JANUARY 2017
In this issue: 2. 2016 - A Look back in Review 3. 2017 - GAMEDAY is more FUN when you are a GREAT TEAM! 4-5. Words of Wisdom 6. Chart Toppers, Top Ten Volume Leaders 7. Personal Best Volume Month Put Your Best Foot Forward 8. Chart Toppers 8. New Franchisee 9. Workflow Management 10-11. Kudos, Marketing Focus 12. Spring Schedule 13. Every Day is Game Day 14. Digital Media
SUN
THE
SERVPRO® of Southern New England and New York
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2016
A Look back in Review – By The Numbers Hours Distributor Sponsored, Conducted, Performed Activities for SERVPRO® Franchises 1
Distributor Hire - John Fitzgerald - Digital Marketing and Internet Advertising Specialist
2
New Franchise License Sales
4
Franchise Resales plus three (3) additional Resales pending
8
Number of Certification Courses Sponsored with accredited third-party Instructors 161 Course Hours 188 Students 3336 Hours of Student Instruction
24 26 98 238 271
Hours of Distributor Conducted Area Meetings Number of State Accredited CE classes for Insurance, Real Estate, Home Inspectors (572 Attendees) Number of Association, Centers of Influence, and Lunch & Learn Presentations (590 attendees) FBC Team Continuing Education hours - added value to Franchise Consultation and Training Classroom Training Hours: QuickBooks, Xactimate, WorkCenter, Drybook Mobile, Sales and Marketing
1,200
Hours of Product Sales and Support
3,280
Direct Franchise Business Consultation Hours with Franchisees within Distributorship
Hours of Telephone and Technical Support Franchise Business Consultation Objective Maintenance Contacts 12,800 Audit NAPA, CAPA, and License Compliance QAP and Advocacy Hours 200+ 2016 Total Franchise Revenue Volume Million
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2017 GAMEDAY is more FUN when you are a GREAT TEAM! SERVPRO® will continue to be a dynamic and innovative team in the cleaning and restoration industry as unitedly we work to achieve the SERVPRO® Corporate goal of $5,000,000,000 in revenue by 2020. As the Director-Trainer Team for SERVPRO® of Southern New England, New York, New Jersey, and Southeastern Massachusetts, we are dedicated to providing local support, business consultation, and assistance to our SERVPRO® Franchise Associates in the coming year. We were pleased to enhance the Distributorship Team with the hire of John Fitzgerald, a digital marketing specialist, who we believe will make a tremendous impact for franchise web presence, brand identification, and ultimately, increased referrals and revenue. In the coming months we will complete the rollout of a formal Strategic Planning and Leadership Training to all Associate Franchisees as a method of developing the Owner’s managerial and leadership skills; strengthening Franchisees’ internal organization with effective Department Managers, providing a Career Path for employees; and driving up revenue and profit. We also are embarking on an ambitious schedule of Direct Associate Visitations; Distributor Sponsored Certification courses; Classroom and Field Training for Owners, Managers, and Staff. We look forward to working with each and every Franchise Associate to ensure 2017 is your most successful year in SERVPRO®!
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Words of Wisdom No matter how smart, talented, driven, or passionate you are, your success as an entrepreneur depends on your ability to build and inspire a team. A successful leader is one who can spur his or her team members to work well together toward a common vision and goals. To inspire your team members, you’ll have to talk to them, of course. I hate meetings, but I love short (seven to 20-minute) huddles to align and motivate the team. One effective way to begin or end a huddle is by sharing a quote. ~Dave Kerpen Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. ~Henry Ford If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself. ~Henry Ford Remember: upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all. ~Alexander the Great Individual commitment to a group effort --that is what makes a teamwork, a company work, a society work, a civilization work. ~Vince Lombardi Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results. ~Andrew Carnegie The best teamwork comes from men who are working independently toward one goal in unison. ~James Cash Penney A group becomes a team when each member is sure enough of himself and his contribution to praise the skill of the others. ~Norman S Hidle Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people. ~Steve Jobs Team player: Once who unites others toward a shared destiny through sharing information and ideas, empowering others and developing trust. ~Dennis Kinlaw Teamwork is the secret that makes common people achieve uncommon results. ~ Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoh It doesn’t take strength to win. It takes the true heart of the team to win. ~Emily Voyles Teamwork makes the dream work, but a vision becomes a nightmare when the leader has a big dream and a bad team. ~John C. Maxwell There is no need to tell someone how to do his job if you have properly trained your team. ~Dick Winters
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Words of Wisdom
cont...
