July 2011

newslink

ncca

The official journal of the National Carpet Cleaners Association

Features:

Viscose Rayon

Textile Disaster Recovery ŠClass Florals by Brintons

July 2011

Contents

Published monthly by:

03 From the editor

The National Carpet Cleaners Association

03 General Meeting Report 06 A story for stone polishers 10 Damage to fabrics and dyes 12 Textile disaster recovery 14 Viscose Rayon (part 3) 18 How to win more customers 20 The low cost marketing solution 24 Press releases - another part of your marketing plan?

26 Save hundreds of pounds with new NCCA scheme!

28 Review your marketing strategy for continued growth

Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Association or it’s officers or members. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the statements within this publication, we cannot accept responsibility for any errors, or omissions, or matters arising from any clerical or printing errors, and whilst every care is taken of manuscripts and photographs submitted to us, we can accept no responsibility for any loss or damage.

62c London Road, Oadby, Leicestershire, LE2 5DH Tel: 0116 271 9550 Fax: 0116 271 9588 E-mail: admin@ncca.co.uk Website: www.ncca.co.uk Editor Nikki Law Editor in Chief Keith Robertson Design Editor Nikki Law President/ Technical Director Paul Pearce Training Director Pawlo Woloszyn Vice President/ Marketing Director Keith Robertson Member Liaison Director Glyn Charnock Associate Liaison Director Denise Pitt Vice President/ Events Director Nigel Lay

www.facebook.com/NCCAFloorCare www.twitter.com/NCCA_floorcare_ ŠCarpet Cleaners Association Ltd 1994 (Trading as the National Carpet Cleaners Association).

No part of this Newsletter may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the Carpet Cleaners Association Ltd.

page 2

From the editor

T

here are only two months to go until the NCCA's inaugural Carpet Cleaners Carnival takes place. It is scheduled to be the greatest, most enjoyable FREE 'family friendly' industry event of the year, so don't miss it!

The event will be held on the 17th September at Wicksteed Park in Kettering, Northamptonshire.

It will include an exhibition and demonstrations of the latest industry products, together with various activities to run throughout the day. Attendees will receive tickets for reduced price entry to the fairground and also have access to all areas/attractions within the Park.

Wicksteed offers excellent onsite camping facilities for caravans, camper vans and tents - ideal for a long weekend or overnight break - right in the heart of the park in a beautiful spot overlooking the lake! So if you don't want to drive back home after the day's events you won't have to spend a fortune on overnight accommodation. Campers may also be interested to know that there is a Car Boot Sale every Sunday between 14th February and the end of November.

Wicksteed Park was one of the first Leisure Parks in the UK and this year celebrates its 90th anniversary. It has one of the largest children's

playgrounds in Europe and is the location for one of the first water based rides in the world.

Nikki Law The Park is a popular day out destination for families. There are in excess of 35 rides and attractions. From high rides to water rides and from Rollercoasters to the world famous Waterchute, Wicksteed Park has everything to keep kids entertained for a whole day. When you need a rest you can find peace and seclusion in the grounds of the park - the ideal setting for a picnic.

If you don't want the hassle of bringing your own food there are various refreshment kiosks, diners and cafes onsite offering a wide range of snacks and full meals. There is also a licensed bar in the Park View Bistro, which offers bar meals and a full children's menu.

The Park is easily accessible from Junction 10 on the A14 with direct North and South links from the M1 & A1. There will be FREE parking available, but you must pre-register with us to receive your ticket.

To benefit from all the discounts available to you, please pre-register with the NCCA office on: 0116 271 9550, without delay.

To find out more about Wicksteed Park visit: www.wicksteedpark.co.uk

NCCA General Meeting report

T

he NCCA General Meeting took place on Thursday 23rd of June in Leicester.

In accordance with the Articles of Association Directors were re-elected by rotation. The reelection of Paul Pearce and Pawlo Woloszyn was proposed by Ken Wainwright, seconded by Glyn Charnock and agreed by all those who voted.

NCCA Officers were elected as follows: ! President Paul Pearce ! Vice President Keith Robertson nd ! 2 Vice President Nigel Lay ! Company Secretary Paul Pearce There were no nominees for either Financial

Paul Pearce

Director or Co-Opted Directors. Volunteers are required for next year, but unfortunately there were no offers from those attending the meeting. I presented a Board report, which is on file, stating that we are looking for more members and particularly someone who would replace Nick Johnston, who resigned in March 2011, as the Financial Director.

Finances: The Auditors report for the accounts year ending March 2010, which is on file in the members' area of the website, was summarised. I was also able to Continued on next page page 3

Continued from previous page report that the preliminary draft accounts for the year ending March 2011 were showing a small profit.

There were no questions raised so I asked that the Accounts for the year ending March 2010 (circulated to all members prior to meeting) be adopted.

It was agreed that Peter Morris of Hayles & Partners continue as auditor for the NCCA. Legal: It was proposed by Pawlo Woloszyn that Martin Frankum, of Summers Solicitors, continues as solicitor for the NCCA. This was seconded by Keith Robertson and agreed by all voters.

Annual subscriptions The annual subscription will continue to increase with the rate of inflation.

We discussed the idea of offering incentives for members to pay subscription fees on time and I suggested we contact The Trade Association Forum for advice.

Other business During the meeting we opened the floor for a

brainstorming session with all those present, in order to create and discuss ideas which may be beneficial to the NCCA. Conversations ensued including the topic of Roadshows and the introduction of a Commercial Carpet Cleaning course to our ever growing training programme.

We hope to see you all at the GM next year.

NCCA member referral results Since publishing a referral statistics report in last month's Newslink there have been 181 recommendations for full members provided by the NCCA. This number is made up of 93 referrals from the NCCA office, 85 potential customers contacting members direct through the website and 3 referrals to members without an email address, which we have tracked using the office database.

