Friday, August 17, 2018

TEST OF A GOOD OWNER

A true test of your Carpet Cleaning Company is how jobs will be done when you are not on the truck. In order to grow the company, every owner must eventually get off the truck. Hiring, advertising and calling on potential clients requires time off the truck.

In order to accomplish this, you have to hire high quality technicians. The way people work when the owner is not on the job reflects the difference between average and superior management and the results that are produced.

Successful owners strive to build a company that is superior. Your goal is to hire a technician with a willingness to be more than a carpet cleaner. Training should include courteous driving habits, good communication skills and the ability to “Plus Sell” without being pushy.

This is when the skill of the owner comes into play. You train your people to do a better job but you don’t do it for them. You are training them how to think and react on the job. You want them to be able to handle problems or other situations. You want them to have confidence so that when you are not on the job, they will know what to do.

While it may seem flattering if your people think you’re indispensable; ultimately, it is counterproductive to the growth of your company. If you train them properly and allow them to expand their responsibilities; then, your business will be on the path to success.

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Friday, August 10, 2018

PROMISES

Promises are easy to make; however, sometimes they are harder to keep. Unfortunately, it’s easy to make quick promises because it is so easy to do. We may use a promise of a raise to motivate a Carpet Cleaning Technician. You may tell a Carpet Cleaning customer that you can do their cleaning on a particular day and time. That is the easy part. Eventually, the time will come when it is time to deliver. That is when the difficulties may arise.

Actually, there is nothing wrong with making promises; providing you follow a few simple precautions:

How sure are you that you can fulfill what you promised?
Do you honestly intend to keep your promise?
Are you careful not to mislead your employees or customers?
Do you make a practice of making good on your promises?
ALWAYS under-promise and over-deliver!

Bottom line is, if you make promises, keep them. If there is even the slightest possibility you cannot follow through; then, do not promise. Being reliable and trustworthy is important to the customers you work for and your employees and will allow them to respect you.

Owners who win respect are the ones who deliver more than they promise, not the ones who promise more than they can deliver.

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Friday, August 03, 2018

PERSUASION

Persuading others is a good part of the owner’s or manager’s responsibilities in a Carpet Cleaning Company. The key in this is the art of persuasion; not fostering an argument.

The job will be made easier and more effective if you practice these basic principals:

Personalize your presentation. Adapt your presentation to the personalities of the people with whom you are talking. Make sure they will relate to your words. Keep it simple and direct.
Make it clear. We know what we are thinking and presume that others know what we are talking about. If you are talking to a Carpet Cleaning Technician about increasing “Plus Sales”, be sure they know which products fall under that category. As an example, “Carpet Protectors” as opposed to inclusive products like “Traffic Lane Spotters”.
Reinforce your points. Back up what you are saying with facts and figures. Present an example to your Technician that for every $100.00 in “Plus Sales” they sell, they will make “X” number of dollars for themselves.
Anticipate objections. They may say “I try but the customers don’t want to spend more money”. Try to imagine this and other objections before you talk to them and prepare answers for these objections.

Depending
on your ability to persuade, you may or may not be successful in your first
endeavor. However just as you want to persuade your employees, you may need
to persuade yourself to try again. A successful business owner knows this.

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Friday, July 27, 2018

TEAMWORK

Owners of a Carpet Cleaning business should put an emphasis on teamwork.

We do well to remember that success comes from listening to all viewpoints and establishing a spirit of cooperation. Here are some ideas:

Stress team goals: Make sure everyone knows what the Company is trying to accomplish and exactly how each employee can work to achieve that goal.

Tie individual success to the Company goals: Emphasize each person’s contribution to the success of the Company. If they understand that if they succeed, the company succeeds and the reverse is then true.

Emphasize cooperation: Point out specifically how your employees can help one another. Let them know that how well they cooperate is an important measure of their job.

Give credit for the Company’s success: Let everyone know how much you appreciate their efforts.

Most employees want to belong and to be part of the action. Treating them as an important part of your Company will only encourage them to work harder.

Company meetings provide an opportunity to improve teamwork and you should encourage your employees to speak freely. Doing so will help clear up any misunderstandings and therefore help prevent problems.

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Friday, July 20, 2018

LEADERS

We must accept the fact that much of the work in the Carpet Cleaning business is routine and repetitive. Therefore, as owners (leaders) and or managers, we must challenge our people with assignments that utilize their talents and abilities. This is the way we keep them interested and motivated.

