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Ever wonder what causes those ugly black streaks on the outsides of gutters and why they are so hard to remove?

Those streaks – often referred to by industry members as “tiger stripes” – are actually caused by a chemical reaction that occurs between the asphalt from roof shingles and the aluminum in the gutters. “The gutter manufacturer anodizes the aluminum to get paint to stick,” explained Mike Taylor, owner of Absolute Chemical in Nashville, Tennessee, which manufactures a number of house wash, gutter cleaning and wood staining products. Not only are different brands of gutters anodized differently, “the same gutter manufacturer’s process may vary from batch to batch.” In other words, there is no magic mixing ratio when it comes to gutter cleaning chemicals; each job is unique.

The black streaks are not simply stains, and therefore can’t be removed with traditional housewashing chemicals that remove mold or mildew. The asphalt actually creates an electrostatic bond with the aluminum – much the same way that road film sticks to fleets – and the bond must be broken in order for the stains to be removed.

A lot of contractors use various forms of butyl-based products, which basically means various degreasers. When these butyl-based products are diluted with water, they lose their strength rapidly. In other words, these products have to be mixed pretty hot to work correctly, and the hotter the mixture, the more

Tiger Stripes Safely Getting Rid of Those Ugly Black Streaks on Gutters

Photo courtesy of Jon Gutowski, Total Pressure Washing, www.totalpressurewashing.com

Before After

by Allison Hester

15 eClean Magazine

likely to remove paint from the gutters, and the more dangerous it is for workers.

While butyl-based products work, it’s also easy for contractors to accidentally take the paint off of gutters while removing the black streaks. “I’ve had to send my technicians back to a customer’s home with a can of spray paint,” admitted Mike Hockman of Gutter Dogs in Maryland. “Those Home Depot gutters are the worst for this.”

A few companies have successfully come up with alternatives to butyl-based products. One item that is quite popular (according to our industry survey) and has gained a strong reputation for working is Gutter Grenade (F13) by Pressure Tek. (See the ad on this page for more information on how to purchase this product.) A mild potassium hydroxide-based solution that was developed almost 10 years ago, Gutter Grenade removes the oxidation layer of the paint where the streaks are trapped through electrostatic bonding. However, Gutter Grenade will not remove the paint on gutters unless the paint has completely failed, meaning it has oxidized through the whole paint layer – which is rare.

When working with Gutter Grenade, contractors should keep the siding under the gutters wet with water and avoid dripping Gutter Grenade on the siding without rinsing it off relatively quickly. Otherwise, Gutter Grenade will create clean streaks on the siding where it dripped. The average mix strength is 10-1, but can be effective with as little as a 20-1 mix. The strongest it needs to be is 5-1. Contractors should also wear safety glasses and gloves when working with the product. F13 is safe for plants, although they should be pre-wet for protection. You may want to cover flowering plants.

Another product that is really just being introduced to the general cleaning market (although it’s been available to their local customers for a few years) is Absolute Chemical’s Citrus Gutter Cleaning and Housewash. (See the ad on page 14 to learn more about where to get this product.) “We’ve sold Gutter Shock – our butyl based product – for years, but I wanted to take a step back

and see if we could come up with a safer solution that would remove gutter striping without messing up the paint and without all the dangerous chemicals that are in traditional cleaners,” explained Taylor. “We’ve come up with a solution that really works – and it’s safe.”

The Chemical’s Citrus Gutter Cleaning and Housewash contains d’limeonene, which not only is a good cleaner, but also leaves behind a pleasant odor for the customer. The product can also be diluted and used as a housewash.

The good news about tiger stripes is that they can be removed, and they can be removed without destroying paint or putting workers at risk.

“It’s important to understand, however, that these are not just like every other stain you find on a home,” Taylor concluded. “You have to attack them in a different manner, and being able to educate your customer about this will help set you apart from your competition as well.”

Photo courtesy of Jon Gutowski, Total Pressure Washing, www.totalpressurewashing.com

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by Allison Hester

When I called Mike Hockman of Gutter Dogs at our scheduled interview time, he answered elated. “Hey Allison. Guess what? I just got off the phone with a customer. I took what was going to be a $120 gutter cleaning job and added a $350 housewash. Plus, now my schedule’s full for the week.”

I share this because it reiterates Guttter Dogs’ philosophy: don’t be afraid of the small jobs. They can help fill in the gaps in your schedule, and often turn into bigger jobs.

This is a lesson Hockman has learned since starting his own business in 2004. Early on, this Maryland-based contractor worked as a painter/lawnmower/gutter cleaner. While mowing lawns was his favorite task, cleaning gutters was the one that seemed to stick.

Since that time, Hockman – whose business has been 100 percent residential until recently – has added a number of other services, including house washing and roof cleaning. Yet, gutters remain Hockman’s bread and butter service, and it’s a skill that he and his Gutter Dogs crew have mastered. The following tips have resuled from cleaning hundreds and hundreds of gutters over the years.

1 If you don’t want gutters to be your primary source of business, don’t use the word “gutter” in your name! Despite

attempts to promote and advertise other cleaning services, Gutter Dogs still gets more gutter-related calls than anything else.

