www.ncca.co.uk
THE CLEAN SHEET
THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL CARPET CLEANERS ASSOCIATION MARCH/APRIL 2017
DON'T FALL VICTIM TO THE STEAM CLEAN LIE! Full story on page 8
16 TRUSTMARK CELEBRATES THE TRUE PROFESSIONALS OF TODAY
20 STORMY WATERS NAVIGATING A HSE PROSECUTION
22 MEET OUR BRAND NEW NCCA MEMBERS
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A WARM WELCOME TO
THE CLEAN SHEET We're very pleased to introduce The Clean Sheet, our newly designed magazine. Having recently been elected as the new NCCA President, I'd also like to introduce myself, Allan Simmons, to those who don't already know me. Thank you to all those who took time to attend the recent General Meeting and voice both your concerns and your support for the Association. Only by listening to what the members have to say can the Association move forward. I’ve only been on the board now for about four years so it was an honour to be asked to stand for the President's role by some of the more senior members. I can promise that my door is always open and I want to hear the good, the bad and the ugly from any member. I also want to hear from none members who might have picked this up to read for a nosey. I’d like to know why you’re not a member yet and what you’re looking for from an Association to make it worth you becoming a member. At the end of the day membership costs less that a coffee a day, yet if promoted correctly can definitely bring in more than enough extra work to justify the fee. I am keen to develop some marketing support for members, specifically how you can use your membership to promote and elevate your business in the eyes of potential clients, both domestic and commercial. I’m happy to share what I do in my own carpet cleaning business to promote the NCCA. I was also surprised at the number of messages of support I received on the announcement of my www.ncca.co.uk
appointment, including many from friends in the industry who are not yet members. It was encouraging that “having seen the news” several said they would be joining soon. Thank you for all those messages. The Associations aim is to promote standards in the industry and is the only Trade Association recognised by Government and was instrumental in the development of the PAS86: 2008 Standard.
I’m thrilled I have been given a chance to help drive it forward for all members benefit This is a great marketing tool for you to use when speaking with commercial prospects. I think the time is right for the Association to now look at how we can help you promote your membership AND how we can start to generate more leads for your business. Until recently the Association was run by a board of Directors who volunteer their time and energy. NCCAcarpetcleaning
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THE CLEAN SHEET They work hard for the Association but this format has its limitations. In December, Dave Wheadon was appointed as full time CEO and things are already moving ahead again with the long awaited Trusted Local Cleaner project. To assist in the “modern era” of online marketing we have also recruited Lauren Willis, who has a 1st Class honours degree in IT Management for Business. Her CV clearly demonstrates she can help us with all things IT, web and social media related. She is assisting the developer on the TLC project and will then be able to look after that in house, which means we will be in control. We have also already seen a tremendous improvement in the social media engagement of both members and consumers too, so great work Lauren. Dave’s fulltime brief enables him to fully focus on the development of our Association, implementing some of the ideas the Board have been working on, bringing a wealth of business knowledge from a different industries, he brings a different approach and a fresh pair of eyes with new ideas. He has already started several new initiatives, some of which he presented at the GM.
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I speak to Dave at least once a day and his enthusiasm is infectious. There is a real buzz being created in the office at Leicester, this is an exciting time for both the NCCA, and its members. I’m thrilled I have been given a chance to help drive it forward. Please work with us on helping promote and develop the NCCA. This is a partnership that should benefit both parties. Not everything is rosy in the garden, we know that. We can only do so much and it does require you to commit to promoting the NCCA too. I’ve said it already, but my door is genuinely open for you to call or email me. Here’s to a very promising future for the NCCA. Allan Simmons
DIARY DATES NCCA at TACCA Day
20 May
National Trust Tour
22 July
WCP Show
9 Sept
National Carpet Cleaners Association 62c London Road, Oadby, Leicestershire, LE2 5DH Tel: 0116 271 9550 E-mail: admin@ncca.co.uk Website: www.ncca.co.uk
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
DIRECTORS
Dave Wheadon
(Company Secretary)
PRESIDENT Allan Simmons
VICE PRESIDENTS Tim Colenutt Paul Pearce
Glyn Charnock Nigel Lay Martin Johns David Weaver
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. ©Carpet 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.
THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL CARPET CLEANERS ASSOCIATION MARCH/APRIL 2017
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OUT AND ABOUT… PAUSE FOR THOUGHT! Another year is yet upon us, they come and go with what seems ever increasing regularity. During my last few articles I have wandered through some of the main furniture retail outlets looking at some of the fabrics that will be coming into the cleaning cycle near you. This month I decided to reflect a little more on the labelling which can be a bit misleading at times. There are the obligatory ‘Dry Clean Only’ labels appearing from time to time but as you well know I tend to ignore the labels anyway and come to an informed decision on how to clean a fabric based on tests I have carried out…far more reliable. I am being my controversial self quite early this year.
OK you just might slip on a pair of chemical resistant gloves and if it’s a warm day may even open a window or two. The guidelines will tell you to go much further, in some cases wearing full face masks, safety glasses, much more ventilation and air movement. Spill any solvent on your clothing then the contaminated item must come off and be thoroughly washed. … makes sense doesn’t it?
Now many years ago health and safety hadn’t been invented, although there were some guidelines even if they were a bit vague at times. These days the HSE have become more proactive. Some decisions made by them can seem a bit OTT, but they mean well and we are all safer for it… or are we?
So just think how important it must be to thoroughly rinse out an area ‘correctly’ that has been treated with a solvent based spotting chemical.
Let’s take a more in depth look at Dry Clean Only. The fabric manufacturers use this label as a bit of a fall back as they know that cleaners will have a go, and some customers will put cushions into a washing machine, in spite of the labels. Of course if something goes wrong then the answer is they should have dry cleaned the offending item(s). Now if you take a look at the technical data sheets for solvent based chemicals, as I have done recently, I wonder if you would really want to use them without extreme care, in a customer’s house? The recommendations on solvent use make interesting reading, I would urge you all to have a good look. For a start how many cleaning technicians honestly adhere to the quite strict guidelines on solvent use? www.ncca.co.uk
So how does this work if items of furniture are ‘Dry Cleaned'. Should we treat the items in the same way? i.e. Rinse out? Surely this defeats the object of the dry clean procedure.
