventually would return to $1. He said that if the first pizzeria went back to $1 he would as well. The father of the two brothers, who acts as a consultant to the business, said “I suggested to my children to go to 50 cents” to which the youngest brother added “We might go to free pizza soon.” However, the elder of the two brothers followed with “We have enough power to wait them out. They're not going to make a fool of us.”

Meanwhile, the owner of the first pizzeria remained intransigent. “We're going lower. We may go to 50 cents” he says.

As for the second establishment, having remained relatively quiet throughout, the owners simply stated “We're absolutely not dropping our price. For $1 a slice, you can still make a profit. For $1, an owner can still sit down and eat. At 75 cents, you'd be a mouse on a wheel.”

What are the lessons here for us?

Many carpet cleaners think that customers are only concerned about price. And that the only way to win business is to be the cheapest. In the long

term, the lowest price seldom wins. There's always someone who will come in cheaper.

Look at some of the comments above: ! “For $1 a slice, you can still make a profit. At 75 cents, you'd be a mouse on a wheel.” ! “I suggested to … go to 50 cents.” and “We might go to free pizza soon.” ! “He was taking away our customers.” ! “the property in India had to be sold to keep the place going” Unfortunately that's the case with so many people in business, trying to undercut the competition.

Business is all about margins and profit. No profit means no business!

So, what's the solution? Well, to avoid being another ‘mouse on the wheel' you should aim to build a base of customers who are not only interested in the cheapest price, but are more concerned with receiving an efficient and highquality service. You then charge them a premium price for this extraordinary service. Most importantly, once you have obtained these customers, you need to maintain a good relationship with them and you will find it is rarely necessary to seek out new ones.

The PAS 86 The National Carpet Cleaners Association believes in the importance of promoting best practice in all aspects of carpet cleaning.

With this in mind we developed, along with BSI British Standards and with collaboration from industry experts, the professional document PAS 86: 2008 - Professional inspection, maintenance, cleaning and restoration of textile floor coverings - Code of Practice.

PAS86 is the only government recognised code of practice for professional carpet cleaning. When considering employing a professional carpet cleaner, consumers should ensure companies and technicians are committed to following PAS86 Code of Practice.

Serious carpet cleaners have already adopted the PAS as their official guide to professional carpet cleaning but the PAS is also relevant to government bodies, trading standards, the insurance industry, carpet manufacturers, consumers, retailers, training bodies and those involved in the management, cleaning and inspection of textile floor coverings.

The PAS86 is applicable to all types and styles of textile floor coverings within domestic and commercial environments.

Intellectual property

W

Glyn Charnock

hen you decide to start a business, one of the first things you will be thinking of is “What will the company name be?�

Getting it wrong is not only bad in marketing terms, but it can prove extremely costly should you inadvertently use someone else's business name, logo, or Registered Trade Mark (their Intellectual Property). They can force you to stop using it and claim damages against you for doing so, even if it is similar to theirs, not identical.

The name and or logo you use must not be as such that it could be misinterpreted by the public

as belonging to another company or business if they have registered it as a Trade Mark.

There are two possible symbols which may be displayed by a company who is looking to protect their Intellectual Property. The symbol™ next to a name or logo means that it is in the process of being registered as a Trade Mark. If you see this on a business name or logo, which is similar to yours, you can object to the registration and prevent them from registering it as a Trade Mark, allowing you to continue to use your similar name or logo. page 16

The symbol速 means that the Mark has been granted as a Trade Mark and is registered with the Intellectual Property Office www.ipo.gov.uk. Trade Marks are filed under different business categories, which state the type of business the logo is used to represent. The category most relevant for us as carpet and upholstery cleaners is Category 37, which includes all 'cleaning services'. However, if the Mark or logo you use is sufficiently similar to a Registered Mark, its owner can prevent your use of the Mark even for entirely different products or services.

A registered Trade Mark cannot prevent you from using your own name as your trading name in business. You may also be able to prove 'prior rights' to the name/ logo, where you may be able to continue using your business name even if it has been registered by someone else, provided you can prove you have been using it for a longer period of time than they have. This is, however, an expensive legal process.

You should also be aware that Trade Marks do

not have to display the速 symbol to be protected by their registration.

It could save you a lot of heartache and expense by looking on the IPO Website before using a business name. Also try typing the name into the search engines and look on the Companies House website at limited company names to see if it is already in use.

Having a logo and website designed, vehicles wrapped, business cards, advertisements and fliers printed and clothing logoed is not cheap! If you do all this, then get a letter saying that you are in breach of a Registered Trade Mark, you may have a very big, expensive problem!