2 You owe it to your customer to inform them about other services you offer. “It took me awhile to practice this, but I now

realize that I’m actually doing my customer a disservice if I don’t offer add-ons,” he explained. “They already know me. It makes sense to offer other services, then perform them at a discount since I’m already on the property."

3 Never give away work. This was a hard lesson Hockman learned a couple of years ago when he

referred a number of gutter cleaning clients to a competitor during his busiest season. “By Fall, I was wishing I still had those customers!” he said. “I should have found a way to get their cleanings done, even if it meant buying another vehicle

and hiring more workers.”

4 Ask for customer testimonials. Hockman supplied his technicians with a video camera and trained them to ask for

video customer testimonials before leaving the site. “We’ve collected 86 so far.”

5 When it comes to cleaning gutters, get in, get up and get out. “Unless there’s a real problem with the

downspouts, you should be able to get the gutters cleaned in 15 minutes.”

6 Check the roof while you’re up there. As a courtesy, let your customers know if you find soft spots or damaged shingles.

7 Use a blower. If the roof is walkable and the gutters are dry, Gutter Dogs does the majority of the cleaning with a blower.

This even works in cases with mesh-type gutter protection systems in place.

8 If the gutters are wet – and there hasn’t been a recent rain – it means the downspouts are clogged

somewhere.

9 If the downspouts appear to be clogged, clean them first then drain the water.

10 When the downspouts are clogged, check the elbows first. “Ninety percent of the time, that’s where the

clog is going to be.”

11 Use a penny to tell you if the downspout is clean. Hockman has crew members carry a pocket full of

pennies with them, then drop them into the

20 Tips from

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downspout and listen. “If you hear metal all the way down – ‘ding, ding, ding, ding’ – then you know it’s clear. But if you hear ‘ding, ding, THUD, ding’ – there’s still a clog. And by using this method you can tell where the clog is."

12 Never skip downspouts, thinking you’ll return to them later. The Gutter Dogs team stops at every

downspout and gets them cleaned before moving on to the next batch of gutters. “Otherwise, you’ll inevitably skip one by accident. We’ve found it’s better to just do them as you come to them.”

13 Clean the highest gutters first. “It seems like common sense, but some guys don’t catch this,” said

Hockman. “If you clean the lower gutters first, you’re going to get them dirty again when you clean the higher gutters. Work your way down.”

14 For exterior gutter cleaning, use a pole and work from the ground. Hockman has two 25-foot poles from

Home Depot that he uses, and his product of choice for gutter whitening is F13 Gutter Grenade from Pressure Tek. (See ad on page 15). “Working those poles is kind of tricky until you get them figured out,” he said.

15 Tie a t-shirt or towel about two feet above where you grip the pole. “This will significantly help reduce the

amount of solution dripping down your arms.”

16 Don’t leave a mess. Clean up whatever you blow to the ground, either by mixing it with the

landscaping or bagging it.

17 Stay away from frozen gutters. “Those are bad news and not worth it.”

18 Don’t be greedy. “I don’t believe in charging $500 for a $100 job. I don’t lowball, but I also don’t

overcharge. If I can do the job for $60, then I’ll do it for $60. That way, the customer is happy, they’ve gotten a fair deal, and they’ll

come back for more. Plus, sometimes that $60 gutter job will turn into a $350 house washing job.”

19 Don’t be afraid to take on the small jobs. Again, Hockman has built his business off of the small

jobs. While he would love to bring in more high-dollar historic roof restoration projects, the small jobs are fast and often bring repeat business as well as add-on services.

20 Learn from others. Hockman is a big participant in the industry’s social media groups and has also

participated in a number of industry-related events.

Along those lines, Hockman asked me to be sure to include the following point in this article. “I really need to thank Chris Tucker of RCIA (Roof Cleaning Institute of America). My roof cleaning business has more than doubled because of Chris and the help he’s given me.”

With that said, Hockman was also more than thrilled to be able to share his gutter cleaning knowledge with eClean and our readers. “I’ve gained so much knowledge from others giving back to this industry. I’m happy to finally be able to do the same for someone else.” To learn more about Mike Hockman and Gutter Dogs, visit their website: www.GutterDogs.com

Click on the image to see one of Gutter Dog’s cleaning videos

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The 2013 PWNA Convention & Trade Show

The PWNA Annual Convention and Trade Show is less than two weeks away (October 17 through 19), but there is still plenty of time to participate. And this one is going to be spectacular, filled with brand new seminars – as well as several returning favorites. The seminars begin on Friday, October 18, and attendees have a host of NEW choices, including:

• Window Cleaning with Pure Water, by Steve Blyth of J. Racenstein. “Today there is a very large cross section in the cleaning industries. We’re finding that at least 50 percent of window cleaners have also done some pressure washing, and 50 percent of pressure washing contractors have also done some window cleaning,” said Steve Blyth. “It makes sense. The more services the mobile contractor can offer the same customer, the less time you have to spend traveling and looking for additional work.”

• 9 Tips to Help Manage the Growth of Your Business, by Michael Hinderliter. This presentation highlights one of the PWNA’s unique strengths: successful indstry veterans openly sharing their wisdom to fellow PWNA participants. Michael Hinderliter – who owns both a successful fleet washing and kitchen exhaust cleaning company, as well as PowerWash.com – delves into nine essential keys he’s learned through experience on how to successfully grow and manage your business.