When we first hire Carpet Cleaning Technicians, they usually start out as “helpers” moving furniture and tabbing it, keeping the hoses properly placed and “grooming” the carpet after cleaning and Carpet Protector has been applied. Then, as they become more proficient in those tasks, the goal is to expand their capabilities. Cleaning carpet is the next step, followed by furniture cleaning. If you offer other services like Wood floor care and Stone and Grout cleaning, training for those may come before fabric care.

As good leaders, we want people to think about how to do things better. If there is a job related problem, a good leader will ask their employees for their opinion and then listen when they express them. A good leader will share responsibilities also, to the point that their employees show they can handle them. This way, they help their employees grow and expand their abilities.

This is the way as an owner (leader) we will keep our employees happy and challenged. Unchallenged people are bored and therefore they will not be as productive.

If you are after good results, a good leader cannot ignore these facts.

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Friday, July 13, 2018

FRIDAY THE 13th

BLEACHES and CARPET

What is bleach and how is it used?

Most people, when they hear the word “bleach” automatically visualize a gallon jug of Clorox^® chlorine bleach. My dictionary says that bleach is anything that removes color. There are actually two primary ways of removing color - oxidizing and reducing.

An oxidizing bleach is a chemical that gains electrons and causes the oxidation of another substance. That is, an oxidizing bleach removes color by adding oxygen (or chlorine) to a dye structure, or even destroys the dye molecule by splitting it apart. The ultimate form of oxidation is burning - where the substance is totally destroyed by high temperatures and oxygen! Examples of oxidizing bleaches are hydrogen peroxide, chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite), sodium perborate, sodium persulfate and sodium percarbonate. Even ozone and medications such as some acne medicines containing benzoyl peroxide are oxidizing bleaches. Stain 1 Stain Remover and the two-part Stain Magic^® also contain hydrogen peroxide oxidizing bleach as one of its components.

Hydrogen peroxide is a clear, self-neutralizing, unstable oxidizing bleach that should be stored in a dark, cool place, in a dark colored bottle and kept no more than 6 months. When using hydrogen peroxide, such as whitening grayed rug fringes, start with the 3% strength found in most drug stores. Do not leave on stain more than 30 minutes and follow with wet extraction to ensure complete removal to prevent residual bleaching. In some cases, 3% hydrogen peroxide can be left on the stain on nylon carpet overnight without rinsing, but some risk is involved. Hydrogen peroxide oxidation can be accelerated by an alkali (pH over 7), by heat (very risky) or simply by sunlight. Hydrogen peroxide simply breaks down to water and oxygen as it dries, leaving no residue.

Pretest in an inconspicuous area for bleaching or discoloration of the carpet or rug dyes. Get a signed release because the carpet dyes may be irreversibly bleached out or changed. Attempt only on light colors. Use on wool VERY carefully. 3% hydrogen peroxide is excellent for whitening cotton fringes on oriental design rugs.

The 40-volume clear hydrogen peroxide from the beauty supply house (usually labeled “40 Volume Clear Developer”) is 12% strength. The 30% hydrogen peroxide from chemical suppliers is 100 volume. “Volume” is not the same as “per-cent”!

Oxidizing bleaches are excellent against stains from mildew, furniture, ink, coffee, cellulosic browning, urine and feces.

Chlorine bleach should only be used on solution dyed fibers. On 100% olefin carpet, it may be used undiluted, but should be rinsed out after use. On solution dyed nylon, it should be diluted to at least 1 part bleach to 4 parts water before use. Chlorine bleach will damage even solution-dyed nylon fibers and should only be used when nothing else works! ALWAYS extract out chlorine bleach after use. Be sure there is no bleach on your shoes, hoses, etc. where it might get on other carpet or furniture. NEVER mix chlorine bleach with any other chemicals. Household chlorine bleach is about 5.25% sodium hypochlorite with a pH of about 12! Chlorine bleach, even dry, can still be reactivated with water and its residue is caustic soda. Chlorine bleach dissolves wool and severely weakens cotton. NEVER bring a bottle of chlorine bleach into a house!

