Sweeping March/April 2023

The Convention Issue

SWEEPING

THE JOURNAL OF CHIMNEY AND VENTING TECHNOLOGY

SWEEPI NG

THE JOURNAL OF CHIMNEY

March/April 2023, Volume 47 #3

STAFF

Executive Director Easton Kuboushek, MPA director@ncsg.org

Associate Director Certifications Coordinator Jessica Thornton jessica@ncsg.org

Administrative Assistant Jill Kolars ap@ncsg.org

Marketing & Communications Coordinator, Editor Kacie Krominga marketing@ncsg.org

Membership & Events Coordinator Brittney Burton bburton@ncsg.org

DISCLAIMER

The views expressed in Sweeping do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Chimney Sweep Guild or its staff.

ADVERTISING

To advertise, e-mail Malisa Minetree at sweepingads@me.com or call (317) 603-7854.

NCSG further reserves the right to reject at any time any advertising determined not to be in keeping with the publication’s standards. Acceptance of advertising by Sweeping magazine does not necessarily constitute endorsement of products or services advertised. NCSG does not make any effort to review or substantiate claims made by advertisers.

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Kacie Krominga, Editor

PHOTOGRAPHY

Stock Images by iStock.

ARTICLE SUBMISSION

NCSG encourages industry partners to submit press releases and articles to Editor, Kacie Krominga at marketing@ncsg.org. Submissions should contain items of interest or importance to the chimney and venting industry. Submissions should not contain direct solicitations, prices or other forms of advertising verbiage. Submissions may contain images or artwork attached in a JPG format.

In all cases, NCSG reserves the right to edit submissions for space limitations, keep the release and publish at a later date, or refuse to publish the release for any reason. Neither publishing, nor refusing to publish the submission should be considered a statement of NCSG’s opinion regarding the release.

© 2023 National Chimney Sweep Guild

Farewell from the

PRESIDENT

Time really does fly by when you are busy. It feels like only yesterday that I was sitting down trying to write my first President’s letter, and now I am writing my last letter. I’ve held this office for two years, and it has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my entire life. Believe me, I have seen a lot in my 63 years of living. My life has truly been blessed in ways like meeting the POTUS and being awarded the soldiers medal for heroism, to being ordained a deacon in the Catholic Church by one of the successors to the apostle Peter. These moments, much like the birth of children and grandchildren, leave you speechless to those around you.

A little over two years ago, this organization took one of the biggest steps in its history. We returned to our roots after many years to begin once again what those who founded the NCSG always envisioned: to be led by its elected members and managed with the founding idea of “Serving Those That Service America’s Chimneys.”

There were many moments when members called for our rebirth and rebranding. When the decision needed to be made, and with the overwhelming support from our industry, we quickly knew we had made the right choice. We were reaffirmed by those of you who showed up to our NCSG Chimney Expo in record numbers. But you didn’t stop there. Knowing we needed to have one of the best post-Covid conventions, you showed up in record numbers and supported not only the Guild but by our supplier members. Without their support, these events could never be possible.

As I write this letter, our 2023 Convention is off to a tremendous start with record numbers during our Black Friday sale and a steady income of daily registrations; we’ll be sure to hit record numbers once again.

These past two years also showed that with the support of the entire industry, we now find ourselves in the final steps of beta-testing and soon to be the fully accredited certification provider in the industry. There has never been a shortcut to the accreditation process. The steps that took place were only fulfilled because of you – the many volunteers with the same vision as NCSG – and stood out in front of our industry to continue making history.

Volunteers! I’ve been on this board for eight years, and I’ve seen such a transition from barren wasteland committees that were only a chairperson serving to what is now a very big part of the organization’s success. Members have stepped forward and gotten involved in record numbers. Word-of-mouth continues to grow committee involvement. If you haven’t thought about helping, please become a volunteer on one of the many committees and make your voice heard as part of NCSG’s ever-changing landscape.

THOMAS HUNKELE

Membership is up with the help of those serving on the membership committee and their ability to bring gamechanging value. What was once a struggle to maintain has now continued to grow year after year. Along with those who are not members of the Guild but continue to hold the NCSG CCP & CCR credentials, our overall numbers continue to grow beyond what we could have ever imagined.

Our education committee and certification committee have created an environment of skilledbased knowledge and training through hard work and dedication. We launched the certification by giving the industry a guide needed to take the new exam with confidence. Still, our education committee is not far behind in bringing what NCSG believes will be groundbreaking instruction by members within our industry that have been teaching sweeps for over 20 years.

Now is the time to have your team take the new CCP CCR CCJ exams at this special introductory pricing, and being a valid certification for the next three years (with future accreditation) is something you can’t afford to miss!

My final thoughts – those currently serving on your board of directors are some of the finest people and representatives of our industry, with whom it has been my pleasure to serve. I couldn’t imagine doing what we have over these past two years without them, and I will always be deeply indebted to them and you for this great honor to serve as your President. While several other board members and I step aside, we know in our hearts that we’re leaving the Guild in the trusted hands of those chosen to lead us forward. We leave knowing we have a future that is bright as the stars above. So, for my last time as your President, remember it’s not just a slogan but the only way we know how to support you. “Serving Those That Service America’s Chimneys.” May God bless you, the United States of America and the NCSG!

Thomas Hunkele NCSG President "Serving

Those Who Service America's Chimneys"

ARSHALL'S

Don’t Shoot Yourself in the Foot

Why are you sweeping chimneys? Is it for charitable purposes? Say you won the lottery in the past and have nothing better to do. Yeah, that’d be a no. The answer we all know is that we service chimneys to make a living, and hopefully a good living! Since this is the goal, I wanted to address an overlooked part of this process of making a living that you may not have considered. Here is the question: Where does your profit as a sweep come from first?

