Favorite Articles

Focusing on current technical and business trends that have a major effect on 1-10 employee professional cleaning services. IN THIS ISSUE -- HOW DIGITAL MEDIA CAN ENHANCE YOUR POSTCARD MARKETING, RECENT POST AT JIMS CLEAN CHAT BLOG - Upholstery Pet Odor Removal Challenges, NEWS YOU CAN USE - Walmart Losing Business, Looks to Retool & EDUCATION ALERT: FINE FABRIC CARE WORKSHOP -- April 29, 2011, 8am - 5pm....keep reading

Focusing on current technical and micro-business trends that may have a major affect on cleaning professionals. MARKET PLACE CAUTION NOTE: Be alert to the growing financial problems of a major residential customer niche, SENIORS!...keep reading

....keep reading

If there is one skill that you can improve that will create rewarding experiences with your customers every time - it is your communication skill!
Active Listening is Required!
FACT: Telephones are actually not the best tools for active two way communication!
Here are 6 strategies that you can implement right now that will improve your communication skills (AND YOUR BANK BALANCE !)...keep reading

It can be really challenging to identify & locate your ideal customer today! It takes work, research, and patience so that many new cleaning business owners are hesitant to limit their market, feeling that it's better to target everybody and at least see who bites.  . . One of my favorite examples who used to do good job of targeting, have been dealt a massive hit during the recent pandemic, and that is the restaurant carpet cleaner! Yes, it's hard work, lousy hours, slow pay, low pay, and difficult to find labor! But easy to profile!  . . In this era profiling is a quite bit tougher! No one wants to work, but those you do find want paid big time as well as work the hours they want!!...keep reading

For over 30 years the cleaning industry has been beset by cleaners who use pricing strategies that border on "Bait & Switch Advertising". Its a common practice to advertise low room pricing , but to put in the fine print that this low price only covers "maintenance cleaning" or "good for carpets that are cleaned on a yearly basis". However, in most cases, the low "maintenance cleaning" is a "bait"....keep reading

As mentioned last week, your referral marketing effort often just needs the right hook or offer to get people to pay attention. Check this idea out & and see if you can think of ways to creatively wrap your business around this one. EDUCATION ALERT: May 28 - 30, 2008. IICRC Approved UFT Certification Course. PROFESSIONAL UPHOLSTERY CLEANING CERTIFICATION COURSE...keep reading

Whether you are conscious of it or not, somewhere along the way you have developed your own private life story in your mind. This story provides a unique insight into your subconscious mind -- including your ambitions, your desires, and most especially your fears! ...keep reading

Following are the best times, places and reasons to use 'short-form' videos:
Reliable studies reveal that 5% of viewers will stop watching a video after 1 minute and you lose 60% of remaining viewers each additional minute! This means that short-form videos can boost your results!
'Short-form' video works well for marketing thru social media platforms such as Facebook & Instagram because social media users are usually scrolling quickly and their time is limited. 'Short-form' videos have higher retention rates, which means they're more likely to capture the viewer's attention quickly and result in a positive impression....keep reading

I have learned some sobering facts about control during my many years, and the best thing I can tell you, especially in this really messed up world we're in right now - (economically, politically and otherwise,) - is that YOU really have more that you can CONTROL than you may think or even realize!...keep reading

If you are like most professional cleaners, you have a significant investment in your cleaning equipment and service vehicle. You are spending a lot of money in advertising and marketing to secure new clients. There are only three ways to increase the income you derive from this investment...keep reading

Note from Lee . . . re Module #2: In last week's article, I shared a small portion of Module #1 from a special 4 module course Jim & I have recently compiled based on our experiences during our 50+ years in business. The excerpts I shared were regarding the crippling effects of negative subconscious stories we have observed on many lives & businesses! This week my article shares a small portion of Module #2 introducing you to the potentially positive effects of changing your subconscious stories!...keep reading

The very best way to make your specialty service processes more profitable is to make them more valuable to your customer! To do that, requires some basic research on your part! First you will need to identify the most important specialty processes that are also time consuming and either bill for them or eliminate them from your service processes....keep reading

Throughout the 1970's, carpet cleaners found ways to combine the use of rotary scrubbing equipment to precondition carpet, then followed up with portable hot water extraction machines to rinse and remove the shampoo residues.
This method, while still used by some, became rapidly unpopular for several reasons...keep reading

Stories are incredibly powerful in marketing professional cleaning services! They engage, entertain, and show the customer how your packages of unique service processes can make a positive change in their life. 'Story-Selling' involves comfortably using your storytelling skills to solve customer problems! Following are 5 highly effective story types you can consider using for 'story-selling' that will convert....keep reading

I'm sure we have all heard or even made this comment about local chamber of commerce memberships over the years, so I decided to start asking a few questions . . . .
EXAMPLE: Usual Comment You Hear Is . . .
"We've belonged to the Chamber of Commerce for over a year, and it's done nothing for us."...keep reading

Focusing on current technical and business trends that have a major effect on cleaning professionals. IN THIS ISSUE -- CREDIT SMART SERIES 6 OF 9 - FACTORS #3 of 5, Credit History, RECENT POST AT JIMS CLEAN CHAT BLOG - FAQs - Browning On Sofa, CLEANTIP ALERT - Carpet Repair Basics II, NEWS YOU CAN USE - Going, Going, Gone, EDUCATION ALERT - Carpet Repair and Re-Installation Course - August 20 - 21, 2009, 8am to 5pm....keep reading

Focusing on current technical and business trends that have a major effect on 1-10 employee professional cleaning services. IN THIS ISSUE -- The "Textile Pro's", Recent Post at Lee's Blog, Restoration BootCamp - Pillow Superbugs & Resource Corner -- Links & downloads & Education Alert....keep reading

Focusing on current technical and business trends that have a major effect on cleaning professionals. IN THIS ISSUE -- WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL? JUST UNPLUG YOUR TV, RECENT POST AT JIMS CLEAN CHAT BLOG -- FAQs - 2 White Rugs, CLEANTIP ALERT -- Carpet Repair Basics IV, NEWS YOU CAN USE -- Going, Going, Gone?, EDUCATION ALERT -- IICRC Approved UFT Certification Course - September 16 - 18, 2009, 8am to 5pm....keep reading

Focusing on current technical and business trends that have a major effect on cleaning professionals. IN THIS ISSUE -- CREDIT SMART SERIES 2 OF 9 -- Learning the Lingo, RECENT POST AT JIMS CLEAN CHAT BLOG -- FAQs - Oil Stains on Fabric, CLEANTIP ALERT! The Current Economic Crunch is Changing People's Habits When it Comes to Washing Clothes, NEWS YOU CAN USE -- Going, Going, Gone?, EDUCATION ALERT: INTERACTIVE MOLD TRAINING -- IOT Certified Mold Technician CMT - July 16 & 17, 2009....keep reading