Southwest Car Wash Association - ADVANTAGE - First Quarter 2015

ADVANTAGE Publication of the Southwest Car Wash Association

First Quarter 2015

Southwest Car Wash Convention & EXPO

Highlights

2015 Conveyor/Express Award

2015 Self-Serve Car Wash Award

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President’s Message Neither rain nor sleet nor ice deterred the success of the 2015 SCWA Convention & Car Wash EXPO. IGNITE 2015 – Inspire and Innovate brought together more than 1300 of the most successful car wash operators and suppliers for three days of energy, education and EXPO. Eric Warden The Convention was highSCWA Preside­­nt lighted by Karl Rove’s keynote address. Rove, a FOX News contributor motivated our attendees with his White House experiences and how small business owners, like car wash operators, provide the backbone of our economy. The SCWA Board was privileged to have a private lunch with Rove listening to more stories plus hearing the inside and unique details of his 9-11 experiences traveling with President Bush that day.

The popular CEO Forum featured Scott Blackstock and Paul Fazio, presenting a perspective into the future of the car wash industry and how car wash owners can use the dynamics of change to be more competitive in 2015.

The SCWA EXPO with more than 60,000 square feet of exhibit space provided attendees the opportunity to see car wash “state of the art” all under one roof and all at one time.

I hope you were able to EXPERIENCE SCWA 2015 in Arlington and take advantage of the solutions, strategies and see the innovations. As the new SCWA President this year – I was excited to hear so many encouraging comments from attendees. New SCWA Board member Robert Duncan summed up, “Awesome – what a great way to start the year.”

Many people work hard to make the SCWA Convention & EXPO a special experience for everyone from exhibitors to attendees. To all the 2014-2015 Board of Directors thank you for your time, energy and your commitment to SCWA and the car wash industry. Board members serve by giving their time and assuming financial expenses for their participation. It is an honor to serve on the Board but also a sacrifice in terms of time and financial resources.

This year we enjoyed an increase in the number of exhibit booths and sponsors as well as an increase in new companies exhibiting for the first time. Thank you to all the exhibitors and new companies who made a special commitment to participate in the 2015 EXPO. As one exhibitor, Stinger CEO Warren Davis commented, “As always we appreciate the first class show you put on for our industry. Thank you for all your efforts.”

A special thank you to the 2015 SCWA Sponsors who helped make the SCWA events more fun and affordable.

Check out the Exhibitors and Sponsors on page 29. You will also be able to find these companies on the SCWA

website. I encourage you to support the companies who support SCWA. Of course to Clayton Clark, Immediate Past President, THANK YOU. SCWA owes you our appreciation and gratitude for your leadership and vision this year.

And now the challenge for all of us is to take all the information, resources and ideas from the SCWA event and put into practice at our car washes.

Thank you for your support and let’s all use the energy of the SCWA event to IGNITE 2015 as our most successful year yet.

Industry Briefs MARICOPA, Ariz. On its first day of business, Fast & Friendly Car Wash washed more than 1,100 cars, according to InMaricopa.com. Brothers Jeff and Matt Dadam own the wash. Jeff Dadam thought 700 was a realistic number for the first day. One of the business’ suppliers was impressed with the numbers. “He said for us to do 1,115 on a Monday and not even open until 8:30, he said it’s just unheard of…the numbers are very positive,” states Jeff Dadam. The wash hired 12 local residents as employees. Matt Dadam was impressed by the experience. “I’ve never seen such positivity out of so many people,” “It’s so cool.”

SCWA Awards 2016 Annually during the Convention SCWA honors outstanding car wash operations and car wash people.

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Conveyor/Express of the Year

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Self Serve/Automatic of the Year

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Conveyor Car Wash Manager of the Year

•

Lube Manager of the Year

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Community Service Award (recognizing someone in the car wash industry who has made outstanding contributions to their community.)

Deadline is August 1, 2015 Nominate your car wash or another outstanding car wash. Just download an application form from www.swcarwash.org or call the SCWA Headquarters, 800-440-0644.

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Advantage C-store chain supports veterans with franchise giveaway contest As part of its Veterans Day celebration, 7-Eleven Inc. launched Operation: Take Command, a franchise giveaway program to support veterans.