If you are lucky you may be able to get the owner's permission to carry on using their intellectual property, signing an agreement with them, but businesses pay a lot of money to register and protect their Trade Mark and most are not prepared to share it with anyone!

Hopefully a good design company will advise Continued on next page

page 17

Continued from previous page

and even check the legality of your proposed business name and logo design before going ahead and publishing it. Sadly with companies offering a ‘design your own website’ service, a lot of people don't think to check and when the website goes live, that's when they get the letter. It is your responsibility to make sure you are not breaching someone else's Trade Mark.

Should you already have your own 'unique' name/logo, it might be in your interests to Trade Mark it, as someone else might start using it, or even register it themselves, in which case you will have to prove that you were the original designers/owners of the name/logo to stop them stealing it. How much is your 'Brand' worth to your business? If you have been trading for some years and have a reputation in your local area, you could lose a lot of business if someone steals your brand and gets you a bad reputation!

Using an Intellectual Property Agent to help

protect your brand can be a good idea, as they will not only help you register your Mark, but will also check on future applications to prevent similar Marks to yours being registered, and can also monitor the internet and other media as well.

Nowadays with the internet it is easier to catch offenders. As soon as a website goes live it will attract the notice of IP Agents and they can inform the legally registered owners of the Trade Mark and assist in preventing infringement.

Not only is it illegal to steal Intellectual Property, the owner is entitled to sue for damages, which can be up to the Gross Turnover that the infringing business has made since illegally using their name/logo, not just the profits made.

Full details of the legislation regarding Trade Marks can be found at www.legislation.gov.uk, the relevant Act being the Trade Marks Act 1994.

More details of how to apply for registration of a Trade Mark can be found on the Intellectual Property Office website at www.ipo.gov.uk

page 18

How to deal with complaints

Dirty qwerty

You would be very lucky if you never came up against a problem or small complaint.

Nobody's perfect and nor is there such a thing as the perfect client. Please remember, however, if you do encounter a complaint, try and put the matter right as soon as you possibly can. It's far better to spend ÂŁ100 putting a problem right and retaining a client, who will sing your praises to prospective clients, than to make ÂŁ100 from a less than happy client who could blacken your name and potentially cost you several hundreds of pounds.

Also we cannot stress enough how important it is to carry out an inspection and produce a written survey prior to the job.

It will create a useful paper trail in the unfortunate event of a complaint.

Research into the cleanliness of computer workstations shows that each square inch of a keyboard can contain up to 3,295 different kinds of germs, and that bugs such as listeria or salmonella can linger for up to twentyfour hours on the keys, the computer mouse and phone. Statistically, that makes your workstation dirtier than the average toilet.

Surprisingly people rarely see computer workstation cleanliness as a top priority. However, regular cleaning has many distinct advantages. It can extend the lifetime of your equipment as well protecting your wellbeing.

Chemical safety One of our big concerns in the cleaning industry is the safe use of chemicals. However there are several things you can do to reduce your risk: 1) Always wear PPE. Appropriate PPE can protect your skin, eyes and respiratory tract.

2) Wherever possible open a few windows when you're working. Obviously you need to tell your client why you have done this, and take precautions to avoid unnecessary security risks.

3) Carry a First Aid kit and make sure that you know how to use its contents.

4) Implement a health and safety plan, even if you work on your own.

5) Carry material safety sheets pertaining to every solution you carry on your vehicle.

Handling the pressure

T

Ken Wainwright

raditionally, truckmounts have high pressure, high flow rate water pumps.

Pressure and flow rate are adjustable to the needs of the task, as too is the very powerful vacuum system, which can be increased/decreased as befits the job. When purchased new, the agent/manufacturer would typically provide some instruction about how to use the machine and its adjustment parameters.

Today we have portable extraction machines which can have water pumps approaching the performance of an entry level truckmount. My own machines have 500psi and 800psi water pumps.

Earlier generations of portable extractors were

restricted to lower flow rate water pumps limited to maybe 100 or 135psi at best. With these specifications, all we did was turn the machine on, attach the wand and rinse away. With most portable extractors, little instruction or guidance is given outside how to operate the various switches.

Speaking to colleagues and reading posts on internet forums, I am surprised at the wide variation in working psi that many use to clean both carpets and upholstery. Hearing of people using 300, 400, and even 500psi and more with their portable extractor is not unusual. So, lately I've been experimenting how low a psi setting I can effectively use to clean average domestic carpets. I page 20

would class ‘average’ as being well maintained but grubby with occasional spots and stains.