Spillages of solvents on skin can have dramatic consequences if not dealt with quickly, just note the warnings on the technical data sheets So, I ask, by leaving some dry cleaning solvent in the cleaned fabric are we potentially putting our customers and their families at risk? I remember many years ago a couple of toxicology problems where this situation actually happened, how many others were there? NCCAcarpetcleaning
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THE CLEAN SHEET Most fabrics out there can be wet cleaned with care, there are some where careful discussions need to be carried out with the client to explain a ‘change in appearance’. Often this can be acceptable if it’s done right as the final result is that the fabric is clean and bright. However, there are some fabrics with a longer pile where the change in the fabric is more dramatic/ unacceptable. The alternatives are; (a) walk away or (b) dry clean. I have to ask the question (although I think I know the answer), do the furniture manufacturers using these fabrics realise exactly what dry cleaning entails with regards to on-site cleaning? I could go on but I will conclude by asking all cleaning technicians to take another look at the technical data sheets of all the chemicals they are using. Take note of the health and safety implications relating to all the products. For example, how many technicians smoke either during or immediately after using solvents (or any other chemicals for that matter)? Solvent vapours sucked in through a cigarette can be extremely dangerous, even life threatening. I'm not sure whether tests have yet been carried out on vaping.
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Spillages of solvents on skin can have dramatic consequences if not dealt with quickly, just note the warnings on the technical data sheets. Finally don’t get solvents hot, I am thinking in a hot van in the summer. I remember a certain Mr Pearce many years ago suddenly putting his phone down during a conversation with me because the top had come off a container of solvent in his van. The subsequent banging and thumping that followed was Paul opening all the vehicle doors and windows to ventilate the fumes.
Take note of the health and safety implications relating to all the products I had a similar experience myself when a cap came off a container of .8TT industrial strength Ammonia in my trailer, I lifted the roll shutter on the trailer and entered it hitting a wall of Ammonia fumes and ended up on my backside on a customer’s drive eight feet away from the back of the trailer. It can happen to the best of us. BEWARE. Derek Bolton
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INSURANCE AND INSURANCE RELATED WORK Tuesday 28th March saw the first Insurance training course from the NCCA at the NSPCC Centre in Leicester. None of us really knew what to expect from Adrian Jolly from Integrated Damage Solutions and the BDMA, but I think we were all surprised at the insights he was able to give about how the insurance world currently deals with carpet and upholstery insurance claims.
Anyone willing to give insurance work a go, whether for the first time or putting past experience aside, would be well advised to go on this course. He also gave us some exciting news about how things are changing and how this will present new opportunities for NCCA members to profit from this huge market sector which has traditionally been dominated by either the national franchise operations or by replacement rather than cleaning. We know that many members have dipped their toes in the insurance market and been unimpressed with the rates offered for the work and especially by the payment terms, often waiting months for payment when jobs have to be responded to in hours. Well there is a new business model for this work which is already generating work for members with realistic job rates and prompt payment terms. Anyone willing to give insurance work a go, whether for the first time or putting past experience aside, would be well advised to go on this course. www.ncca.co.uk
Following the first course we have plans to adapt the content to include everything you will need to know to not only do the work with advanced spot and stain training, but how to report to the insurers, how to manage insurance clients’ expectations. To maximise success rates and even how best to convert insurance clients in to long term profitable repeat business. This will become an “Insurance Technician” course and place you on the database of the businesses handing out the work. The plan is to run the next course further south. Dates and venues will be announced as soon as they are organised. If you want a potential long term source of new clients for the cost of a 1 day training course, then you need to take part. Glyn Charnock, NCCA Training Director NCCAcarpetcleaning
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social corner the
BEST OFFICE CLEANING COMPANY Diamond Cleaning Southern Ltd in Dorset received the award for the ‘Best Office Cleaning Company’ in the Facilities Management Awards after being nominated by one of their customers. Congratulations!
VIRGIN’S STARTUP OF THE WEEK
CAPTAIN RUG WASH Andi Hill AKA Captain Rug Wash was part of the Plymouth Superhero Calendar which was made to help raise awareness and support the Stroke Association. They have raised £1,315 so far for the charity! Brilliant work.
TOP CHARITY!
Mark Blazey of TopMark Cleaning recently ran the Brighton marathon for Juvenile Idiopathic
Jason Gray of Detailed Ltd, Brighton was awarded a loan of £24,500 by Virgin after supplying a business plan for his cleaning agency, ‘Your Clean Space’. Jason was made Virgin’s StartUp of the Week 6th -12th March.
supported his family since September 2015,
Well done, Jason!
Despite the heatwave, Mark completed the run in
NCCA MEMBER OFFERS HOSPICE HELPING HAND Dom Blades of Contact Carpet Cleaning was approached by the nonclinical manager of his local community hospice, who were preparing for a royal visit. Dom said: “Butterwick Hospice is a highly respected charity, and has done a fantastic job in our area for over 30 years and I felt I could lend a professional hand in maintaining the welcoming environment there." I agreed to clean the carpet for no cost and
have recently gone back to the hospice to check how it was looking and offered our services free of charge on an on-going basis.”
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Arthritis (JIA) at The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS). This charity has helped & when their daughter Clara was diagnosed with JIA. 4h 39m. Great work, Mark! Donations can still be made here: www.uk.virginmoneygiving. com/MarkBlazeyJIA
SHARE YOUR STORY WITH US!
E-mail: admin@ncca.co.uk
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THE STEAM
CLEAN LIE My mum was a sucker for advertising, if there was some faded Z list celeb endorsing a product somewhere on TV she bought it, which is why when she passed away and we cleared out her house we found two “steam” cleaners used, but put neatly back in there boxes. So before I start my tirade against these over hyped pieces of nonsense let me start by saying that I am referring to the DIY steam mops you see on product TV and home shows, not the expensive professional pieces of kit that have serious cleaning power (but are definitely not for wooden floors). So let’s start with the hype and the first one is in the name “Steam Cleaner”. Water boils at 212F and many machines on the market will reach that temperature and at this point the power of water (steam) is indeed very powerful especially when pumped at pressure. However let us consider what you are cleaning, WOOD.
