American Liquid Waste - June 2023

INSIDE

Make These 6 Projects a Priority in an Economic Downturn Page 8

Quick and Easy Revenue Generators Page 12

The Basic Tool Set Every Successful Septic Service Company Needs Page 32

In The News Page 40

21,000 Gallon Capacity

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Hook up to pumps for convenient filling or draining

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Phone: 855-459-4350

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MAKE THESE 6 PROJECTS A PRIORITY IN AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN

Times are tough out there, and they are getting tougher. If you follow along in the business news, you’ll note an increasingly pessimistic view of our economy. Most businesses will react to an economic downturn by cutting costs and restricting marketing and other activities, but that would be a mistake.

While growth may not be feasible through a recession, you can certainly take steps to cement your market position and protect your business from the worst that the economy may throw at you.

What should a business focus on when heading into a recession? Below we’ve set out six areas you should focus on to help you protect your business and build resilience.

LOOK AT YOUR OFFER — IS IT WHAT THE MARKET NEEDS?

When did you last look at the services and products you offered your customers?

While making massive changes during an economic downturn is not the best idea,

it does pay to cast a critical eye over your offering to the market.

The buying habits of businesses change in a recession, with companies tending to cut back on spending. If you’re offering new products to market, it might be time to start thinking about providing a maintenance program or some sort of special offer or discount (and only if the numbers make sense, now is not the time to offer a loss leader).

LOOK FOR CREATIVE MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES

Paid advertising is expensive, so look to other marketing methods to publicize what you offer. Here are a few ideas:

continued on page 10

4 Build your brand through social media and a blog;

4 Target existing customers by using email marketing more effectively;

IN THE NEWS

4 Get involved in your local community projects or charities. While you might not see an immediate return, people will remember you when they do have the money to spend.

4 Review your cold outreach process – Are you reaching the right people? Is the process complicated? Remember, marketing is about the right message to the right people.

TRAIN YOUR STAFF

ASSOCIA TION INSIDER

SPOTLIGHT INDEX

This might initially sound counterintuitive but support your staff in tough times, and you’ll build loyalty with them. Training staff builds the skills they will need when the market takes its inevitable upturn and people start to spend again. Putting training in place means you’ll be ready to take advantage quicker than your competitors.

CRITICALLY EVALUATE YOUR OPERATIONS

Review every aspect of your business for efficiency. Look at every process with a critical eye and ask the following questions:

4 Know your numbers – How much does bringing in a new customer cost?

4 What are you spending on software subscriptions?

GO ALL OUT ON LEAD GENERATION

Find new ways to bring in more customers with money to spend. Just because we are in a recession does not mean people have stopped spending altogether.

4 Try social media and blogging – These do double duty by building your presence (and brand) and cementing your authority in your chosen industry.

4 Are you traveling to customers? – What are your gas costs, vehicle maintenance costs and equipment costs? Would leasing be a more efficient use of your money?

4 How much does it cost to onboard and train a member of staff?

4 What are the primary pain points your staff encounters day to day? What about your customers? Review your customer complaint logs, as these will give you a wealth of information on where to focus your business. The answers to these questions will help you start

...support your staff in tough times, and you’ll build loyalty with them. Training staff builds the skills they will need when the market takes its inevitable upturn and people start to spend again.

to understand where your losing money and what processes need changing.

REVIEW YOUR INVOICING PROCESS

While invoicing is not the most exciting of processes, it is crucial. Many businesses don’t track when invoices are issued and when they are paid. Paying attention to your numbers here will help you recover revenue quicker and keep the cash flowing.

KEEP CALM AND REVIEW EVERYTHING

While reviewing processes is not the cutting edge of business, it is crucial to keeping your business going. Taking the time to evaluate your processes and then forming a plan of action on where to focus your efforts will help you stay in business, come through a

recession in one piece, and be ready to grow. Look for opportunities everywhere, keep an open mind and remember to take a deep breath and step back from time to time. Running a business in tough economic times is a challenge, but with some thought, you can ensure you and your staff are protected against the worst and come through the other side smiling.