• Parking Garage Cleaning & Water Recovery Practices, by Jim Gamble. As the owner of Crystal Cleaning Company, Gamble has been cleaning parking garages in California for 25 years. This presentation is designed

for anyone who wants to move forward in the garage cleaning business. It is designed for those who want to see, learn, and experience what it will take to make $50k in a weekend.

• Insurance for Power Washers, by Joe Walters of Joe Walters Insurance. Pressure washing is a unique industry, and one that many insurance companies don’t really understand. Too many contractors pay highpremiums each year for their insurance, only to find out that their policies don’t actually cover what is needed when a claim arises. Joe Walters Insurance has one specialty market -- power washers -- and they know what contractors need to cover their liabilities and losses.

• Soft Washing, by Micah Kommers, EcoClean Upstate. More power washing contractors are implementing this technique for cleaning roofs...and beyond. In this presentation, Micah will focus on basic and intermediate SoftWashing techniques and equipment. Rather then simply stating facts, such as what’s making the house dirty or what kind of equipment is used, the presentation will focus on methods that participants can immediately take back to their service area and implement.

• Fall Protection and Scaffolding (two separate courses), presented by Charlie Arnold. As more power washing and softwashing services are reaching new heights – literally – proper safety training is imperative. That is why two separate presenations are being dedicated this year to safety – both of which will be led by Charlie Arnold of Arnold’s Powerwash.

Oct. 17-19, Orlando, Florida REGISTER TODAY

For these classes and more, plus certifications, round tables, exhibits, demos and other networking opportunities, register today:

www.PWNA.org.

New Classes Galore!

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20 eClean Magazine

PWNA Vendor Profile

J. Racenstein at the 2013 Pressure Washing Seminar in

Albany, New York

by Allison Hester

Proven Dependability

Prices Effective February 1, 2013

Largo Cleaning Systems40 Sevier Lane • Decaturville, TN 38329

Phone: (731) 852-2324 • Fax: (800) 626-7384www.gcalargo.com • sales@gcalargo.com

CLEANINGLARGO

SYSTEMSSteve Tolley of GCA Largo has dedicated his career

to two things: the military and the pressure washing industry.

Tolley served 32 years in the military, retiring in 1999 as the Tennessee Army National Guard State Command Sergeant Major. He served three tours in Vietnam. His last deployment was in 2004. That year, Largo continued to operate without him, “so our company obviously was able to do just fine without me," he joked.

Tolley’s pressure washing-related career has expanded over 40 years as well. He started out as a “coat and tie” chemical salesman in 1972, providing cleaning product for the service industry. “I fell in love with the equipment,” he explained, and it has become “the only industry I’ve ever known.”

In 1987, Tolley took his love for the equipment in a new direction and began GCA Largo. The manufacturing company began in Memphis, Tennessee. However, he moved Largo to Rogers, Arkansas – which has been a hot spot for pressure washer manufacturers – for about three years after getting a contract with Wal-Mart, which is headquarter in the same area. GCA Largo has since returned “home” to Decaturville and currently employs 26 staff members at its headquarters.

Largo has always been recognized for its quality equipment, which is built in-house from the ground up. The company does its own metal fabrication and builds its own coils, then uses only industry leaders for parts. Largo, which has distributors located throughout the country, also custom builds equipment for several of its dealers.

While the company builds all kinds of hot and cold water pressure washing systems, perhaps it is best known for its two-step machines. Two-step cleaning, which is used in fleet washing, is traditionally done using a hot water pressure washer with low pressure injector for applying aluminum brighter. These traditional alkaline/

acid systems require “adjusting the metering valve on the machine or the downstream injector until its cleaning the vehicle.”

Largo’s systems, however, use cold water and are designed to safely clean and brighten fleets without damage to glass, chrome or polished aluminum surfaces. The equipment’s precise chemical injections accurately meter the cleaning solutions and neutralize the runoff. “With this capability, waste, misuse and damage to vehicles do not occur.”

The two-step systems feature CAT pumps because “they work. We have tried all the other industrial pumps that work well with our hot water equipment, but they cannot handle the chemical products like a CAT.” The reason is in the way the check valves are seated into the pump head (O-rings and split ring) and the seals are held

GCA Largo Cold Water 2-Step Skid Unit

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New PWNA MembersGeorge AguilarEmpire Highrise USA

Yujin AndersonSteamericas, Inc.

Richard BondAffordable Home Solutions

Bob JacobsSafetytec Industries

Sean James MullaneHousewash New Zealand, Ltd.

Todd SteadmanGreat Southwestern Fire & Safety

Michael RuckerWindow Cleaning of Augusta, Inc.

Steve Whetzel IIEcoChoice, Inc.

in place with the packing nut. “With our cleaning solutions neutralizing each other, the pump head gives longer life, which adds to the value of using genuine Largo Cleaning Products.”

Cleaning over the road vehicles with cold water has many advantages: no burner isues, and less wear and tear on guns, hoses, wands and tips. “With the cost of diesel fuel to heat water in excess for $3.50 a gallon and a typical 5 GPM Skid burning 2.5 gallons per hour – well you do the math.”