People are definitely a company’s greatest asset. It doesn’t make any difference whether the product is cars or cosmetics. A company is only as good as the people it keeps ~Mary Kay Ash You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everybody wins. ~Jim Stovall It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed. ~Napoleon Hill Treat a person as he is, and he will remain as he is. Treat him as he could be, and he will become what he should be. ~Jimmy Johnson A successful team is a group of many hands but of one mind. ~Bill Bethel Teamwork is so important that it is virtually impossible for you to reach the heights of your capabilities or make the money that you want without becoming very good at it. ~Brian Tracy Individuals play the game, but teams beat the odds. ~SEAL Team It is better to have one person working with you than three people working for you. ~Dwight D. Eisenhower Only by binding together as a single force will we remain strong and unconquerable. ~Chris Bradford When a team outgrows individual performance and learns team confidence, excellence becomes a reality. ~Joe Paterno When he took time to help the man up the mountain, lo, he scaled it himself. ~Tibetan Proverb Keep away from people who belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. ~Mark Twain The best teamwork comes from men who are working independently toward one goal in unison. ~James Cash Penney You will never get the best out of anyone professionally unless you understand what motivates and makes them tick personally - as a human being ~Rasheed Ogunlaru We = Power ~Lorii Myers
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Chart Toppers
Servpro® Chart Toppers October 2016 Duct Residential
D. Kluger
Fire Commercial
Sepe
In-house Construction Commercial
Randolph
Mold Residential
Citrangola
Rookie
Kilmeade
Subcontract Commercial
Citrangola
Water Residential
D. Kluger
Top Ten Volume Leaders PER LICENSE AVERAGE VOLUME LEADERS December 2016
GROSS VOLUME LEADERS December 2016 1,252,081
1
Lisa and Doug Jameson
467,400
Lou and Michelle Sepe, J. Sepe and D. Yurka, N. Travis
597,628
2
Ralph and Noemi DiCristofaro
365,926
3
John and Shayna Luciani
558,294
3
Scott and Lisa Smith
288,390
4
Risa Kluger
519,361
4
Frank Formisano
268,679
5
Robert Citrangola
491,195
5
Risa Kluger
259,680
6
Allen and Susan Randolph
475,225
6
Robert Citrangola
245,597
7
Lisa and Doug Jameson
467,400
7
James Gibbs
241,840
8
Patrick Jones
377,875
8
Kathryn Cohn
209,552
9
Bill and Beth Russell
366,976
9
Dave and Gina Kluger
208,680
365,926
and Michelle Sepe, J. Sepe 10 Lou and D. Yurka, N. Travis
1
Dave and Gina Kluger
2
10 Ralph and Noemi DiCristofaro
199,209
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Personal Best Volume Month December 2016
Put Your Best Foot Forward! By Robert Tedone, Franchise Business Consultant
When hiring a company, the appearance of the technicians I understand finding employees and retaining them can be and the vehicles arriving at the job, tell a client a great deal a challenge so you may be tempted to ignore how someone about who is going to be working for them. is dressed not to offend and possibly loose them as a new hire, but this does not do anyone any good. It breeds poor It boggles my mind when Franchise Owners allow a crew to workmanship and a poor attitude. leave their building to go to a client’s home or business in the SERVPRO® approved uniform looking but sloppy and If you are a Franchise Owner reading this, I challenge you unshaven and driving a dented or dirty vehicle. This does to make the changes necessary to upgrade the face of your no one any good. I understand our crews provide many business; the rewards will follow. If you are an employee services, which will affect their cleanliness during the day reading this (and I have met a lot of you), I always tell you (that is fine) but to leave the building not looking your best “MAKE YOUR JOB EASIER” and look the part! is unacceptable. Whether it is at your present job or elsewhere, opportunities Our clients are revenue and our labor is an expense. We will open to you when you put your best foot forward! must serve our clients with a trained professional, capable of handling the job they are hired to perform. Even if an employee is a new hire, having them in the appropriate uniform with shirt tucked in and belt on will give the client comfort and confidence they are working with a person who knows their trade and can be trusted to do a good job, competently. Why would you want to make the job any harder than it already is? This business can be difficult from time to time but why wouldn’t you put your best foot forward and have the face of your business be the best it can be.