Many will think it comes from the inspection and sweeping or service of a chimney. While this is where many do reap profit, it is not the beginning part of the profit.

The beginning of profit starts with the phone call and the person who takes the call. This begs another question: How do your Customer Service Reps (CSRs, otherwise known as office managers) influence your bottom line?

The fact is that the person who answers your phone can make or break your company’s bottom line. Think about this further: If the person who answers the phone only books 30 percent of all calls, what difference would it make to you and your company if they booked 60 or 80 percent of all calls? Not only this, but take it further: If you happen to have these same folks follow up to see if the client wants to have that liner installed, what difference would landing 60 percent make instead of 30 percent of the liner jobs? Obviously, it would be a huge difference!

I know that some of you do track calls and the percentage booked, but the truth is that most still need to consider the idea. Well, now the idea is right here in front of you. What are you going to do about it? Choose to continue to lose money?

Did you know there is training to help your CSRs concerning this issue?

Let’s get a little in the weeds for a moment if you don’t mind. Did you know that we buy a LOT more from people we like? You know, people who talk and act like we do – “our language,” if we could call it that. This is a fact. We do! If you, your techs, and your CSRs could be taught the ability to quickly read your client's basic personality and then speak to them from this framework, their language, you WILL sell more jobs. Period. We had a sweep who worked for us to discover and implement this strategy, and he doubled his sales just by learning to speak to customers in their language. Now, imagine the effect it would have on your company if your CSRs could do this on the phone.

How much is this worth to you as a business owner? How many of you have ever considered investing in your CSRs to increase your bottom line? Maybe now is the time to consider the idea if you still need to. We all know and understand the importance of training your sweeps and technicians, but I will tell you that investing in and training your CSRs is just as important to your bottom line.

The purpose of this article is not a sales pitch for our upcoming NCSG Convention at the Mohegan Sun, but it may appear so. Please get past this because anyone who has known me

MARSHALL PETERS

for any time has heard me say over and over that one of my main goals is to help the sweeps make more money! This is the purpose and encouragement behind this article.

What is my goal? To help you to invest in your CSRs and increase your bottom line!

Out of the weeds now and back on the subject…

I want to challenge you to consider bringing your CSRs to the NCSG convention in the Mohegan Sun this March. Usually, who do you bring? Just your techs. I get it. I did that myself for years. But this year will be different. For the first time, the NCSG has a dedicated tract for your CSR. And yes, it is cause to pause and commit to investing in your CSR and business.

Please understand the VALUE of what this tract for your staff brings and how it can greatly increase your bottom line. What value would this bring if you could increase your sales by 10 or 25 percent or more?

Here are just some of the classes where your CSR will learn to be more effective, more

valuable to your company and more profitable:

• CSR360º - CSR Basics 101 by Brandi Biswell of CVC Success Group (Partnership with NCSG)

• Reading a Customers Personality – by Sheryl Isenhour

• Turning a Prospect Into a Customer – by Jerry Isenhour

• Staging the Customer for Success and even more classes such as:

• Growing your Position & Value in the Office;

• Improving Office Communication and more! Here is the deal: You are shooting yourself in the foot when it comes to business if you are not investing the same into your CSRs as your techs! An investment in your front-of-the-house employees is an investment in your business.

I look forward to seeing you and your talented CSRs in Connecticut.

Marshall

NEW CERTIFICATIONS

January 2023

Able Chimney Company, LLC Bangor, MA

Fred Leigh CMCT

Advanced Maintenance Service Fort Wayne, IN

Todd Nix CMCT

All Gas Installation & Fireplace Fenton, MO

Tony Schmitt CMCT

Alpine Chimney Sweep Des Moines, IA

Janie Fraser CMCT

Champ's Chimney Sweep, LLC Glens Falls, NY

Robert Faughnan CMCT

Family Chimney Sweeps LLC Stevensville, MI

David Koch CCP

Fireside Sweeps, LLC Castle Rock, CO

Michael Francis CCP

New England Chimney Sweeps & Masonry Inc � Southwick, MA

Bruce Faria CMCT

PA Chimney Doctor Bedford, PA

Randy Sabo CMCT

Curtis Feathers CCR

Derik Van Pelt CCP CCR

Becky Hoover CCP CCR

Rooftop Chimney Sweeps Alexandria, VA

Mackenzie Protopapas CCP

Eric Brissey CCP

Armando Escobar CCP

Royal Chimney Service Milwaukee, WI

Howard Rowell CMCT

Sweepy Hollow Inc Acworth, GA

Mike Walker CMCT

The Fireplace Store Lone Tree, CO

Joshua Montrose CMCT

Top Cat Chimney Sweep & Service Cowansville, PA

Catlin Bowser CMCT

Total Chimney Care Milford, CT

Steve Sobczak CMCT

UPCOMING EVENTS

MARCH

WEDNESDAY 29

NATIONAL CHIMNEY SWEEP GUILD

CSR 360°

May 4 & 5 CSR 2-Day Track

The Learning Loft

Fluesbrothers World Headquarters

Kansas City, KS

August 24 & 25 CSR 2-Day Track

The Learning Loft

Fluesbrothers World Headquarters

Kansas City, KS

June 12-16 Sweeps Week at Warrior Horse

Shreveport, LA

Volunteers will be completing service projects at Warrior Horse

Details to come www.warriorhorse.net

June 9-10 2023 Sweep Away Cancer Rally

March 29 – April 1 NCSG Convention

Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, CT

(See page 18 for more details)

Wytheville, VA

Details to come www.sweepawaycancer.com

LET'S GET TECHNICAL

Q: What causes the most damage to chimneys?

