The contents portion of a claim is not always something that restoration contractors look forward to—and for good reason. Few of us in the restoration industry call ourselves contents restoration experts to begin with. Fortunately, the number of contents specialists is growing. In this article, we discuss how to prepare for a contents claim and why reaching out to a specialty subcontractor is the best call to make in order to keep your contents safe and your customers happy.

The things I’ve seen on contents claims

I have seen it with my own eyes. When working in apartment complexes with damage to multiple units, you sometimes come across other companies handling claims for their clients. The times that I have been on those losses were always because someone made the choice to outsource the contents to a company that I worked for. What I witnessed from restoration contractors who didn’t make that call and did in-house work instead is why the industry has seen an emergence of standalone contents restoration companies.

Every so often, I catch wind of a job that one of our franchisees is a part of, and they’re helping correct the same mistakes. Typically, a non-specialized restoration company finds that they are in over their heads with the amount of contents impacted by the loss, and that company needs to get out of this situation. When this happens, I know at least two things were not done correctly: inventory and packing.

Three common contents mistakes

Below are just a few of the most common mistakes I see companies make when looking to do in-house contents.

Selecting the right box can make all the difference on a packout.

Mistake #1: There is no inventory  

People own a lot of stuff, and when there is no formal, systematic process to inventory all those belongings after a property loss, it becomes overwhelming very quickly. Having the proper technology and system(s) to inventory all impacted contents makes the pack-out process less daunting and ensures no contents will be forgotten or misplaced at any point along the way.

Mistake #2: The company packing out the job the first time used the biggest boxes they had

This is probably the single biggest rookie mistake we see as contents specialists. People see a large box and think, “Perfect! I’ll put as many things as I can in here!” What they don’t realize is that the payload of a large box is not much different than the payload on a small box.

The construction of a box is made of a single-ply carton, regardless of cubic size. The heavier the contents of a box, the less stable the larger boxes become. If your boxes become unstable, damage to contents becomes inevitable—and unhappy customers can be detrimental to business.

Mistake #3: No contents padding or protection

A third common mistake—and my personal favorite of the “we do contents in-house” hallmarks—is when I see hard furniture covered in only stretch wrap. What exactly is going on here?

There is no padding around any of the furniture, and a thin plastic film covering is the only means of protection. Instead, they should have been utilizing furniture blankets, which

Furniture pads are used to protect hard furniture from the packout to the packback.

are used to absorb bumps and keep furniture from scratching while it’s being moved from place to place.

The furniture blanket is a basic investment. It can be frequently washed and re-used over and over again in both pack-outs and pack-backs. Restoration companies tend to accumulate more blankets as they do more contents work. Having a lot of blankets is a sign that you are doing something right.

What makes a contents company different?

Despite these common mistakes, there are several full-service restoration companies that make the necessary investment to do contents the right way (Spoiler alert: this investment involves more than just furniture blankets). Three key criteria that make for a good contents restoration company are space, storage, and staff.

Key criteria #1: Space

The first critical component to a successful contents restoration operation is having a location that is secure and accessible to relocate the entirety of not just one single-family home, but many. The warehouse area that contents specialists typically retains should have more than 10,000 square feet of storage space. That being said, having a large warehouse alone will not ensure the best outcome for customers—which brings us to the second differentiator for contents specialists.

Key criteria #2: Storage

Ideally, storage vaults are also used within the warehouse space to separate jobs, and, when possible, those vaults are double stacked. I have seen firsthand companies that relied on industrial shelving as the only method of storing and separating contents. This may not seem like such a violation of common sense given that all big box stores operate in that fashion. The differences, however, are significant.

At a big box home center, the inventory stored is typically re-stocked with the same or similar items. At a big box food and home goods warehouse store, the products are separated by category, and re-stocks are timed with sales expectations. Not to mention that all items are new and packaged for retail. None of this is true for contents restoration jobs.

Chaos ensues when contents are not properly stored. In the likely event that the contents may have been inventoried but not scanned to a location, the warehouse manager spends their time looking through aisles like a married man looking for coconut milk at the grocery store for his wife (we’ll find it one day, fellas).

Even if the inventory system allows someone to pinpoint the location of a box or item on a shelf, once removed, the space becomes occupied by another box or item as space is limited. When the original item is sent back to be stored after cleaning, it will likely be placed back on a rack. However, it may be too close to other jobs at that point. Co-mingling of jobs and cross-contamination becomes an issue in these situations.

Storage vaults are the solution to these problems, which is why they’re integral to the success of contents specialists. Storage vaults are dedicated to single claims and never co-mingled. When paired with advanced inventory software, this is a major boost to the clients’ level of confidence that the contents job and their cherished belongings are safe from being mixed up or lost.

Key criteria #3: Staff

Another critical difference that separates standalone contents companies from those who occasionally partake in the practice is the staff. A regular mitigation company that goes from handling contents solely when responding to a loss all the way to doing a full contents pack-out is not likely to have a team that is properly trained or prepared for such an undertaking. Therefore, as mentioned before, you run into common mistakes: boxes are overstuffed and generically labeled, furniture is stretch wrapped but not padded, and breakage becomes a “˜when,’ not “˜if’ scenario.

Companies specializing in contents restoration, however, have dedicated pack-out (and pack-back) crews who are specifically trained on how to inventory contents, separate items by material type, wrap and load breakables, and more.

A staff trained on contents restoration translates into better customer satisfaction.

Just like any other outstanding property restoration company, a good contents restoration company also focuses on staff training as a constant and never-ending function of the business. It is critical for contents providers to continually build and refine their technical and business experience. In this way, they ensure that they have specialists who can make accurate assessments of damage, communicate clearly with clients, and deliver on expectations. This not only does wonders for the comfort level of the insured, but it also gives the referring party high marks for avoiding the common stumbling blocks of a contents claim.

Great partnerships

The case has been made for contents to be considered a specialty service not just by myself, but by the many specialty sub-contractors that have made the investments in warehouse space, storage, training, and staffing.

If you are looking to partner with a contents company here are two things to look for:

1 | Visit their warehouse

Examine the organization and cleanliness of the space. Most of the contents-only business owners that I know take great pride in how organized their space is.

2 | Inquire on the type of inventory software used

Adequate inventory software almost guarantees that the pack-back will be a pleasant experience for the customer as well as the team returning the contents. When used correctly, inventory software allows the contents company to create an accurate inventory of boxed items and single items as the job progresses.

Items and boxes are then scanned to the company’s warehouse where they can be moved and processed while maintaining a clear chain of custody. When the job is complete and contents are ready to be delivered back to the property, the team moving the contents back in has certainty that they are returning everything they promised to return.