Sources

https://www.hostinger.co.uk/tutorials/how-to-scale-a-busi

BIG LIST

of Quick and Easy Revenue Generators for this Season

ASSOCIA TION INSIDER

BIG LIST OF EASY NEW ADDED REVENUE GENERATORS FOR 2023

SPOTLIGHT INDEX

Additional services for portable restroom rental customers are common these days, especially in executive trailer rentals. Your business may already be offering one or more ancillary products in or around the units on customers’ sites. You may have even branched out much further into event services equipment rentals, a very common move in restroom trailer rental companies today. New peripheral services or product channels can generate surprising amounts of additional revenue. Here are some ideas for add-ons to support your business growth plans this season.

As you would assume, it’s usually faster, easier, and cheaper to modify or add to an existing product or service than to develop and roll out an entirely new line. But, adding something new is a great way to refresh a brand image and create some new excitement among employees and existing customers. So, it’s a good tool for increasing referral business, repeat sales, and word-of-mouth advertisement. For some quick-profit add-ons you can provide, you might consider these options:

1. Establish Service Tier Levels. Offer service level tiers. Choose some ways to add value and incentivize those customers with higher-tiered accounts. For example, offer trailer customizations for top-tier customers, possibly including magnetic signage on exterior sides, or even trailer wraps in colors and designs that will excite their attendees. Or, cover the unit with colorful balloons. Other ways to create tiers may include improving the terms of service or payment, providing free portering, and/or onsite support through the event, etc.

2.

Add

Accessories

to Existing Product

Lines. Add perks to existing services. Ask customers what else they would like to see you deliver with the unit that could benefit them and their users, and offer a price for that. If it’s reasonable — just do it! For example, charge more to decorate the units inside and out to match the theme of the event. Or, offer little giveaways that are in keeping with the theme.

3. Bundle Services for Maximum Sales Impact. Identify one or more of your customers’ common needs that your company can fulfill during your service provisioning at their site. Promote your rental service, or bundle of services, perhaps including hand washing stations, etc., that serve those needs at a package discount.

Identify one or more of your customers’ common needs that your company can fulfill during your service provisioning at their site. Promote your rental service, or bundle of services, perhaps including hand washing stations, etc., that serve those needs at a package discount.

continued on page 14

4. Collaborate with Other Businesses for Mutual Benefits.

Partner with a local business for you to offer a discount on their product or service when your customer contracts with your company for restroom rental, while your buddy business offers a discount on your service to their customers. This is an exceptional way to network for introductions to each other's customer bases.

5. Know What Your Competitors are Doing. Find out what your competitors offer that adds value and create better options or equivalent options at a better price that your market will prefer.

6. Offer Strong Referral Incentives

The single easiest concept in revenue generation after word-of-mouth advertising, is referral business. Along with attracting repeat sales from current customers, there should be an ongoing drive to obtain customer

referrals. There may never be a time when the customer is more enthusiastic about doing business with you than when making the sales transaction. So, at the point of sale, ask directly for as many referrals as the new customer can produce. Offer discounts or other incentives for the referred prospect and the customer who refers him or her, such as a discount or a free added service.

7. Add Ancillary Products

Industry-proven ancillary products and services that can add great value to the portable restroom rental experience for customers. For example:

• Adding decor items (flowers, mirrors, wall decor)

• Adding hygiene products (hand sanitizer, hand lotion, feminine products)

• Adding air fresheners (electric heated, solids, automatic sprays)

continued on page 16

• Add breath mints

• Adding phone chargers

• Paint trailers or have wraps applied (for high-profit events).

PRODUCT WA TCH

• Adding music

• Adding attendant

• Add hand washing and sanitizing station

• Add trash can service

• Add portering

IN THE NEWS

• Adding discounts for x number of added perks for restroom users, etc.

8. Offer Customizations. Consider ways to customize your offering to cater to maximize the experience for individual customers, based on their particular needs and interests. For example:

• Display US flags for veterans’ events.

SPOTLIGHT

• Display decor to match wedding events.

• Display decor to match themed events.

• Display decor to match Halloween events.

ASSOCIA TION NEWS

• Use attractive awning to cover walkways leading to trailers.

• Add a banner across the trailer to congratulate newlyweds, a birthday girl, etc.