A:Most homeowners think that chimney fires cause the most damage to a chimney. We know that most chimney damage comes from water, and it is our job to help educate our clients.

Some signs of prewater damage are easily identified: moss, lichen, mildew, and algae growth are early signals that the chimney structure is retaining moisture. Explaining this to our clients is relatively “easy” once clients understand that brick and block can act like a sponge when it comes to moisture.

Efflorescence staining is another easily identified signal of pre-water damage to the chimney. Most clients overlook the staining and may even assume it’s a natural “aging” element of their chimney. For us, it’s a warning sign and a clue that needs further investigation. Is the staining coming from the outer (rain/snow exposure on the sides of the chimney that never see the sun), are there cracks in the chimney splay or crown, or is the staining coming from a high-efficiency heating system that has already eroded the clay flue tiles? Is there efflorescence staining in the attic section of the chimney that may point to an issue with the flashing? Is their efflorescence staining in the basement that may point to a groundwater issue? As professionals, we’ll want to determine the cause of the staining to provide our clients with the correct information and best solution.

In the parts of the country that have changing seasons, spalling (or delaminating) bricks is another easily identified signal of

water damage. Again, most clients need help understanding what causes this. Sometimes, but not always, we’ll also notice spiderweblooking cracks on adjacent bricks. These cracks are very useful in explaining to the homeowner what happens when the chimney structure retains moisture and experiences freeze/thaw action. The first thing that happens is the brick will start to crack – sometimes with spiderweb-looking cracks, sometimes with sharp cracks that go through the brick. Repeated freeze/ thaw action eventually causes the brick to delaminate, where the front face of the brick simply pops off. You may find pieces of brick on the roof or the ground near the chimney base. Often, you will notice deteriorated or missing mortar joints.

Pictures of all of these signals are very helpful to the homeowner as you explain what is happening with their chimney. Sometimes the client is lucky in that only a few brickand-mortar joints need to be replaced. Unfortunately, there are many instances where the damage is so widespread throughout the chimney structure that the only course of action is to tear it down and rebuild it completely. This often comes as a shock to the client who believed they only needed some repointing to fix their chimney!

This all comes back to a complete inspection of the masonry. If we can determine where the water is coming from, we can give good suggestions as to what the homeowner can do to help maintain the chimney for a long time.

STEVEN SCALLY SECRETARY AT LARGE

SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT Closing the Cracks, Gaps, and Holes in your Business

Every business has them: The ill-defined task that takes too much time so no one consistently does it; The customer communication step that acts more like a speed bump, adding friction to the sales process rather than smoothing the path for bigger sales; The lost knowledge that disappeared with an exiting employee, and now no one knows how a communication task used to get done, so it just doesn’t happen anymore.

There is another name for these leaks and loose parts: WASTE. Wasted time. Wasted opportunity. Wasted talent. Wasted money. The ongoing goal of any business should be to identify these areas of inefficiency and design better systems and processes to take their place, all of which should lead to better results, happier employees and customers, and ultimately more money in your pocket.

Customer Communication Cracks, Gaps, and Holes

Below are a few of the most common points of waste in a company’s customer communication, and ideas for how our new CustomerMatic offering can solve the issue.

Monitoring multiple communication channels

Phone. Voicemail. Text. Email. Chat. Facebook. Instagram. Google Business Profile. These

days, there are myriad places a customer might choose to start a conversation with you. Which means monitoring them all so nothing gets missed.

The strategy of having multiple tabs, apps, programs, and windows open across multiple screens and devices can be frustrating, and rarely keeps things from slipping past watchful eyes. CustomerMatic’s unified inbox solves this problem with a single place for all customer communication to be logged, read and responded to, regardless of which platform it comes in from.

Communication about the appointment

Nothing says unprofessional like setting a service appointment, then never hearing from the company, wondering if they are really going to show up or not. These days, appointment confirmation and reminder texts and emails are the bare essentials for any business, filling the space between the time of booking and the actual appointment date with information, reassurance, and acknowledgment.

There’s no reason this has to be hard, or even a manual process akin to herding cats. Put this important function on autopilot. Send these messages and receive back confirmation responses without spending any extra time in your inbox. CustomerMatic is the solution, and works alongside any current field management software you’re using that may not have this type of communication built in already.

Asking for reviews

This is such a huge missed opportunity in most businesses, simply for lack of a standard process to make sure it is always getting done for every customer, after every appointment, every time. 90% of consumers read reviews as

part of their decision-making process when choosing a service provider, and the companies with the most 4- and 5-star reviews win more business, plain and simple.

The trick to maximizing the number of reviews you get is to ask consistently (it’s a numbers game) and ask at the exact moment a customer is most likely to commit to doing it (standing in front of them, right after the appointment has been completed). CustomerMatic solves this with automated tools that can be used in the office or in the field to make sure review requests happen every time, at the right time.

Forward scheduling annual service

One of the best ways we know of for keeping previous customers in the fold every year is to offer them an easy way to get next year’s appointment scheduled before the busy season kicks off. In most companies, this involves organizing and sending out an email blast and spending the next 5-7 days answering the phone like crazy people, having to explain to customers why you can’t get to them for weeks because of the response. It may feel good to have a mad rush like that, but you know it’s bad business, right?

Instead, CustomerMatic’s annual service campaign is targeted and proceeds at a manageable pace through the course of your slower months, capturing more customers and spreading the load to more manageable levels. Did we mention it’s all automated, and comes with award-winning Spark Marketer service, keeping everything on the rails and working smoothly?