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INTRODUCING NEW FRANCHISEE RESALE TO NEW FRANCHISE OWNER
JOE WISHNIA
SERVPRO of Montclair/West Orange # 10539 TBA Phone: 973-669-4825 E-Mail: joew@servpromwo.com office@servpromwo.com Operating Territory: The bounded area in Essex County, NJ that is described as the entire boroughs of Verona and Glenridge, the entire township of West Orange and the entire town of Montclair. 速
RESALE TO EXISTING FRANCHISE OWNER
RALPH and NOEMI DICRISTOFARO SERVPRO速 of Manchester/Mansfield # 10640 Operating Territory: The bounded area in Tolland and Hartford Counties, CT that is described as the entire towns of Manchester, Bolton, Hebron, Andover, Columbia, Coventry and Mansfield.
RESALE TO EXISTING FRANCHISE OWNER
CHRIS DELFINO
SERVPRO速 of Western Union County # 10639 Operating Territory: The bounded area in Union County, NJ that is described as the entire Townships of Berkley Heights and Scotch Plains, the entire Boros of New Providence and Fanwood, and the entire City of Plainfield.
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WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT Increase Profits–-Increase Efficiency –-Streamline Job Processes By Lou Ramu, Franchise Business Consultant
Any business needs well-documented processes if they are to survive. If growth and success are the goal, a workflow system is vital. In our business, dealing with carrier requirements further complicates the workflow process. In SERVPRO®, the workflow system is known as WorkCenter™. (WCO/WCM) WorkCenter™ Office was created to provide our Associate Franchisees a “follow-the-prompt” culture designed to promote efficiency and improve the quality of Job File documentation. While there is always room for improvement, the team at SERVPRO® Corporate, has done a great job optimizing workflows using Drybook Mobile, Drybook and the WCO application. WHY USE WCO?
What are the bottom line benefits? YOU GET PAID! A quality job-file, delivered in real time results in getting your money in real time! For those companies who love to not pay, or negotiate until you are blue in the face, the delivery of a quality job-file in a timely way makes it difficult for those companies to not pay when they have been in the loop the whole time. If you make it easier to do business, the customer will be inclined to continue doing business with you. Excellent communication in the mitigation phase of the job can lead to customers wanting to continue with you through the rebuild phase, as well! Implement WorkCenter™ in small steps. Monitor your process and continue training your Franchise Team!
To think every employee can remember each specific step or task every time is just not reality. YOU AND YOUR FRANCHISE WILL Workflow management helps organize and REAP THE REWARDS! gently remind us to “start” a task, email out a job-link, or upload documents and photos as needed. IT JUST MAKES GOOD SENSE! What are the Operational benefits? Communication is the biggest problem most of you face in your business. Any tool or program to increase communication between your team members and your clients is worth it! WCO ensures no matter who is working on whatever job, each step or task is completed in real time.
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BILL and BETH RUSSELL Co-Owners of
SERVPRO® OF UPPER CAPE COD and THE ISLANDS The Cape Cod Canal Region Chamber of Commerce Annual Breakfast Meeting and Awards Ceremony will be held Wednesday, January 25, at 7:30 AM at the Marriott TownePlace Suites Wareham Buzzards Bay, 50 Rosebrook Place, Wareham. The Business of the Year Award is being presented to SERVPRO® of Upper Cape Cod and The Islands. After being in the construction industry for over 25 years Bill and Beth Russell saw the need to expand their services to include the cleanup and restoration that is needed after a property damage. They opened their first SERVPRO® location on Cape Cod in 2008 and in 2016 expanded to include SERVPRO® of Taunton/Mansfield, which provides services in the Bristol County area of the state. SERVPRO® specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property damage caused by fire, smoke, soot or water and flood damage, as well as providing mold inspections and mold removal. The Russell’s have built their business reputation on hard work, fair pricing and impeccable customer service.
