Favorite Articles

A Heartfelt Holiday Message From Jim & Lee Pemberton You, as one of our customers, readers & friends are the reason our business exists. Lee and I treasure our special relationship with each of you more than we could ever show, and we want you to know that we are very thankful for your continuing relationship. May this Thanksgiving be the beginning of a bright and happy holiday season for you all. ...keep reading

What Is an Entitled Customer-? These customers are actually changing the face of today's service industry! What does this mean for you as a specialty cleaning services provider? Review the following valuable, but basic skills that can help you deal positively with this new Entitled Customers- segment of your market . . ....keep reading

My secret is a list that helps me get more things done every day! Here are the simple steps I use. Try it, but don't neglect step #1 -- if you can't, you really don't know what you want to get done! Let me know how this works for you. It's simple, but powerful....keep reading

Ask your customers what problems they face and what kinds of solutions they're currently using to help solve those problems. --- Keep in mind that they really don't know how deep their problems are, and need an expert to explain it in full before a solid solution can be reached. --- They need to be educated regarding the steps actually required by Pet loving, home owner families_ to maintain clean, 'per friendly' home environments....keep reading

The restoration of soft content items after smoke damage is an art that is not well understood by most fire damage restoration contractors today. Years back, when the restoration industry was served mostly by cleaning companies that grew into the restoration business, the cleaning and restoration of soft content items, specifically upholstered fabrics, was often done successfully....keep reading

Many struggling, local small service business owners make these very damaging mistakes when struggling with their online presence.
These mistakes can ruin ones reputation very quickly. But thankfully, you can learn about these damaging mistakes and avoid them in your own business, or at least correct them now before it's too late!....keep reading

. . . . there are definite risks involved when using peroxide based stain removers on cellulose fibers like cotton and linen, as well as some far safer products & procedures to try first:...keep reading

Pay attention as Washington scrambles to find ways to pay for President Obama's desperate "Jobs Plan". While you & I cannot find workers willing or even interested in working, the give-away program continues! Beware as the need for money tightens more and more - The Feds are quietly becoming much more aggressive as they enforce the "independent contractor" rules. Little businesses like us are easy marks for enforcement. I want you to read this article carefully....keep reading

Over the past few years I have written and spoken about a reoccurring problem facing upholstery cleaning professionals: The problem of upholstery fabric discoloration from flame retardant that continues to plague our industry with increasing frequency. Problem: Fabric That Turns Red After Cleaning!...keep reading

Big cleaning franchises spend large amounts of money on video advertising, but as a small professional cleaning service, you don't have to do the same thing! You can market your business just as effectively on a shoestring budget by utilizing some basic free or very low-cost marketing tactics....keep reading

The Truth - People won't refer their friends and associates to your business because you offer them a free gift, like a free lunch, movie tickets, cash, etc. They refer others to your business because......keep reading

This is an excellent training video by Lisa Wagner, "the Rug Chick" that was published in the Cleanfax Online. Video: How to test rug dye stability....keep reading

It is extremely important for local service businesses to understand the value of 'Word of Mouth' marketing in the local market place, as well as learning ways to use it more effectively. This report focuses on ways it could be included as an important part of your total ongoing marketing program....keep reading

IMPORTANT FACT: Stop selling what you do and start selling what you deliver. It's not enough to know just who it is that you help; you also have to know what you help them with! Because what people really want are 'solutions to their problems', not your services....keep reading

How You Personally Define Success Is Dependent Upon You!
The truth is, business success is most generally defined as having a profitable business that enables you to take care of your responsibilities plus have a little fun too. But, how you personally define your success is totally dependent upon you!...keep reading

Paying attention to details (not just the physical service delivery), could give your service business a large competitive advantage. Our industry is made up of entrepreneurs, but many entrepreneurs are big-picture thinkers who have a low tolerance for details. They're very clear about where their visionary journey will take them, but they tend to neglect the practical, en route details that are crucial to delivering services!....keep reading

Social media, combined with your company website is highly effective in a number of ways, both individually as well as together. How you use social media should depend on your particular needs and focus, but there are some key ways, especially for cleaning & restoration professionals depending on your needs, in which you can use social media for your business. Reviews are #1!...keep reading

I am proud to share some exciting news about Lisa Wagner, our incredible Expert Rug Cleaning Training Associate! Lisa made the Home section of the New York Times earlier this month! Here is the link for your reference ( take a few minutes to read it):...keep reading

I was recently asked by a conscientious fine fabric cleaner whether or not old silk fabric with severe spot and staining issues could be successfully cleaned....keep reading

This is a special alert from ConsumerReports.org Cut your risk by learning what not to do when you fill up. Credit card skimmers that thieves install where you swipe your card to pay at the pump can copy the account data from the magnetic stripe on the back of your card, along with your PIN if you type that in for a debit card transaction....keep reading