The best reason to partner with a contents restoration expert is to free up your resources and focus on what you do best.   When you let qualified contents companies handle the contents portion of a property restoration loss, you take the pressure away from your staff, and you’re able to take on more work that you specialize in. You’ll be able to take on jobs without hesitation, knowing that the contents company that you hire will have your back when you need them. In this way, your contents company will effectively keep you out of the “˜contents quicksand,’ and making your customers happy when they return home as well.

David Gavilanes has worked his way up through the industry as a contents  technician, manager, magazine editor, and director of the Real Contents Training company. Today, Gavilanes oversees the Blue Kangaroo Packoutz  training academy as their Training Development Leader and works directly with the BKP franchisees as their Regional Business Coach.  You can reach Gavilanes via his website at .  

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, Media Director

It was July 2003. My first ever Cleanfax magazine. Not my first that I received in the mail. The first that I produced as the editor. You can see the cover of it on this page. Times have changed, that’s for sure.

Fast-forward to now. Finding the “perfect tech” is often an elusive dream. It’s tough to find quality workers for your cleaning or restoration company. Your options are limited to a few in a dwindling workforce that just doesn’t want to do tough, physical work. I won’t even get into how years ago we were a lot tougher and demanding physical jobs like moving waterbeds were no big deal.

But I want to dig up this topic again. The perfect tech has morphed. It used to be “Can he clean carpet?” or “Can he read a psychrometric chart?” Personally, I never really understood what all those curves meant. Yet now, it’s more about customer service. Can your tech really communicate with your clients? Speak their language? Put them at ease? Does your tech represent your brand the way you want?

The absolute best technician is one who is a constant marketing tool for your brand. Someone you can send to the grumpiest of customers who in turn transforms them into a cheerleader for your brand. An employee you value on the job but can also have over to your home for dinner and take to trade shows and industry events. Someone who, if you get sick or injured, will still take care of business and step up to the plate and go to bat for you.

Kind of sounds like you, right? The perfect tech should be your mirror image, someone who does things your way and ensures your brand continues to succeed.

Now that we’ve defined it all, what do we do to make this happen? Hire the personality. Don’t just hire someone because they have a background in the industry. Although if they do and they have the right personality, that’s a win/win. Look for someone who can communicate, has the people skills you want, and that you can mold into the role of “perfect technician.”

Check out my “˜Take 5 with Cleanfax’ recording with Mark Saiger below. Mark has built more than a few good techs in his time. His ideas are solid and worth imitating.

The perfect tech is out there, waiting for you. Let the hunt begin.

Jeff Cross is the editorial director of ������ý Media, which includes  Cleanfax  magazine. He is the previous owner of a successful cleaning and restoration firm. He also works as a trainer and consultant for business owners, managers, and front-line technicians. He can be reached at  jeffcross@issa.com.

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My hack for carpet cleaning over the years is using a common wallpaper remover steamer to remove furniture imprints and restoring the carpet to its original appearance. This works on all types of carpet from Berber to nylon, as well as all synthetic carpet likewise.

I get great results every time using this carpet cleaning hack. In around 15 to 20 seconds, the heat from the wallpaper steamer pops the imprints right out. My customers and rental properties I serve have been using for this method specifically from me for over 20 years.

Depending on the size or job, I get anywhere from $25 to $50 more per room. Sometimes, I even use multiple steamers on larger rooms. This process is safer than using an iron with no chance of burning the carpet. With this hack, carpet looks a lot nicer rather than leaving the deep imprints for the next tenant to worry about. It also restores the carpet to its original state helping to increase the value of the property in new tenants’ eyes. This method looks more professional for property managers moving tenants into the space and gives off the illusion of new carpet without the cost of putting in new carpet after every move.

To begin using this strategy yourself, you will need to first find the steamer that works best for your needs. Varying sizes and styles are available. These steamers are commonly used to remove wallpaper and can be found on most online auctions for under $75. At that price, it’s a great add-on to make money for your business.

If you have a “cleaning hack” to share with Cleanfax, send it to Jeff Cross, media director, at jeffcross@issa.com.

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The hottest topic on the planet right now seems to be how to attract and retain talent in your business. Regardless of your industry, this is at the top of every business owner and manager’s mind. I have recently written several articles on the topic, and I always wonder when I am finished if there is really anything left for any of us to say about the matter. It often feels like everything has been said ten different ways by ten different industry experts. I think this bombardment of insights leaves everyone scratching their collective heads as to what they really should do when it comes to staffing in their organization and hiring field technicians.

I was recently asked to moderate an expert panel on this topic at a restoration industry conference. We had several amazing guests on the panel providing amazing ideas to implement. One of the guests was Leighton Healey of KnowHow, a restoration software company. KnowHow had recently written a book based on the results of a restoration industry survey called Why Workers Quit.   There was a ton of data in the book which I think is applicable to any home service-based business when it comes to staffing issues. The book really highlighted a few things that most of us are not doing well, and I think it would be worth discussing here to help all of us better understand what we can implement in our companies to get great people and keep them around.

For the purposes of this article, I am going to stick to strictly hiring field technicians for the data and strategies. This is the area where I see the most pain from my consulting practice clients, and the area that generally experiences the most turnover.

Attract and retain field technicians from onboarding and beyond

Knowing where your next field workers come from is of key importance to better understand how to get more people to your front door. According to the book, 59% of all new field workers come from a referral from an existing employee. I know that to be true from my own cleaning and restoration company. We tended to get most of our new team members from our existing crew. This makes it imperative that you have a great culture at your company. To succeed in winning the war for talent, you must have a great place to work that values your team and places a high degree of emphasis on making sure your field technicians feel appreciated and happy at work. For your efforts you will be rewarded for years to come with a steady stream of new applicants willing to work for your company.

Once you get someone to your company and they agree to work for you, it is a must to have a smooth and well-planned-out hiring and onboarding process. The honeymoon period of a new employee is a make-it or break-it moment for most companies. If you and your team do it well and have a great training and onboarding process in place, the new team member will realize they have made the right choice as to which place to work for.

If you make a great first impression with your new employee, they will feel good about their choice and be more excited to work with you. Onboarding is routinely poor at most home service companies. For many of us, it was a boss telling us to get in a van with Joe, the cranky old tech, and “watch” him until we got our own van. Then, Joe would harass us, tell us to just shut up and get out of the way until an appropriate number of days had passed, and then they would finally tell us we are on our own now.

That’s how I was onboarded when I entered the industry, and I am sure many of you reading can relate as well. The problem is, once I became an owner, I was onboarding my new staff members with same horrible process I endured as a new tech. Do yourself a favor, spend some time and create a proper onboarding experience for your new employees so they stick around longer.

Respecting equity in the industry for tech retention

Gender changes are also a big trend in hiring field technicians. In the restoration industry, only 5% of technicians over the age of 30 are female. However, for technicians below the age of 30, over 35% of them are women. That is a fundamental shift in the workforce dynamic, and I am sure if it is happening for restoration techs, it is happening in all home services industries.