Following up on open estimates

Things get busy, and it’s easy to focus on the new business coming in the front door and forget about all the opportunities you’ve already paid to get. Open estimates can add up to millions of dollars of potential revenue for even small operators. You can’t close everyone on the spot. What are you doing to move customers toward a buying decision after you leave their home?

CustomerMatic can place customers with open estimates into an automated follow-up sequence that is closing millions of additional dollars’ worth of jobs every year for many of our clients. How long have you been saying you need to get organized and start following up? Stop saying it and automate it once and for all instead.

Unpaid invoice collection

Unpaid invoices get harder to collect with every passing day. CustomerMatic can send gentle reminders to customers when their invoice needs to be paid, and it’s as simple as a keystroke to trigger the reminder. You can even send them a convenient and secure online payment link.

Sending standard documents

A warranty for recent work needs to go to one customer. A retrofit brochure needs to go to another. A third customer requested gas log lighting instructions. Another needs information about your annual maintenance program.

All day. Every day. These simple email tasks (find the customer email, compose the email, find the document in your files, attach it to the email, send, rinse and repeat) represent dozens of hours every month doing repetitive tasks that can easily be handed off to CustomerMatic instead. Load up the standard documents you send to customers on a regular basis, and choose them from a dropdown list. Boom, time saved, happier customers, happier office staff.

CustomerMatic: Software with a Service

CustomerMatic is brought to you by Spark Marketer, the innovative team providing ongoing monthly marketing services to premiere

The Newest Innovation from Spark Marketer

chimney service companies nationwide. This isn’t just software. You don’t just get a login and a good luck email; you get turnkey solutions and concierge-level attention and training with a service that remains unmatched in the marketing industry. Best of all, it replaces thousands of dollars of other DIY software and works alongside whatever field service software you’re already using. No more double entry of customer info. Whether you already work with us or have just started looking into automation, we would welcome the opportunity to show you how we are innovating solutions to meet the needs of the modern chimney service company.

NCSG Member Only Special Offer:

Request a demo: sales@sparkmarketer.com

Get $500 off setup fees for any new CustomerMatic account started before April 30.

(formerly Customer Engine)

We're Headed to the Constitution State! Things to Know Before You Go

Download the Convention App

Before arriving in Connecticut be sure to download the NCSG Convention App through Aventri to stay connected throughout the event. The app includes the agenda, hotel/trade show maps, exhibitor information, sponsor information, networking opportunities and more! Be sure to enable push notifications to receive live updates from NCSG about events, reminders, and emergencies. See page 25 for details.

Opening Night

Opening Night is a fun-filled evening event to kick off Convention Wednesday, March 29th 6PM10PM.

"We the Sweeps" will gather to connect with friends new and old, share experiences, create new memories, and have a fun filled evening to kick off convention.

This year, dress to represent your state, region, or country. We the Sweeps represent 50 states, 6 regions, and multiple countries. Get creative and show off where you are from through your outfit. Maybe you're a southern belle, a New York Yankee, or a California surfer.

The evening will include music, activities, and plenty of time to connect with your fellow Sweeps over appetizers and drinks.

Be sure to purchase your opening night tickets for $30/person on your convention registration. You can make modifications to your registration at NCSGconvention.org

Honors & Auction

Honors & Auction is an evening to recognize some of our most notable sweeps and products.

The Honors & Auction Event (formerly

Banquet) will be held on Friday night and is included in your registration. Join us as “We the Sweeps” celebrate the achievements of our new members, long-term members, certification holders and suppliers! Following the awards presentation items provided by exhibitors, suppliers, and fellow sweeps will be up for bid during a live auction to benefit the NCSG Foundation. Honors & Auction is a semi-formal event included with registration and guests may attend with purchase of additional tickets. Dinner is included and will be served at food stations. Drinks will be available for purchase at the bar.

Free Nights

Thursday and Saturday nights will both be free to explore Mohegan Sun and the surrounding areas of Connecticut. We recommend attending a sponsors event, going to dinner, having a drink or just sitting down and

having a conversation with someone you may not know. The best way to meet fellow sweeps in your area or a different area is during these nightly conversations. Some of the best learning experiences of convention can be found by simply extending an invitation to someone. You may never know what someone might teach you or what you can teach someone else.

Volunteer

Just as in years past, we need your help to run a smooth Convention.

If you would like to get involved, please sign up to be a convention volunteer. We need volunteers for registration, scanning into classes, auction runners, and more. Volunteering is a great way to socialize and meet other attendees. Whether you have attended every convention or this is your first year, we recommend volunteering.

It is such a rewarding experience.

1st Time Attendee Meeting

Attending for the first time and want to get the most out of your week? This is a can’t miss event. Join us Tuesday evening at 6:30PM to learn all you need to know about your first Convention. We will review the Convention App, introduce some key individuals, share all of our tips and tricks for having a successful

week, and answer all of your questions. Following the presentation NCSG is hosting a cocktail hour with appetizers and a cash bar. Plus, keep an eye out for our special guest, Keynote Speaker and Legendary Drummer, Kenny Aronoff!

New NCSG Certification Exam Sessions

Don’t miss the perfect opportunity to earn the new Certified Chimney Professional, Certified Chimney Reliner, and Certified Chimney Journeyman certifications. NCSG will host three in-person proctored sessions for you to earn your certification. Any exam can be taken in each of the sessions and you can take multiple sessions if you’re looking to earn your Professional or Journeyman and your Reliner at the same time. Check out CertifiedChimneyProfessionals.com for all the details!