My normal modus operandi is to follow industry Best Practice Procedures, as laid out in BSI's PAS86 document (available from the NCCA Office). It is my view that these procedures allow us to effectively clean a carpet with minimum amounts of water which in turn facilitates rapid drying.

My typical working pressure has been about 200psi for most carpets and 300psi and above for extreme soiling levels. I have always been delighted with the rinse, clean and drying performance of my machine. In recent times, I have experimented, on all domestic carpet types and fibres, at pressures of 180, 150 and even 120psi on very light soiling, and have not been able to tell any difference. That is, in every way except one important area. Drying times have been reduced. I have found, however, that for higher soiling levels the higher pressure settings

have still been required to perform an effective rinse.

An added bonus of working at these lower settings is that less water is being used. This means that you spend less time filling your portable extractor, and less time emptying it too.

It is important to note that some modern high performance portable extractors may have a water pump that works at a much higher flow rate than the earlier lower specification machines, so it’s probably not a good idea to compare 135psi from a small water pump with a larger, modern variable pressure pump set at the same psi.

I know that many of us have followed the ‘biggest is best’ and ‘more, more, more’ approach to our work, but I urge you to experiment a little on different soils and carpet types to see how you can save time and reduce both your water usage and drying times.

page 21

Gone but not forgotten

J

ack Tramiel died on the 8th of April this year.

Like me you probably have no idea who he was.

On the other hand if you are of more mature years you will no doubt remember with pleasure, or perhaps otherwise, the business machines that Mr Tramiel brought to market.

Born in Poland, Tramiel spent five years in Auschwitz until liberated in 1945. He later emigrated to the US and in 1955, after previously starting a business equipment and typewriter repair business, he founded Commodore Business Machines.

For more than a decade his company produced adding machines until in the late 1960's Japanese competitors moved heavily into the market.

Unwilling to give up, Commodore moved into making calculators which for a time were among the market leaders.

By the middle seventies another change was required and so the company started designing and

Keith Robertson manufacturing computers and the Commodore PET came into being. The Commodore PET or Personal Electronic Transactor, complete with a QWERTY keyboard, monitor and a tape recorder for data and programme storage was launched in 1977. The PET was mainly used in schools, as it was less well received for personal usage, but in 1981 another computer, the VIC-20, was launched.

Tramiel recognised the benefit of using celebrity advertising and so by using William Shatner - well known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk, captain of the USS Enterprise in the Star Trek TV series Commodore sold 2.5 million units. page 22

A year later in 1982, the better known successor to the VIC-20, the Commodore 64 (an 8-bit home computer) was ready for the market. The Commodore 64 became the best-selling computer of all time with around 22 million sales.

Jack Tramiel left Commodore in 1984 but remained involved in the computer industry with Atari for many years. He was considered to be a ruthless businessman who is credited with saying that “Business is war.”

Computers have come a long way since the 1980's. I fondly remember my first business computer, green monochrome screen, floppy discs and all, that I purchased around 1980.

I very quickly appreciated their value in comparison to using a typewriter and hand written ledgers.

Even so, had anyone tried to explain that in less than thirty years we would have had full coloured

screens, laptops with 500 gigabytes of storage or the internet with email, Google or Facebook, I would have thought they were mad.

Few of us could run our businesses without using a computer so we have much to thank Tramiel for as he in particular worked hard at making sure there were low cost machines available.

There are other things we can learn from the way Tramiel ran his business. We may or may not agree with his view that, “Business is war,” but we would do well to note the way he was never put off when change became necessary.

We should be prepared for markets to change throughout our career and so it would be sensible to be prepared to reinvent ourselves.

We might also want to consider whether we can use a celebrity, whether nationally known or a well-known local person, to improve our credibility.

page 23

www.sitewizard.co.uk

The importance of Twitter, Facebook and YouTube

I

magine the scenario; you have a good looking website that shows who you are, what you do and where you do it, but for some reason the amount of traffic going to your website just isn't what you were expecting and the phone isn't ringing off the hook. Just having a website these days isn't enough, but there are things that you can do to improve the amount of traffic going to your site for little or no cost. Below is a checklist to ensure that you have the minimum requirements to encourage Google to list your website higher.

Twitter Tweet, tweet and tweet! It may sound silly but

Twitter really works for businesses and it’s free.