Focusing on hiring female technicians could be a great separator for many companies. In fact, having female technicians is a very good fit in the cleaning and restoration industry. Many female clients would prefer to have another woman working in their home, and it may make them feel safer than a male technician in their home as well. Women also tend to be nurturing, detail oriented, and have a strong skillset for making and keeping clients happy. So, start putting your thinking cap on to market your business to potential female technicians, it could be a game changer.

Cashing in on human nature: Great techs respect great techs

Last is the people issue. There is an old saying that goes, “People don’t quit companies, people quit people.” The data in Why Workers Quit certainly seems to corroborate that saying.   The top response in the survey as to why field workers leave their companies is bad management.

It has been my experience in our industry that the most common path for owners and managers comes from being a technician first. That was also my experience. I found a trade I was good at and figured I could start a business doing it. The issue with that often starts to become more noticeable as the company grows. If the owner or manager got their job because they were good at the technical parts of the job, it does not mean they are well-trained or well-suited to lead and manage others.

For a company to thrive, the owners and managers need to get training in how to lead, good soft skills, and how to build and maintain a safe and stable work environment. I had to learn how to change my mindset regarding this. As my service company grew, I had high turnover and many disengaged staffers. It was not until I realized I was the problem and sought training to rectify my leadership and management style that employees stayed longer and did a much better job. So, especially in today’s market for talent, I feel it is imperative for the management team to be engaged in ongoing training to make sure they are creating an environment people want to work within.

Tech retention and satisfaction all depends on data

In summary, I don’t think there is really anything new under the sun related to attracting and retaining talent. However, if we use the data that is available to us, we can form a plan to maximize our ability to compete for talent.

As an action plan, start by first making sure you have a cool place to work that people enjoy coming to. Make sure your culture is on point and that you are always investing in the team and its mission. If nearly 60% of new field employees come from current techs, you better make sure they are happy at work.

Second, once you get someone to agree to join you, have a structured onboarding system for them to feel like they know what they are doing. People want to go to work and feel like they are winning the day. If they do not understand what winning is, they will look elsewhere.

Third, females are increasingly joining our ranks as technicians. To intentionally attract and accommodate female team members can be a huge boon to your hiring of new talent.

Last, make sure your management team is properly trained to keep your team happy and engaged. All the efforts in the world to attract talent will do you no good if the owner and managers run them out of town.

All of this is simple, but none of it is easy. I speak from personal experience on this matter. The problem is, there is no alternative. It is becoming very apparent that the companies that do the best at these concepts will thrive moving forward because they are investing in what workers actually want. The companies that shrug it off and just complain that nobody wants to work anymore will likely perish. The evidence is here, now the ball is in your court.

Eric Sprague, The Tech Whisperer, has more than 25 years of managing field technicians in the home services industry. Sprague was the longtime owner of a cleaning and restoration company. After selling his service business in 2018, he has been the co-owner and director of education at Super Tech University and is co-host of the Blue Collar Nation Podcast.

The post The Hunt for Talent appeared first on Cleanfax.

For many years, an appropriate understanding of carpet cleaning chemistry has centered around pH. If you had an adequate understanding of this topic, you could avoid a lot of problems. What has changed? Nylon was the most popular carpet fiber from 1960 until 2012. Then, nylon lost its title to polyester. For many years, it has even been in third place behind triexta.

Why is pH important for nylon?

In a word, pH* is not as important to polyester and triexta as it is for nylon. The reason is that acids and alkalines represent a form of chemistry known as “˜reactive.’

For example, strong acids can dissolve nylon. It is not that nylon dissolves in anything related to water, but the acid causes the nylon to become a different substance. Then, the “˜new substance’ is water-soluble. On the other hand, strong alkalines destroy nylon’s acid dye blockers and remove its dyes. Polyester, triexta*, and polypropylene do not undergo chemical reactions to the same degree. So, how important are chemical reactions to cleaning?

Chemistry of removing soil

Most of the soil in carpet fiber is not removed with chemical reactions. Instead, it is removed with “˜physical changes.’ “˜Physical changes’ is the term standards and chemists use. In cleaning, physical changes can be categorized into four groups:

1. Dissolving
2. Absorption/adsorption
3. Suspension/emulsification
4. Encapsulation

Most cleaners are familiar with these terms, but not well enough to understand how they affect a unique fiber. Soil bonds to fiber either through adsorption, absorption, or chemical reactions. When it comes to chemical reactions, nylon is unique in that nylon stains with acidic dyes because it is an alkaline fiber. The chemistry issue with polyester, triexta, and especially polypropylene* is absorption of oil.

Absorption and adsorption contrast

Adsorption is when soil has a physical* bond on the surface of the carpet fiber while absorption is when it is inside of the fiber. This is important to understand because dissolving and absorption are the only forms of cleaning chemistry that remove soil that is absorbed. On the other hand, suspension, emulsification, and encapsulation remove adsorbed soils.

What does this mean in simpler terms? It means that when polyester and triexta do not achieve a desirable level of cleaning, it is likely due to oily substances that are inside the fiber. Therefore, dissolving and absorption are the best approaches for cleaning an oleophilic fiber with absorbed oil.

Dissolving method for absorbed oil

For water rinse extraction (hot water extraction), solvents other than water are needed for removing absorbed oil. Keep in mind that dry solvent cleaning of any carpet is prohibited. However, many semi-polar solvents can be added to preconditioners. This is a little challenging, and we need to consider three issues:

1 | Do the directions for the product allow for adding a solvent additive?

It is a violation of federal law to mix certain products different from their labeled instructions. However, many manufacturers make these provisions.

2 | If we do have the chemical maker’s permission to enhance their products with solvents, do we have the permission of LEED?

LEED is Leadership in Environment, Energy, and Design that is under the USGBC. In addition, solvents make VOCs* that are irritants.

3 | Finally, do we know whether the solvent additive is completely volatile?

If it is not, then we might be trading the soil’s oil for sticky stuff from our cleaning products.

Absorption methods for absorbed oil

Cleaning has two methods that employ absorption:

1 | Absorbent pad extraction uses a textile/bonnet

This has limitations in removing oily substances in that the absorbent needs to be more oleophilic than the fiber being cleaned. Thus, removing absorbed oil from a triexta is not going to work well if the bonnet is made of polyester. That is because triexta is more oil-attractant. In addition, many mills exclude this method because if it is improperly done, it creates pile distortions.

2 | Dry compound extraction uses a granular or powder

This method works provided the granular is of the type that is oleophilic. The oleophilic nature of these special absorbents exceeds the oil-attracted nature of any fiber.

So, what should be changing in your cleaning program?

Action plan

It’s important to identify and understand the carpet fiber type you are cleaning.

Evaluate how much cleaning is needed. Nearly all fiber types will respond to encapsulation for light cleaning. However, restorative cleanings on oleophilic fiber will require enhancing a wet extraction with either solvents or using oil-attractant absorbent compounds with the dry compound extraction method. Highly alkaline emulsifying detergents are not the way to clean these fibers.