The winner will receive a waiver of the franchise fee, valued at up to $190,000, to franchise any 7-Eleven store in the continental U.S. available at the contest’s culmination. Veterans who are first-time 7-Eleven franchise applicants can enter online at veteransfranchisegiveaway.com through Jan. 25. The winner will be announced in April 2015. “7-Eleven is a winner, too, because veterans bring top-notch leadership skills, a can-do attitude and mission-oriented focus to their business,” shares DePinto in the release.

Former Danny’s owner to spend one year behind bars. Danny Hendon, former owner of Danny’s Family Car Wash, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison and 12 months of home detention for illegal hiring practices, according to azcentral.com. Prosecutors had recommended an 18-month prison sentence and 19 months of home confinement, reported the article. He faced a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Beware of These “Chip” Credit Cards. Despite a run of credit card data breaches, major card issuers are choosing not to offer the most secure version of new credit cards in the US, opting instead for a version that is more convenient for consumers to use. The issuers, including American Express, Bank of America, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase, are adopting so-called “chip-andsignature” technology for hundreds of millions of new cards rather than “chip-and-PIN” technology. A chipand-signature card includes an embedded computer chip that generates a unique transaction code, making it difficult for a hacker to access card information when a cardholder dips the card into a chip-enabled terminal.

But it doesn’t require consumers to input a PIN, as the more secure chip-and-PIN technology does. Reason: Issuers fear consumers would find it inconvenient to remember and input PINs. However, if a chip-andsignature card is lost or stolen, it can easily be used for fraudulent transactions because the their does not need a PIN code and few retailers actually check the signature when a card is used. Chip-and-PIN technology has become the standard in Europe, Australia and Canada.

Just a few issuers are choosing the chip-and PIN cards for US consumers These include Target Corp., which fell victim to a major data breach at the end of 2013…Diner’s Club…and the United Nations Federal Credit Union.

White Water Express Car Wash has opened its full-serve location to the public, according to the Vail Daily. The carwash features a 100-foot-long tunnel that washes cars in three minutes. Express detail attendants focus on

vehicles’ interiors. Eco-friendly products are also used.

Reclaim equipment recycles more than 85 percent of each wash’s water. A four-step Lava Shield package is available to customers, which includes a paint sealant to give vehicle finishes protection and shine. Patrons can also use floor mat scrubbing machines and free vacuums. Customers can purchase unlimited monthly wash memberships and corporate fleet discount packages.

The wash also offers a bilingual automated pay station.

Time It Lube’s new Xpress Car Wash gave away free carwashes to all customers Dec. 19-20 during its grand opening celebration, according to tylerpaper. com. Visitors to the wash between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. can also use the location’s free vacuums. The carwash sell its monthly unlimited wash packages starting at $15. Time It Lube was established in 1987 in Shreveport, Louisiana. The company has 25 locations across Louisiana and East Texas.

SCWA Member Highlight Frequently SCWA members are featured in national publications. The following article from Professional Car Wash & Detailing highlights SCWA member – Tom Miller

Tommy Terrific’s Expansion Gives Cars A Personal Touch

Combining new technology and human interaction for a consistent wash experience.

As the carwash industry continuously evolves, many owners and operators are striving to keep up. Adapting new technologies like RFID, LED lighting and advances in equipment can help boost business, and industry professionals can reap the benefits from additional profits and convenience these innovations provide.

The more traditional model of carwashing meant staff members on-site hand scrubbing and drying cars, and interacting with customers on the lot. Friendly employees can have a positive effect on customers. Newer carwash equipment means less drain on resources like electricity and power, but many companies prefer a mix of the latest in carwash technology and the genuineness of human interaction.

Tommy Terrific’s Carwash is an example of one of these carwashes. For its third location in Texas, the wash hopes to capitalize on local development and technological trends to help ensure a lucrative and thriving business.

Maria Woodie: With construction for the third Tommy Terrific’s Carwash, an express exterior carwash, expected to begin in 2016, how will this location compare to the two established carwashes currently in operation?

Lanese Barnett, marketing director of The Car Wash Companies: The new Beckley carwash will be very similar to the other two locations in the layout and design consis5

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SCWA News SCWA Welcomes New Board Members

The new Board members were elected during the closing membership lunch of the 2015 SCWA Convention in Arlington.