The second lie is that they are quick, NO THEY ARE NOT. If I suggested to a wooden floor owner that boiling a kettle and either pouring the water or injecting that steam into the wood in order to remove surface dirt was a good idea, they would be horrified and quite rightly so, cleaning a wooden floor at that temperature is neither necessary nor desirable. The second lie is that they are quick, NO THEY ARE NOT. Reading the ebay guide to steam cleaners it states that they take 5 to 15 minutes to heat up, in that time I would have done my kitchen floor twice with a microfibre mop (more on microfibre later). www.ncca.co.uk
First off no one ever suggested using toxic cleaners on your floor, the really dumb salespeople use this word the smarter ones use the word “chemical”
If the tank runs out of water you start over again and if you have a big area you may have to unplug it and plug it in elsewhere.
Moving on, the next myth is that they are environmentally friendly because they don’t use toxic chemicals. I am going to split this one up as it is a mixture of lie and misinformation. First off anything made of plastic in China, shipped halfway around the world and that has to be plugged in to achieve a result no better than a (microfibre) mop IS NOT ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY to start with! However the best of the bunch is the toxic chemical thing, so much so I’m going to start another paragraph. First off no one ever suggested using toxic cleaners on your floor, the really dumb salespeople use this word the smarter ones use the word “chemical” so let’s look at that word, To start with everything is made of chemicals, trees, food, water even you and me, we have to stop allowing people with an agenda to taint innocent words for their own purposes. Every day we wash using soap, we clean our hair with shampoo (well not me I’m bald), we put on deodorant (yep do that one), we clean our teeth (still good on that one too) and we wash our cutlery. In all these cases we are using chemicals that will come in direct contact with our body and yet the thought of using a chemical on the floor horrifies some people, as our American cousins would say “give me a break” To make sure the “toxic”claim had no validity I did a quick check on the wood floor cleaning shelf, there were none carrying the toxic symbol that would be a legal requirement if they were (toxic). In fact the ones most sold are PH neutral which is not true of many of the products you use on your body by the way. NCCAcarpetcleaning
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THE CLEAN SHEET So now after telling you not to use these machines on your wooden floor, it’s time to tell what you should use and why.
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INDUSTRY TRENDS The British Cleaning Council have released a new industry trends report which shows that the cleaning industry contributes over £24 billion to the UK economy.
700,000 The cleaning industry is one of the biggest employers, with over 700,000 people. Turnover within the industry has increased by 21% compared to that of all economy growth in which turnover increased by just 17%.
NEW BUSINESS START-UPS New businesses increased by 12%, from 4,380 to 4,910 between 2014 and 2015. This is 3% higher than the average rate of growth in all other sectors for new business start-ups. The biggest step forward in cleaning for years is not in sophisticated machinery or chemicals it is actually in mops and cloths in the shape of microfibre. This fabric is a mixture of fibres that range from one tenth the width of a human hair up to one two hundredth the width, even the cheapest cloths can claim to be antibacterial and antimicrobial whilst the most expensive ones are antiviral. These tiny fibres surround the soil and remove it using a principle called van der waals force (serious science this) and (get this) for those who hate chemicals they work perfectly well with just water for regular soiling. AND NOW FOR THE BEST BIT, guess what? All the steam cleaners out there use microfibre mops, the bulk of the work is not done by the steam it’s done by the mop! So if you want to save money, be faster, more environmentally friendly and prolong the life of your wooden floor dump the steam mop (or just don’t plug it in) and get a micofibre mop kit. Terry Guildford
QUALIFIED AT LEVEL 4 AND ABOVE Workers across the cleaning industry are more likely to hold lower levels of qualifications than other sectors. However by 2024, 50% of people employed in the industry are expected to be qualified at level 4 and above.
NCCA SURVEY FORMS USING NCCA SURVEY FORMS WILL:
● Allow you to record vital information including any previous damage or inherent problems. ● Provide you with an evidence trail in the possible event of a later problem or dispute. NCCA survey forms are available for members to purchase and come in pads of 100 with a carbonated sheet.
For further information, or to place your order, please call the NCCA office on: 0116 271 9550.
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GENERAL MEETING
The General Meeting was held at Leicester Racecourse on Saturday 11th February. The turnout once again was disappointing in comparison to the number of members we currently have. It is the one meeting in the year where members should be attending to voice their opinions and help guide the appointed Directors in the direction that, you the members, wish to see the Association progress. THE MAIN POINTS OF DISCUSSION WERE: The appointment of a new permanent CEO, Dave Wheadon, who has extensive industry knowledge and contacts which will enable the NCCA to identify the areas to deliver increased Member benefits, growing the Association and its skill base. Financially the Association continues to show a healthy balance sheet which increased £16k over the previous year and the operating profile showed little change.
Financially the Association continues to show a healthy balance sheet which increased £16k over the previous year and the operating profile showed little change. Current membership leading up to the GM stands at 559, however with the introduction of NCCA Accepted training courses that will run via our Corporate members, allowing students to sit the NCCA exam, we expect the membership to grow. New training courses have been added for this year to include an introduction to insurance work, a rug school and the reintroduction of a leather cleaning and identification course. We are in talks with an established trainer to provide a hard floor cleaning course that was previously run by Keith Robertson. Trustmark have recently introduced a scheme in partnership with National Trading Standards and details are available through the office. www.ncca.co.uk
The Trusted Local Cleaners website is expected to be launched in May 2017. The” Ultimate Spring Clean” Radio day is due to commence on Thursday March 23rd and will give the Association a visible presence on the airwaves as part of our consumer awareness campaign. The Carpet Cleaners Carnival is to be renamed and have a new home at the NAEC Stoneleigh and will be held in conjunction with the WCP on Saturday Sept 9th. Many corporate members have already booked for stand space at the exhibition so please mark the date in your diary and expect to see our biggest and best exhibition yet. Finally for the continued recovery of Nicky Law, who has been undergoing an intensive course of chemotherapy. Get well soon Nicky. For full information on the General Meeting, Directors reports and minutes, members should contact the office. Nigel Lay NCCAcarpetcleaning
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CARPET CLEANERS
AND PRICING I always like to hear carpet cleaners talk about pricing. It’s always an interesting discussion!