If you have not yet supplied us with an email address, but would like to receive notification when your details have been given out, please contact the NCCA office on: 0116 271 9550.

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Call Dave For More Info on: 0208 393 4778

Keith Robertson

Stoneman’s Corner

A story for stone polishers

Y

ou are invited to survey a polished stone floor that needs some attention and the first thing that you notice is just how uneven the tiles are. What do you do?

Could it be that as you use polishing powders or diamond abrasive impregnated pads you are going to keep your mouth firmly shut and propose a cleaning polishing system which completely overlooks the obvious safety problem?

If you generally polish without abrasive discs would you consider it right to obtain the work and at least improve the appearance of the floor?

The correct thing to do, I believe, is to make it clear what all the options are, even if that means you are not in a position to carry out the work, because the unevenness of the floor could easily lead to users tripping and causing themselves injury. Uneven tiles, or lippage as it is called in the trade, can be a real hazard and one that requires attention.

You are duty bound to always point out to potential customers any problem which might lead to a health and safety issue.

Let's say you do keep your mouth shut, take on the job, complete it to your own, and your customer’s, visual satisfaction and then a week later someone trips on an uneven tile. Before you say that it has nothing to do with you consider what is likely to be said in this situation. Is your customer simply going to say, “Oh well it was just one of those things,” or is it more likely that they will conclude that there was no problem before you undertook the job so therefore the problem must be related to something you did?

Can you imagine the time and effort spent trying to prove your innocence which, even if you succeed, will still leave your customer with the view that as the expert you should have pointed out the potential problem in the first place?

Would it not have been better to have explained page 6

what was required to finish the floor to a professional standard, but that it wasn't something that you would be able, or prepared, to do yourself?

Now let's look at the same situation assuming you have the equipment and ability to remove lippage.

Are you are now concerned that your potential client will be reluctant to spend the money necessary to have the full job carried out?

Have you prepared a list of reasons why the work you specified is necessary? Better to include them in your initial presentation, or story, so it becomes abundantly clear to your prospect, rather than to hold them back to use in response to an objection to the work being carried out.

If you prefer to give choices make sure you do so in a way that leads them to a decision that you want them to reach rather than your aim being to simply acquire more work.

Let's consider what the additional benefits in having a completely flat floor are.

First a completely flat floor can be kept cleaner.

Whether cleaning a small area with a flat mop or a

large commercial floor with a scrubber-drier, the smoother the surface, which includes the depth of the grout lines, the cleaner it will be. If you have reduced or removed the hard to get at areas - which the cleaning equipment misses by bouncing over where dirt and resulting bacterial growth build up, it is understandable that the floor will not only visually look better but also be cleaner.

It is also much less susceptible to damage. The high points (lippage) are unsupported by the grout lines and can easily sustain damage particularly where wheeled items are moved around. Tiny fragments, which may break off, will be dragged and trodden against the surface causing more scratching and possibly gouging.

This same lippage could also cause damage to the wheels of the items which are being moved across the floor. In a hotel for example this could in itself lead to an insurance claim particularly if the damage was to a piece of upmarket luggage. In an office, or retail situation, it might also be the case that the Continued on next page

Uneven floor tiling (lippage) can present a trip hazard for the user

page 7

Continued from previous page item with the damaged wheel continues to be used, and that too may lead to further surface scratching to the tiles.

In the lifetime of a floor it may require attention on a number of occasions so it is safe to assume that if the lippage is removed the future cost of refinishing will be less. Not only because the cause of some of the potential wear from damaged stones or wheels has been removed, but because the process of refinishing will be more straightforward.

If the floor is completely flat then you should have no problem repolishing with powders or impregnated pads. These are facts you should relay to your customer when explaining they have lippage which should be removed.

One final thought, particularly if the floor is new and your client or their representative is the architect or designer, very often the architect or designer and sometimes the client really wants a

monolithic look to the floor. That is, that the floor looks as if it is one large piece of stone. When money is available, most often large slabs are specified to help to obtain this look, but in the real world where slabs can regularly be twice and sometimes three times the cost, often small 300mm tiles are specified. If you grind these small tiles completely flat you will remove any appearance of a chess board and achieve an enhanced surface.

Is it time to add grinding to your business? Well that's up to you but do remember that although lippage removal, with the correct diamond plates, does require more powerful equipment the return is greater. It opens up yet another door in your business and allows you to offer a fuller, more complete service. How successful you are depends, at least in part, to the 'story' you tell your potential customers.

Never forget, people love to buy, hate being sold to and generally adore being told stories.

Lippage tools

page 8

Damage to fabrics and dyes

C

ertain types of soiling can actually damage upholstery fabrics and dyes. Some of the most damaging stains come from the human body or from pets - mainly due to the fact that we spend time lounging around on our soft furnishings.

Some examples of human and pet emissions that may severely stain or/and damage fabrics or dyes are as follows:Body Fats: The human body produces hair oils, skin oils and perspiration. These can permanently stain both leather and textile fabrics. Aggressive chemical treatments may remove these oils from textiles but on leather the oily substances penetrate the hide and often become permanent stains. Coatings that have been applied to leather will be broken down and removed by body fats and excessive abrasion.

The items then have to be restored at considerable cost, by a skilled leather restoration company.

Derek Bolton

Perspiration: Also present in body oil stains but has more potential to damage fabric than oil alone, silk is particularly susceptible. All fabrics are weakened by the effect of salt residues from perspiration, but not many as quickly as silk. Protein and other substances in perspiration may also cause a yellow discolouration that is difficult, or sometimes impossible, to remove with normal upholstery cleaning operations as the dyes may have been affected.