Get yourself updated on cleaning chemistries. The traditional approach is too focused on nylon.

Bonus video content: Watch the full interview below

*Terminology explained

• pH is only one aspect of alkalinity and is an inadequate value in determining alkalinity’s effects on fiber.
• Polyester and triexta are anionic oleophilic fibers.
• Polypropylene is a nonionic oleophilic fiber.
• Physical bonds are typically sticky.
• VOC is an acronym for volatile organic compound. There are risks of fire and toxins when VOCs are present.

James “Jim” B. Smith is an IICRC-approved instructor and a senior practicing inspector. His educational studies come from Texas A&M University and the University of Houston. He has been in the cleaning industry since 1975. For more information, visit his website at or email jsmith@carpetinspector.com.

The post The Carpet Fiber Status Quo appeared first on Cleanfax.

Hazards exist everywhere we work, and protecting workers is essential. Injuries are preventable. Personal protective equipment (PPE) should be used by all cleaning professionals with regular and challenging training to keep skills sharp. PPE training must encourage the trainee to behave as if the exercise was real work in order to strengthen a culture of safety within our industry.

What is PPE?

PPE includes the clothes and equipment worn by a worker to minimize exposure to identified hazards. Examples of PPE include clothing that covers arms and legs, shoes, masks, respirators, gloves, aprons, full body suits, and protecting your eyes, nose, and mouth. PPE does not reduce the hazard or provide total protection.

What is the role of PPE?

When a hazard cannot be removed or controlled adequately, personal protective equipment may be used to reduce the risk to the worker.

Controlling a hazard at its source is the first choice because this method will eliminate it from the workplace altogether or isolate it from the worker. This approach may require substitution of a material with a nonhazardous material, isolation of hazards, ventilation, addition of safety features to existing equipment, redesign of the work processes, or purchase of new equipment. Administrative controls such as work practices, education and training, equipment maintenance, and washing your hands with soap and water are also ways to control hazards.

What principles guide a PPE program?

Before any decision is made to begin or expand a PPE program, it is important to understand the underlying principles of protection. You need to consider:

• protection of workers,
• compliance with applicable laws, regulations, standards, and guidelines,
• compliance with company policies,
• technical feasibility.

Your PPE program should be designed and managed for control and continuous improvement using the plan-do-check-act cycle (PDCA) that identifies hazards, conducts risk assessments, evaluates all possible control methods, integrates various solutions, and reexamines the controls frequently to make sure that the hazard continues to be controlled.

When should PPE be used?

PPE is used to reduce the likelihood of exposure to injuries from physical, chemical, ergonomic, or biological agents. Always remember: A hazard is not “gone” when PPE is used, but the risk of injury may be reduced. PPE should only be used:

• as a short-term measure before elimination, substitution, engineering, or administrative controls are implemented;
• where other controls are not available or adequate;
• during emergency situations.

How do you design a PPE program?

The first step in the development of a PPE program is to identify the hazards at the worksite. A hazard identification and risk assessment should involve health and safety discussions with your workers where you collaborate to examine work practices, processes, job procedures, equipment, products, workplace layout, and individual factors.

When hazards are present, workers must use appropriate PPE. Employers’ responsibilities include providing instruction on what PPE is needed, maintenance and cleaning of equipment, and educating and training workers on proper use of PPE.

A PPE program requires commitment and active participation at the planning, development, and implementation stages from all levels: senior management, supervisors, and workers. An effective PPE program consists of:

• hazard identification
• risk assessment
• selection of appropriate controls
• selection of appropriate PPE
• fitting and familiarization
• education and training
• management support
• maintenance
• auditing of the program

A PPE program must be thoughtfully planned, developed, and implemented to create a culture of safety rather than one of fear. The beneficial effects of the program should be publicized widely, and workers should be involved in all stages of the process. If possible, try to offer flexibility in various models of the required PPE, but ensure you maintain appropriate protection. Removing PPE for even a short period of time could lead to injuries, so it is important that the equipment is as comfortable as possible.

When making changes to PPE, allow time for workers to choose a style that fits best and become accustomed to wearing the PPE. Do not impose consequences for noncompliance until the competency for use has been met; however, it is not acceptable to gradually phase in a PPE program when there is a need to enter hazardous workplaces, or where failure to use the equipment poses a significant risk of injury.

What steps are involved in the selection of PPE?

Your risk assessment has identified the need for PPE, the next task is to select the proper type. Now you need to determine the degree of protection required and the appropriateness of the equipment to the situation.

The degree of protection and the design of PPE must be integrated because both affect efficiency, wearability, and worker acceptance. I would recommend using this list as a guideline for selecting PPE but add any other items that are important to your business:

1 | Choose PPE to match the hazards

Workers may be exposed to hazards that require multiple types of PPE for protection. For example, working with cleaning products or disinfectants may require respiratory, skin, and eye protection. Read the manufacturers’ label and review Safety Data Sheets as they indicate the hazards associated with specific products and make PPE recommendations.

2 | Obtain advice

Make decisions based on the laws, standards, risk assessment, worker acceptance, and types of PPE available. Ask questions and seek advice. Try and test PPE before final approval and procurement.

3 | Involve workers in evaluations

Involve workers in the selection of specific models and gather information regarding fit, comfort, and worker acceptability. PPE should be individually assigned. It is not one-size-fits-all.

4 | Consider physical comfort

If a PPE device is heavy, uncomfortable, or poorly fitted it is unlikely to be worn.

5 | Evaluate cost considerations

Calculate the cost of reusable and disposable PPE. Identify what is more economical without increasing risk.

6 | Review performance requirements of standards

Performance requirements of standards, such as eye and face protection, must be reviewed to ensure that exposure to injury will be minimized or eliminated by using PPE. If PPE is exposed to hazards greater than those for which it is designed, it will not deliver adequate protection.

7 | Check the fit

Fit each worker with PPE on an individual basis. Each worker should be trained on how to wear and maintain PPE, and training must be repeated with individual competencies regularly assessed.

In some cases, individual fitting programs, such as N95 respirators or eye protection, should be carried out by qualified personnel.

8 | Perform regular maintenance and inspections

The effectiveness of PPE requires proper maintenance that includes inspection, care, cleaning, repair, and storage. The Buddy System is a procedure in which two or more workers operate together to maintain PPE. Additionally, conduct inspections before and after using PPE to identify damaged or malfunctioning equipment. Establish procedures for workers to get new PPE or replacement parts for damaged PPE.

Use the Buddy System where two workers operate together to ensure proper PPE procedures are followed.

9 | Conduct continuous education and training

Education and training on when, where, why, and how to use PPE must be conducted to ensure proper compliance. Workers need to know why PPE is important, how to fit and wear PPE, how to adjust it for maximum protection, how to care for it, and how to dispose of it safely.