goal in business. While their main headquarters is in Bourne, they have satellite locations on both Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard making them faster to any size disaster. As lifelong residents of the Cape and Islands, the Russell’s understand the stress that business and property owners feel when dealing with a property damage and Both Bill and Beth Russell graduated from Sandwich find great satisfaction helping them to restore their High in 1984 and raised their family in Sandwich. property, sometimes even better than it was before. Beth continued her education, graduated from Cape While Bill and Beth’s primary role within the company Cod Community College with an Associates in Arts is leadership, they never ask an employee to do anything Degree, and went on to graduate from Suffolk University that they would not do themselves. And the buck doesn’t with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Public Relations stop there; two of the Russell’s children who believe and and Communications in 2005. Recently, The Russell’s follow the same philosophy, Will Russell and Meredith moved from their hometown of Sandwich to the Town Chapdelaine along with husband Matthew Chapdelaine of Bourne where their business is located. Providing fast together run the daily management of the staff, from the 24/7 emergency services 365 days a year with the highest person who answers the first phone call into our office to quality of work will always be Bill and Beth’s primary the last person broom sweeping the floor on the job.
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The passion that Bill and Beth have does not end with their company and customers. Both are active members of the community that include Cape Cod Insurance Agents Association, Cape Cod Young Professionals and Builder’s Association. Beth also sits on the Board of Directors of The Children’s Museum of Cape Cod. She also serves on two other boards as a Director for the Cape Cod Canal Region and Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce and as an Ambassador for two Chambers of Commerce (Falmouth and Nantucket). When Bill and Beth find time to break free from the helm of the business you can find them venturing the waters of the Cape and Islands on their boat insightfully named “Legacy.”
MARKETING FOCUS Marketing Game Plan
By Lori Villari Franchise Business Consultant
99 All SERVPRO® Marketing Managers and SERVPRO® Marketing Representatives utilizing and trained on WorkCenter™ Marketing 99 Review “The SERVPRO® Way” with all Owners and SERVPRO® Marketing Representatives 99 Confirm that all SERVPRO® Marketing Representatives and SERVPRO® Marketing Managers have listened to all Ten (10) of the “Commercial Cut Pod Cast” audio footage 99 Confirm all SERVPRO® Marketing Representatives and SERVPRO® Marketing Managers have listened to the Commercial Video Resources with emphasis on “Commercial Jobs vs. Priority Response Jobs”, and “Commercial Sales in the SERVPRO® World”. 99 All SERVPRO® Marketing Representatives and SERVPRO® Marketing Managers to submit their gross volume of sales for 2016 and their goal for 2017 99 Putting together a Marketing Budget for 2017 99 We are encouraging the Owners to allow the Marketers to go through the “Employee Certification Training Program” (ECTP) and complete the testing, because how can you sell a service you do not understand? “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible." -Tony Robbins
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SPRING SCHEDULE IICRC CERTIFICATION & TRAINING CLASSES To be held at the Training Facility of the SERVPRO of Southern New England, New York, New Jersey, and Southeastern Massachusetts Directorship in Norwalk, CT ®
Properly trained and certified production technicians are a key component of a well-produced job, and satisfied customers. A knowledgeable administrative team is more effective and efficient. Marketers who have experience are more valuable when they can confidently project experience. INDUSTRY EDUCATION BENEFITS ALL MEMBERS OF THE TEAM.
On April 24-28, 2017 we will host the Water Damage Restoration Technician and Health and Safety courses and May 9-11, 2017 the Applied Structural Drying course (WRT required). APRIL 24, 25, 26, 2017: The Water Damage Restoration Technician course is designed to teach restoration personnel who perform remediation work and give them a better concept of water damage, its effects, and techniques for drying of structures. This course will give residential and commercial maintenance personnel the background to understand the procedures necessary to deal with water losses, sewer backflows, and contamination, such as mold. APRIL 27, 28, 2017: The Health and Safety Technician class is a must for anyone performing restoration or mold remediation! This course is provided to increase safety in your workplace and reduce your company’s risk of costly fines and penalties. It is also designed to put you ahead in the restoration industry to show insurance companies you and your staff are at the forefront of the competition regarding health and safety. Topics to be covered are OSHA Standards, Inspections, Citations and Penalties, Record keeping, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hazard Communication, Hazardous Materials, Confined Spaces, and Bloodborne Pathogens. MAY 9, 10, 11, 2017: The IICRC-approved Applied Structural Drying (ASD) course is designed to teach the effective, efficient, and timely drying of water-damaged structures and contents, using comprehensive classroom and hands-on training, in order to facilitate appropriate decision-making within a restorative drying environment. Fax 203-847-4456 and reserve and confirm space in any upcoming training class held at the Norwalk Training Facility. Contact robertwillis@robkat.com or Katie@robkat.com for additional information.