Great care must be taken when carrying out your pre-clean inspection on upholstery fabrics to identify these weakened areas so that precautions may be taken not to make the damage any worse.

This may mean cleaning through protective polyester netting (fly screen netting for caravans) Urine: There are two categories of urine staining: A. Colour added stain‌. a yellow to yellow-brown in colour more noticeable on light coloured page 10

fabrics. Dark brown stains are areas that have become sticky from the organic contents of urine and subsequently attracted dirt. Almost impossible to remove with standard cleaning and spotting procedures.

B. Colour loss…a yellow stain that is lighter than the original colour of the fabric, colour is lost.

When urine leaves the body it is an acid but within a few hours this will change into an alkaline, the chemical reaction within the fabric may well affect the dyes too.

Vomit: Contains stomach acid and proteins that damage fabrics and dyes and therefore can be difficult, if not impossible, to remove. If the vomit has been coloured by red food, drink, or medicines, it will be difficult to treat the dye as well.

With both urine and vomit there may well also be the issue of odours that have to be dealt with.

Medication: Over the years I have seen some strange coloured stains that are the result of bodily emissions with added components of strong medications that the customer has been taking. I have seen examples of complete colour changes of fabrics in the contaminated areas caused by this type of mixture. There are also the medications containing peroxide products that may cause bleaching of the fabric where contact has been made, including some acne preparations.

The current trends of applying fake tans or waxes can also play havoc with upholstery fabrics As carpet and upholstery cleaners we are asked to perform many almost impossible tasks.

Removal of bodily emissions can prove particularly difficult, so educating your clients to take preventative measures, where possible, is advisable.

page 11

Press Releases - another part of your marketing plan?

Have you started working in a different or unusual niche recently?

Have you started to publicise your business and activity by sending Press Releases to your local newspaper yet?

There are a number which have been written for us and are in the members’ section of the NCCA website. You can simply copy and adapt them for your company and post, email or fax them to the publications you have chosen to target.

On the other hand you may prefer to write your own copy, but for it to be successful there are a number of basics which are necessary.

Fortunately, Heather Fuller, Editorial Director of eReleases decided to produce a list of what she believed were the necessary factors of a professional Press Release. The list contains 10 essential tips that should be checked carefully before you actually send out your Press Release.

10 essential tips for a successful press release 1. Is the topic newsworthy?

2. Does the headline need a tune-up?

3. Is the first paragraph strong, essentially summarising the release and containing the 5Ws (who, what, when, where and why)?

4. Is it too short or too lengthy?

5. Does it follow AP (Associated Press) style and is it grammatically sound?

6. Does it set an appropriate tone, avoiding over-description, exaggeration, editorialisation (too much of one’s own opinion) and ad copy?

7. Is it fact-based and adequately documented?

8. Is the contact information complete, including a person’s name, telephone number and email address?

9 Does the message match your target audience?

10. Is it media-friendly (not link heavy or unorthodox)?

Have you worked in an interesting building recently?

Adding this form of marketing to your list can prove very effective. Not only do people see it in the publication but you can copy it and send it to your mailing list.

Diary Dates 2011 New NCCA Members FULL MEMBERS North West Carpet Care (Hyde, Cheshire) Mourne Carpet Care (Co Down, Northern Ireland) Alpha Home Services Ltd (Nottingham, Nottinghamshire) All Clean (Newark, Nottinghamshire) Homevalet1 (Amersham, Buckinghamshire)

NCCA COURSES Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning 23rd - 24th September 25th - 26th November Health and Safety For The Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner (NCCA members only) 15th September 17th November Spot and Stain Removal 18th November Hard Floor Cleaning 3rd - 4th November Leather Identification and Cleaning 14th September 24th November (date has been changed from 14th July) NCCA courses held at NSPCC Training Centre, Leicester unless otherwise stated.

Visit: www.ncca.co.uk for booking forms and further details.

IICRC COURSES (SURREY) Fire and Smoke Restoration Technician 19th - 20th July with Adam Jankowski Water Restoration Technician 26th - 28th July with Adam Jankowski Held at National Flood School, Farnham, Surrey. Tel: 01252 821185

IICRC COURSES (HERTS) Stone, Masonry and Ceramic Tile Cleaning Technician 5th - 6th September with Keith Robertson Commercial Carpet Maintenance Technician 13th - 14th September with Paul Pearce Held at Alltec Network, Royston, Hertfordshire.

Tel: 01763 208222

Visit: www.iicrc.co.uk for further details on IICRC Training Courses page 13

Viscose Rayon (part 3)

F

Peter Collins

ibre production of rayon is formulated by the use of two different chemicals and manufacturing techniques. From this process two basic types of rayon were developed, viscose rayon and cupramonium. Other processes for rayon include the polynosic (microfibre) process and the obsolete nitrocellulose and saponified acetate processes. The nitrocellulose process is likely to be obsolete not only because the viscose and cupramonium processes are more effective and safer to manufacture, but because the nitrocellulose process results in a fibre with explosive properties.

As recently as 1992 there has been an entirely new process developed for producing regenerated cellulose fibres, known as the Lyocell process, which was developed by Courtaulds. While it is sufficiently different from rayon to almost be in a class by itself, it is classified as a sub-class rayon by the US Federal Trade Commission.

As viscose is the most common and recognised process for making rayon today the USA government consider it to be classified as rayon, while the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) prefers the name viscose for

rayon (regenerated cellulose) obtained by the viscose process. The name viscose was derived from the word viscous, which describes the liquid state of the spinning solution.

DISSOLUTION The cellulosic raw materials for rayon are wood chips (usually from spruce or pine), or cotton linters. These are treated to produce sheets of purified cellulose (containing 87 - 98% cellulose).