Combining Military Training with

Pressure Washing Tolley has always implemented his artillery

military training into the way he has run his company. One example is “time on target” – i.e., ensuring that every task that needs to be done is finished at the scheduled moment. Another, “Priority of Fire” – determining where primary resources need to be focused first. “Choosing the right ammunition” – i.e., determining which components will best serve specific types of equipment. And building a strong “gun crew” – artillery can only be successful with a strong team; the same goes for Largo. Plus, he implements more general military concepts such as don’t cut corners and ensure it’s right. “I would prefer to send something out late than send it out wrong,” he stressed.

Recently, he’s also been able to take his passion for the military and applied it to the pressure washing industry with the help of one of his distributors and fellow Vietnam vet, John Allison of Envirospec. Together, Tolley and Allison have teamed up on a project to help wounded veterans get started in the pressure washing industry. “I have visited a number of wounded warriors over the years and it’s something I have a real passion for,” he explained. “I’m honored to help John Allison with his endeavors to help these soldiers get back on their feet financially.”

Largo and the PWNATolley has supported the PWNA several times

throughout the years, and Largo recently rejoined the association as a vendor member.

“The PWNA is a fine organization and we are proud to be able to work with them,” he concluded. “We are looking forward to exhibiting at this year’s show in Orlando.” The PWNA Convention takes place October 17-19. Visit www.PWNA.org to register.

To learn more about GCA Largo and their products, visit their website at www.GCALargo.com.

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On the Carribean Islands of Trinidad and Tobago, the material signs of success used to include owning a big, foreign

used car, a thin cell phone, and a plane ticket to Miami, according to area resident Laurie Benjamin, owner of All Aspects Maintenance LTD. Today, however, island contractors have invested in another prized possession: a pressure washer.

Moss is a serious problem on the islands, and pressure washers are the accepted method for keeping the average home – a three bedroom flat, made of concrete and “different substrates” – clean. Same goes for the roofs, which are generally made of new-wave metal, “although the upscale sections may have tile, shingle, slate and other roofs.” The building materials are diverse – “You name it. Once they can afford it, they bring it onto the island” – but the cleaning tools and methods are not.

As the number of pressure washers has grown, so has the number of contractors. Only in Trinidad and Tobago, pressure washing is seen as an add-on service that anyone can do, requiring no training or education. “When

contractors get together, the conversations always start with ‘What job are you doing now?’ but end up discussing whether their pressure washer is gas or electric and how much PSI they get,” explained Benjamin. “No regard is given to gpm or temperature.”

Benjamin himself entered into the maintenance industry over three years ago much the same way as all of his area competitors. He saw it as a way to leave his full-time job and work for himself. However, what started out as a painting, lawn care and other general services business has evolved into something much different.

“After months of toiling at what seem to be the bottom of the barrel, I joined different industry forums in search for an avenue to quickly rise to the top.” What he discovered was that his country’s accepted pressure washing practices were incorrect. “Pressure washing was always viewed as a secondary service, and anyone owning a pressure washrer can offer these services. For example, zebra striping is considered normal after a cleaning.”

Laurie Benjamin, All Aspects Maintenance Ltd.Bringing Professional Cleaning to Trinidad & Tobago

by Allison Hester

23 eClean Magazine

This fact, combined with the severity of moss growth on area homes, gave Benjamin the idea to set All Aspects Maintenance apart from his competition. Benjamin instead adopted North American cleaning methods and rather than diversify like everyone else, he honed in his skills.

All Aspects Maintenance now specializes in “organic stain removal” – i.e., anything that is not man-made, including mold, moss, mildew, algae, mineral (hard water) stains, mud, nests, cobwebs, etc. “Good old mother nature is the one who creates jobs for us,” he explained.

And slowly, Benjamin is finding success.

Separation by Specialization Connecting with North American

contractors has helped Benjamin “in way words cannot explain: standards, procedures, do’s and don’ts. The only thing I did not get help with was pricing my jobs; that I had to figure out on my own.”

He also joined the PWRA (Pressure Washing Resource Association) early on after the association was first introduced. “I have recently started purchasing from one of the PWRA’s distributors for an in-house discount,” he explained. “I am not able to take advantage of all the PWRA’s wonderful benefits because of my location, but I am still glad to be part of a growing organization. I hope that one day my region will be ready to accept the PWRA’s

standards of professionalism and invite other local contractors to join.”

Additionally, all of Benjamin’s equipment and chemicals are imported from North America. “I sometimes joke with my clients and say ‘the only local thing we use is water.’” All Apects hosts a trailer-mounted Pressure Pro Series, with a 12v roof cleaning system. “I wanted something larger but it cost almost half the price of the unit just to get it here,” he explained. “However, I know that in order to be the best, you have to use the best. I continue to deal with quite a few distributors in North America.”

Owning equipment that is not readily available in Trinidad has really helped set All Aspects Maintance apart. “I knew that if used equipment that was not readily available here, it would only be a matter of time before we stood out from our competitors as the number one cleaning company in Trinidad,” he explained.

Changing His Focus, Changing the Market

At first, Benjamin was targeting everyone and accepted any and all jobs. Now he’s learned to pick and choose his customers. “This takes the hassle out of driving all over the country for on-site visits that never materialize into actual jobs.”