Most mobile phones these days enable you to Tweet (a short post about you/your business/offers you may have). I hear you ask “why would someone else want to know what I am doing?” The answer is that you will be surprised who is interested and also if you have a Twitter feed (this is a section that shows the Tweets on your website that either you, or others, have made about you) it means that your website is being updated regularly and Google likes this.

Facebook If you have a facebook page for your business then page 24

make sure that you include the link from your website to your page; if you don't have a facebook page then create one (it's free). The more people that you can get to 'like' it the better, as yet again Google likes this. Make regular updates (you can pre-plan these via a free service called Hootsuite also works for Twitter and Linked In).

YouTube Include videos on your website that you have produced and create your own YouTube channel.

Upload your videos; they could be on how to clean a carpet, specialist care for antique rugs or how to wash your van effectively. The main thing is that the video has a description containing search words that you would like to be found in Google.

Google owns YouTube and if you use Google Chrome as your internet browser videos often come up in search results, therefore offering the chance of more people finding out about your business.

NCCA links SiteWizard doesn't work for the NCCA and we are not doing SEO work on their website before you read any further! If you are a member of a trade association then it is important that you include a link from your website to theirs as Google likes websites that are affiliated with membership organisations and sites that it deems as authoritative. If you are reading this article then you have at least one that you can get added to your website.

Google Places Have your website listed in Google places under as many search terms as you can think of e.g. carpet

cleaning Kent / carpet cleaning Maidstone / carpet care Kent / carpet care Maidstone / carpet & upholstery cleaning Kent / carpet & upholstery cleaning Maidstone etc. The more that you cover for your area the better, so really think about the services that you provide and see if there is a Google Places listing for that search area.

Google analytics Another important factor is to know how much traffic your website is generating, what visitors are typing in to find your site and if they like what they see when they get there. One way of finding this out is to have Google analytics or something similar installed. We have mentioned this before but it really is important to know if the website that you have is actually working for you.

Google analytics has a feature called a bounce rate and if you are looking at the figures for the home page of your website and the bounce rate is over 50% then you need to take a look at the design or content on your home page. A bounce rate is the number of visitors to your website that don't go further than the home page.

We are offering every NCCA member a FREE Google analytics installation guide, also a Free Getting the most out of Google analytics guide and if also required a complimentary competitor analysis. To receive your free guides please visit: www.SiteWizard.co.uk/ncca If you have any questions or would like to find out more information on any of this please talk to SiteWizard on: 01622 200045. page 25

The outlook for small business in 2012

W

ith the economy having slid into a dreaded 'double dip' recession the latest Forum of Private Business campaign is seeking success stories from business owners flying high despite the global economic turmoil.

As part of its Get Britain Trading campaign to make 2012 the year of small businesses, the Forum is hoping to boost confidence and positivity by spreading the word about how growing firms have established themselves in a tough climate. One of the main ideas is to inspire other entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses.

The campaign was launched earlier this year at an event in Westminster attended by approximately sixty business owners and the Business Minister, Mark Prisk, who joined Phil Orford, the Forum's Chief Executive, in celebrating the key role of small businesses in driving economic growth.

According to figures from the Government's department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) there were 4.5 million private sector enterprises in the UK at the start of 2011, 99.2 per cent of all businesses in the UK are classified as small, employing 0 to 49 staff, and small firms account for 46.2 per cent of private sector employment and 24.9 per cent of the UK's annual turnover.

The Get Britain Trading event, which took place in the House of Commons, followed Forum research showing that many entrepreneurs are confident about their prospects for 2012 despite difficult economic conditions.

In all 55 per cent of supporters of the Forum's Get

Phil McCabe (FPB)

Britain Trading campaign anticipated growth, or strong growth, in the coming year and 95 per cent said they were already exploring ways of developing their businesses.

Further, 60 per cent of respondents hoped to innovate in 2012 and, while 74 per cent of small firms were looking to target customers in the UK, 17 per cent were focusing on overseas markets.

However, the not-forprofit organisation's Get Britain Trading survey also suggests that, while businesses are seeing opportunities for growth, 58 per cent have been unable or unwilling to take advantage of them.

Just 13 per cent believe there will be any growth opportunities in the public sector.

Despite their positivity, many firms still face numerous obstacles to growth. For example, with mounting business costs a major issue, 29 per cent of respondents to the Forum's survey are seeking to cut costs further.

The Get Britain Trading campaign aims to identify and address such barriers and, as part of this process, the Forum wants to share the information, guidance and advice gleaned from successful entrepreneurs.