They are then bleached with sodium hypochloride (NaOCI) to remove natural colour. These cellulose sheets are then soaked in 18% caustic soda for one or two hours producing sheets of alkali cellulose, then any excess alkali is pressed out. The substance is broken up into flakes or grains called cellulose crumbs, which are aged for two or three days under controlled temperature and humidity. Liquid carbon disulfide is then added to the crumbs which change the cellulose into cellulose xanthate (salt), a light orange substance that is still in crumb form. These crumbs are dissolved in a weak solution of caustic soda and transformed into a viscous solution called 'viscose', which is honey like in colour and consistency. page 14

ŠChair photos: Paul Pearce

EXTRUSION To produce the rayon filament, the viscose solution is aged, filtered, then vacuum treated to remove any air bubbles that could weaken the filament and cause it to break. It is then pumped through spinnerets into a bath of sulphuric acid, which coagulates the cellulose xanthate to form regenerated filaments of 100% cellulose. The many variations and different properties of viscose such as lustre, strength, softness and affinity for dyes are influenced by varying the technique and by the addition of external materials.

PURIFICATION Once extruded, the freshly formed viscose must be purified and strengthened. It is thoroughly washed, treated with a dilute solution of sodium sulphide to remove any sulphur impurities. It may be bleached to remove any slight yellowness and to secure

an even white colour, then given a final washing.

FIBRE STRUCTURE The structure of rayon fibre is generally that of smooth inelastic filaments like glass rods. However, different processes, additives and finishing techniques can vary the physical appearance and structure of the fibre.

FIBRE IDENTIFICATION In the burns test, rayon most resembles cotton. It ignites rapidly, sometimes even faster than cotton and burns with a large bright yellow flame. Burnt Continued on next page

A rayon chair recently worked upon by Paul Pearce

page 15

Continued from previous page rayon leaves an odour like burnt paper (similar to cotton). The ash is also like cotton, a light and feathery grey, which disintegrates rapidly.

In the feeling test, rayon is more difficult to identify. The variety of processes, modifications of technique and various treatments can make rayon look and feel like cotton, wool or linen. In general however rayon has a smooth feeling of silk. It can also be defined as slippery because of the smoothness of the filaments and has an almost brittle feeling quality due to the fibres inelasticity.

The breaking test can differentiate between rayon, cotton and linen yarns. Because of its inelasticity rayon will tend to break shortly, with a short, uneven breaking pattern, which is even easier to distinguish when wet as it breaks very easily then.

Last, but not least, the wet test. All of you have been shown how to carry out this test as well as all the other tests mentioned in your NCCA manual. Remember when wetting a possible viscose fabric you will find after a minute or two the test site will still feel like a cat's wet fur, this denotes a cotton or viscose velour, which should never be wet cleaned (note: test these types of fabrics if you are using a protector product as well). However, also remember that manufacturers often mix different types of fabrics on upholstery, so test every site where this occurs - even the secondary backing could be of different material than the surface fabric. Also carry out colour/dye stability tests, don't just assume one area you have checked with all of the other tests applies to the rest of the upholstery piece(s). TEST, TEST, TEST every time.

CARE OF RAYON The critical element in successful care of rayon is the type of fibre. REMEMBER: Regular or viscose rayon usually requires dry cleaning for the safest and best results. With high wet modulus, high wet strength or polynosic - rayon's, you can normally use the wet extraction method safely, plus for apparel they can be safely machine washed and

tumble dried, however read the care instructions on these types of fabrics.

The low wet strength of untreated viscose rayon is likely to cause shrinkage, it can also disintegrate and lose body strength and remain wet for many days (remember in the worst case scenario mould or mildew can form by the time the item finally dries) if fabrics made from these fibres are wet cleaned.

Since many dyes and finishes applied to viscose rayon are moisture sensitive, another problem associated with this type of fabric arises from sizing or dye migration due to moisture. This can be seen in many forms from sweat, hair grease from humans/animals, spills of acid or alkali drinks or foodstuffs and perfumes (many dyes used on viscose fabric are especially sensitive to these types of spills). Use caution when treating these stains, you can compound the problem. Again, in the initial and onsite survey, test these areas thoroughly before you commence work.

SUMMARY Rayon is probably the most misunderstood of all fibres. It can be argued it is not a natural fibre, yet it is not synthetic. This is a fibre formed by regenerating natural materials into a usable form.

Rayon fibres and fabrics made from this process have many desirable properties. However, consumers sometimes expect performance characteristics beyond those for which rayon fibres were designed. Although rayon can look like wool, silk, cotton or linen and is a manufactured fibre like polyester, this does not mean it behaves like, or has the same properties or care requirements of these other fibres. Rayon is a fibre on its own and you should survey, test and consider each piece of upholstery you may be asked to clean individually when determining how to safely clean the item.

As professionals we should, in all cases, perform to the very best of our ability and show our clients a duty of care, not only to them, but their soft furnishings they have asked us to clean. Remember a customer is someone you usually see once, a client is for life.

End of series on Rayon. page 16

Join us at the

Carpet Cleaners Carnival Wicksteed Park 17th September To book your tickets in advance and receive all the available discounts please ring the NCCA office on: 0116 271 9550

Article provided with kind permission of Flexpress

How to win more customers

M

ost small companies aspire to grow but sadly many don't; at least not in a significant way. Yet according to marketing expert Jonathan Jay, the only difference between a small company and a large company is its number of customers.

Here, therefore, we've decided to print a guide to winning more customers.

1. Turn your website into a lead generation machine.

If your website isn't generating you enquiries, determine why and fix it. Check the number of visits you're getting using free tools like Google Analytics and develop a strategy for increasing the numbers of visitors and capturing their details.