Because soft washing is a new concept in Trinidad, most homeowners still believe the

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best – and only – way to clean anything is with a pressure washer. “With residential, there’s a lot of time spent trying to convince homeowners that they need our services for just one job – and that’s not even considering whether or not they can afford the service.”

For that reason, Benjamin has shifted his attention to commercial markets. “With commercial clients, we explain less and do more,” he adds. “We talk to property managers about our new services. Once they are convinced, we are given a few properties that are under their care.” Additionally, government contracts have become the “biggest piece of the pie.”

Whether or not Benjamin can successfully maintain an “organic stain removal” specialty company in such a small country has yet to be seen, but Benjamin is feeling optimistic. “My operating costs are high due to duty and import taxes and I know that only those who appreciate this new service will go that extra distance to cover their cost,” he explained. “However, in this industry, the right equipment and training used correctly does the work of two or three average workers.”

And Benjamin has an even greater reason for wanting All Aspects Mainenance to succeed.

Earlier this year, he became he father to a beautiful baby boy – his first. “To be honest, I can’t wait for him to take over the company. My son has given me the extra motivation to make All Aspects Maintenance a success,” perhaps changing an entire nation’s viewpoint on pressure washing in the process.

To learn more about Laurie Benjamin and All Aspects Maintenance Ltd., visit their website at www.AllAspectsLtd.com

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Have you ever had someone convince you to buy something you knew you’d never use? I LOVE IT! How do they do that? Did you want to buy anything else from them? Did you have a good relationship with them? These are some questions that come up when you think about what echniques your sales team should use.

The foundations of most modern sales techniques lie in five stages of action:

Attention: You have to get the attention of your prospect through some advertising or prospecting method.

Interest: Build their interest by using an emotional appeal such as how good they will look to their boss when they make this deal that will save the company thousands of dollars.

Desire: Build their desire for your service/product by showing them its features and letting them sample or test-drive it. A demo.

Conviction: Increase their desire for your product by statistically proving the worth of your product. Compare it to its competitors. Use testimonials from happy customers.

Action: Encourage the prospect to act. This is your closing. Ask for the order. If they object, address their objections. Always think of rebuttals and know your rebuttals before you ask for the sale.

If you’re in a consulting or service-oriented business, you know that it’s going to require a relationship building process, but a service/product sales environment may require the same thing. The art of selling is not as straight forward as you may think. If you haven’t been out there and sold before (as many new business owners haven’t), then you need to mimic what has been proven to work.

My best advice to you – if you really want to get good at selling – is to “shadow” somebody who is good at closing. Watch. Listen. Sense what’s going on. Then afterwards, ask what was going through that person’s mind when they moved to each stage of the sale.

Then, when you’re in similar situations, think “what would she do?” If you can emulate the thought process, it’s easy to emulate the behavior. You’d be surprised how much can be absorbed, and how quickly, using this method.

I have done what I describe above and have proven it successful time and time again.

April Dodson is the entrepreneur, marketer, and inventor who founded BidSlot Marketing, a leader in in bid appoinment setting. Because of BidSlot, April Dodson also partnered in an answering service called Answerworx, where her team is daily relaying accurate messages at an affordable price to service professionals. April also owns a commercial kitchen exhaust cleaning company. To find out more about April Dodson, visit Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin.

Building Your Sales Foundation

by April Dodson, Bidslot Marketing & Answerworx

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Getting in the Bizby Rick Meehan

Vice President of Marko Janitorial Supply, www.MarkoInc.com

A few days ago I spoke with a husband and wife about “going into the cleaning business.” This is a common occurrence in our showroom.

Excited, the prospective new team asked the Number One Question within moments of arrival: “What will it cost us?” It seems logical to get an idea of how much money it might take to get started. However, there are more costs involved with the cleaning industry, – potentially business-busting costs – than just money spent on equipment and supplies.

Money should not be the biggest concern. Anyone with a few bucks can “get in the business.” Since I am a supplier to the cleaning world, you might think all I care about is selling as much equipment and detergent as possible. Not so. In fact, I try to educate my customers to make sure they completely understand what they are getting into – if they allow me the opportunity to present my case.

I’m in the cleaning supply biz for the long haul. It’s in my best interest to help my customers stay in business too so they can keep coming back for more of my products.

To meet this goal, I gently try to ensure that the entire question of costs is answered without dampening enthusiasm over starting a new venture. Unfortunately, many in the cleaning trade have an attitude. They’ve been there, done that, and know how to do it better than me, although I’ve been doing it since I was eight years old. Marko Janitorial Supply (and at one time Briter Business service division) is my family business, remember?

If a monetary investment is not the major cost of starting a cleaning company, what is? Good question. Glad I asked it for you. The major cost of any cleaning business is time; the next major cost is effort. The old adage “time is money” applies doubly to effort-intensive janitorial work. Efficiency cuts the cost of labor, saving real dollars that can be reinvested in the company, or taken out as wages. Thus, time is directly related to effort: the less time and effort required doing the job, the more money can be made – time really is money.

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The Tailoring ApproachAlthough my husband-wife cleaning team

understood about applying effort to get the job done, it came as a surprise when I began to ask seemingly unimportant questions revolving around how they spend their time on the job. I call it the “Tailoring Approach.”