You should not be telling workers to wear a respirator just because management and/or legislation requires it. If the respirator is intended to prevent lung disorders, the workers must be informed of the hazards. Education and training programs should continue on a regular basis.

10 | Audit the program

As with any system, the effectiveness of the PPE program should be monitored by inspection of the equipment and auditing of procedures. Compare your safety performance data to before the program began or whenever PPE changes. Random unannounced audits can help ensure safety. Audits can be tiered for greatest effectiveness—self-audits can be performed by workers and internal audits can be performed by supervisors.

Known challenges with PPE programs

PPE programs are often plagued by the belief that once a piece of equipment is put on, the worker is totally protected. This is a false sense of security. PPE should not be used when hazards are greater than those for which that specific piece of equipment is designed.

When it comes to the evaluation of potential hazards, uncertainties need to be considered. Wearing PPE should not in itself create a greater danger. The purpose of PPE is to protect you, and not create issues when doing that.

Regulatory agencies require that PPE not be used unless the employer has taken all the necessary measures in terms of engineering controls, work practices, administrative controls, and hygiene to control the hazard. Since the goal of an occupational health and safety program is to prevent worker injury and illness, PPE cannot be the only protection option.

The use of PPE does not prevent an incident from happening. It does not eliminate the hazard. It only minimizes the exposure and/or may reduce the severity of injury or illness.

References:

United States Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) addresses Cleaning Industry hazards in specific OSHA standards for general industry. See accessed July 18, 2022

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Directory of Personal Protective Equipment. NIOSH is located at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) See accessed July 18, 2022

Dr. Gavin Macgregor-Skinner is the senior director of the (GBAC), a division of ������ý. As an infection prevention expert and epidemiologist, he works to develop protocols and education for the global cleaning industry, helping facilities, businesses, organizations, and cleaning professionals to create safe environments.

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While it might look easy from the outside, one of the most difficult jobs of anyone who advises a business owner—whether the advice comes from a senior member of the company or a hired consultant —is being the person whose job it is to whisper in the client’s ear that their ego is becoming a problem.

It’s even more difficult for them to accomplish this feat without losing their head or getting fired. Yet, this is perhaps one of the most important aspects of their job that is never mentioned in the job description.

Most small businesses have been enjoying a long stretch of success over the past several years. In fact, more than ever before, according to multiple studies. Admittedly, the Coronavirus caused a scare, but the evidence seems to suggest that many businesses—especially those in the trades—enjoyed growth in 2021 and are continuing that performance with an even stronger year in 2022.

While this is without a doubt great news for many small businesses and their workers, it also presents a paradoxical threat to their continued success.

To the victor goes the spoils—but will the spoils spoil the victor?

In the 1970 movie , actor George C. Scott, who plays General S. Patton during word War II, is visiting the site of an ancient battle when he muses to his chief of staff, “For over a thousand years, Roman conquerors returning from the wars enjoyed the honor of triumph, a tumultuous parade. In the procession came trumpeteers, musicians, and strange animals from conquered territories, together with carts laden with treasure and captured armaments. The conquerors rode in a triumphal chariot €¦ A slave stood behind the conqueror holding a golden crown and whispering in his ear a warning: “Sic transit gloria (all glory is fleeting).”

In Roman times, “captured treasure” included gold, precious gems, armaments, and more. In business, it includes added customers, increased market share, and growing profits. Just like with ancient conquerors, when we start parading these treasures around, it’s easy to become complacent; to trick ourselves into thinking they can’t be lost or to lose our focus on what it took for us to earn them in the first place.

Just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should do it. That’s the paradox of success, and there are two sharp edges to that sword. Success and its accompanying confidence and affluence can sneak up on an unsuspecting business owner.

One day, we can’t afford to buy a used car. The next day, we’re test-driving a Jag simply because we can. We start believing that our success will never end or even slow down. Before long, this thinking and decision-making migrates to other areas of our business.

Our cash flow is healthy, so we think we can afford to ignore our receivables, but that’s counterproductive. Similarly, our sales will be strong for a while so we think we can afford to relax our marketing efforts, but that doesn’t mean we should.

One of the most difficult jobs when advising a business owner is filling the role of the privy counsellor or Curia regis—a king’s advisor and council—who keeps the owner grounded when they’re on a winning streak or when they’ve enjoyed a string of conquests. Despite its difficulty, it remains crucial for a business owner to succeed in any industry.

This is one of those situations where I should count my blessings. In Roman times, when the ruler got tired of his advisors cautioning him about his ego, they were simply thrown to the lions. Today, consultants just get fired.

However, perhaps it’s time that owners recognize the value of their consultants even in times of great glory in order to stay structured, humble, and prepared for just about any industry changes that could come their way. After all, the most valuable riches an owner can possess will forever be a loyal and encouraging team by their side throug thick and thin.

Chuck Violand is the founder and principal of Violand Management Associates (VMA), a highly respected consulting company in the restoration and cleaning industries. Through VMA, he works with business owners and companies to develop their people and profits. For more information, visit .

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In the carpet cleaning industry, pet owners make up a large part of the clientele base that companies work with daily. With 67% of American households owning a family pet, the need for pet odor elimination services is immense—and it’s not just cat and dog owners who need help. Bunnies, ferrets, guinea pigs, farm animals, and even horses are all pets that can be found in homes across America with carpet practically begging to be cleaned thoroughly and cost-effectively. But how can carpet cleaning companies provide these services in a manner that benefits customers while turning a profit? This is what we at Cleanfax sought to answer by turning to the best and brightest in the pet odor market for a closer look at strategies and cost evaluations that just work.

In this carpet cleaning feature, John Clendenning, Dusty Roberts, Mark Saiger, and Ryan Snook all share their thoughts on how to best market these pet odor projects for business success.

The pet odor dilemma—A ‘cash cow’ for those that get it

Offering pet odor removal services can be a very lucrative decision for a carpet cleaning company—if executed effectively.

According to Dusty Roberts, team leader and president at Luv.a.rug Services Inc., “We have seen a 78% increase in our revenue since we have absolutely mastered our guaranteed pet odor control service.”

Mark Saiger, owner of Saiger Steam Clean, LLC. in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, shared how his team earns daily from pet odor elimination jobs: “Today alone, we probably already had three pet issue cleanings. Every day you look on the schedule, there’s pet issue project after pet issue project. That is one of the things that we see quite a bit, especially during the hot summer months when it’s humid. The urine salts activate and become very aromatic in all the worst ways. So, it’s definitely a valuable add-on service for carpet cleaners if they do it correctly.”