2. Use educational as opposed to sales orientated content both online and offline.

People are suspicious of anything that appears like a

sales pitch. Instead, they are looking for credible sources to help them make an informed decision so make sure your content is both educational and entertaining.

3. The most credible 'salesperson' is your customer.

Of course, you're going to blow your own trumpet and tell the world how good you are but that won't make it believable. Customer testimonials and feedback help build your credibility and confidence in your products and services.

4. Gain referrals through outstanding products or service.

Recommending a company to a friend or colleague requires a leap of faith, so people will only recommend you if they have confidence in your ability to deliver as promised each and every time.

If you fail, you let them down too but when you page 18

succeed, you can ask for referrals and you'll get them.

5. Use direct mail to generate more leads.

Direct mail is still a reliable way to reach people at home or at work and without 'message filtering' remains one of the most powerful ways to generate new leads. As with most forms of advertising there are rules to help improve response but when done correctly, nothing has the reach and depth of direct mail.

6. Increase the quantity of leads you get.

A simple equation would suggest that if you convert 50% of your leads into customers then if you double the number of leads, you'll double the number of customers. Make good use of your business cards, leaflets and brochures. They're doing you no good if they're not being used to gain you new leads.

7. Motivate prospects to respond.

A compelling reason to take action is a must for all

lead-generating materials. Offering free information, solutions, help, advice, samples, ideas, designs, savings, quality, service, support or guarantees will all help make your offer more enticing.

The more irresistible your offer, the better the results you can expect. Don't forget to make the offer time limited to ensure you get the results you want sooner rather than later.

8. Don't give up.

Having spent valuable time and resources gaining a lead, it's baffling why so many companies then do nothing with it. At best they may respond to the initial enquiry (although it's amazing how often even that doesn't happen) but rarely do they follow up beyond that. Gaining the lead is just the start of the process. Converting that lead into a customer over a period of time is the main objective.

page 19

The low cost marketing solution

H

ave you ever wondered how to get your business successfully found online through social media marketing? If the answer is yes then carry on reading.

Why use social media?

Social media is a low cost marketing solution that can create high returns if used correctly. It is a great way of generating traffic to your website. It allows you to advertise yourself and your business for free in many cases and you are exposed to large groups of people that you would not normally find yourself in front of.

Social Media takes four different forms, text,

SiteWizard

audio, video and images. There are many different channels for social media we are going to look at the most popular ones and why we would use them: Facebook.com - For Connecting: For those who do not know, FaceBook is a social network, a great place for hooking up with old friends but also a fantastic tool for building your network of people to inform about your business and your knowledge. Go to the search bar and type in your industry or a niche within your industry, for example I looked up 'cleaning', I found a page that over 2,000 people like. It might be an idea to add page 20

them as friends even if you don't know them as they have an interest in this subject. You can also turn off email updates so that your inbox does not fill up with these. To do this go to Account -> Account Settings -> Notifications and then un-tick all that you do not want to receive.

Although you are running your personal page you need to think of it as a business card for you, therefore remove things from your profile that are not relevant e.g. game updates. Anyone who accepts your friendship will see the posts that you make therefore enabling you to let people know of new products that you have available or events that you will be attending.

If you have any hints of tips ensure that these go onto your profile page but will also appear on the

newsfeed of everyone that you are friends with.

This will show you as an expert in your field and people will want to follow you and see what you have to say. For your business do not set up a group page as this is limited to 5,000 followers and also it will not get listed in Google. Instead create a fan page. Fan pages are not limited to the number of followers that they can have and they also get listed in Google. You will be building your company's presence online and therefore enhancing your profile. With a fan page you are also able to add an opt-in button that will create a database of email addresses that you can then use to send out newsletters, promotions, offers etc. You need to remember that people buy you before they buy Continued on next page

page 21

from you. Add little updates about your day or interesting quotes to make your profile interesting.

YouTube.com - For Sharing: YouTube allows you to create your own broadcasting channel and then stream your videos through it. The reason that this will help to make you successful is that in some of the newer internet browsers videos are being found in Google; the reason for this is that Google own YouTube. The way to make yourself found is to correctly 'tag' the video by making sure that the title of the video contains keywords that are relevant and that you want to be found for. You also need to make sure that you fill in the Bio Section. This will set you apart from your competition and don't forget to add your website address, FaceBook profile details and Twitter information.

Twitter.com - For Communicating: This is a tool that allows social networking and microblogging (140 characters). Use Twitter to post promotions and to build relationships this will encourage people to follow you therefore expanding your network. Make sure that when you choose your Twitter account name that you pick something that is keyword rich to help get you found. Always use a picture of yourself and your real name and make sure that you fill in your location correctly, this might seem obvious but lots of people don't do this. Make sure that you always add your website address as one of your goals in taking these steps is to drive traffic to your website. Are you now wondering what to add to your twitter account then follow this daily guide: ! daily quotes (source them from www.brainyquotes.com) ! add articles about your niche (www.goarticles.com) ! latest news ! your services/products

! what you are doing right now (makes it personal) ! website - get people to check out any updates on your website. ! Ask your followers if they have had a nice day.

For a one-off fee you can use Tweetadder.com that enables you to schedule tweets for a whole month therefore reducing the time you spend each day on social media marketing.

Linkedin.com - For Networking: Linked In is a business to business website. If you had 2,548 friends it would enable you to have a network of 15 million people. If you are thinking that you don't know over 2,000 people don't worry, you can instantly get 3,000 linked in by using www.opennetworker.com. There is a small cost each month, but you can copy the list into your Linked In account. There are many people on Linked In that have (LION) after their name. This means: Linked In Open Network therefore translating that they want to be part of your friendship group which therefore allows you to increase the size of your network.