Every cleaning company is different right down to the amount of elbow grease used to achieve results. For instance, I would never hand a 64” long mop handle with a 32 oz. industrial cotton mop head to a lady that is only 5’2” tall and weighs less than a squirrel.

Once the mop absorbs over six pounds of liquid, it would work her near to death! She might injure her back and be unable to work at all. A wrong choice in a simple mop setup could actually cause this business to close!

I’ve seen this happen. Just as everyone has a unique fingerprint, so cleaning contractors have different equipment needs. Therefore, effort can become a major cost of doing business if the wrong cleaning equipment and

supplies are chosen.A few weeks ago one of my local churches

hired a contractor to strip and wax a 7200 square foot gym. This was the contractor’s first job. He offered the lowest price over others. Although he had years of experience with a local school district, he owned no equipment. So, the church let him use their 20-inch rotary floor machine, wet vacuum and mopping equipment. The church purchased the materials – over $1000 worth of stripper, gym floor finish, stripping pads, and mops. In other words, the church was only paying labor costs to the contractor.

Witnesses claim that the job was a fiasco from the start. The contractor brought in three helpers who worked like gangbusters. Despite their best efforts it seemed that they simply could not get all the old finish off the floor. After a marathon 32 hours, day and night, the contractor and his helpers disappeared, leaving behind an unfinished mess. They had not been paid; bit off more than they could chew evidently. The church had to hire another contractor to do it all over again.

This scenario could have been a success except for a misunderstanding on the part of the new contractor concerning the amount

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of time and effort it would take to do the job with the equipment at hand. With a bit of equipment tailoring and a better stripper, this contractor could have been successful.

I hear about situations like this several times each year. Time and Effort are costs not to be sneezed at, and completely beyond mere money. The fact is anyone with a few bucks, a rag, soap, and a trigger sprayer can get started in the cleaning biz, but the hard part is keeping the company going.

Matching products to the crew and the job type is paramount. Rather than searching for the cheapest products, an adjustment in buying habits needs to be considered. Since the real savings comes from reducing the amount of time and effort used to complete a cleaning job, picking equipment and materials to suit the situation would be the wise move. Sure, supply costs are important, but not nearly to the same extent.

Using the gym scenario as an example, we can easily determine how best to handle the account:

FACTS: We know the size of the gym is 7200 square feet. Our proven floor stripper covers 3600 square feet per gallon diluted according to directions. The floor finish itself covers 1200 square feet per gallon. A 175 RPM rotary scrubbing machine covers about 1500 square feet per hour when used for stripping. The church agreed to pay for the chemicals and allow the use of church-owned equipment. Cost of materials: about $1000.

ORIGINAL ISSUE: Four men using church equipment spent a total of 32 hours stripping the 7200-square-foot gym. During this stretch one man ran the 175 RPM rotary machine while the other three used mops to sop up old wax, stripper, and water. This meant a whole lot of shuffling of fresh water. Because the procedure was unsatisfactorily slow, the contractor began to rush. Conservatively speaking, the contractor went in the hole just over $1425 after labor costs were tallied. Remember, he was not paid in advance.

TWO-MAN SOLUTION: Since two working days were available, or 16 normal work hours, the stripping and waxing procedure needed

to be expedited. The only way to have done this would have been to rent or purchase equipment designed to handle the 7200 square foot size. Since this contractor was brand new, I suspect rental would have been the proper route to consider.

PERSON #1: This person runs a rented 20” 175 RPM Automatic Walk-Behind Scrubber (about $100 per day). This machine will apply the stripper solution, scrub the floor, and vacuum up the liquid. A typical gym usually takes about five hours to strip this way. The machine will then be cleaned thoroughly and refilled with clear water. It can be used to rinse the floor prior to applying floor finish. This takes about two hours. I always recommend doubling the expected time in this case unforeseen issues occur. Here a two-day rental would have been appropriate. Cost: $200.

PERSON #2: This person uses the church’s smaller side-to-side machine for stripping tight areas. He also mops up wherever the larger auto-scrubber cannot fit. If any areas require more scrubbing time, he can concentrate on those areas while Person #1 continues to work the rest of the floor. For the most part, the auto-scrubber handles the major floor area.

BOTH PEOPLE: Visual inspections must be performed to insure that all old floor finish and stripping solution are completely removed from the floor. Person #1 then uses a rented Finish Applicator machine (about $50 per day) made for large floor areas. These machines can usually lay a coat of finish in about 20 minutes on a 7200 square foot floor. The labor time to lay finish on the gym would be about an hour, although drying time must be included.

29 eClean Magazine

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to be expedited. The only way to have done this would have been to rent or purchase equipment designed to handle the 7200 square foot size. Since this contractor was brand new, I suspect rental would have been the proper route to consider.

PERSON #1: This person runs a rented 20” 175 RPM Automatic Walk-Behind Scrubber (about $100 per day). This machine will apply the stripper solution, scrub the floor, and vacuum up the liquid. A typical gym usually takes about five hours to strip this way. The machine will then be cleaned thoroughly and refilled with clear water. It can be used to rinse the floor prior to applying floor finish. This takes about two hours. I always recommend doubling the expected time in this case unforeseen issues occur. Here a two-day rental would have been appropriate. Cost: $200.