I remember attending a course at Ashcombe Distributors (remember them?) in the 1980’s about marketing a carpet cleaning business. Until that time I didn’t even realise that I needed to market my business. I assumed that if I was good enough at my job, people would be forming a queue outside my door. What prompted it was the appearance of a competitor in the next road to where I lived with his van boldly signwritten with an offer of Lounge, Dining Room, Hall, Stairs & Landing AND a threepiece suite for £30. At the time I was charging more than that for the suite alone. I remember being convinced that my business was finished. So I learned about marketing out of desperation. However, after the course I learned that in EVERY industry there are price points. Some budget, some premium, some in-between. For example, did you know that here in the UK you can buy a smartphone for £20 on Amazon right now? Why then are people waiting in line every time a new iPhone is released and paying 30 times more! Why are Mercedes, BMW and Audi selling in droves when you can buy a Ford or even a Kia for a small fraction of what they are charging. The answer is that in every market there are price shoppers looking for the cheapest and there are premium buyers…even in carpet cleaning. How often on cleaning forums do you see the question…. “How much should I charge for carpet cleaning? What is the ‘right’ price’?” This is what www.ncca.co.uk
has been called ‘marketing incest’ where every cleaner looks at everyone else and does what they do and just like real incest ends up pretty stupid. Business is all about margins and profit. The competitor I referred to earlier went out of business long ago. He has been replaced by many more like him who have also gone out of business. Many, many carpet cleaners are slowing going broke…they just don’t realise it yet. A turnover of 60K or 100K is NOT salary, it’s NOT what you take home. Getting the customer (or more accurately ‘buying’ the customer) takes time which is also work. And of course, there’s all the other business expenses. And then there’s holidays…
A turnover of 60K or 100K is NOT salary, it’s NOT what you take home. It’s often said on cleaning forums we’re NOT dentists or doctors, we’re only carpet cleaners. By the way, I’m not a qualified dentist or doctor but I often earn MORE than them because unlike them I’m a risk-taking business owner (ie. owner of a cleaning business, owner of a business marketing a cleaning business, owner of a client retention business, office manager, hirer and firer, employee parenter etc etc). Oh… and at one time, (before I paid it off)…my house was on the line. That’s why I charge high prices! David Coker NCCAcarpetcleaning
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COURSE DATES NCCA COURSES 2017
Gloucester venues:
All courses are held at NSPCC Training Centre, Leicester unless stated otherwise.
INTRO TO INSURANCE & INSURANCE-RELATED WORK
CARPET & UPHOLSTERY CLEANING
12 - 13 May, 7 - 8 July, 15 - 16 September and 17 - 18 November
22 June RUG SCHOOL 4 - 5 July Futher details: www.ncca.co.uk/training
IICRC COURSES 2017
ADVANCED SPOT & STAIN TREATMENT & REMOVAL
Held at Alltec Network, Hertfordshire
23 June and 27 October
Tutor: Paul Pearce
LEATHER IDENTIFICATION & CLEANING
CARPET CLEANING TECHNICIAN (CCT)
16 November
23 May and 17 October
CURTAIN & FABRIC CLEANING AND PROTECTION OF CARPETS & TEXTILES
UPHOLSTERY & FABRIC CLEANING TECHNICIAN (UFT)
27 June
6 June and 24 October
MEMBER REFERRAL STATS Since publishing a referral statistics report in the last issue of Newslink there have been 192 recommendations for full members provided by the NCCA. This number is made up of referrals from the NCCA office and potential customers contacting members directly through the website.
COMMERICIAL CARPET MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN (CCMT)
20 June Please check www.iicrc.org/educationcertification/course-schedule/ for further details.
IICRC COURSES 2017
Held at Legend Brands, Buckinghamshire Tutor: Adam Jankowski CARPET CLEANING TECHNICIAN (CCT), UPHOLSTERY & FABRIC CLEANING TECHNICIAN (UFT) & ODOUR CONTROL TECHNICIAN (OCT) 17 – 21 July Please check www.woolsafeacademy.org/ the-faster-to-master-total-carpetcare-course/ for further details.
SHARE YOUR STORY WITH US Have you got a story that would fit into our newsletter? If so, get in touch!
Tel: 0116 271 9550 E-mail: admin@ncca.co.uk Website: www.ncca.co.uk
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8 STEPS TO A PHENOMENAL BUSINESS Before I get going on my first article, I want to sincerely thank the NCCA for the opportunity to contribute. With this article I am on a mission to help cleaning and restoration business owners to be more successful in all areas of their business, so they can be more successful in life. But what’s most important… I’ve helped cleaning and restoration companies around the world have record sales and profits, build phenomenal teams and have more time with their family. That’s phenomenal success! These companies have been in small towns and big cities. They are owner/operators and large companies. This article series is not about getting bigger, although if that is your goal, this will help you get bigger.
Over the next few months, I’ll outline the exact strategies you need to be PHENOMENALLY successful in the cleaning and restoration industry. In fact, I’m going to share 12 important steps that have been proven not only in my own business, but in cleaning and restoration companies around the world. How can I be so confident that I can help YOU be more successful in business and life? Because I started my cleaning company out of the trunk of my car over 31 years ago and built it into a multi-million dollar, predictable, profitable, turnkey operation. www.ncca.co.uk
It’s about getting better. And if you want to get bigger, it’s better to get “better” before you get bigger. When you get bigger before getting better, all kinds of bad stuff shows up! Okay, here’s the first step…
BE CLEAR ON YOUR LIFE GOALS The first step is the most important one. Without this step, nothing else really matters. The greatest business lesson I ever learned, and the greatest business lesson you can ever learn is this:
YOUR BUSINESS EXISTS FOR ONE REASON AND ONE REASON ONLY… TO BE A VEHICLE TO HELP YOU ACHIEVE YOUR L.I.F.E. GOALS. NCCAcarpetcleaning
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THE CLEAN SHEET If you aren’t clear about where you’re going in life, you probably will never get there. The problem is most people don’t know how to create a vision for their life. Also, you may not believe that you can actually do some of the things you secretly dream about. So, let me help you with that. When you look at the 7 core areas of life, Physical, Mental, Spiritual, Family, Career, Financial and Personal, which of those areas are you supposed to be UNsuccessful in? “None of them!” you would probably say. If that’s true, why do people struggle in some of those areas? If we aren’t supposed to be broke and in-debt, why are we? Is it because of something “out there”, or is it because we haven’t learned how to make money?
If you aren’t clear about where you’re going in life, you probably will never get there. The problem is most people don’t know how to create a vision for their life.
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And the biggest reason for defeat… No support. If you don’t have the right team in your corner that is trained in the area you want to grow in, you’ll be hard pressed to reach your goal. Every highly successful business owner, athlete, entertainer or professional has a coach. Actually, more than one. No one succeeds alone. No one. In today’s complex world, we need people to help us in all areas of life and business. We need people to help us in the areas we aren’t strong in.