Survey respondents provided information on a range of issues, including tax, red tape, finance and employment.

During the summer of 2011, in an initiative also backed by Mr Prisk, the Forum placed approximately 100 MPs, MSPs and Members of the Welsh Assembly on 'Business Buddy' visits to page 26

small firms in their constituencies, where they learned about the realities of running a business.

The scheme is running again this summer - this time also involving officials from HM Revenue and Customs.

In addition, the Forum is keeping MPs updated via a new monthly e-newsletter containing small business success stories and is committed to promoting any initiatives aimed at supporting small firms. MPs will be able to submit stories from their

constituencies for the e-newsletter.

The Forum is urging all business owners to support Get Britain Trading and pass on their stories by emailing getbritaintrading.org, tweet us using #britaintrading or get involved in the discussions taking place at The Forum of Private Business LinkedIn group. For more information about the campaign visit www.getbritaintrading.co.uk or call the Forum on 0845 130 1722.

IICRC details transition to original name

T

he Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) have released details surrounding the transition to return its name to the IICRC, keeping the cleantrust as the service mark of the organisation. The decision to return to the IICRC was voted on by the board of directors on March 16, 2012.

Keeping the official name of the organisation IICRC, while using the cleantrust, an IICRC program, in consumer-facing materials, allows the organisation to build on its more than 40-year history of identifying and promoting an international standard of care for the cleaning, restoration and inspection industries. The IICRC will continue to issue certifications, write and promote standards, and approve schools and instructors. All industry communications will refer to the organisation as the IICRC. As a service mark of the IICRC, the cleantrust name or logo should be used by Certified Firms and technicians on all consumer-facing materials.

Using the cleantrust logo as a service mark will enable better name recognition and end-user awareness outside the industry, which has been cited by registrants as one of the organisation's greatest challenges. With the cleantrust logo and patches, IICRC technicians will be easily recognisable as consumers look for and trust

symbols of technical proficiency and high ethical standards.

All cleantrust materials previously purchased for end-user recognition or communication may continue to be used. Moving forward, whenever the cleantrust is listed, it will be noted that it is an IICRC program, linking the two together.

“We've heard feedback from registrants and feel the combination of IICRC and the cleantrust, an IICRC program, will help our organisation honour its position in the industry while generating increased end-user awareness,” said Darrell Paulson, IICRC chairman. “We're poised for growth as we move into the future with open lines of communication and an opportunity to market ourselves beyond the industry.”

Updated materials with the new IICRC logo and design will roll out gradually in the coming months.

The website has been redesigned according to these guidelines and is now live at www.iicrc.org.

For questions and additional information about when to use the IICRC logo and when to use the cleantrust service mark for end-users, download a copy of the IICRC's brand guidelines on the website or contact the UK office at: iicrc@admin.co.uk page 27

Same game, different rules - what to do for employees working on a client’s site Phil Crosbie (Eversheds LLP)

S

ome carpet cleaning companies will have employees that spend their normal working day in other people’s property; for example, cleaning carpets in an office block.

Sometimes these individuals will be working on their own, other times as part of a group.

Whatever the scenario, employees working for your business are ultimately your responsibility.

Employers must ensure that they are doing everything 'reasonably practicable' to ensure that the employees they send off to work in the morning return home safe in the evening.

When employees are out of your control and

working 'under the watch' of another party, the way in which you satisfy your duty of care as an employer changes. We consider below what businesses need to do to for those employees working away from their home base.

1. Know where they are going The most basic requirement is for you, as an employer, to know where that individual is going and then to appreciate the risks that may be present. In most cases, the work will be fairly routine and the risks are likely to be covered by the standard training provided to employees.

However, in some cases, routine work can often page 28

become more dangerous when considering the setting in which it takes place. For instance, work in an office may be fairly innocuous until it is understood that the office is a research laboratory or situated on a high hazard site. It is important that conversations take place up front about where the work will be taking place.

For work in unusual or particularly hazardous settings, it would be prudent for a member of management to visit the sites that require work.

Once you know where an employee is going, you can determine the best way to protect them.

2. Train and inform If an employee is working at a location with bespoke risks then they need to be made aware of those risks. The occupier of the site has primary responsibility for ensuring that those on the premises are properly trained, this will usually take place through a site induction.

However, your responsibility as an employer does not end at the front gate. You need to be sure that your employees are being given appropriate induction training and safety information before going on to a site. You should make it clear with

your client that you expect such information to be given to your employees and may even ask to see copies of the relevant training records on a periodic basis.