A reducing bleach is a chemical that loses electrons and removes oxygen from a compound. Reducing bleaches are sometimes called strippers or stripping agents. Examples of reducing bleaches are sodium thiosulfate (photographer’s hypo), titanium stripper, sodium bisulfite and sodium hydrosulfite. Rit^® Color Remover, Streepene^®, CloroX Bleach Neutralizer, Red 1^® Stain Remover and the two-part product Red Relief^® contain reducing bleaches. Sodium bisulfite is a weak reducing bleach; sodium hydrosulfite is a very strong reducing bleach. Sodium bisulfite is a common ingredient in Haitian cotton shampoos. Reducing bleaches are accelerated by heat and by acid.

Reducing bleaches are especially effective against grape juice, Kool-Aid^®, wine, iodine and Betadine^®. Reducing bleaches also act as “anti-chlors” - neutralizing oxidizing bleaches such as chlorine bleach. CloroX Bleach Neutralize by Pro's Choice is an anti-chlor formulated to neutralize chlorine bleach on carpet.

To use Rit Color Remover, dissolve 2 ounces of the reducing bleach in VERY hot water, cover the stain with a white turkish towel, pour the solution on the towel, remove the towel after about 10 minutes, thoroughly extract and dry blot. Repeat if needed. Rit Color Remover is commonly sold in discount stores in the laundry area. Its primary active ingredient is sodium hydrosulfite. NOTE: Because this is a powder, protect it from moisture and spills. Of course, Red Relief and Red 1 are more powerful.

The biggest drawback to reducing bleaches is that the oxygen in air alone may re-oxidize the stain and it will reappear - after all, the stain was simply made colorless, not actually removed or destroyed!

Related Spot and Stain Removal Products (Links Open to the Bane-Clene Store in Separate Windows):

CloroX Bleach Neutralizer for Carpet Repair

CMC Color Modifying Cosmetics Color Repair Kit for Bleach Stains
Energizer Light for Stain Magic
Printed Stain Removal Guide by Pro's Choice
Professional Spotting Kit by Pro's Choice
Red 1^® Stain Remover
Red Relief^®
Red Relief for Wool
Spot & Stain Removal DVD Set
Stain 1 Stain Remover
Stain Magic^®
Stain Magic for Wool

NOTE: This article is a revised version of an article that originally appeared in the May/June 2000 Bane-Clene Cleaning Digest^®.

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Copyright: Bane-Clene^® Corp.

Author: Donald W. Terry, Sr., Bane-Clene’s Chemist

Date Published: May 1, 2000

Date Modified: March 19, 2019

Friday, July 06, 2018

PROFITS

There are those that say the purpose of a business is to produce goods or services and provide jobs. Certainly so. But the reason any business is started in the first place is to make a profit. Thus, if it does not make a profit, it will ultimately go out of business.

One of the important keys to good ownership is to keep everyone connected with your organization focused on this fact. Profits go to the profit-minded.

Some people have trouble seeing how their jobs are related to profits. They may feel their job is not all that important, so it does not really matter. That is further from the truth.

The fact is that everyone who works for a Company affect profits, through good work or bad, being careful or wasteful with time and material, being present or absent, late or early, thinking of better ways to do their work or just coasting. Everyone’s performance is the sum total of their actions and ultimately contributes to a business’ potential profit or possible loss.

How do you convey to your employees that their overall performance is essential to the success of your business and its profits?

First, by being constantly profit-minded yourself.

Second, by constantly explaining the relationship of everything you or they do to profits.

Third, by recognizing and praising their cooperation in this endeavor.

The message is clear and can be conveyed. When it is, the results will be obvious. It will improve the operation and therefore the profits of a company.

Friday, June 29, 2018

MORE EFFICIENT

The unfortunate fact is that most business operations could be handled better and more efficiently than they are. Your company may be one of them.

Why do we feel this way? Because we don’t know of any business including our own that operates at maximum efficiency day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. Realistically, it is not possible. People relax, get complacent, even lackadaisical. As long as a company is making money and things are going well we tend not to worry. We may stop looking for better and more efficient ways to do things. If little inefficiencies start working their way in and they are not major, no one may notice or become worried.

If these inefficiencies do become major, then the Company stops making as much money. In the interim, people may lose their job, the Company may lose a large contract or worse yet, if these inefficiencies go completely unchecked, then the Company may fail. Companies need to wake up and reorganize and prioritize their efforts before this happens.

A successful owner soon learns that they can not sit back and take it easy no matter how well things seem to be going. If you don’t think of better ways of doing things, your competition will. You have to constantly keep selling yourself and your people on the concept of being more efficient.