HOWARD PARTRIDGE TO THE RESCUE! Now you have a team in your corner. I have populated a new page at Howardpartridge.com where we will lead you to phenomenal success in business and life. • Would you like to have more time with your family?
If you’re unhealthy (assuming you don’t have a physical condition beyond your control), is it because of someone else, or your eating habits?
• Would you like to make more money?
If you aren’t spending the kind of time with your family that you would like, is it because of the economy, or because you’re working hard, but maybe not “smart”?
Then download this Free Life Goal Vision Sheet at www.howardpartridge.com/success. This document will help you set goals in all 7 areas of life and you’ll get a video that will show you how to get a vision for your life and business.
My 31 years experience in business, two decades of coaching small business owners and being personally mentored by some of America’s top experts like Zig Ziglar, John Maxwell and Michael Gerber, tells me there’s a different reason… No vision. If you’re just trying to get through the day, that’s all you’ll ever do. No belief. If you don’t believe you can reach your goals you won’t even try. No desire. If you’re stuck in a comfort zone, you won’t grow. No confidence. If you have the fear of success, you won’t stretch.
• Would you like have better health?
Howard Partridge started his cleaning business from the trunk of his car over 31 years ago and built it up to over $3M per year. For two decades Howard has been coaching cleaning and restoration companies to phenomenal success. He is the exclusive small business coach for Ziglar, Inc. the world’s first Ziglar Legacy Trainer, the world’s first founding member of the John Maxwell Coaching Team, a DISC Certified Training, a ONE THING Certified Trainer, and four time #1 Amazon.com best selling author. Howard Partridge, Ziglar Inc
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TRUSTMARK CELEBRATES THE TRUE PROFESSIONALS OF TODAY When you are looking for a carpet or upholstery cleaning company to do some work for you in your home or business, the last thing you want is inferior results, poor service and a sky high bill. Unfortunately, too many people still aim to pay the lowest price even when that means that work may be done by someone who gives shoddy workmanship and extracts more money by underhand tactics. The levels of professionalism and customer care shown towards customers by some businesses also still leave considerable scope for improvement.
One carpet cleaner who is a shining star in this industry and a true professional in his trade is Pawlo Woloszyn The industry’s tradespeople and allied organisations are working hard to raise standards across the sector, and clearly differentiate the reputable businesses from the cowboys by putting in place a range of measures to help consumers to recognise value, avoid rogue traders and collaborate with their tradespeople with greater confidence. One carpet cleaner who is a shining star in this industry and a true professional in his trade is Pawlo Woloszyn, business owner of Bright & Fresh. A TrustMark Ambassador, he is promoting professionalism in a world that generally expects the worst of them and he is reliable, reputable, competent and above all committed to good practice. Set up in 1995, Bright & Fresh has grown considerably since it began. When Pawlo started working in the carpet cleaning business he got an unpleasant surprise. It wasn’t the customers or the work that worried him, but the shoddy business practices of the company he found himself working with. Undaunted, he paid his way through www.ncca.co.uk
training with the National Carpet Cleaners Association (NCCA), walked out on his employers and set up the family business, Bright & Fresh. Having had first hand experience of rogue traders, Pawlo became passionate about professionalism. Within three years he was voted in as a director of the NCCA, and, despite having stood down from this role, he continues to promote quality both within his own Reading-based cleaning business and across the sector. Pawlo is the sole tradesperson, with his wife playing the vital role of administrator. He carries out mainly domestic work, but explains, “If I do get a large contract, like a conference centre, I’ll share it with other NCCA members, as I know they are fully trained and they have the correct insurance in place.” The business may be small, but Pawlo has a list of training courses and Master Cleaner credits to his name. He is also raising sector standards and sharing his skill and expertise as a tutor for the NCCA. Bright and Fresh’s logo features on the company van as well as Pawlo’s uniform. The liveried van promotes leather cleaning on one side and carpet cleaning on the other, and has the company’s phone number on the roof, an addition that pays dividends. “I think I generate about £3,000 of business a year from having that phone number on the roof,” says Pawlo. “It’s a talking point. I remember working in an office and looking down out of the window at the traffic.” As well as the van, the company gets its work via its website and personal recommendation. NCCAcarpetcleaning
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THE CLEAN SHEET Pawlo does not work with a single supplier, instead relying on his experience and knowledge to assess the right product for the job. He guides his customers through the cleaning process, right from the initial enquiry: “Often they ask for a price for carpet cleaning over the phone. They say, ‘it’s only a carpet’, and I have to explain that it depends on what the carpet is made from and numerous other factors and that I need to come and see it.” During that first visit, Pawlo outlines his services and credentials, including his TrustMark registration and takes a range of details including carpet measurements, age, and soiling, using a template to produce a quotation. “I like to do the job properly,” says Pawlo. That is reflected in the fact that he retains loyal customers even when they move from the area. We believe the real key to a strong and long-lasting relationship between you and your customers
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is trust. TrustMark really values professional, reliable tradespeople and endorses its registered firms for their efforts to raise standards and stamp out rogue traders. The sector as a whole may be far from perfect, but it contains numerous professionals who deserve our recognition, our business and our respect. Bright & Fresh symbolises the sort of smart, motivated and very hardworking businesses steadily changing the reputation and the public’s experience of an entire industry. To download TrustMark’s ‘Celebrating today’s trades and the value of professionalism’ report, click http://www.trustmark.org.uk/media/110258/ trustmark-report-todays-tradespeople.pdf For further information about TrustMark and to keep up to date with its developments, visit www.trustmark.org.uk TrustMark
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AUTOMATIC ENROLMENT AND SMALL EMPLOYERS Even if you employ only one member of staff, who is employed on a temporary basis, who earns under £10,000, and who does not need to be automatically enrolled into a pension scheme, you will still have automatic enrolment duties that you need to meet. It’s important that you are aware of what your duties are and when you need to meet them by – as you may incur a fine if you do not comply with the law on time.
LOOK OUT FOR A LETTER The Pensions Regulator writes to all employers to alert them to their duties 12 months before their staging date. The staging date is when your legal duties start. Go to TPR’s website and take 5 minutes to complete the online Duties Checker. This will help you understand how the law applies to you and what duties you have to do and by when – and to avoid the risk of a fine.