New Customer Service Representative (CSR) Track

Our newest addition this year is the creation of an entire track dedicated to educating your front-of-house customer service representatives (CSRs). This new 8 session track includes classes presented by fellow CSRs, owneroperators, and industry experts and covers everything from sales techniques, in-house communication and career development. At NCSG, we think your CSRs should have the best training to keep up with the demand of scheduling appointments and have the best first impression of any competitive business. Your sweeps get the best training through certifications and education, and your CSRs deserve the best education too!

Already registered your team of sweeps? Add your CSRs today and we will match your existing registration rates.

Exhibitor Map

To view a map of the hotel, full ballroom, and view details of each exhibitor, download the Convention app. Flip the page for details.

KEYNOTE

You've probably heard him before, playing for some of the most influential artists in music. From John Mellencamp, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, and Elton John to Bruno Mars, Jon Bon Jovi, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and more, Kenny Aronoff is one of the most experienced drummers of all time.

Rolling Stone magazine named him one of the “100 Greatest

Chimney Caps• Liner Kits • Accessories

Take Your Inspection Reports to the Next Level

Spring Reflection

Now that spring is upon us, let's take a look in the mirror and stop for a second. Ask yourself:

• Why did I get into this business?

INSPECTION FIRE

• Is my business producing the results I started it for in terms of finances, freedom, and lifestyle?

• What is holding me back from achieving my vision of success and fulfillment?

• What systems or processes would help me in this endeavor?

If you take the time to do this and write down your thoughts, you will find answers. As you consider your future, I invite you to consider a few observations from my own experience.

Remodeling Your Business and Life

In my chimney service company, we are currently in the process of ‘remodeling’ both literally and figuratively. We are remodeling our office so that customers have a better experience when they come in and reviewing our processes to see which ones serve us and which ones do not. Where are they lacking? What can they do, and what do we need? What can’t they do? Are they missing important features or benefits that are worth the cost of changing them? Where are our pain points, and how can we move past them?

All these questions and more we have asked ourselves in the past weeks and months. Some systems we look at lead us to say, “when did we start doing that,” or “why do we do it that way”? As you look at the systems

in your business and consider your pain points, remember that this is where some of your greatest opportunities lie.

If we don’t consciously choose how we create our businesses, they will create themselves. If this happens, the processes and systems within our businesses will be built reactively instead of proactively. The results we want may continue to elude us as a result. If we want a specific result in our business and our life, we need to engineer the input of our time, talents, labor, systems, and processes to achieve that end. Otherwise, we are working blind and letting chance dictate where we end up.

As you look at how you and your business got to where you are today:

Are there commitments, processes or systems that you need to recommit to, redesign, or change altogether in order to get where you want?

Isn’t it about time you have a say in where you are headed?

Whether or not the soil of your business is fertile depends on what you choose to fill it with and the processes upon which it relies. Your choices, systems and processes… in short, where and how you choose to spend your time and your employees' time - will determine where your company is headed.

Report Writing Self-Assessment

As you consider your inspection documentation and report writing procedures, give us a call at InspectionFire to discuss how adjusting your inspection report writing processes can change your business and your life.

• Have you wanted to provide customers with more professional reports while taking less time to create them?

Do you feel frustrated with the amount of time writing reports or figuring out how to write them can take?

• Have you lost jobs and, ultimately, revenue because your reports didn’t adequately showcase your professionalism and attention to detail?

• If you have employees, are you sometimes frustrated with standardizing your reports?

If any of these statements resonate with you, then the InspectionFire App may be just what you’ve been looking for.

Features & Benefits

• Available on Android and iOS

• Professional PDF output

• Multi-image upload

• Company-specific disclaimers and prompts

• Pre-written deficiency and descriptive language

• Self-expanding and contracting reports

• Include listing and appliance information

• Required workflow and logic surrounding liability

• Create invoices and record payments (optional)

• Client SMS text messaging to notify the customer when their final report has been submitted (optional)

Experience the difference the InspectionFire forms can make in your business.

About the Designer

Daniel Freeman, Owner & Lead Inspector of InspectionFire LLC, The Chimney Doctor, Ltd., Freeman Fire Inspectors Ltd

Owning and operating The Chimney Doctor, Ltd, located in Western Colorado, my company serves Aspen, Snowmass, Vail, Telluride, Moab and all the areas in between. In 2013 I started working with a local chimney sweep learning the trade. In 2016 an opportunity was presented to go out on my own.

Currently, I hold certifications through the IAAI, F.I.R.E., NFI, CSIA, NCSG, and the ICC. I also sit on two UL Standards Technical Panels (STP0103 and STP0127) and have helped assist with the development of the ANSI Accredited NCSG Certifications. As a technical instructor, I teach with Copperfield Academy and have taught at conventions for the

Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) and the National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG).

Attending Western Governors University, I completed a Bachelor's degree in Marketing Management and an MBA. As such, the InspectionFire forms have been designed for a chimney professional by a chimney professional, with business, sales and marketing in mind.

NCSG Member Only Special Offer:

The InspectionFire App helps companies like yours streamline their chimney service and inspection reporting processes. You can enable your team to be as thorough as possible without the need for technicians to become masters of grammar and spelling. The end product is a PDF report that you will be proud to send to your customers.

NCSG members receive their first month FREE with any annual

SPARK YOUR MARKETING

How Time Effects Search Engine Optimization

“Time is money.”

It’s an old saying by Benjamin Franklin, yet it remains true today. However, time can also cost you money, significantly impacting your business's local visibility.