9. Offer Giveaways to Your Customers’ Event Guests.    Consider offering promotional giveaway items suitable for the event, such as:

ASSOCIA TION INSIDER

• Candies

• Coloring books and crayons

• Calendars

• Tote bags

INDEX

• Stickers

• Party favors

continued on page 18

Vactor iMPACT Combination Sewer Cleaner

BIG CLEAN IN A COMPACT PACKAGE

When there’s a dirty job to be done, trust the iMPACT sewer cleaner to do it without washing quality and safety down the drain. Don’t let its compact size fool you. The iMPACT packs a wicked punch with features like:

• Industry-leading IntuiTouch® controls

• Hands-free accessory light option

• Safety interlocks, non-destructive e-stops and boom alarms

• Multi-Flow system for fuel economy

• Quiet engine design

• Optional wireless controls

• Powerful vacuum blower

And it’s all backed by a solid commitment to highquality performance. The iMPACT is engineered to reliably perform better — powerful, safe and affordable.

10. Send Gifts to Your Prospects and Potential Repeat Customers.

You’ve probably made sure you have not forgotten to ask the right questions during your sales opportunities and diligently kept a log of upcoming events your customers and prospects have told you they expect to host. Consider sending a small gift to new prospects and good customers who may be good candidates for repeat business for those events this season. Some popular appropriate gifts may include:

• Bottle of wine with their company’s logo on it

• Fruit basket

• Office plant

• Floral arrangement

• Tote bag

• Box of chocolates

• Snack basket

11. Offer a Competitive Discount.

Sometimes it just comes down to dollars. If there is room to be profitable on a particular order and be more competitive on price, even a small discount may make the difference.

WEIGH THE PROS AND CONS OF ADDING NEW LINES

Diversifying can make for more enticing packaging of services and products. There are income opportunities, but there are risks. There are improved customer satisfaction rates, but there are increased workloads for busy employees. There are opportunities to dazzle customers and their guests, but there may be brand identity considerations. These and other factors should be considered carefully before investing in new revenue streams for your portable restroom rental business. continued on page 20

MAKING SURE YOUR NEW REVENUE STREAM IS PROFITABLE

PRODUCT WA TCH

IN THE NEWS

Rolling out a new supplementary product or service is exciting. But, depending on circumstances, managing it can become more trouble than expected. The new addition may end up requiring unexpected allocations of worker hours and other critical resources to establish and maintain it. A new ancillary product or service delivery system requires practical benchmarks and budget appropriations. So, establish metrics to measure the performance of your new addition and ensure that outcomes continue to serve all stakeholders' best interests.

ASSOCIA ASSOCIA

PATRIOT POTTYS

Patriot Pottys has been in the business of portable toilets and waste management for over 25 years. Today, they are a leader in the industry in Haymarket, Virginia, and as usual, we wanted to find out how they did it. Their strong suits are unbeatable customer service, local philanthropy, and sustainability. But that's just the start of how they managed to carve out a corner of their market.

When Gregg Walbridge started Patriot Pottys more than a quarter of a century ago, his vision was right on target. Namely, deliver fast, reliable portable toilet delivery and service, get there before the competition, offer services they don't, and stand behind all of their work.  By and large, that means not calling the job finished until every i is dotted and t crossed. It also means they don't walk away until the customer says they love the result.

WHAT MAKES PATRIOT POTTYS SPECIAL?

Over the life of the company, the community and Patriot Pottys became more and more inseparable, which is a mark of any local-level company of its kind that is destined for success. Gregg's focus is, and always has been, to do things in a way that is not only better than the competition but more innovative as well.

Patriot Pottys is a seven-person team made up of owner/manager: Gregg Walbridge, operations manager: Austin Colegrove, and sales reps.: John Likens and Jordan Campbell, and office manager: Rosa Segovia, as well as their stout and ready road crew.

continued on page 24

...good luck and top-notch service have somehow conspired to make Patriot Pottys a perfect match for the local market.

Through the carefully, and likely serendipitously, selected team members, Patriot Pottys is able to turn out a tremendous amount of service in their community. They are efficient and effective, and have managed to become the number one service provider of their kind in Northern Virginia.