ARE YOU AN EMPLOYER? You are an employer if there is a contract of employment – whether this is written or verbal between you and those who work for you. Even if someone who works for you considers themselves self employed, you may still have employer duties. While deciding if someone is a worker may be clear-cut in many circumstances, it can be more difficult in others. A person may be a classified as a worker if they meet a number of criteria including: ● Whether you expect that person to personally carry out work for you (i.e. they cannot send a substitute) ● If you provide what they need to carry out the work (for example tools) ● If you bear financial cost for faulty work. Once you have decided who is a worker for automatic enrolment purposes, you must then www.ncca.co.uk
check what your duties will involve and if any of them must be put into a pension scheme. If you decide you are not an employer (e.g. you are a sole director company with no other staff) and so you do not have duties you should use the Duties Checker to let TPR know this is the case. If you do not have any workers to automatically enrol in to a pension, you still need to write to them to tell them about automatic enrolment and how it applies to them. Template letters that you can use are available on TPRs website.
COMPLETE AND SUBMIT A DECLARATION OF COMPLIANCE Whether or not you have workers who must be put into a pension, you need to complete a declaration of compliance and submit it to The Pensions Regulator to let them know you have met your duties. The declaration of compliance shows TPR what you have done to meet your duties and must be completed within five months of your staging date – if you don’t do this on time, you may incur a fine.
Staff must be put into a workplace pension if: • they’re between 22 and state pension age • they earn over £10k a year, £833 a month or £192 a week
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THE CLEAN SHEET BRINGING YOUR STAGING DATE FORWARD If you don’t have anyone who needs to be put into a pension scheme, you can bring your staging date forward to any date, so that you can meet your duties at a time that suits you. You will need to tell TPR either on or before your new staging date and you’ll need to provide all of the information below: ● Your PAYE reference - found on letters you have received from TPR about automatic enrolment. ● Your letter code - a 10 digit reference that appears on all correspondence from TPR about automatic enrolment. ● Your current staging date and your new staging date. ● Employer’s name, address (including postcode) and email address. ● If you have one, your Companies House registration number or equivalent, eg registered charity number, VAT registration number or industrial and provident society number.
COMPLETE YOUR DECLARATION OF COMPLIANCE AT THE SAME TIME You can choose to complete your declaration of compliance at the same time as you bring your staging date forward. Completing your declaration early means you can get this task out of the way and don’t need to think about it anymore. If you decide not to do this, you must complete your declaration within five months after your new staging date. Duties Checker: www.tpr.gov.uk/ae-checker
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q: I do not have any staff to put into a pension scheme. Can I bring my deadlines forward?
If you do not have any staff to put into a pension scheme, you can bring forward your staging date and complete your declaration of compliance early. If you plan to bring your staging date forward you must notify The Pensions Regulator.
Q: We’re a family business – do automatic enrolment duties apply to us?
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Whether you have duties will depend on your roles and if you have employment contracts in place. To find out if you have automatic enrolment duties, and what to do if you do not, complete the Duties Checker on TPRs website.
Q: I’m the only director of my own company – do automatic enrolment duties apply to me? If you are the sole director and you have no other staff working for you, the company does not have automatic enrolment duties. If you believe you don’t have any automatic enrolment duties you will need to tell TPR that you’re not an employer – you can do this by completing the Duties Checker on TPRs website.
Imogen Hargreaves, Fuse THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL CARPET CLEANERS ASSOCIATION MARCH/APRIL 2017
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STORMY WATERS NAVIGATING A HSE PROSECUTION
As discussed in a previous article, prosecution is the ultimate sanction for a breach of health and safety offences. Following an investigation, the Health and Safety Executive or Local Authority may decide to prosecute a company for not having the appropriate safety measures in place in the workplace.
The potential fine can often be the focus for those brought before the Courts. However, this ignores the other consequences of a prosecution, including the impact on staff, the interruption to business and the importance of dealing with third parties such as the press, insurers and investors.
against either an individual or a company. During the investigation, it is important that you are aware of whether you are answering any questions on behalf of the company or yourself and, that if a prosecution is brought, you are the correct representative to plead or answer on behalf the company.
DECIDING TO BRING A PROSECUTION
COURT PROCESS
The appropriate authority has discretion on whether or not to bring a prosecution based on evidential factors and the public interest. The first part of the test to be applied is the evidential stage, which considers whether there is “sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction against each suspect on each charge”. This includes an assessment of the strength of the defence case. Once this part is satisfied, the prosecutor will consider whether it is in the public interest to prosecute.
Once the prosecution has commenced the Court process, the prosecution will provide a summary of the case against the defendant and the defendant will be summoned to appear in Court to enter a plea. It is imperative to ensure that as a defendant you appear in Court when required or else the case may proceed in your absence or be adjourned and a warrant issued for your arrest. Once the case is within the Court system, procedural rules will apply and it is important that all orders and deadlines are complied with. The Courts are currently pursuing speedier justice, and excessive delays will not be tolerated.
The HSE’s Enforcement Policy Statement sets out certain circumstances where a prosecution is deemed to be in the public interest including where there has been death as a result of a breach of legislation, reckless disregard for health and safety, repeated and persistent breaches and where there has been a failure to comply with an improvement or prohibition notice. A health and safety prosecution may be brought www.ncca.co.uk
All prosecutions for health and safety offences begin in the Magistrates’ Court, but as most health and safety offences are triable ‘either way’ they can ultimately be heard in either the Magistrates’ or the Crown Court. Historically, the less serious cases remained within the Magistrates’ Court and those involving more serious breaches, or NCCAcarpetcleaning
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During the investigation, it is important that you are aware of whether you are answering any questions on behalf of the company or yourself. larger Defendant organisations, were sent to the Crown Court. Recently, however, changes to the sentencing powers of the Magistrates’ Court (which now extend to unlimited fines in most health and safety cases) mean that more cases may be dealt with by the Magistrates.
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the Prosecution’s legal costs you may be ordered to pay by the Court. Therefore, it is prudent to budget and account for any potential fines/costs on an ongoing basis and build this in to financial calculations where a prosecution is expected. It is also important to consider at what point you may choose to enter a guilty plea. Besides the benefits of a reduced fine of up to a third for a guilty plea at the earliest opportunity, reputational factors are also at stake. Good customer care and management is important throughout a potential prosecution to ensure any reputational damage is kept to a minimum. Recent examples in the press have shown that an ‘open and honest’ organisation that admits its failures as soon as possible will be perceived in a much better light than one that avoids comment and seeks to detract attention.
