Favorite Articles

No matter what specialty cleaning services you offer, your customers are using social media to find them. People are using social media sites first to find solutions for their problems by searching for specialty services and local businesses they can trust. Consumers are increasingly using these sites to locate & connect with local businesses just like yours!...keep reading

If you aren't using email marketing, you're missing out!  Many methods have come and gone over the years, but email marketing has endured as one of the most effective ways to increase sales and build lasting relationships that small businesses like ours can use.    ...keep reading

Trust is essential for building lasting customer relationships. However, creating this trust requires the ability to recognize, understand, and manage your own emotions as well as the emotions of others. There are five key elements to be managed: Self-awareness, Self-regulation, Motivation, Empathy, and Social skills....keep reading

This concept isn't fancy, and it certainly isn't attractive to most carpet cleaners -- But, It Works! If your business needs a boost, this might just be what you are looking for!...keep reading

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The question has been asked, "Will pet owners spending on pet related services increase in this new economy?" The Answer is a Resounding - YES!
. . . . DON'T IGNORE THIS GIGANTIC MARKET! Most pet owners today view their pets as part of the family. Dogs are going on vacations with their families, proving that pets as family- is becoming more accepted, perhaps even expected. In fact, over the last few years, we are seeing a movement we might call a humanization- of pets. Imagine that 45% of American pet owners today spend the same or more on the healthcare needs of their pets than they do on themselves! For the most up to date facts, check inside for this link with 2024 statistics! ...keep reading

When used properly, and with consideration given to operator and fabric sensitivity, enzyme pre-conditioners can help to save time in cleaning and prevent damage to delicate fabrics that might result from more aggressive alternative methods.
If you'd like to learn more about effective ways to clean fabrics that others turn down as "uncleanable", come to our Fabric Pro workshop. Check our calendar on the right....keep reading

The best referral sources for your business will always be the ones that know that most about the value you have to offer. EDUCATION ALERT: May 28 - 30, 2008 - IICRC Approved UFT PROFESSIONAL UPHOLSTERY CLEANING CERTIFICATION COURSE....keep reading

One thing that often gets in the way of a business owner's measurement of success is their belief that they can satisfy everyone. The truth is, perfection doesn't exist. If you're the type of person who is always searching for perfection, or expecting it in others, it's important that you learn to accept less than perfect and be satisfied with it....keep reading

Start With Specific Demographic Information - - - information like location, age, gender, social & economic status, and so on. - - - With residential customers, also consider psychological factors like the prospect's attitudes, beliefs, fears and needs - - - Here is a prime example of a group you may identify as an ideal customer category, a group who are seniors and are individuals who have unique concerns and fears that you feel very comfortable with. Seniors are especially valuable as prospective contacts of many types....keep reading

No matter how small your cleaning services business is, even YOU can get an “influencer” or “well known, respected authority” in your community to   endorse your cleaning services business!...keep reading

Focusing on current technical and micro-business trends that may have a major affect on cleaning professionals. IN THIS ISSUE -- NEED BUSINESS FAST? When customers are nowhere to be found and your company's on the brink of disaster, you might want to use this simple & affordable strategy to get your phone ringing. CLEANTIP ALERT! Powerful new resource comes online just when we need it most!...keep reading

The “Hippocratic Oath” of the medical community starts with “First, do no harm.” The same oath should be taken by upholstery cleaners.  This comment can cover a number of things we do as cleaners, but for this article, I would like to focus on texture damage during cleaning....keep reading

Olefin Berbers create such problems for many cleaners that they routinely treat the carpet with a "browning treatment" (most cleaners think soil wicking and yellowing are "browning")....keep reading

If you are presented with a troublesome stain on upholstery by your customer, you cannot begin to find the solution until you know the answer to the equation: Testing + Stain ID +Understanding Cleaning Chemistry = Success!...keep reading

Your 'comfort zone' keeps you paralyzed from even attempting to get what you really want. You may have plans and goals but are afraid of the "what-if's" that might happen when you do try. Instead, it's easier to stay where you're comfortable instead of getting hurt or humiliated by working toward your goals....keep reading

Data collected regarding your ICP needs to be based on objective feedback from the market, not just your assumptions (which you will still need). You need to research and use this objective data as much as possible. As you discover more about your market, there will be some interesting surprises along the way. If it's all based on assumptions, you might easily miss the mark!...keep reading

A few weeks ago I sat in on a teleconference with Joe Polish and was very interested in Joe's comments regarding the exceptional value of direct mail marketing. In fact, interested enough to do some research of my own. (I am an avid user of direct mail, but it starts you to thinking when a powerhouse marketer like Joe speaks so strongly about it.)...keep reading

Focusing on current technical and micro-business trends that may have a major effect on cleaning professionals. IN THIS ISSUE -- REMARKABLE CLASS AT PEMBERTONS ON MAY 29TH, RECENT POST AT JIMS CLEAN CHAT BLOG - FAQs - Spotting Products Questions, CLEANTIP ALERT - Time to have a talk with your CPA, NEWS YOU CAN USE - Going, Going, Gone?, EDUCATION ALERT - IICRC Approved CCT Certification Course, June 24 - 26, 2008....keep reading

The fallout from strongly increased attention to immigration issues at all levels is damaging small businesses like ours -- and is only going to get worse! It turns out that the independent contractor tool is being seriously abused by employers to evade the issues involved with illegal immigrants....keep reading