Many things can change over time in the online environment. Your search position (ranking) may change, your competition may increase or decrease over time, and there may be hundreds, if not thousands, of algorithmic changes between organic search and Google Business Profile. You may gradually get left behind if you keep your SEO setup the same while everything changes around you.

With that in mind, it's important to know what to keep an eye on to maintain your local rankings and attract new business. Below are some of the common problems that can affect your local visibility:

• Broken or lost backlinks. These are inbound links that used to point to your site but no longer do because the page no longer exists, the sponsorship was not renewed, or the link needed to be fixed or lost for other reasons. If you can fix or restore the link or repeat whatever action got you the link in the first place, do it. If not, move on and get more good backlinks to enhance your Google profile.

• Broken or lost internal links. Suppose you rename or relocate pages, rework your navigation, or try to streamline your site. In that case, specific pages' rankings may stall or drop over time if they lose too many links from

other pages on your site or if their internal links from the main pages are replaced with links from pages nobody goes to. You will need to pay close attention to internal links as you make changes throughout the website or add /subtract pages so links can be maintained, redirected, or removed to keep the website performing well.

• Deprecated, conflicting, or other broken plugins (if you're on WordPress) . A caching plugin that stops working can produce 5xx server errors and nuke your rankings within days. An SEO plugin that stops working can wipe out effective title tags. Use as few plugins as possible, try not to lean too heavily on those you use, keep any important plugin updated to the latest version, and have a webmaster available to parachute in if needed. Plugins should be maintained at least every month, if not weekly, for needed updates and maintenance. This is also one of the easiest ways hackers can get into your website and cause the kind of havoc you want to avoid at all costs.

• Out-of-control Google Maps spammers. Unfortunately, it falls on you, other honest businesses, and even competing spammers to find, report, and mitigate Maps spam, or else it'll never get any better. Even if you stay diligent in fighting Google Map Spammers, you'll probably always have a couple of spammy competitors. However, if you give up for too long or zone out, their numbers may stay strong, causing it to be much more difficult to rank. This also includes review spam. Google has somewhat left it to local businesses to deal with turning these people in as opposed to dealing with them algorithmically. Maybe, with the coming AI platform, this might change. We can all hope.

• Broken Google Search Console installation. One of the things a lot of business owners don’t think about is Google Search Console

CARTER HARKINS & TAYLOR HILL SPARK MARKETER

because they rarely look at it. And, while the lack of data collection may not hurt your rankings directly, the fact that you won't have crucial visibility-and-traffic data on your site when you need to troubleshoot an issue or be able to use that intel for the kind of legwork that helps you get ahead over time is a definite issue for ranking well over time. The search console plays a pivotal role in addressing any technical errors and other minor issues that come up from time to time.

visibility, but you also may not rank for some terms you otherwise might rank for. The rule of thumb is always getting reviews, keeping them current and growing over time. Remember what I said above about Google changing your GBP over time? Well, they also take away reviews from time to time. If you keep them coming in, it won’t freak you out when Google takes some away.

• Auto-updates to your Google Business Profile . Most people have yet to learn that Google can change any of the info on your GBP page, often without your knowledge or approval. That info may need to be more accurate or maybe in line with your SEO strategy in some other way. There's not much you can do about that if you’re not paying attention to it. This can happen anytime, and most people find out when a customer complains about something not being right on the GBP! Since many local businesses get as much as 50% of their calls from their Google Business Profile, paying attention to that information and how it’s delivered to your potential and current customers makes sense.

• Outdated reviews , like those in which reviewers mention old names, old services, old locations, etc., and not what's current. It's good to have older reviews that may or may not be up-to-date, but it's a problem if your ONLY reviews need to be updated and updated. Not only can you confuse people and squeeze less new business from your local

• Blog posts that fade naturally . Some of your localized organic rankings and maybe even some of your Maps rankings may have come to you on the shoulders of a blog post that's no longer relevant or timely. Make sure to update or delete old blog posts that no longer apply, or look through those old posts and see if you could combine some of the information with newer information to keep them relevant and working for your website. While there are other things you will need to keep an eye on that will affect the SEO of your website over time, these are the main ones to watch out for that, at this time, will have the most effect. While you can't dwell on the details constantly or check everything every day, it’s important to have some plan on a weekly or, at the very least, monthly to check these areas for issues. If you don’t, certain problems will come up and potentially become big problems over time.

About the Authors: Carter Harkins and Taylor Hill are the authors of Blue Collar Proud: 10 Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love and the owners of Spark Marketer, a ‘no bull’ digital marketing company that’s been getting sh*t done for home service businesses across the nation for a decade. They’re trusted thought leaders in the industries they serve, so you’ll find them regularly speaking at service industry trade shows and conferences and writing for trade magazines. Tired of empty promises and ready for focused digital marketing + balls-to-the-wall dedication that gets your business seen? Visit www.sparkmarketer.com .

A final message from former CSIA President, Tommy Nelms

I hope that you had a great 2022 and are off to a great start in 2023! I just wanted to take a minute and say thank you to you all. I am at the end of my term as your CSIA President. It has truly been an honor serving all of you. We have had some good times and we’ve had some hard times. That’s just life. We were able to get a lot done in these two years, but there is still work left to do.

I came in as president during a tumultuous time for our industr y I heard from sweeps across the country about what direction you felt the CSIA needed to head. I hope you all felt heard and valued. I hope that I was a thoughtful listener. We made some pretty big changes in these last two years. I hope that you feel these changes were positive and in the best interest of every CSIA-Certified Sweep. I read a quote the other day that really resonated with me, “Sometimes when you are in a dark place, you think that you have been buried, but actually you have been planted.”