Easy ways to update your social media platforms: We recommend a website called www.hootsuite.com. What this enables you to do is to update one place and hootsuite.com will then update multiple social media platforms for you at once. It will allow this to happen on FaceBook, Twitter, Linked In and many more but we only suggest that you do a few platforms such as the ones we have looked into within this article and do them well rather than doing too many and spreading yourself too thinly.

I hope that you have found this article interesting and if you want to join SiteWizard on any of these channels then search for SiteWizard.co.uk. Good luck, happy tweeting and I look forward to finding you in our networks soon. page 22

Soot stains on rug

Textile disaster recovery

U

nfortunately it is all too common for precious works of art to needlessly be disposed of following damage from fire or flood. This could be avoided if technicians and loss adjusters (who are the first to assess the disaster scene) could identify potentially high net worth items; can transport them to depots without causing additional damage; and can determine if and when the level of damage exceeds their own capabilities and it is necessary to appoint a specialist.

Restoration technicians are highly skilled in the drying out of buildings, sanitising fire damage and sanitising mould growth, but are not necessarily experts in specialist processes for dealing with specific objects, such as works of art. As the insurance industry has streamlined its supplier management systems, the staff of these companies are in the position of clearing properties and deciding which items can or cannot be economically restored, and in selecting whether they attempt

Lenka Bashford (The Persian Carpet Studio) restoration themselves, or appoint a specialist to do the work on their behalf.

There appears to be a shortage of training in this field. Technicians and loss adjustors need to be made aware of the processes needed to safely and effectively salvage works of art in order that they can be restored/conserved rather than being written off, and what results can be achieved even with, on the face of it, extremely badly damaged items, as otherwise the items will be determined to be beyond restoration and disposed of.

Flood Floods need not cause irreversible damage to textiles if dealt with quickly and professionally.

Permanent damage can be caused when a textile is left damp with floodwater for long periods. The fibres of the textile rot, they become dry and brittle and the deterioration of the fibres will increase dramatically if the textile is not thoroughly cleaned and dried quickly, ideally within forty eight hours. page 24

Thorough cleaning is essential to avoid dirt from the floodwater remaining in the textile causing premature decay.

Fire Following damage caused by fire, if collections survive at all they can be charred, covered with soot, brittle from exposure to high heat, wet from water used to extinguish the fire, mouldy, and smelling of smoke. However, many rugs and carpets that have been damaged by soot and fire are retrievable given professional treatment.

Before attempting to restore damaged textiles, bear in mind that: ! Serious health hazards are associated with mud, mould and soot. ! Mould can produce toxic chemicals that can cause allergies; the inhalation of spores can be harmful. ! Water damage causes textiles to become fragile, manoeuvering and treatment should be undertaken with extreme care. ! Rugs and carpets will almost certainly be

weakened by the weight of the water, therefore manoeuvering is particularly dangerous for the carpet and the people moving them. ! Delay in the treatment of water damaged items causes mould to form thus irreversible embrittlement of fibres. ! Soot can cause irreversible damage to textiles. ! Impurities from fire and flood such as rust, mud, oil, sewage and soot, if left in the carpet, cause permanent damage so it is important that carpets are cleaned quickly and thoroughly. ! Watermarks can cause long-term weak areas in textiles. ! Glues can be re-activated by moisture. ! Antique rugs and carpets may have been fragile even before damage from a disaster. ! Seemingly unaffected items may have been affected by fire/flood, so could be delicate.

A swift response can save your clients' irreplaceable works of art from deterioration and prevent needless replacement costs being incurred.

ŠPhotographs: The Persian Carpet Studio

Rug after restoration

page 25

Save hundreds of pounds with new NCCA scheme!

T

he NCCA introduces you to the easy and affordable way to accept card payments with Payatrader.

The NCCA has negotiated another fantastic member benefit, giving you a card acceptance facility with no set up fee, no monthly terminal rental or minimum usage fees and preferential processing fees!

Read on to find out how you could save £500 or more each year!

Traditionally, accepting credit cards has been expensive for small businesses, particularly where transaction volumes are very low. Payatrader is a new and affordable way to take credit and debit card payments that has been specifically designed to cater for businesses with low transaction volumes. Very simply it is a “pay as you go” card acceptance service with no minimum monthly fees or any other recurring charges that are normally payable on card acceptance services, which typically cost £20-£30 per month.

In addition, there is no terminal needed with Payatrader - transactions can be taken by telephone call to their customer services team (available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) or online through a computer or 3G mobile access. There is also no terminal rental to pay, saving a further £20-£30 per month compared to similar services where a terminal is required. Payatrader will send you an immediate confirmation by SMS text that the payment has been made, and the funds are credited

direct to your nominated bank account each Thursday. Payatrader also gives you a way of tracking and chasing payments as well as making refunds at a click of a mouse!

All this means that with Payatrader, you only pay for what you use which means you can be saving up to £500 per year compared to other card acceptance services.

As a member of the NCCA, joining Payatrader is FREE (normally up to £99), so you only pay a fee based on a percentage of the transaction value when you take a card payment.

Fees range from 2.3% to 2.8% (American Express cards are charged at 2.95%) depending upon the value of payments taken in a week. So if you don't have any card transactions in a particular month you won't incur any charges. Full details of the current fee structures are on the Payatrader website - www.payatrader.com.

How to join Payatrader Applying to join Payatrader is simple. Just visit www.payatrader.com/ncca.php and complete the online application form, inputting NCCA as the referral code to receive the free joining benefit, (you will be charged £5 in the process which is refunded when your application has been processed).