Robert Duncan

Jeff Blansit

Superior Car Wash – Artesia, New Mexico

Water Works Auto Spa – Dallas, Texas

Brett Meinberg

Wes Dawson

Car Wash Express – Centennial, Colorado

Big Man Washes – Dallas, Texas

Those Board members completing their terms include: Phil Tutt, Mike Hogan, Bob Kopko and Past President, Barry Farris. SCWA President said, “while we welcome the new members – we want to express our sincere thanks to Phil, Mike, Bob and Barry for their dedication, energy and enthusiasm. SCWA is a much better organization because of their service.”

Bob Kopko 6

Phil Tutt

Barry Farris

Advantage tent with Tommy Terrific’s Carwash branding — providing the same high-quality service, while still having its own personality. As technology advances, we have the opportunity to incorporate new equipment, products and services that produce a cleaner car with greater efficiency.

That being said, there are some things we would never change. For us, the personal touch and human interaction is key; from the friendly attendant greeting the customer and checking for potential damage issues, to the employee guiding the customer onto the tunnel track and prepping the vehicle, to the ‘pit crew’ who hand-dries the vehicle and sends the customer on their way. Our second Tommy Terrific’s location on Ross Avenue is poised to wash more than 175,000 cars in its third year; we feel confident that we are doing something right!

MW: Are there any specific features/technologies that you are looking forward to the most? How will these features help optimize the location’s productivity?

LB: While this will primarily be an exterior carwash, we are looking to incorporate one full-service package and a mini detail to the menu. Because the property is larger than the other two Tommy Terrific’s locations, we are excited to try this new service model. Efficiency will be maximized by the carwash layout and the ability to process cars.

MW: What technologies and developing trends do you expect to emerge over the next few years, and are there any technologies that you feel will start to fade away in the industry?

LB: Long term, we see a rising trend of driverless cars.

As that technology continues to emerge and evolve, there will undoubtedly be a rise in demand for carwashes. We also see an opportunity for us, as operators, to rethink how we sell and market our products and services to customers, and how we communicate with them in general, capitalizing on this trend.

What we may see fade away is how we currently identify the customer. As the world continues to become more interconnected, we may see new technologies come in the form of a superior RFID that connects to a federal database or some other centralized tracking/identification system.

MW: The new location’s construction will commence after the connection of the Dallas Horseshoe Project connector ramp; with the carwash property situated directly to the south, how do you think this new interstate ramp will impact business?

LB: The Dallas Horseshoe Project is a big deal around here. Not only is it looking to drastically increase traffic to and from the southern parts of Dallas to downtown and beyond, it is going to be a destination in itself with the creation and expansion of hike and bike trails and recreational parks. Because of our unique proximity, we

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Advantage think it will increase our demand as well. We are looking to become a respite or regular “watering hole” of sorts for those coming to the area. Maybe we will even incorporate a special carwash package for joggers/cyclists; they can park and leave their vehicle at Tommy Terrific’s to get cleaned while they get time in on the trail. We see a lot of really fun marketing opportunities here.

MW: In your opinion, what should buyers/owners keep in mind when selecting a location for a carwash?

LB: While location is key, you do not have to rely only on traditional volume measures like traffic count. Keep in mind density (house rooftops, apartment/condos, office buildings, retail, etc.), average household income, ease of ingress and egress, and area competition. For us, we also look for markets that are of personal interest. Do we want to spend time there? Are we excited to join that particular community? Is the community in line with our brand identity?

MW: What other factors can impact the overall success of a carwash?

LB: Not knowing your market can doom even a great carwash model. Factors to strongly consider and evaluate: Is there an established carwash nearby with a strong loyalty base that has already set the bar? Can you match and beat those expectations, and how are you planning to do so? If you do not know your competition’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as truly evaluating your own, you are taking a huge gamble and potentially setting yourself up for failure by not doing your homework.

A quick overview of foaming brush anatomy will help car wash owners to pick the foaming brush options that best serve their customers and themselves. Ideally, this will be a foaming brush that is cost effective, durable, easy-to-use, gentle on paint, and well lubricated with good quality foam.

Foaming Brush Bristles

Since foaming brush bristles are what actually contact customers’ paint jobs, getting this right is key and there is a range of choices available.