I can tell you that when I became president, I had no idea what I was doing, and at times I felt like I was buried. When I felt like I was buried, I was in fact planted and this entire industry

rallied and supported one another. I have had too many to list that have been such a huge help to me. I have had sweeps, industry suppliers, vendors, and CSIA staff that have been so helpful and encouraging. The other CSIA board members have been instrumental in helping me through my role and making these positive changes. I don’t care if you remember my name, but I hope that when you look back on these last two years you can say that those were two good years for all of us.

John Ceaser will be our next President. He has been my confidant and my friend, and he is going to do an amazing job. I am really excited, and I cannot wait to see how far John will take us. Support him as you have supported me! I love a good quote, and as I reflect on my time as a CSIA board member this quote comes to mind, “A society grows great when old men plant trees the shade in which they know they will never sit in.” I hope that I have planted trees for future generations.

Keep chasing impact, and I will too! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to serve these past two years and thank you for the love and support you have given. It is an honor for me to call you all my friends!

Sweeps luck to you all and I will hopefully see you soon.

How did I get here? I asked myself this question the day I was asked to join the CSIA Board, and I ask myself now as I prepare to assume the role of CSIA President. I joined this industry the same way many of you did; working for someone else. I stayed in the industry and started my own company for one reason – I love this industry. I love the work, the sense of accomplishment, the camaraderie, the passion, and everything about this trade. I did not get into this industry to become an owner/non-operator, a board member, or even a president. I never even considered those as options, yet here I am.

I am honored and humbled to be trusted with this new role. I can safely say, as Tommy has, that I have no idea what I am doing or how to be a president of an entity this size. I have served under three other presidents, and I have served beside two past presidents. I have seen the time and energy this position takes, as well as the incredible accomplishments that can be achieved. I will continue to lean on their guidance moving forward to ensure we stay on the right track.

We haven’t had the smoothest of roads in recent years. For a long time, I wasn’t sure I would even be up to the task of serving as President. However, after serving under Tommy’s leadership and direction I feel more comfortable than ever taking over the Presidency with the changes and impacts he has made. Our board has come a long way during his term, and we have made some amazing decisions that will soon be coming to fruition. I am privileged to be the one at the helm when a lot of it takes shape.

I do not take this position or its importance lightly, but I want to be clear. I will treat this board the same way I treat my company –as a team that I get the pleasure of working with, not as a group of subordinates to be directed. One of my favorite quotes is an old African proverb - “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” I will lead a team that works together so we can take the CSIA as far as possible, even long after serving my term as its leader.

As I transition into this new role, I hope to earn the trust of our credential holders and gain the confidence of my teammates to continue the path we are on to take this industry as far as we can. I am extremely thankful for this opportunity, and I look forward to being a small part of this industry’s history.

A message from incoming CSIA Chairman, John Ceaser

The Evolution of the Fireplace Smoke Chamber

Part 2 - Continued from February 2023

Another method of smoke chamber restoration was also being developed in the cast masonry relining industry and was also utilized in the stainlesssteel relining segment. This was the poured and carved smoke chamber, where the chamber was filled with an insulated cementitious slurry material and then carved out during the setup time for the material. This process can make a beautiful smoke chamber. Still, all conditions and installation processes must be followed to prevent failure and a smoke chamber that collapses or sets up too hard for carving, and anyone who has used this method can likely profess.

Suppliers to the industry began to develop and offer materials for smoke chamber parging. This was commonly refractory cement that had an origin in the boiler industry for the chimney industry, and insulation was added to the material. Ahrens Chimney stepped up to the plate with their Chamber Tech 2000 product. The first UL-listed parging material to be offered to the industry. Today, we have numerous suppliers of parging products that meet today’s requirement of a non-water soluble insulating, refractory material that comes in both a dry form and a premixed form offering the technician a choice of products to use today. Suppliers are shipping skids of this every day, and often skids of this will be found in the warehouse of a chimney service company that offers smoke chamber parging and restructuring.

This advent of smoke chamber parging materials also introduced a type of cement to the industry as the use of non-water-soluble refractory cement became the product of specification and use and was grasped by the industry for use fairly quickly. Today this is the common material utilized in smoke chambers and other interior areas of the fireplace and the flue lining. These formulas are made to the guidelines of the ASTM C 199 standard.

We are also seeing the advent of the metal smoke chamber being used with retrofit fireplace units as they are developed today. But even in earlier days, some suppliers had provided fabricated custom smoke chambers of stainless steel on a custom basis. Sleepy Hollow was one of the companies that fabricated and provided these to the industry.

One of the common words that will be heard when smoke chambers are discussed is the principle of “laminar flow” and how a smoke chamber design should contribute to this principle. The process is to move the smoke and exhaust gases from the large fireplace opening and funnel it effectively into a flue that is smaller than the fireplace opening. A word used early in Rumford’s day is “streamlining.” The principles of laminar flow are often explained in writings as “Reynold’s Number.” In “fluid mechanics,” there are similarities between fluid and gaseous materials.

As you read this evolution of the fireplace smoke chamber, it should make sense why the smoke chamber you find in the field often does not meet today’s requirements. But the big question exists, how do you handle this with your field reports and explanations to the customer?

One should be able to document when smoke chambers were detailed in your local

JERRY ISENHOUR CVC SUCCESS GROUP

codes and standards. One must realize that many of the fireplaces you inspect will have been built prior to the adoption of regulations to cover this. As such, you need to ensure that this is a part of your discussion where you find these issues. As such, the technician should be familiar with when this was made a part of the code for the areas they serve. When you state that the smoke chamber does not meet code or standards, what was the code in effect at the construction time? Understand and know the codes in your area and the time frame of adoption of these codes. Knowing the standards such as NFPA 211, the evolution of the smoke chamber, and when requirements were added to codes in your area are very helpful in these discussions.