GOING THE EXTRA MILE

At the end of the day, Patriot Pottys is a great company. They deliver professional quality service in a timely and reliable way. So what makes them truly different? What makes them an indispensable part of the community they serve?

To put it simply, they give back, and they do it primarily through charitable donations to non-profit

Patriot Pottys is a great  company.

To put it simply, they give back, and they do it primarily through charitable donations to non-profit and veteran organizations.

and veteran organizations. They give cash donations and in-kind donations to organizations dedicated to supporting law enforcement, active duty military

continued on page 26

personnel, medical and rescue first responders, and more. They do this in order to actively contribute to the safety, security, and well-being of their friends and neighbors.  They give and serve the following local charitable organizations:

4 10-7 at Big Land

4 Willing Warriors

4 Feed Fairfax 5K

They also took part in the Handyman National Day of Service, which was a drive to remodel the bathroom of a local veteran in need.

But once again, that's not all they do to go the extra mile to support their community. They are also committed to environmentally sustainable practices, which have clear benefits for the company, the community, and the businesses and partners they work with.

By using less paper, they actually contribute to longerlasting septic systems wherever they go, and given that

continued on page 28

MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT ON COMMUNITIES AND ENVIRONMENTS AROUND THE WORLD

they represent an off-shoot of the septic service industry, it shows that they have integrity. On top of that, all of the paper they do use is 100% derived from recycled paper, saving invaluable forest. This helps produce less trash, which no one likes to see in their hometown, making the area more beautiful for their friends and neighbors.

Of course, the promise of being environmentally sound is appealing to domestic customers who care about ecological matters. But it also offers public relations benefits to any company that hires Patriot Pottys for their waste management needs. In short, it's a way to give their partners and corporate clients a way to appeal to their customers. It's akin to an advertising

continued on page 30

...the promise of being environmentally sound is appealing to domestic customers who care about ecological matters.

But it also offers public relations benefits to any company that hires

Patriot Pottys .

partnership, and the return on investment for their partner companies is significant.

In the final analysis, Patriot Pottys has come under the good graces of their community by offering these valuable extras, actively supporting the people they serve, and providing a free and passive benefit to the companies that choose to work with them.

At the end of the day, what Patriot Pottys has done is put together a winning combination of local-level brand appeal and value-added service. They have won the affection and the loyalty of the people in their area. They have also earned a reputation for giving other companies a way to enhance their brand message simply by working with them instead of the competition.

The lesson here is that companies working in this industry should actively invest in their local community and that the ROI of offering eco-friendly services is close to 100%.

Sources https://patriotpottys.com/

THE GEAR BOX:

Tips on Choosing the Best Septic Business Software

Just about any type of business can benefit from leveraging the power of even the simplest business software. But, with advanced features and premium service, even a pretty basic digital business tool set can make the difference between barely making ends meet and gaining a serious edge over the competition. This is especially true in the septic service industry, but the reasons for this may not be readily apparent.

Here, we are going to discuss the features you should look for in any business software package. Then, we'll look at business software features that can put your septic service operation over the top.

...the first features any piece of business software should have will be about accounting and regulatory compliance.

TOP FEATURES OF BUSINESS SOFTWARE FOR THE SEPTIC SERVICE INDUSTRY

As you will see, the first features any piece of business software should have will be about accounting and regulatory compliance.

ACCOUNTING & COMPLIANCE

The importance of keeping track of your taxes, continued on page 34

monitoring tasks and enable you to better judge your performance and adjust accordingly.

ability to track employee timecards, transactions, and investments, and to be able to make all of this available to the IRS and other regulatory bodies as needed is critical.

The

finances, and investments and adhering to rules and regulations is not even controversial. Failure to do these things can mean poor performance, fines, and worse. On the positive end, these kinds of processes will also integrate with performance

BUSINESS REPORTING

The ability to track employee timecards, transactions, and investments, and to be able to make all of this available to the IRS and other regulatory bodies as needed is critical. As you are probably aware, any business no matter how small, will need to verify activities, payments, legal decisions, and more. Further, the need to have any piece of documentation can come up at any time. Having these things logged in your business reporting dashboard will prove valuable on a regular basis, and invaluable at critical moments.

continued on page 36

FINANCING

When it comes to obtaining that critical piece of gear to put your capabilities on the next level and become competitive with the top players in your area, financing software is immensely valuable. Taking out loans, paying them off, and tracking debt can be tricky. It only takes one error to throw you off badly. Using automated financing tracking software solves these problems in minutes.