“Materials from nylon, synthetic fill, and cloth fill to gentle foam and hog’s hair all have their advantages in certain situations,” says Dan Pecora, an expert on car wash supplies and CEO of Erie Manufacturing in Chicago, Ill., a supplier to the carwash industry since 1948.

“In general, the shorter the brush filament length and bigger the diameter filament, the harder it presses on the car; and the longer and finer the filament the more gently it presses on the car,” explains Pecora.

According to Pecora, to reduce potential paint damage due to grit on the car or brush, it’s wise to post signs advising self-serve customers to “Use pre-soak wash option and pressure to remove grit from your car” and “Wash the brush before washing your car to remove any grit from the brush.”

This can be particularly important when using materials like nylon, cloth and synthetic fill, which tend to hold grit.

Lanese Barnett is the Marketing Director of Dallas-based The Car Wash Companies, which has brands including fullservice model, TradeMark Car Wash, and growing express exterior model, Tommy Terrific’s Carwash. She has been with the company for five years.

Maria Woodie is Assistant Editor of publication, Water Technology.

She can be reached at mwoodie@watertechonline.com.

Self Serve Corner Anatomy of the Foaming Brush Critical options for self-serve car washes

In self-serve car wash bays, most car wash owners rely on foaming brushes to cost effectively remove surface dirt, film, grit, and debris from customers’ cars and keep them coming back. This is particularly important when soapy water alone will not do the job.

Most owners, however, are unaware of the full range of available foaming brush options that can help optimize the self-serve wash, both for their customers and themselves.

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Advantage Nylon According to Pecora, while nylon brush filaments are less expensive up front, they are stiff and better suited for scrubbing off layers of dirt from older, unwashed cars.

With large-diameter filaments about 2-1/2” long, they tend to accumulate larger particles and debris like sand and grit that can scratch paint. He advises against using nylon filaments on darker car colors, like black, since any marks on the paint are more likely to show.

Synthetic Fill Synthetic fill filaments have properties similar to nylon, but are slightly softer than nylon. With large-diameter bristles about 2-1/2” long, synthetic fill still collects grit unless the grit is washed out before use.

Cloth Fill Soft Cloth fill, usually about 3-1/2” long, are a choice for car owners who want to avoid using filament brushes.

Cloth is inexpensive compared to hog’s hair and some people think that that it adds shine to a car. However, cloth tends to accumulate grit.

Gentle Foam Gentle Foam, about 3-1/2” long, is lightweight, less prone to accumulate grit, and similar in cost to nylon.

Some people think it adds shine to a car.

The gentle foam, cloth fill, and nylon brushes are also typically available in an assortment of colors to match your car wash including: green, red, blue, black, and some are also available in other colors.

Hog’s Hair Hog’s Hair bristles, usually from 2-3/4” to 5” long, are the number one self-serve foam brush choice, says Pecora. Their finer, longer filaments do not scratch, accumulate less grit than others, and provide a softer, plusher wash. Since each hair is tapered, they are much softer at the feathered tips for gentle washing but allow scrubbing when pressure is applied. Since hog’s hair is durable, super soft, and resilient despite bending and prolonged use, it is the most profitable choice in the long run.

Foaming Brush Head

Aluminum or Plastic As a foaming brush head material, most self-serve car wash owners choose aluminum because it is durable and long lasting in a rough environment. However, plastic foam brush heads are comparable in price to aluminum and less likely to scratch or ding your customer’s car.

Rectangular or Round “In choosing a foaming brush head shape, rectangular brush heads can provide better, faster wash coverage of flat surfaces such as hoods, sides, doors, roofs, and

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Advantage trunks,” explains Pecora. “Round foaming brush heads, in contrast, provide better wash coverage of wheels, hubcaps, nooks and crannies.”

“Some car wash owners have found that providing their customers with a choice of both a round and a rectangular head brush helps to separate themselves from their competition,” adds Pecora.

Number of Foam Holes In terms of foaming brush head design, the more holes available to dispense high quality foam, the more even the foam application along the entire length of the brush, and the better the wash and glide along the car’s surface.