John Clendenning, founder and CEO of Carpet Cleaner Marketing Masters, agrees: “Urine odor removal adds on average 20% directly to annual revenue as a specialty sub-service and provides a sizable bump to the average job revenue.” He goes on to add that marketing to pet owners in general is a good idea because even beyond odor issues, they tend to require carpet cleaning services more often. “The lifetime value of a pet odor removal customer (i.e. pet owner) is significantly higher than the average non-pet-owner customer, so targeting this crowd can bring long-term success to a carpet cleaner beyond just the one-time service.”

Although these testimonies are reason enough to consider incorporating pet odor removal services into your business plan, the market itself has even more enticement. According to Pet Litter, Clean-Up, and Odor Control: U.S. Market Trends and Opportunities, 2nd Edition, “U.S. retail sales of pet clean-up and odor-control products reached more than $4 billion in 2019, up from $3.5 billion in 2014, resulting in a 3.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the period.” The same study also forecasted that the pet clean-up and odor-control product market will approach $5 billion by 2024 due to the way in which consumers operate nowadays. Not only are most millennial consumers living in rented homes that must remain clean and stain-free, but they also think of their pets as family members more than any other generation before them. This means that they are willing to pay any price to ensure their rental stays clean and their pets do not become an issue for landlords.

It’s no secret that the usual pet odor removal products found at retail stores tend to only deal with surface-level odor and stains. This is where carpet cleaners have a clear opportunity to stand out by offering a professional solution to a common problem.

As with any business add-on, it takes time to develop the right marketing, pricing, audience, and team for the job. For companies ready to take the plunge, our experts outline five key factors to implement a successful pet odor removal program.

5 key principles to a strong pet odor elimination service strategy

1 | IICRC certification

As Ryan Snook of Carpet Recovery Northwest says, “The first step is to get some training through an IICRC-certified instructor before taking on any jobs.” For your customers, a certified team is one that they feel they can trust. Your customers value training and certification.

Since many companies don’t work to certify their team, this will help you to stand out online from the start. You can also use your certification for advertisements, on your website and social media, and during prospect calls to ensure your team’s experience and value.

There are two IICRC certifications that specifically apply to carpet cleaning: Commercial Carpet Maintenance Technician certification and Carpet Cleaning Technician certification. Keep in mind that being certified as a business owner isn’t enough to convince prospective clients of your company’s experience and skill. Rather, having your entire team trained and certified is the best way to guarantee your value and showcase your dedication to your industry and customers alike.

2 | Customer education

As Clendenning puts it, “Customer education is the #1 most important thing.” Customer education ensures your clients understand the difficulty of odor removal, which helps to set reasonable expectations about both the costs and success rate of such services. “Having extensive knowledge of the science behind urine odor and proper mitigation techniques and having consumer-friendly resources, such as handouts and videos, goes a long way in setting the proper expectations and helps to counter any misinformation the customer may have received online or from other unskilled cleaners they have called,” Clendenning explains.

For Saiger, customer education starts by notifying clients of this additional service and fee during standard carpet cleaning project calls. “We’re a little bit different where we actually don’t do direct marketing on pet stain and odor removal services. But, as a person calls to book with us, we always ask them if there are issues of that nature because we are an all-inclusive pricing company. We charge a pretty high-end price but let them know there is a specialty service that takes care of pet problems for an additional fee. That has helped us to grow that service exponentially.”

When communicating with customers, our experts add that it’s important to consider carefully what you can guarantee so that you don’t over-promise and under-deliver. This could be the difference between positive online reviews and legal battles. “I start every pet odor job by setting expectations and explaining that I can’t guarantee complete removal,” Snook explains. “We use a UV light to show my clients the pet stains, most of which they had no idea about. We also use a hydroshark moisture meter to show clients that urine stains are damp sometimes months after contamination.”

On the other hand, Dusty Roberts, owner of Luv-A-Rug Services, believes confidence in your team and end results is crucial to standing out from others in the industry, “We actually offer a very bold guarantee. We literally guarantee that people can stick their nose right in the rug and they will smell nothing—absolutely neutral.” If you can deliver on a bold guarantee like this, Roberts advises to embrace your confidence in your team and communicate these strengths to your customers.

Having said this, the key is balance. Take pride in what you can deliver while being careful to inform clients of the variables that can lead to different outcomes.

3 | Packages and pricing plans

With a wide array of budgets and expectations from the average carpet cleaning customer, having a base rate that increases depending on different package options is one of the best methods to ensure your services are affordable for every prospect.

As Clendenning explains, a three-tier pricing plan is a great solution: “I think it is important to provide options. Not everyone can afford full remediation, especially when the problem turns out to be more severe than they expected.  Having three different packages works well:

1. A more topical odor knockdown and odor encapsulation to treat the entire room in a general manner (works well for wet dog smell in the carpet as well) with no guarantee given, but the price is much lower.
2. A second package where the known and discovered urine spots are rinsed and then treated from the surface which would entail more time and materials and thus, a higher price. This option would come with a modest 30 to 60-day guarantee that would provide for retreatment of the urine removal product and only charge for the solution cost, not the labor.
3. A full remediation where the carpet is lifted, subfloor treated and sealed, underpad replaced, carpet rinsed thoroughly and treated, and drying equipment installed. This service option is much more expensive but comes with a 100% odor removal guarantee.”

To break down additional costs and the value behind the work being done, you must also be able to communicate why you charge what you do and how other variables may increase that base rate. For this, your product usage and service value are the best ways to showcase why your pricing is still cost-effective in comparison to other companies in your area.

Saiger’s Steam Clean showcases the difference in a customer’s carpet on Facebook after a pet stain removal project.

As Saiger explains, “We start at a certain rate and we base that off of how much product we feel we’re going to use to do the full job. We tell our customers it does take additional types of specialty products and it takes additional time so it’s not just your standard carpet cleaning. We also explain the time issue regarding these products. Our tech will have to wait around for the products to activate and penetrate. Hopefully, there’s other areas in the home we can be cleaning while we’re giving that bacteria enzyme some time to work, but sometimes it’s a waiting game while the tech just sits out in the van waiting for the product to be more effective and lead to positive results for our clients.”

Similarly, Snook has found that showing the client the damage they can’t visually detect is a great way to prove the worth of your services: “I easily add $200 to most cleaning jobs by incorporating pet odor removal. If you do a visual inspection and show clients the stains that are not visible to the naked eye, this will show your customers why they should do it the right way. Training for your team also helps when explaining why we charge what we charge.”

Roberts believes the guarantee they make is enough to charge what they see fit without having to explain the value behind it: “We do charge usually double for our guaranteed “pet lover” wash. Our bold guarantee is that the customer will fall in love with their rug all over again. If we fail, we are prepared to give the client a 100% no-quibble refund. No client has ever asked for a refund in the last 8 years since we have absolutely mastered pet odor removal.”

Still, it is highly important that you see the job site before guaranteeing any price as, unfortunately, not every customer knows how serious the damage is or how much work may need to be done.