In addition, if you have created new safety procedures, amended risk assessments or other safety information then this should be provided to your employees prior to starting work.

3. Keep in touch Speaking with your employees is also invaluable, so that you can gauge whether they have any concerns over the training received, the level of supervision or the working environment in general. This could be conducted by way of a telephone call, or even a visit to the client's site for long-term work.

It is also important that you are made aware of any accidents or near-misses that involve your employees. If such incidents do occur, you may wish to amend certain working procedures, provide additional safety equipment or stop working in that environment altogether. These crucial decisions can only be made if employees (and your client) are aware of the need to tell you as soon as an incident happens.

Conclusion Businesses will be very familiar with the work that they perform on a dayto-day basis. Employees of the business should also be well-trained and prepared for that work.

However, when working on premises outside of the classroom, there may be risks that transform the nature in which a task is performed, and/or the associated risks.

By engaging with clients and understanding any particular risks, employers will be best placed to satisfy their duty of care as an employer and ensure that employees are properly trained and equipped to deal with the task before them. 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). Must be bought as one lot - will not be sold as individual items. Total cost: £10,000. 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.

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@aquamaster-yorkshire.co.uk EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Cimex CR61 24". 3 nylon brushes. £650 + VAT. Call Liz 01934 750977 (Somerset).

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. Please phone Pete Collins on 07885804560.

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE 1 kirby g4 vac c/w full set of tools unused since recent service £100 ono. 1 nuva electric protector spray trolley c/w lance and hand gun + coily hoses offers over £75. 1 3" CFR hand tool+1 extra 3" nozzle needs repair £50 ono. 1 twin jet s/steel wand needs brazing on jet mounts c/w teflon guide £40 ono. Buyer collects or arranges carriage on items. Contact Stephen on 07766 327327 (Essex area).

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Prochem Bravo (complete) portable carpet spot cleaning machine (hardly used). Prochem Galaxy compact carpet and upholstery cleaner, good condition with hose and wand. 3 speed air mover (nearly new). Prochem dry carpet system (never used) complete with 3 different sets of new brushes and renovation kit. Genuine reason for sale. All items are in very good working order. £2300 or very near offer. Call Keith on 07734 144409 (Kent).

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.

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.

Website enquiries Members may receive enquiries via the NCCA website. The site features a membership directory that includes a full list of NCCA members.

Visitors can search the directory by location, service or use the general search feature to find a company.

Enquiries from the NCCA website will be sent via email and go directly from the enquirer to the member, with the title “NCCA Member Enquiry”.

It is important that the office know your current email address for you to benefit from this service. Please contact

the office to make any changes to your entry.

Members also have the opportunity to advance their NCCA website listing for a small one-off fee. This includes benefits such as a direct link to your website, further copy space for promotional information about your company, your logo, or video, being included in your entry, your company name being highlighted within the list and more.

For further information please contact the office by phone or email and request an Advanced Entry order form.

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) £20.50 each or £52.50 for 3 + NCCA Lapel Pin Badge £3.00 each + Large NCCA Van Sticker (21x7 inches approx) Pack of 2 for £17.63

NCCA Associate Members + Allied Insurance Services Ltd: 0844 8156211 (I) + 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) + Cleanerswarehouse Ltd: 01772 434333 (T/C/R/M) + Cleaning Support Ltd: 0844 8482371 (C/M/W)

+ Small NCCA Van/Machine Sticker (12x3 inches approx) £2.50 each

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

+ Promotional Leaflet 10p each (under 500), 8.5p each (500 and over)

+ Cleantec Innovation Ltd: 0870 733 7733 (T/C/W/M)

+ NCCA Tie £12.93 each

+ Dri-Eaz: 01908 611211 (C/M/T)

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.

+ Cleansmart Ltd: 0115 8240034 (T/C/R/M/K) + Columbus Cleaning Machines Ltd: 01772 426527 (M) + 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)T)

NCCA Member Benefits

+ Mailboxes Etc: 01628 633336

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

+ McGregor Lloyd (insurance brokers): 0121 706 0616 (I)

+ 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 + Control Account PLC 01527 882901

+ 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) + 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) + 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

Flooding - No Problem!

Products that solve the results of floods That you and your customer can trust Formula 429 ! Works in wet and dry conditions ! Officially approved by the NHS for bacteria, mould & virus killing* ! Rated as safe for the environment.

Floods- Trust a product that is ! Keeps working for a minimum of 17 days guaranteed to perform in the toughest environments. ! Safe around humans and pets. *Fully independent tested 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