If a foaming brush head has just two holes, the foam comes out in two spots and there isn’t enough foam for all the bristles. This makes washing the car more difficult and marking the car paint more likely, particularly with stiffer filaments like nylon.

“For an even foam spread that covers all the brush bristles, you need more foam holes,” says Pecora. “For instance, a 9” rectangular brush head should have at least 6 foam holes for the best wash and brush glide across the car’s surface.”

Foaming Brush Handle

“As a self-serve car wash owner, you’re selling time with your equipment to car owners,” says Pecora. “If you make the equipment as comfortable and easy to use as possible, they buy more time and you make more money.”

Handle Length Longer foaming brush handles enable better reach, but are more tiring to use. Standard foaming brush handle length is about 40”, but could range from 36”-44”.

Handle Swivel “Every foaming brush handle should include a swivel screwed onto the end of handle because it prevents the brush hose from twisting or kinking,” advises Pecora. “This inexpensive, sometimes overlooked device makes the foaming brush much easier and less tiring to use. So your customer washes their car longer, gets a better wash, and gives you more business.”

Handle Grips A slippery, foaming brush grip or lack of a grip can make the equipment difficult and tiring to hold. To accommodate a full range of customers more easily, he recommends having a non-slip vinyl or foam coating over the entire foaming brush handle to provide a secure grip anywhere. Two-point grips, in contrast, can be more difficult and tiring for the customer to use.

With an awareness of foaming brush anatomy, selfserve car wash owners are now prepared to pick the foaming brush options that best meet their operational goals and satisfy their customers.

By Del Williams, a technical writer based in Torrance, California.

Marketing Engagement Key to Social Media Success

Social media is a leading industry tool to bring brand awareness to the forefront of markets. More than ever, your business’ online reputation weighs heavily on your success due to the unlimited availability of content published daily online. In a majority of marketing and advertising methods, the communication is a one-way street from company to customer. However, social media is the most engaging, two-way communication medium for customer relations. Because of this aspect, engaging your followers can make or break your brand’s reputation.

When you take the first step into social media, it’s a conscious effort and commitment to practice. Social media is a long-term investment due to the ever changing and evolving world. Unlike a website, where you can technically set it up and leave it be (though you shouldn’t), social media has to be updated and posted to on a consistent basis to be successful and engage your audience. There’s nothing worse than researching a company on Facebook and their last post was in 2012. Once the commitment has been made to the longevity of social media, the next step is to focus on building an audience to engage.

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Advantage When starting up on social media, everyone starts on equal ground at a base of zero. Fortunately, there are tactics to building an audience. Organically, self-promotion of the accounts to friends, contacts, and other known sources can help kick-start a new profile into building an audience. From there, the profile can grow and bloom. A different tactic would be to utilize paid advertisements to place the profiles before the target demographics. This can help build the numbers, but building a quality audience does require time and patience.

There are several tips for social engagement that everyone should follow:

QUALITY VS. QUANTITY While it’s important to post regularly, the quality of content will always trump a handful of meaningless posts.

Posting useless information or links over and over, not earning engagement, and still expecting results is almost the definition of insanity. Take the time to find a piece of content that provides benefits, insights, and value to your audience to ensure engagement. By publishing quality and engaging content, an appropriate audience is sure to follow.

Five Tips to Quality Engagement 1. Engage your followers with contests, questions, comments, provoking thoughts, etc.

2. Everyone likes a winner, so showcase where you and your fans are winning. This would provide positive encouraging content that everyone wants to see.

3. Integrate your social media with your website and encourage participation.

4. Give away free stuff. Providing a free product or service to your loyal customers who follow you on social media is a great way to get feedback and keep them loyal.

5. Plan ahead. Strategize about your audience and create a long-term social-media plan to make sure you stay on track with your goals.

SHARE

While it technically is your page, no one wants to listen to “me, me, me” on a regular basis. Thinking of social media as a social gathering will greatly benefit your engagement and strategy. A healthy ratio for posting content is roughly 40 percent self-promotion (your products, services, events, news, etc.) and 60 percent interesting and engaging content from outside sources. Think of this scenario: If you’re at a cocktail party and you’re talking with a person who is solely talking about him or herself, how interested and invested in the conversation are you? The answer is probably not at all.