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EVERY DAY IS GAME DAY It is interesting to me this year’s SERVPRO® Theme is “Every Day is Game Day”. Over the last 30 years (or so), I have seen countless preparations for Game Day. The logic is quite simple: the better prepared your team and you are for Game Day, the better the outcome. Let’s take this analogy and apply it to your business. For this purpose, your Game Day is the annual, well loved Franchise Financial Associate and Annual Associate Review Board Meeting. The better your QuickBooks data, the better your game (the meeting) will be for you. This meeting should be viewed as a springboard to your financial year. If the QuickBooks data is accurate and up-to-date, recommendations are more pertinent for your business success. From the Distributorship view, there are several areas, across the board, which could use more “FOCUS”. These include Payroll, Subcontract Work, and Balance Sheets. Since it is early in the year, now is an excellent time to ensure your payroll is Charted correctly. At the beginning of the year, a number of Franchises switch to a payroll service. Before sending all the information to the service, whether it is QuickBooks Assisted Payroll or another service, ensure the payroll items you are using are pointed to the correct Account in the SERVPRO® Chart of Accounts version 1.16. (Effective date is 1/1/2016.) Most Franchises complete step one of the payroll item set up and fail to complete the process! As new payroll items are set up, the default account is Payroll Expenses and is not an account on the SERVPRO® Chart of Accounts. You must edit the item and switch the default account to the appropriate Cost of Goods Sold account (Production Labor), or the correct Salaries and Wages account. Another area of “FOCUS” is the Subcontract section of the Profit and Loss Report. When the most recent SERVPRO® Chart of Accounts was released, there were additional Subcontract Accounts, which needed to be added to the Franchise Chart of Accounts. These included the addition of Subcontract
Commercial Accounts, both Income and Expense Accounts. When booking the Subcontract Expense items, which most Franchises do quite well, be sure to include the Income on your customer invoices. This is where the Franchises do not do so well. FIRST, if you break out Subcontract Income, you will pay a lower Royalty Rate-always a good thing. SECOND, if you do not break out the Income, how can you know if you are making any money using Subcontractors? LAST, BUT NOT LEAST, the Franchise Balance Sheet should match what your accountant has for your Franchise. This will ensure all loans are booked properly, all assets are accounted for, and all equity has been included. Accuracy on the Balance Sheet will be important if the Franchise is getting an equipment or vehicle purchase financed through SERVPRO® Industries, Inc., or becomes interested in pursuing an additional SERVPRO® License. The Debt Ratio of a Franchise must be below 50% and having items categorized correctly will ensure the Debt Ratio will be calculated correctly. So, let’s all prepare for Game Day this year! A bit of FOCUS and we will all have a successful outcome!!! By Michelle Broggy Franchise Business Consultant QuickBooks Pro Advisor Certified Xactimate Training Specialist
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DIGITAL MEDIA First, I want to thank everyone for welcoming me into the SERVPRO® family. Coming from a background in healthcare and higher education, this has been a fascinating transition. Regardless of the industry, the basic goals and strategies of digital marketing remain relatively constant. Simply put, the goal of digital marketing is to increase sales through your social media channels and your website. Most of you are already making great strides through the Web Stages Program and by upgrading to the Professional Website package. In addition to what you are already doing, I offer a list of helpful tips and links each week in the Digital Marketing Weekly Email. If you would like to be added to the email list, please email your request to me at FitzgeraldJ@Robkat.com. Speaking of digital marketing tips, here are a few I hope you find helpful. These tips can boost your Facebook Page performance: • Before and After photos should be posted on Facebook. • Don't just put the photos on your website - post a Before/After photo each week, if possible. • Re-post your best content on Facebook every 2-3 weeks. • Fewer than 10% of your Facebook followers will see any post. • By re-posting, you increase the chances that someone will see your post. • Engage nearby businesses and organizations on THEIR Facebook Pages. • Posting a comment or Liking/Sharing as your SERVPRO® page is a great way to raise brand awareness and drive people to your page. • NOTE: You should avoid doing any selling or promoting of your page on other Pages. Just leave a comment, which is relevant to the post in question. • Please contact me if you have any questions about this strategy. Thanks again for your support and assistance. You have made the transition into this industry an easy one. I am looking forward to working with each of you as we move forward in 2017. By John Fitzgerald Director of Digital Media
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This showed up on the internet – "Water extraction by good looking guys!"