QUICKBOOKS INTEGRATION

Businesses of every kind use QuickBooks to track all kinds of key information. Even if you are just running a hot dog stand, having QuickBooks readily available really is necessary. Even if you can do all your work by hand, one mistake can prove fatal. QB makes that less likely to happen.

Even if you are just running a hot dog stand, having QuickBooks readily available really is necessary. Even if you can do all your work by hand, one mistake can prove fatal. QB makes that less likely to happen.

continued on page 38

BRANDING & SERVICE

Keeping track of your branding efforts and your customer service policies is an important way to maintain a consistent brand image. Your customers want to feel they can count on your business, and branding is how businesses accomplish that.

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Customers not only want and deserve a quality customer experience with your brand, but they also want a consistent experience. The reason for this is people think of a company the way they think of other people, and an inconsistent brand is like a scattered personality- it shatters confidence.

MARKETING

Your marketing efforts need to be effective and they need to be tracked and monitored. When a marketing effort goes well, you want to repeat it. When it goes badly, you want to avoid it. Marketing software helps you keep track of these things.

SEPTIC SERVICE PERFORMANCE

Finally, we come down to the meat and bones of septic service software. These are the tools that will

Your customers want to feel they can count on your business, and branding is how businesses accomplish that.

give you a chance of outperforming your stiffest competition. Without it, you’ll be left guessing while the other guy runs away with the accounts.

SCHEDULING

Track, monitor, and optimize which team goes where and when. Send the right team to the right job, and deliver top-quality work.

DISPATCHING

Maps, routes, tracking, and metrics let you optimize mileage, reduce wear and tear on vehicles, and deliver speedy service to impatient customers.

The good news is that local-level septic businesses have a strong tendency to disregard the need for tools of this kind. That means you might still have a chance to get ahead of the

competition by onboarding these tools as soon as possible. The bad news is that the Luddite factor in the septic business is rapidly vanishing. Even if your local market is full of tech-savvy competitors, getting these tools on your belt is absolutely critical. In fact, it is the only way to be truly competitive.

Sources

https://www.servicetitan.com/industries/septicbusiness-software

COXREELS, IMPROVED OPTIONS FOR THE VACUUM SERIES REEL

SPOTLIGHT INDEX

Made In America For More Than 50 Years

Coxreels V-100 Series product line has been improved and expanded! Introducing the new 1 ¼” vacuum hose reel V-112735 without hose and the V-112H-735 with hose. The new model is a smaller frame size featuring 12” diameter discs instead of the original 17” diameter discs and is designed for use with 35’ of 1 ¼” vacuum hose. The outlet connecting to the hose remains 1 ½” and our 1 ¼” hose comes equipped with 1 ½” slip cuffs on both ends for maximum flow.

In addition to the new models, the swivel has been improved on the entire product line. The new swivel design still allows for the connection of multiple hose sizes by using

the inside and the outside of the housing, but a greater gradual taper has increased the amount of compatible inlet hose cuffs. This remains important because retail shop vacuums are coming with larger and larger hoses, some as big as 2.5”. The swivel also includes hidden improvements via an enhanced O-ring sealing system for greater vacuum consistency and performance.

The hose has a super flexible “crush-proof” smooth interior hose suitable for commercial cleaning applications and is equipped with standard 1.5” threaded hose cuffs on both hose sizes.

About Coxreels®:

Coxreels® has remained steadfast and focused on manufacturing high quality professional grade

hose, cord, and cable reels since 1923. Offering a full product line serving the industry in every channel and application, Coxreels® takes great pride in designing, building, and supporting all of their products right here in the U.S.A.

For further information on Coxreels® new options for the V-100 Series, contact Customer Service at (800) 269-7335 or visit www.coxreels.com.