4 | A communicative, honest, and professional team

While a fair price and customer education will get prospects in the door, the key to retaining them is a communicative, honest, and professional team. Having your team certified by IICRC is a great first step, but as Roberts claims, a mastery of odor control and a dedication to doing the job right is what satisfies customers and makes your team stand out. “You must absolutely master odor control first and then offer a very bold guarantee. Do not fall prey to soap salesmen as I can boldly say that the secret to mastering pet odor control does not come in a bottle,” Roberts explains. “In fact, the majority of these ‘miracle’ products offered to our industry will damage your clients’ rugs and carpet while masking the scent with citrus and other strong scents instead. You have to be able to trust your team to do things the right way and impress your customers in ways these ‘snake oil salesmen’ never have.”

Similarly, as Clendenning explains, taking the time to communicate and show the problem to your clients is how you retain them and stand out in their mind as a professional and honest team: “Sixty percent of the population has a pet in the home, so a good number of your customers are going to need pet odor removal services. If you can explain to them why this is a service they need, use the black lights to show them the problems, and be upfront with them, even if they don’t buy this time, they’re bound to be your client for life. It’s all about doing your job properly and showing them exactly what that means. With the right team on your side, a pet urine removal acquisition can take a regular carpet cleaning job from $400 up to $900 with ease. Many days, our trucks come back with the technicians talking about how they turned small jobs into $1200 jobs solely because the customer needed pet odor services and our team showed them that in a transparent and considerate way.”

With this in mind, take the time to hire honest and professional team members, train them effectively, and work with them to ensure they are being compassionate and transparent with your customers whether it leads to a bigger sale or not.

5 | Effective marketing

As most business leaders are aware, having a great team and excellent prices means nothing without engagement and visibility. If no one knows your company exists because of poor marketing strategies on your end, all the other principles will have been implemented in vain.

Our experts agree that social media, Google ads, TV, radio, and print marketing are all useful when done effectively. On top of this, having great reviews and referrals is another way to build upon your customer base simply through your company’s local image and experience.

One of the most important parts to these marketing campaigns is the messaging. As Roberts says, “It is our job as professionals to communicate to your client that regular washing does not guarantee removal of all odors. All we have to do is properly inspect our clients’ rugs for pet contamination issues and then communicate to them that the rug needs our guaranteed pet decontamination wash. Then, our print, radio, Google ads, and websites all boldly offer our guaranteed pet decontamination service to show our belief in our service and team.”

Clendenning elaborates on this concept by saying that case studies can also showcase your communication and messaging as a brand: “I have found using case studies of real customers, showing the actual ‘before and after’ images, and including the customers’ testimonials or reviews is highly effective. We then promote that post out as a Facebook and Instagram ad to the local community, and simply ask the viewer to comment on the post to get a $50-Off coupon. Google Ads can work as well but comes at a bit higher cost per lead.”

Clendenning also shared that outreaching to local veterinarians and pet stores is a great way to cross-promote with other business owners and attract the right audience in other places they likely visit. But, overall, he recommends that brands simply mention their services everywhere to become known as the best pet odor removal specialists in their area.

Snook adds that networking and having a great reputation has made an impact on his marketing strategies: “I would say that 30% or more of my business comes from Facebook. However, BNI networking group has also been a great referral source for my company and I highly suggest joining a local chapter.

My company has more 5-star Google reviews than any other company in my whole county and that has been terrific for marketing. I learned early on that if you show up on time, set clear expectations, and have integrity when something goes wrong, people will tell everyone they know about your brand without any incentive or discount
offered.”

Creating strong ads that focus on transparency, building company cross-promotion relationships, and using your past clients’ experiences to your benefit is how you can transform your marketing into an effective tool for customer acquisition moving forward.

Developing your own pet odor elimination service plan

Although adding any new service to your company’s structure is sure to be a serious undertaking, with the right plan and dedicated team, you can easily stand out from the crowd and assure your place as ‘best in show’ in no time. Thanks to the experience and insights shared from these industry leaders, the strategy to create the ‘purrfect’ pet odor removal service is clear. It’s time you ‘unleash’ your company’s full potential and start raking in the ‘big bones’ as the new year rapidly approaches.

Watch the full video interview below:

Sources:

Samantha Hager is the associate editor of Cleanfax. You can reach her at samanthah@issa.com.

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So far in this series, we’ve talked about the eight steps to building a phenomenal dream team as well as how to find dream team members to add to your team. In this article, I will share how to attract people to join your team to begin with so you can then find and build your team effectively.

Remember, first you need to show up in the marketplace as a leader, not a boss. Unfortunately, many business owners have taken their clues from corporate bosses. They see people as “human resources.” Instead of viewing them from a leader’s perspective, they look at their team as nothing more than cogs in the wheel of business. As such, the dynamic becomes “Come in and do what I say, but don’t ask me why.”

Business owners subconsciously broadcast a message of superiority, or of desperation. Neither of which will attract people who will be the right team members. Even those who have the right attitude toward team members largely ignore the people around them.

Remember that finding and attracting team members is no different than attracting clients. How do you want clients to see you? The answer is simple: As someone who is trustworthy, caring, competent, and has follow-through.

Similarly, if you are a good marketer, you have an “avatar” or what we call a “buyer persona” of your perfect target market. If you don’t, I suggest you become a student of marketing before moving forward as a leader.

The same concept should apply to your team acquisition process. Do you have an avatar of whom you are looking for as a dream team member?

In my experience of working with thousands of business owners for many years, the list goes something like this:

1. Successful
2. Good work ethic
3. Positive attitude
4. Great appearance
5. Intelligent
6. Honest and trustworthy
7. Loyal
8. Organized
9. Takes initiative
10. A potential leader.

Would you agree that this list of 10 items sums up the type of person you want to attract? I’d hazard a guess that you’re nodding in agreement right now.

Here’s the secret. The individual that has those characteristics is looking for someone with the same qualities.

1 | Successful

Do you seem successful to others? You don’t want to put on an act, but people are attracted to those who are going somewhere. Why would they want to get on your “business bus” if you are always complaining about how bad business is, the weather, and any other gripe you have? The answer is that they won’t. People want to work with someone who is going somewhere. Having said this, share your goals and vision with your team and prospects openly.

2 | Good work ethic

No one likes a lazy boss. If you want someone to work hard, they need to see that you work hard as well. Although I don’t have to work at all, I still outwork most people I know. I get more done by noon than most people get done all day long. As you grow, the type of work you do changes. The work I do is not manual, but when I was working in my cleaning business, no one could outwork me either. It’s the sign of a true leader when you can do any position in your company comfortably and swiftly.

3 | Positive attitude

Dale Carnegie created 30 principles in his book How to Win Friends and Influence People. The first one is “Don’t Criticize, Condemn, or Complain.” If you want to attract people with a positive attitude, you need to be positive. My mentor, the late Zig Ziglar, was the ultimate positive thinker, but you might be surprised by one of his quotes: “You can’t do anything with a positive attitude, but you can do everything better with a positive attitude than you can with a negative one.”