PERSON #2: This person uses the church’s smaller side-to-side machine for stripping tight areas. He also mops up wherever the larger auto-scrubber cannot fit. If any areas require more scrubbing time, he can concentrate on those areas while Person #1 continues to work the rest of the floor. For the most part, the auto-scrubber handles the major floor area.

BOTH PEOPLE: Visual inspections must be performed to insure that all old floor finish and stripping solution are completely removed from the floor. Person #1 then uses a rented Finish Applicator machine (about $50 per day) made for large floor areas. These machines can usually lay a coat of finish in about 20 minutes on a 7200 square foot floor. The labor time to lay finish on the gym would be about an hour, although drying time must be included.

Most finishes will dry in 30 minutes, so that’s another 1.5 hours. So, total labor time for applying finish is about 2.5 hours. Person #2 acts as a spotter in case streaks or missed spots occur. He or she also uses smaller tools like a mop or 18” wax applicator to catch tight areas or minor misses. Cost: $50 rental.

TOTAL JOB COST: Assuming a high labor salary of $15.63/hour for both workers, and a total number of hours in this scenario of 8.5 hours, that’s $265.71. Add in the cost of rental machines and you get $515.71, the contractor’s cost of labor and equipment. I always add in 10% overage just in case of unforeseen material usage, so the final job cost of labor and equipment would be about $567.28. Add in the church’s material purchase of about $1000 and you get $1567.28. Divide $1567.28 by the square footage of 7200 and the cost per square foot to totally strip and refinish the gym is just under 22 cents. Research shows that this type of job brings between 18 and 26 cents per square foot, so this would have been a good estimate.

Creating a job cost analysis like this one is perhaps the most important way a cleaning contractor has of predicting what should be quoted for a job. Note that it is imperative to match the equipment to the job. The job includes the labor force. In the above scenario, we cut two laborers, paid a high hourly rate, and brought in the completed job in less time that allotted. Of course, all this may seem like fiction; therefore, I challenge you to do the figures yourself. You’ll find that Time really is Money – and you can make more of both.

One more thing to consider when it comes to cutting time and effort is that a good janitorial supply company can be your greatest ally. Folks like me that back our products with our reputation are good resources on time studies, especially concerning machinery, equipment, and detergents. I leave the labor to you, since that’s a personal question. When you walk in the door, refrain from asking how much it will cost to get in the biz. Instead, prepare the details of your envisioned company by creating a business plan so when you do visit your janitorial supply company you may ask, “How can I reduce my costs of cleaning?”

30 eClean Magazine

Many years ago I worked for a boss who would occasionally ask me questions that he already knew the answers to. Why? He wanted to know if I knew the answer. A couple years ago I started asking contractors in my seminars a question. Like my old boss, I thought I knew the answer to the question before I asked it. I was wrong!

The simple question involved how many times the contractor called back after providing the customer with a written quote for replacing their equipment. The first year or two I would ask, “How many in the class contact the customer five or more times after providing the quote?” Very few hands went up. “How about four times?” Another hand or two went up. Today I frame the question a bit differently. Today I ask, “How many of you make one or more follow up contacts with the customer after having provided them with a written quote?” To my continued surprise, less than 25% of the class calls back ... even once! Wow, that’s scary.

I recently read that 80% of all salespeople NEVER call back after having provided the customer with a written quote. That, at least to me, is an amazing statistic. Please write this down, put a sticky note on your sales pad, and stencil this on the back of your wrist: Persistence = Sales

Persistence is the key to sales. Want to hear another statistic from the same source? Seventy percent -- yes 70% -- of all sales are made after the fifth contact with the customer. To be honest, the statistics I am quoting apply to all sales people in all professions. Our profession is

a bit different. The average salesperson closes 25-30% of their sales at the conclusion of the initial presentation, so in that area we are a bit better that “all salespeople.” However, based on my class question, and 26 years of working with contractors, we are not all that different than others when it comes to follow up.

You have all attended marketing classes, so you know the cost of creating a lead is very expensive. Some contractors’ only marketing investment is the yellow pages. If that is you, sign up for a marketing class ASAP.

On the other end of the spectrum, I just completed a Company Overview with a contractor who had “budgeted” a bit more than $950,000 over the coming 12months for marketing. He does about $11,000,000 in gross sales, so that means 8.6% of his gross income is budgeted for marketing. Notice I said he “budgeted” those dollars. Translated, that means he had solid plans concerning how he was going to market his company over the coming months AND those dollars were part of his budget. Therefore, it was included in part of his hourly rate. Remember, the customer pays for everything -- it’s all ground into (or should be) the hourly rate you end up charging the customer.

Yes, I am a bit off-topic here, but the point is easily made. A well-run company spends

Persistence Pays Off

by Tom Grandy, Grandy & Associates

31 eClean Magazine

a lot of money generating a lead. You made the investment, you have the lead, and the presentation has been made. Doesn’t it make sense to follow up with the customer? Just closing one or two more leads per month can make a huge difference in the company’s overall gross sales. Do the math for your company, the numbers may surprise you.