Payatrader will let you know whether you have been accepted either immediately online or soon after completion of checks. Once you have been accepted onto the service, you will be sent a pack of information and materials to quickly get you up and running. (see opposite for summary) page 26

Fact file

Benefits

Calling all NATIONAL CARPET CLEANERS ASSOCIATION MEMBERS Sign up NOW and join FREE! www. payatrader.com/ ncca.php Quote Code: NCCA

Review your marketing strategy for coninued growth Phil McCabe (FPB)

M

arketing budgets are often the first thing to be stripped away in times of economic hardship.

But what is the sense in removing your presence from the market, allowing your competitors to steal a march on you and potentially reducing your profitability in the process? The last thing you want is for your customers to think that they no longer need your vital services?

In fact, global companies like Ford steered their way through the recent economic crisis by forging strong links between their key marketing staff and senior management.

Ford's Chief Marketing Officer Jim Farley, has identified his close relationship with the company's Chief Executive Alan Mulally as one of the major driving forces behind their emergence from the financial maelstrom as the strongest American auto company.

Only by combining a strong business plan with a clear marketing vision were they able to convince potential customers to invest in their products. If Ford can do it, why can't British SMEs? Occasionally, companies in more traditional industry sectors place marketing way down on their list of priorities but, regardless of the quality of a page 28

product or service, it is unlikely that customers will ever seek them out under their own steam.

More often the problem is simply down to a lack of understanding about how to market a company effectively.

In a recent Forum of Private Business survey, approximately a fifth of business owners cited sales and marketing as their key concerns. More than a quarter of respondents said reaching emerging markets was their top priority.

However, it can be difficult to understand how to effectively target these key customers, particularly with the plethora of avenues that have opened up in the form of social media and other internet channels.

These days, the internet is considered the first port of call for the majority of consumers seeking products and services. So it is essential that small firms have at

least some kind of online presence.

However, many still do not even have a website.

Even those that do risk not benefitting from it because they have not invested in the right Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) services.

The aim of search engine optimisation is to keep a website at the top of the free search engine results to ensure the right people are aware of a company's products and the importance of doing business with them.

This needs to be combined with a first class, easy-tonavigate and well written website that highlights a company's unique selling points.

page 29

Items for sale BUSINESS FOR SALE Carpet and Upholstery cleaning services business for sale, established in 2001. Includes Renault Master van (2006) with bespoke fittings for chemical storage.

Premium interactive website with online survey/quotation facility which can be viewed at www.spotlesscleaningservices.com The domain names www.spotlesscleaningproducts and also www.spotlessnetwork domain names included, and online shop facility. Steempro 2000 with all extras, Sebo Vacuum cleaner, karcher hot water extraction stainbuster, orbis cyclical cleaner, chemicals, etc.

Leather restoration kit. Regular customer base. Reason for sale: Allergy to chemical products. Sale price £20,000 O.N.O. Tel: 0141 941 2510. Email: spotless@ntlworld.com BUSINESS FOR SALE Small, long-established, reputable NCCA Registered, working carpet, upholstery and soft furnishings cleaning company. Essex based. Owner Operator retiring. To be sold as a complete package only. Mobile HWE and dry cleaning system. Domestic and commercial clients. Genuine interested parties only please to call 07903 497298 and leave details.

CLEANING EQUIPMENT AND VAN 2 Dryfusion carpet cleaning machines, 2 Drizair 110 dehumidifiers, 2 turbo dryers, 1 Dri-eaz fogging machine, 2 Dryfusion stair tools with pads, 1 Advance Dryfoam rotary upholstery cleaner, plus 1 large signwritten white Fiat Ducato Turbo Diesel van (less than 5 years old - mileage 41,000). Total cost: £13,500 ONO. Phone Mike on: 01443 492455 or mob: 07881 807436.

BUSINESS FOR SALE Small carpet and upholstery cleaning business for sale due to imminent retirement. Established over 31 years in North Yorkshire and Cleveland areas. Business complete with Bane Clene truck mount and Ford Transit Van or will sell individually. Phone Derek of Aquamaster to chat on 01845 537640 or email derek@aquamasteryorkshire.co.uk BUSINESS FOR SALE URGENT SALE! Due to the owners moving away!

Carpet, upholstery and stone floor cleaning company 50% OFF the valued price to the first person who offers the sale price of only £75K. Fully Automated business system in place. Full training and consultation will be provided, if needed, for a limited time only. Contact Andrew Sacker on: 07711 454402 or email: andy@GoldenProdigy.com

VAN & TRUCKMOUNT Hydramaster Boxxer 318 with only 600 hours on the clock, in excellent condition comes with all attachments and chemicals and Ford Transit 51 reg service history and 60,000 miles ply lined and racking for chemical storage in excellent condition. £9000 + vat call 07970 835686 for more details.

MACHINERY FOR SALE Numatic 17" Rotary Deck Machine with new 40ft cable, Driveboard. Shampoo Brush and 10 Bonnet Mops. All in perfect working order. Genuine reason for sale. £350.00 (complete package £800 when new). Please call Tony on 07951 413815 or 0118 3779149.

CURTAIN CLEANING MACHINE Prochem 20A Curtain Cleaning Machine. In perfect working order, tidy for its age. Comes complete with trolley, stainless steel hand tool, various hoses, holdall.

Pat tested. Can email picture if interested. £400 ono.