4 | Great appearance

As I grew my cleaning business, I decided to always be dressed well. I was after high-end clients, so of course, we had amazing uniforms. But when I was out marketing in the community, I always wore a sports coat and sometimes a tie.

At one point, we had a small network of cleaners that met every Monday morning to talk about how to improve our industry. Of course, I was already out marketing and networking before I even arrived at the meeting, and I was wearing my sports coat, a tie, and a positive attitude the entire time. All of them except for one were not dressed for success. Some were wearing cut-off blue jeans, flip flops, and hadn’t even shaved. They laughed at me and joked “Who do you think you are, Zig Ziglar?” True story!

I did not even know Zig Ziglar at the time. For the past decade, I’ve been working closely with the Ziglar organization and helping his son Tom run the Ziglar company.

The exception to that group, was a guy named Jim Bardwell. Jim was fed up with the negativity in the carpet cleaning industry. He wanted what I had. He was attracted to what I brought to the table. He joined my team and worked for me for eight years. He helped me develop my referral marketing program which has become the gold standard for the cleaning industry. Today, he runs a high-level fabric protection business, and he serves as a coach and trainer for me to this day. Not to mention, he is one of my best friends in the entire world. It just goes to show how your outward appearance can attract the right team organically.

5 | Intelligent

Leadership expert Patrick Lencioni wrote a book called The Ideal Team Player. In that book, he revealed that the ideal team player had three important qualities: They are humble, hungry, and smart. Smart means “people-smart.” Not a high IQ, but a high EQ, which refers to an individual’s Emotional Intelligence. In other words, a person is aware of how they are coming across to others. All of business and all of life is about relationships. No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care about them. People are attracted to you by the way you treat them and how they observe you treating others. Jim was attracted to me because of how much I cared about our industry, not because of how much I knew. In fact, I barely got out of high school. The difference is empathy and an understanding of how to attract people with your charisma.

6 | Honest and trustworthy

What is your reputation as a business owner in the community? Does your track record show you can be trusted? A large-scale leadership study revealed that more than anything else, employees look for honesty in leaders. Be someone they can trust and don’t hide things from your team to stay close-knit and succeed together.

7 | Loyal

If you want to attract people who are loyal, you must be loyal. Does your reputation exude that? When I first began to work with Ziglar, my role was the exclusive small business coach for Ziglar. Tom was invited to Australia to speak to about twelve hundred business owners. Of course, I couldn’t let him go without his newly found business coach. Plus, Australia was on my wife’s bucket list. My wife and my son joined Tom and his 17-year-old daughter Alexandra.

During the trip, I made sure that I treated the proud daughter of the proud son of American legend Zig Ziglar with the utmost respect and care. After Tom spoke to the big group, he and I did some breakouts. I felt bad about Alexandra having to just sit in the back row and I asked her to come to the front of the room to write the topics on the whiteboard. The poise that came from 12 years of ballet kicked in as she smiled and listed everything out (with much better handwriting writing than mine or Tom’s, I might add).

We had four sessions that day. Every session, I called Alexandra up to the front of the room to write on the board. What I didn’t know is that she didn’t want to go in front of the room. She wanted to remain anonymous in the back row. After the first time I called her up there, she told Tom to tell me not to ask her to do it. Tom forgot to tell me. I had no idea because she was so professional about it.

Second session. I called her up, and she mean mugged her dad without anyone else knowing it. After the second session, she went to her dad and forcefully declared “Please tell Howard not to call me up there!” At the end of the sessions, people would go up to Tom to talk to him, and people were talking to me. So, Tom was so distracted, he forgot to tell me again.

Third session, according to Tom, nuclear warheads were coming out of her eyes toward him as she was walking to the front of the room. Of course, no one knew except him. After the third session, she grabbed Tom by both hands, looked into his eyes and growled “Tell Howard not to call on me. OK?!”

Tom didn’t tell me.

For the fourth session, as I called on Alexandra, she was gone. I looked in the back row where she had been sitting, and she was not there! Then, suddenly, I saw her next to me with a marker in her hand with a big smile on her face. She was sitting in the front row, and I didn’t even notice! She was ready and happy to do it this time.

What happened?

Between the sea change of attendees in these back-to-back breakout sessions, these wonderful, positive, fun Australians had also been interacting with Alexandra. She enjoyed the attention and literally came out of her shell by the time the final session came around.

It was a powerful moment in her life and in her dad’s life. Meanwhile, it was quite literally accidental on my part, but because I have the value of recognizing people and getting them involved, she benefitted greatly from it.

Tom, Alexandra, and I really bonded on that trip, and I continued to recognize her every chance I got. I sent flowers on her birthday and added value however I could when I saw her at the office.

Over the next five years, she saw how loyal I was to her family business that she decided she wanted to work for me. At the time of this writing, Alexandra has been with me five years and is the most loyal team member you could ever ask for. She handles all of my work with the Zig Ziglar companies and more.

Plus, she gets to carry on the Ziglar legacy. Who better to take it into the future than a young, talented, loyal Ziglar? And, she is one of my best friends. I even had a part in her wedding!

You attract people by the way you treat them. And to quote Alexandra Ziglar’s grandfather once more, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

8 | Organized

No one wants to work for a slob. Clean up your desk. Clean up your truck. If you want someone who is organized, you need to be organized, even if you aren’t naturally organized. This includes yourself as well. Make sure you don’t just dress well but groom well and keep your outfit clean throughout the day. An organized person can tell the difference, trust me.

9 | Takes initiative

Just like you want people who are self-starters, so do they. People want to follow someone who has a vision. Leadership is effectively communicating your vision. If you have a meaningful vision that includes room for others, you’ll attract people who are hungry to grow.

10 | A potential leader

Speaking of growth, there are 12 important roles in any business. Implementing marketing, sales, service, and accounting are part of these roles. Supervising those four areas and planning those areas is crucial. Most small business owners try to wear all 12 of those hats. You can’t do it and grow—and be sane. When people see you as a leader worthy of following, you will attract potential leaders that can run your company for you.

As I write this article, I am sitting on the back porch swing of my dream home at the beach, overlooking the pristine lake on the other side of the house. Meanwhile, my cleaning business is humming along. Clients are being served well. Team members are happy and advancing. Moreover, we are super profitable. Who could ask for more?

Again, if you have a dream, but no team, you must give up the dream. Or, you can build up the team! I’m grateful I chose the latter. It is a great joy to watch our team members succeed.

I wish the same for you.

Howard Partridge started his cleaning business out of the trunk of his car over 37 years ago and transformed it into a multi-million-dollar operation. For the past 25 years, his training and coaching firm has helped thousands of small businesses around the world dramatically their performance. Visit

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