More than 26 years ago, before I founded Grandy & Associates, I was the general manager of a service company. I cannot tell you how many salespeople spent anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour or more in my office telling me about the product and/or service they offered. The irony is this: I actually would have purchased many of the products and services they offered but ... they NEVER called back! Did you hear what I said? I would have purchased their product or service, but they never called back.

Your potential customer is about to hundreds or thousands of dollars for cleaning services. Sure, 25% will decide on the spot. But what about the other 75%? They need time to think about it, discuss it with their spouse, or perhaps look around a bit more before they make their final decision. What if the customer was you? You just had presentations from three contractors. Two contractors never called back while the third called back routinely (in a gentle, friendly, non-pressure way). What are each telling you, without saying it?

As a consumer the two that don’t call back are either telling me they are not really interested in my business and/or they are saying they are too busy to do my work. Besides that, I am thinking to myself, “If they won’t take the time to call back, what’s the probability they will show up if they did get the job?” Bottom line, you think they don’t care about having my business. The third contractor “must” want my business because he or she continues to follow up. Assuming the customer really wants the work done, which contractor do you think the customer will choose? Which would you choose?

We have an unwritten rule in our company when it comes to following up on leads. We call back, call back and then call back again.

Eventually one of two things will happen. The contractor and/or organization will either schedule a seminar and/or consulting project, or they will tell us they are not interested. Either answer is fine. The amazing thing, in our case, is that 90 percent of our work is actually scheduled when we call back. Less than 10 percent actually call back to say they want to schedule a program. By the way, it is typically six months to two years before the decision to use us is made. Get the point?

Keep one simple fact in mind. Neither our company, nor yours, is usually the number one priority in the customer’s life. If the customer is not called back (your initiative) they will soon forget about you. The key to sales is persistence.

This article was brought to you by Grandy & Associates. If you are seriosu about runninga profitable business, go to www.Gr andy Associates.com or contact them by phone at 800-432-7963.

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32 eClean Magazine

Pressures to excel in business come from everywhere and from time to time, some of our business leaders find it expedient

to take shortcuts that are unethical – and potentially even illegal. Moving down this path inevitably leads to disaster. They all get caught sooner or later – usually sooner.

Business leaders are frequently critical of the media for focusing on negative news that so often makes us look so bad in the eyes of the public. We should come to the reality that without the media putting the bad news in our face so frequently, we sure would not be as focused today on raising the bar on business ethics. Negative publicity has a way of inspiring us to strive for improvements that will keep us off the front pages. Hence, I have a feeling there is a growing movement among business leaders to achieve higher levels of integrity.

Good leaders embrace the highest level of ethical behavior.

First rate leaders do not bend in the face of temptation to take shortcuts. In my 40-plus years in business – including

more than a decade as the CEO of a public company – it has never been clearer that ethical leadership is the only path to long-term success.

Pressures to excel in business come from many sources – from bosses, stockholders, competitors and even from competitive peers inside the organization.

It is easy to be pushed or push yourself into making a “panic decision.”

It is easy to blame someone for dropping the ball and then firing that person without really understanding the facts. My experience is that almost everyone strives to do the job well.

When something goes wrong, our ethical obligation is to understand

the facts.

Leadership Means High Ethical Standards

by Joe Scarlett, Founder of the Scarlett Leadership

34 eClean Magazine

In most cases, a clear understanding of the facts coupled with good coaching by leadership provides the best results.

Employees learn every day on the job and leaders are frequently too quick to let that knowledge go elsewhere.

Pressures to take shortcuts are often self-initiated in a quest to show results or by an ambition to get ahead. A little shortcut when bending this rule or exaggerating something else or making a small adjustment seems so minor the first time. But over a longer period, the little rule benders grow and before you know it, you are trapped by your own web. You always get caught – by the accountants, the auditors, and the security people or, most likely, you get turned in by your co-worker who has at least a slightly higher sense of integrity.

Some of our leaders can become overconfident to the point that they

begin to believe that they “know it all.”

They begin to see in their own results a sense of infallibility and then make decisions on that basis. Over time, they become more and more isolated because they don’t listen. Separated from reality, these leaders have it all come falling down when they are forced to face reality – a reality that usually results in a personal crisis.

Business leaders have an obligation to their constituents to operate in a way

that is right and just for all.

If behavior is unethical, business relationships deteriorate and in the long term all will go bad. It is incumbent on our

business leaders to act in an ethical way and continually talk about the importance of ethics in the business world.

We – i.e., our community and our nation – need a passionate drive to rebuild the ethical leadership skills of our managers and executives. We need a drive to raise the ethical bar for business leaders. The United States

Leadership Means High Ethical Standards

sets the world standard for ethical business leadership. It is time for reawakening. Or, more likely, we are in the midst of that reawakening. First-rate business leaders set the direction, set the moral compass and do everything possible to assure the success of the leadership team and the entire organization.

The really good business leaders act personally and professionally

with the highest degree of integrity because they know that is the only

path to long term success.

It is very simple. Violate the basic rules of business integrity and conduct and you lose! There is absolutely no room for a lack

of ethics among any of our leaders.

Joe Scarlett is the retired chairman of Tractor Supply Company and the founder of the Scarlett Leadership Institute. He can be reached at joe@scarlettleadership.com.

34 34 eClean Magazine

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