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LISTENING IS KEY

It’s not enough to just post content out there and leave it. The monitoring of the posts, comments from users, and suggestions will decide the fate of the social profile.

Customers love social media because it gives them a voice.

But what good is that voice if no one is listening? Monitor your profiles and respond back to your followers. Also, take suggestions into consideration. Who knows, the next big idea to boost your wash to the next level could come from a complete stranger who follows you on Twitter.

PERSONALIZE INTERACTIONS

When interacting with your followers, personalize your responses so they know you care. A personalized response, rather than a canned one, creates a closer bond between your brand and your followers.

This personalization expresses gratitude and makes your brand appear more authentic to those who interact with you.

TAKE THE TIME

Engaging your audience and building a community is what it’s all about in the end. Too often, social media is treated as just another marketing outlet by businesses and left to dwindle. Don’t let that happen to you. Take the time, invest, and foster your profiles — they’re essentially your

brand’s face and personality online. So why not give them a little nourishment? By engaging your audience, listening to your audience, and maintaining your profiles, you’ll have a social media presence that will lead to success.

Ben Laube is President and founder of POLR Marketing, a growth marketing technology company. The company’s services include content writing, pay-per-click, ethical SEO practices, web design and development, graphic design, and strategic planning.

Car Wash Technology Preventing Carwash Crimes With Surveillance Systems Guard against more than vandalism and petty theft.

Vandalism, theft and other crimes committed at carwashes are common stories in the news. Frequent reportage on vandalism and theft at unattended washes has made carwashes popular targets for criminals.

Especially at self-serve and in-bay automatic locations, facilities are often left unattended and open throughout the night. Automated pay stations and user-friendly equipment allow customers to use a carwash without an employ-

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Advantage ee present in some locations, and this model is profitable for many businesses. However, unattended bays and low nighttime visibility can attract criminal activity. Security systems and cameras can help to deter these actions, aid in catching perpetrators and help to validate other events like accidents as part of insurance claims.

New tech keeps businesses safer

Randy Jones, president of GNISEC, Gemco National Industrial Security LLP, says closed-circuit television (CCTV) has seen major imvprovements since the digital revolution in consumer electronics began in the late 1990s.

“With the advances in computers and the ever increasing data storage cheaply available, it has become very inexpensive to capture, store and remotely view very good quality video,” Jones explains. More recent advances have allowed CCTV to move to high definition and Blu-ray quality video.

Allen Spears, chief engineer from CarWashCameras. com, says many common features seen in today’s systems are taken for granted.

In the past, cameras recorded in black and white and had limited night vision, he notes. Motion detection was also a new technology, and it was not as effective as it is now.

Spears adds, “Now, even entry level systems have the ability to detect events, send email notifications, control

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lighting and equipment via relays and even see live video and control everything on your cell phone. Video quality has also progressed to Megapixel quality and beyond.”

Security systems now use Internet connections and modern digital video recording (DVR) to provide even more peace of mind. Jones explains that it can be easy to be notified of events and look up details.

“For example, by running a wire and installing a switch on any opening, (door, cash box, motion detector) the DVR can mark the recording and provide an instant search tool to these activities,” Spears continues. “It can even be set to send an email with a picture attached whenever an event is triggered.”

Curtis Ray, vice president of Acquire Video Security, states widespread use of smart phones and tablets has created demand for apps that allow users to view camera footage directly on their mobile devices.

Ray says analog and IP-based camera systems are commonplace in today’s world, and more advances to these systems are coming.

“The next major advancement in video surveillance technology is 4K Ultra HD,” explains Ray. “These systems can record and store images with [four] times higher resolution than standard 1080p.”

Continued on pg. 23

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Advantage Continued from pg. 19

Constant monitoring is key

Retail thefts, vandalism, burglaries, bogus damage claims and crimes against customers are other forms of criminality that occur at carwashes, states Spears.

According to Jones, vandalism is the largest crime facing most carwashes. He says this is because they are often unattended after hours, so many opportunities exist on the property for vandals.

“Even though there are many ‘tamper proof’ devices in use today, a vandal can still cause a great deal of damage attempting to gain access to cash,” notes Jones. “With the use of detection devices, alarms and video recorders, there are many ways to combat [vandalism].”