For those pleading ‘not guilty’, a trial in the Magistrates’ Court will not involve a jury, whereas a trial in the Crown Court will. Even if the Prosecution and Court are happy that the matter stays in the Magistrates’ Court, a Defendant can still elect to go to the Crown Court. It is important that legal advice is sought before making such decisions.
DEALING WITH A PROSECUTION Should an authority decide to prosecute against you or your company, it is vitally important to co-operate fully with the prosecution. As discussed in previous articles regarding the new Sentencing Guideline, the level of fine is determined by a number of elements, and may be mitigated by a significant level of co-operation during the investigation. If you are insured it is also important to notify your insurers promptly of an investigation as your insurance may cover the investigation and subsequent prosecution. However, any insurance in place will not cover a fine or any of
CONCLUSION Although the Court process and a prosecution, either personally or against your company, is daunting, it is important to engage with the process early on and seek legal advice where needed. A well thought through response to a prosecution in terms of co-operation, engagement and planning will have a positive effect on the outcome and help limit reputation damage. Gillian Flanninghan, Eversheds
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NEW MEMBERS:
MARCH
Cleancare Lincs Ltd
Powerdean Carpet Cleaning
Viscco Ltd
Lincolnshire
Essex & Sussex
Stockport
WANT TO BE A MEMBER? Then let us know... Tel: 0116 271 9550 E-mail: admin@ncca.co.uk Website: www.ncca.co.uk
Home ‘N’ Dry
Renshaw Services Ltd
White Rose Chem-Dry
Cornwall & Plymouth and Shropshire & Cheshire
Somerset
North Yorkshire
Camiyo Ltd
Indigo Cleaning Solutions
Wight Carpet Care
County Durham
Oxfordshire
Richard Morgan Carpet Services
CJ Carpet Cleaning
Marlin Cleaning Services
The Carpet Crew
Oxfordshire
Norfolk
London
Village Carpet Cleaning Lancashire
Isle of Wight
FOR SALE ALLTEC ADVANCE TRIPLE VAC 600 PSI. INCL WAND AND 7.5/ 2” HOSE
CHEMICALS / DETERGENTS
BUSINESS FOR SALE
1 x acid rinse, 2 x promite pre-cleaner
Established South Dorset based carpet and upholstery cleaning business for sale due to retirement. Ready to go with well maintained Cleansmart Air Flex Turbo hot water extraction machine with Magma inline heater. 75 feet of hose and a stainless steel twin jet wand. A Sapphire Scientific upholstery cleaning head. An Aridex foam dry cleaning system (hardly used). An Aqua-Dri air mover, a Sebo BS36 and Sebo BS46. Sprayers, buckets, brushes and loads of Prochem and Chemspec chemicals and spotters. All in a well maintained 2005 Citroen Dispatch Enterprise diesel van, fully serviced and MOT until Jan 2018.
2 x citrus pre spray, 1 x promite water based protector, 4 x anti-resoil carpet detergent red label, 3 x antiresoil carpet detergent blue label cost £185 + VAT
PRICE £80 ARIDEX UPHOLSTERY MACHINE WITH HOSES/BAG Less than a year old - as new. Used 97 hours. 3 x 7.5 metre/2” hoses with snap on connectors, clear external detailer, clear internal detailer, tamping brush, grandi brush, carpet pile napping brush, Teflon wand glide, Sebo 36 comfort vacuum, Sebo Duo Agitator, 2 x Draper carpet dryers, water claw spot lifter. Cost new £4542 + VAT or £5450 total
PRICE £3000 www.ncca.co.uk
As new, only used for about 3 hours. Cost new £2650 + VAT PRICE £1500
CALL SAM ON 07855 950257 OR 01580 766175
CALL NIGEL FRENCH ON 01202 516266 OR 07855 298616
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DO YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR RIGHTS? TRUSTMARK SUPPORTS WORLD CONSUMER DAY 2017
Carpet & Upholstery Cleaners
In support of World Consumer Day (15th March 2017), TrustMark, the only Government-endorsed scheme for all trades in and around the home, is advising consumers and businesses to understand their consumer rights and to empower them to exercise their rights with confidence.
‘Building a Digital World Consumers can Trust’ is the theme for this year and is an annual event run by Consumers International. The aim of the campaign is to promote the basic rights of consumers and to let them know they have access and choice, online redress, clear and informed choices and online security. These provisions are in the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which came into force on 1 October 2015. Simon Ayers, Chief Executive of TrustMark, said: “Consumers who know their rights shop with confidence, saving time and money, which is a benefit for all parties concerned. People should be aware of their rights whenever they make a purchase, whether that be online or direct from a business such as a tradesperson. Nobody wants to give or receive a faulty product or service, but it is important to know how to resolve any issues, should they arise. “World Consumer Day 2017 is an important campaign and helps consumers’ focus their minds on understanding their rights and businesses’ their legal responsibilities. It is important to encourage effective relationships between all parties and to take a responsible and active approach to prevent problems arising at a later stage, which is ultimately better for the business and the customer.” TrustMark is continually looking at ways to provide greater levels of consumer protection and confidence and has recently launched
a new scheme with Trading Standards to provide another level of consumer protection and trade accreditation to both householders and tradespeople in the home improvement, maintenance and repair sector. The ‘Trading Standards Approved’ scheme is an accreditation that tells potential customers that the tradesperson not only complies with TrustMark’s Government-endorsed Standards for quality of workmanship, but they also understand fair trading practices and have in place all the correct documentation and insurances.
The aim of the campaign is to promote the basic rights of consumers To help consumers and businesses gain a better understanding of their consumer rights, TrustMark is working with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute to offer a 20% discount on a Consumer Rights Act 2015 e-learning course. This course will provide a jargon free, step by step guidance and a single set of rights for consumers when they buy goods, digital content or services and clarifies the current legal framework. To apply for the discount, click here and enter code ‘RIGHTS20’. To stay up-to-date with developments at TrustMark, visit www.trustmark.org.uk or follow us on Twitter @TrustMarkUK TrustMark
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CORPORATE MEMBERS The NCCA is fortunate to have the support from many leading suppliers in the industry. These organisations are proud to be associated with the NCCA and we welcome their support. Please find their details below.