Friday, June 22, 2018

THOUGHTS

It is said that thousands of thoughts pass through our minds every day. Most unfortunately are soon forgotten. A few of those we wish we could retain. When those too slip away, we berate ourselves for not being able to remember.

Improving one’s memory is not all that difficult. Most of us simply don’t take the time or effort required. Try these simple self help exercises:

Remember to Remember. Tell yourself that you want to remember this or that fact and concentrating on it will improve your memory immediately. We remember what we want to remember.
Sharpen Your Observation. Pay close attention to what you see and hear. Use images. Listen closely. Shut your eyes and try to see it. Pay attention to details; really look and observe. Few people do.
Practice Recall. Unfortunately, forgetting is most rapid after learning. It helps to make a deliberate effort to repeat and review immediately. Repetition will help fix the fact or image in our minds.
Concentrate. Eliminate distractions and focus. The mind is at its best when it is centered on one thing at a time. Avoid such things as fatigue, noise and other visual images during the time you are trying to learn.

Four Characteristics of a Successful Person
Twenty Steps to Success
The 15 Factors of Success in Carpet Cleaning Business
What Makes a Company Successful in the Carpet Cleaning Business?

Please read the latest issue of the Clene-Times^® at www.baneclene.com/publications/.

Please visit our web site at www.baneclene.com.

The Bane-Clene^® Team.

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Friday, June 15, 2018

GROWTH

In a fast growing business, it’s relatively simple to keep competent people engaged. New situations and responsibilities keep cropping up, sometimes faster than people can be developed to handle them. This keeps their interest peaked.

In a slower growing or relatively stable company, it isn’t always that easy. As an owner or manager you may need to switch an employee’s duties to keep them interested. Also, you will need ways to challenge them; unchallenged people are bored and unproductive.

Seeing that employees have every opportunity to grow and develop is critical to a company. It produces better morale, better work and better results which makes for a better company.

In most successful companies, developing people heads the list. The best way to develop them is to encourage them to “stretch” a bit. Ask them to work outside their comfort zone. The more capable your employees become, the more your Company will achieve growth.

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Friday, June 08, 2018

GOOD DECISIONS

Good decisions are normally achieved after giving proper thought to all of the choices and possibilities involved.

Here is a simple checklist that can be applied to the process of arriving at your decision. If asked and answered by you, they should stir your imagination and spark creativity.

Is there a different way to do it?
Can you borrow or adapt from a previous decision?
Can you apply a new approach?
Do you merely need to add to a previous decision?
Do you merely need to subtract from a previous decision?
Is there a substitute idea?
Can a previous decision be rearranged?
What happens if you do just the opposite?
Can more than one previous idea be combined?
What happens if you make no decision and let the situation ride?

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Friday, June 01, 2018

PRAISED AND APPRECIATED

Everyone likes to be praised and to feel appreciated. Often only the owners or managers receive such adulation. But what about the technicians, office personnel, etc.? Those who get the least praise often enjoy and deserve it the most.

Companies are like a bicycle wheel with the center or hub representing the owner and or managers. But everyone else represent the spokes. If there is a broken or missing spoke, the wheel does not run smoothly; it wobbles. Just like our businesses, if everyone is not part of the company, the company will not run smoothly.

That is why owners and or managers need to be praise givers not grabbers. Whenever they observe one of their employees do something noteworthy, they need to acknowledge it.

You might say “they are suppose to be doing that, it’s part of their job”, while true if you recognize it, they not only appreciate it but will continue to do their jobs to the best of their ability.

The reverse of praise is criticism. Take the time to offer praise and appreciation to your employees. Then if you need to criticize them when they have not done well or neglected their job, then that criticism should be accepted more easily. Praise helps negate the pain and resentment out of criticism that you may have to administer, especially if you do it carefully and in a friendly manner.

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Friday, August 17, 2018

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Friday, August 10, 2018

PROMISES

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Friday, August 03, 2018

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Friday, July 27, 2018

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Friday, July 20, 2018

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Friday, July 13, 2018

BLEACHES and CARPET

What is bleach and how is it used?

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Copyright: Bane-Clene® Corp.

Author: Donald W. Terry, Sr., Bane-Clene’s Chemist

Date Published: May 1, 2000

Date Modified: March 19, 2019

Friday, July 06, 2018

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Friday, June 08, 2018

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