The words to use to explain your findings that could be used would be: “The smoke chamber did meet the regulations at the time of construction, but due to changes in codes and standards, the conditions that we have found require us to advise you to consider upgrading the smoke chamber to present-day codes and

standards.”

But you need to know why smoke chamber parging is needed, beyond the words that it does not meet code, and often the words may even be that smoke chamber restructuring is a benefit to the customer. Some of these are as follows:

• The chimney will heat up faster and provide a better draft.

• The fireplace will perform better.

• The process will provide a fireplace with an added degree of safety because there are often improper clearances in the smoke chamber. The parging adds a layer of insulation to slow and halt heat transfer.

• The process will provide a gas-tight smoke chamber that will not allow dilution air to mix with the flue gas in the smoke chamber.

• The parging (use of the word restructuring may be helpful in the explanation) will decrease turbulence in the chamber, smoothing out the projections and rough areas

and resulting in a more efficient and higherperforming fireplace and venting system.

• Less creosote will be produced and remain in the chamber resulting in a system that could be viewed as proving a higher degree of safety.

Understanding the history of the evolution of smoke chambers will give you a process to better understand and provide a higher level of explanation and expertise to your customer. Composing the proper language to explain to the customer the issues and the resolves in a non-confrontational manner will assist you in providing the needed resolution for your customer.

Many products today assist you in parging the smoke chamber, along with methods to hand parge and spray. And often, a properly parged smoke chamber is viewed as a work of art! The key factor is to apply a parge coat that achieves ultimate laminar flow and provides the insulating qualities required for the smoke

chamber. You provide the ultimate laminar flow to take the combustion gases from the throat of the fireplace to the flue area.

About the Author: Jerry Isenhour is an industry consultant, educator, and coach who authors a monthly article in Sweeping as a service to the industry. He is a Past President of NCSG & CSIA, along with serving in several volunteer industry positions over his career. For more information about Jerry and how his team can assist you individually and your business in your quest for success and your ascent to the next level, take a look at his website www.cvcsuccessgroup.com . He can be contacted at jerry@cvcsuccessgroup. com or by phone at (704) 425-0217. You can also obtain great business tips from his Facebook page CVC Coaching and YouTube channel CVC Coaching. CVC Success Group also has a broadcast/podcast, The Chimney & Fireplace Success Network, that is broadcast on Fridays at 12 PM Eastern time and also can be found on your favorite podcast channels.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS '22-'23

President | At-Large

Thomas Hunkele topnotchchimney@gmail.com

Vice President | Region 1

Matt Mair matt@blackmoosechimney.com

Treasurer | Region 2 Bill Thornton wissahickonvalleysweep@yahoo.com

Secretary | At-Large Steve Scally firesidesweeps@comcast.net

Region 3 James Owens james@owenschimneysystems.com

Region 4 Debbie Wiedwald debbie@blackburnschimney.com

COMMITTEE CHAIRS '22-'23

Advocacy

Debbie Wiedwald debbie@blackburnschimney.com

Bylaws

Matt Mair (603) 525-7905 matt@blackmoosechimney.com

Certification Steve Sobczak steve@totalchimneycare.com

Convention & Expo

Stuart Karanovich (765) 966-5084 stuartk@saversystems.com

CLASSIFIEDS

Education

David Steward (918) 798-6265 copperridgechimney@gmail.com

Ethics James Owens james@owenschimneysystems.com

Governance Steve Scally (603) 895-8746 firesidesweeps@comcast.net

International Relations

Victor Imgarten stlswp@accessus.net

Region 5 David Steward copperridgechimney@gmail.com

Region 6 Michaele Dempsey prochimneymichaele@gmail.com

At-Large Joe Sauter joe@yourchimneysweep.com

Membership Michaele Dempsey prochimneymichaele@gmail.com

NFPA 211

Jim Brewer (757) 435-0407 jim@rooftopsafetyusa.com

NFPA 31

Steve Scally (603) 895-8746 firesidesweeps@comcast.net

At-Large Tim Smith certifiedchimneycare@gmail.com

Supplier Representative Stuart Karanovich stuartk@saversystems.com

NFPA 54 Jim Brewer (757) 435-0407 jim@rooftopsafetyusa.com

Technical Advisory Council Steve Scally (603) 895-8746 firesidesweeps@comcast.net

Darwin Award

This lovely flue went to a masonry double sided fireplace. The builder said he has installed a lot of these and never had a smoking problem. Yes, that is an hvac adjustable elbow with silver tape and single wall stove pipe.

Have you ever seen some interesting things on the job? Submit a photo with your name and state to marketing@ncsg.org.

tops them all.

• The industry standard for keeping out squirrels, birds, leaves, and other debris.

• Works with single wall, double wall, triple wall, or masonry chimneys.

• Sizes available from 3” to 30”+; custom and oversize available. Air cooled and non-air cooled.

• Standard construction is 100% austenitic stainless steel; also available in other alloys including copper and Type 316 for marine/coal appliances.

Improved Consumer Products, Inc. PO Box B Attleboro Falls, MA 02763 (508)695-7000 Fax: (508) 695-4209 www.chimneycaps.com

Although there have been many attempts to copy it over the last 40+ years, there is only one Weathershield®

Always ask for it by name and look for the seal of authenticity on top of the cap.

100% made in USA

Submitted by: Steven R. from Slaton, TX

Model WSA-TDW for