Allied Insurance Services Ltd www.alliedinsurance.co.uk 0844 8156211
Get Booked Up Software www.getbookedup.com 01405 813665
ChemDry Franchising Ltd
Gleaming Insurance
www.chemdry.co.uk 01482 888195
www.gleaminginsurance.co.uk 0845 4740068
Cleanerswarehouse Ltd Alltec Network Ltd www.alltec.co.uk 01763 208222
www.cleanerswarehouse.co.uk 01772 434333
Hi-Tec Cleaning Group www.hiteccleaning.co.uk 028 6634 1416
Amtech UK
Cleansmart Ltd
www.amtechuk.co.uk 01444 232211
www.cleansmartsupplies.co.uk 01158 240034
Host UK Ltd t/a Host von Schrader www.hostvonschrader.co.uk 01244 289256
Ashbys Cleaning Equipment
Cleaning Systems UK
www.ashbys-uk.com 01795 436999
www.cleaningsystemsuk.com 0800 163555
Bio Productions Ltd inc. Stapro www.bio-productions.com 01444 244000
Kendry www.kendry.co.uk 07968 175166
Dry Fusion UK Ltd www.dryfusion.com 01772 433711
Legend Brands Europe Ltd www.legendbrandseurope.com 01908 611211
Camberford Law Plc
Furniture Clinic Ltd
LTT Leathercare Ltd
www.camberfordlaw.com/cleaning 0208 3155000
www.furnitureclinic.co.uk 01207 279964
www.lttleathercare.co.uk 01423 881027
www.ncca.co.uk
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McGregor Lloyd Ltd
The Restoration Academy UK
StainShield Ltd
0121 7060616
www.therestorationacademy.co.uk 0194 434772
www.stain-shield.ltd.uk 01372 841467
NSL Restormate www.restormate.co.uk 01670 590099
Restoration Express www.restoration-express.co.uk 01252 726106
Textile Cleaning Solutions Ltd www.texatherm.com 01934 521155
Nu Life Stone Care Ltd
Safeclean
Tile Master Global Ltd
www.stonecareuk.co.uk 0161 4807284
www.safeclean.co.uk 01235 444700
www.thetilemaster.co.uk 0161 3764129
Sebo UK Ltd
Vaclensa PLC
www.sebo.co.uk 01494 465533
www.vaclensa.com 0161 7281800
Rainbow International
ServiceMaster Ltd
The WoolSafe Organisation
www.rainbow-int.co.uk 01623 422488
www.servicemaster.co.uk 0116 2759000
www.woolsafe.org 01943 850817
Prochem Europe Ltd www.prochem.co.uk 0208 9741515
NEW CORPORATE MEMBERS TO BE REVEALED NEXT MONTH!
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WANT TO BECOME A MEMBER? Then let us know...
Tel: 0116 271 9550 E-mail: admin@ncca.co.uk Website: www.ncca.co.uk
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EACH HOME COUNTS REVIEW HIGHLIGHTS TRUSTMARK EXEMPLAR FOR INCREASED CONSUMER PROTECTION TrustMark, the Government-endorsed scheme for home improvement firms and all trades in and around the home, has welcomed the publication of the Each Home Counts review (also known as the Bonfield Review) which is seeking to improve consumer protection in energy efficiency and renewable energy measures. Liz Male MBE, chairman of TrustMark and a member of the review’s Implementation Board, said: “The publication of this report is just one milestone on the journey, and there is much more work going on already. But this review does present the most important opportunity I’ve seen in the last 10 years to bring the key Government departments, industry bodies and consumer protection schemes like TrustMark together, with a more coordinated approach to raising standards in this vital area of home improvement. “We know what exists now is simply not good enough. The extent of poor practices and sub-standard work is unacceptable, and the families affected will need a great deal of support over the coming months and years to rectify the damage that has been done. “The UK is also far too fragmented in the way we attempt to certify technical competence, identify quality or provide consumer protection. There are too many uncoordinated and duplicating quality schemes promoted by central Government, let alone the plethora of badges offered in the private sector. This is not an effective way to build investor or public confidence in a fast-developing new area of home improvements, and it’s not www.ncca.co.uk
helpful to the thousands of excellent businesses and tradespeople who work in this sector, nor the customers they seek to serve. “Indeed, if we can get the new quality standards framework right for the Bonfield Review then this can also support work to tackle poor customer service and rogue traders in other areas of the domestic repair, maintenance and improvement industry, and even beyond that to other markets too. “In the meantime, I’m pleased to see that the review highlights the exemplar provided by TrustMark’s work with the Gas Safe Register. NCCAcarpetcleaning
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THE CLEAN SHEET As the report points out, this is the sort of collaboration that could support the rollout for all energy efficiency and renewable energy measures in the future. TrustMark can provide a wrap-around consumer protection element to robust technical schemes, and the combination brings quick, cost-effective benefits to tradespeople and consumers alike.� The Each Home Counts review was jointly commissioned by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). BEIS manages the licences for schemes such as TrustMark, the Green Deal and Microgeneration Certification Scheme. DCLG manages the Competent Persons Scheme and supervises Building Regulations. The review’s work is continuing apace. Its objective is to ensure that there is a robust and effective quality and standards framework to support and protect consumers when they install energy efficiency and renewable energy measures in their homes, and in the event that such home improvements go wrong.
As the report points out, this is the sort of collaboration that could support the roll-out for all energy efficiency and renewable energy measures in the future. The report contains 27 high-level recommendations, proposing a quality and standards framework for home energy efficiency and renewable energy measures which includes:
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1. A quality mark against which all those engaged in design and installation of measures will be assessed and certified against; 2. A Consumer Charter to ensure consumers receive excellent customer service, and access to redress procedures when things go wrong; 3. A Code of Conduct for companies operating in the home renewable energy and energy efficiency sector; 4. Technical Codes of Practice and standards for the installation of home renewable energy and energy efficiency measures.
work on the development of its proposed Code of Conduct and Customer Charter. Read the Each Home Counts review report at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/eachhome-counts-review-of-consumer-adviceprotection-standards-and-enforcement-forenergy-efficiency-and-renewable-energy You can provide feedback on the review and its recommendations until 31 January 2017 to eachhomecountsreport@beis.gov.uk. As part of the implementation phase there will also be further opportunities for stakeholder engagement, and further information will be made available in early 2017. TrustMark
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Tel: 0116 271 9550 E-mail: admin@ncca.co.uk Website: www.ncca.co.uk
Liz Male chaired the Skills and Training work stream of the review, and is currently leading the THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL CARPET CLEANERS ASSOCIATION MARCH/APRIL 2017
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