Price new: £3000. Tel 01749 671016 or paul@sheenservices.co.uk MACHINERY FOR SALE Swan neck twin jet Prochem carpet wand (recently serviced): £75.00. Gloria 5 litre stainless steal pump-up sprayer: £67.50. No VAT.Please call Steve on 07973264783 or alternatively email : s.matczak@btinternet.com VAN & TRUCKMOUNT Blue Line ThermalWave HP II - 50hp and Citroen Relay LWB Van. True Twin Wand Operation Truck Mount Cleaning. Asking Price: £17,995 + VAT. Call 0118 931 0516 for more details. Or Visit: www.truckmount.info PROCHEM VACUUM HOSE Prochem: 100ft Vacuum hose, 75ft Solution hose for Truck Mount Machine. £100 + VAT. Tel Aastra Clean: 01454 626259.

HYDROMIST CHAMP SUPREME Well maintained machine, workshop tested, hose, wand, hand tools, powerbrush, 3 stage vac, silenced, power and portability. Cost: £900ono. Telephone: 0131 331 4670.

The Association advises that all goods are checked to be in a satisfactory condition, and comply to electrical and health and safety standards, etc. It is recommended that equipment serial numbers should be checked to ensure the seller is the legitimate owner. The Association accepts no responsibility or liability arising from any transaction or dispute between the buyer and seller.

page 30

NCCA Shop The NCCA has a number of items to order by members. Below are some of the more popular items purchased. For a full list of merchandise please visit the website on: www.ncca.co.uk.

Orders may be placed online, or you can contact the NCCA office on: 0116 271 9550. + PAS86 Code of Practice £40.00 each + Carpet Care Survey Forms (Pad of 100) £19.50 each or £50 for 3

NCCA Associate Members + Alltec Network: 01763 208222 (C/M/F/T) + Amtech UK: 0845 130 4755 (C/M) + Ashby's Cleaning Equipment: 01322 227806 (C/M/E) + Bio Productions Ltd (inc. Stapro): 01444 244000 (C) + Camberford Law (insurance brokers): 0208 315 5000 (I) + Chemdry UK: 01482 872770 (C/M/Fr) + Chemspec Europe Ltd: 01274 597333 (C/M/T/D/F) + Cleanerswarehouse Ltd: 01772 434333 (T/C/R/M)

+ NCCA Lapel Pin Badge £3.00 each

+ Cleaning Support Ltd: 0844 8482371 (C/M/W)

+ Large NCCA Van Sticker (21x7 inches approx) Pack of 2 for £17.63

+ Cleansmart Ltd: 0115 8240034 (T/C/R/M/K)

+ Small NCCA Van/Machine Sticker (12x3 inches approx) £2.50 each + Promotional Leaflet 10p each (under 500), 8.5p each (500 and over) + NCCA Tie £12.93 each All prices include VAT and Postage and packaging. A receipt invoice will be sent by the office. Please allow 21 days for delivery. Goods will not be sent until payment is received.

+ Cleaning Systems UK: 01334 656787 (C/M/T/F) + Cleantec Innovation Ltd: 0870 733 7733 (T/C/W/M) + Dri-Eaz: 01908 611211 (C/M/T) + Dry Fusion UK Ltd: 01772 433711 (C/M/T/W/Fr) + Forum of Private Business: 01565 634467 + Gleaming Insurance (insurance brokers): 0845 4740068 (I) + Hi-Tec Cleaning Group: 02866 341416 (C/E/F/M/T) + Host Von Schrader Ltd: 0151 347 1900 (M/C) + Homeserve at Home: 0870 320 3333 + Hydro Dynamix: 01622 664993 (Fr) + LTT Leathercare: 01423 881027 (T) + McGregor Lloyd (insurance brokers): 0121 706 0616 (I)

NCCA Member Benefits

+ Nu Life Stone Care Ltd: 0161 480 7284 (M/C)

+ Amicus Legal Ltd (free legal helpline): 01206 366500

+ Prochem Europe Ltd: 0208 974 1515 (C/F/M/T)

+ SiteWizard (website creation) 08450 608860 + EMJ Management Ltd (workwear clothing and accessories): 02392 434650 + Brian James (Marketing Consultant): 08450 608860 + Thompson Local (Ask for Corporate Advertsing Department) 01252 390385 + Yellow Pages (Ask for Corporate Advertising Department) 0808 100 7890 + Adalante Merchant Services 01628 820500 + Payatrader www.payatrader.com

+ Rainbow International: 01623 422488 (M/C/Fr) + Restoration Express: 01252 726106 (M/C/T/A) + ServiceMaster Ltd: 0116 275 9000 (M/C/Fr) + Sebo UK Ltd: 01494 465533 (M) + Stainshield Ltd: 01372 841467 (C) + Textile Cleaning Solutions: 01934 521155 (M/C) + The Big Clean: 0208 3934778 (M,C,W,K) + Truvox International Ltd: 02380 702200 (M) + Vitec Global: 02392 666053 (C) + Woodbridge Comercial Ltd: 01279 422220 (C/M) C - Chemicals / M - Machinery / W - Wholesalers / Fr Franchises / I - Insurance / K - Marketing / T - Technical Services / F - Fire Retardents / A - Auxiliary Services (Restoration Cleaners) / E - Supply/Repair of Curtains and Blinds

page 31

For the most excellent choice of fabric and carpet protectors Chemspec were the first ever company in the world to use protectors on fabrics, so we know a thing or two about them.

All NCCA Members* who purchase carpet and upholstery protector get a FREE how-to guide on carpet and upholstery protectors. Tips on perfect applications, coverages, dilution issues, chemistry options, perfect preparation, sales, plus marketing your protector business and much more.

ASK FOR YOUR FREE GUIDE WHEN PLACING YOUR ORDER - Offer runs until the end of July *NCCA Members only - quote membership number to qualify

Chemspec Europe, Tong Park, Otley Road, Baildon, West Yorkshire, BD17 7QD. Tel: 01274 597333 Fax: 01274 597444 E-mail: info@chemspec-europe.com Website: www.chemspec-europe.com