Not only can security systems help to catch criminals after the fact, but they can also work as a deterrent before a crime ever takes place, shares Ray. Intrusion alarms and video surveillance are two ways to discourage criminal activity at a carwash business.

“Criminals typically like to follow the path of least resistance and will tend to pick their targets based on the opportunity to commit their crimes quickly and with little to no chance of getting caught,” Ray adds.

“[This] deterrence factor can also translate over to employees of the carwash who might consider committing a crime against their employer or wash customers based solely on opportunity,” he continues.

The right equipment for every wash format

“In general, for all types of carwashes, [operators should have] an HD-capable eight or 16 channel DVR to base the system on,” notes Jones. “The selection of this unit is the most important piece of the puzzle, as you will be relying on the feature set that the DVR and its related remote software offer.”

Spears cites experience with his own carwash when recommending what equipment should be part of an effective security system.

“At my own in-bay automatics, there were commonly three types of damage that I had to deal with: damage to a customer’s car, damage to my equipment and problems or thefts from my pay stations,” he shares.

Spears advises cameras have at least two views of pay stations, the wash process and exits. He also says it is important to have exceptionally good views of the front and back of license plates approaching and entering bays.

Continued on pg. 31

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2015

Southwest Car Wash Convention & EXPO

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EXPERIENCE SCWA 2015…. “First Big Car Wash Show of the Year” Neither rain nor sleet nor ice deterred the SCWA Convention and EXPO from being a huge success. Car wash owners and vendors recently gathered at the Arlington Convention Center for the annual Southwest Car Wash Association event, the First Big Car Wash Show of the Year.

Here is what some of our members and attendees had to say about EXPERIENCE SCWA 2015.

“The EXPO and networking with all the successful car wash operators is really a great way to start the year,” – Brett Meinberg, Car Wash Express, Denver, Colorado

As always we appreciate the first class show you put on for our industry. Thank you for all your efforts and we look forward to participating in many future SCWA events.

– Warren Davis, CEO Stinger Chemicals

My wife and I have talked a ton of how out of the way the entire leadership group went to make us feel so comfortable and that it was okay we brought our littlest and newest car washer...

– Matthew K. Reinhardt, Colorado

The SCWA EXPO is our SUPER BOWL car wash event.

– Clay Wilson, Lone Star Car Wash Systems

“My experience at the convention this year was fantastic – I learned much and just had a blast!”

– Ian Heritch, Mr. Sparkle Car Wash

I was blown away by Karl Rove and the CEO Forum was the best yet.

– Lamar Skarda, L&J Car Washes, El Paso, Texas

AWESOME Show – thank you SCWA.

– A Plus Design Group Architecture

The SCWA 2016 Convention & EXPO will be February 28-March 1, 2016 in Arlington.

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2015 SCWA Annual Award Winners

2015 Self-Serve Car Wash of the Year

2015 Conveyor/Exterior of the Year

Mr. Sparkle Car Wash San Antonio, Texas

Ocean Express Car Wash Denver, Colorado

Special Thanks to our 2015 SPONSORS Pro-Tech Service Company

Big Man Washes CEO Forum

Keynote Address

Scotch Plaid

Sunday EXPO Reception

Lustra Professional Car Care Washing Equipment of Texas Celebrate SCWA Event

Stinger Chemicals Celebrate SCWA Reception

Lunch with Exhibitors

Kleen-Rite

AP Formulators

EXPO Closing Grand Prize

Innovative Control Systems Tuesday Luncheon

DRB Monday Breakfast

SWYPIT Tuesday Breakfast

Midlothian Insurance Agency Monday EXPO Break

Con-Serve Water Recovery Systems Monday Morning Break

Sonny’s The Car Wash Factory Badges Blendco Drawing Prizes

Carwash Superstore Hotel Key Cards ChemQuest Drawing Prizes

JBS Industries Drawing Prizes 29

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SOUTHWEST CAR WASH ASSOCIATION

2015 Wade Welch Memorial Golf Classic COWbOy GOlf COURSE

Wednesday – May 20, 2015 1600 Fairway Drive • Grapevine, Texas • (817) 481-7277 www.cowboysgolfclub.com

ATTENTION: CarWash Owners and Vendors Enjoy a day of Golf, Food, Fun and Great Prizes!!

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS TUESDAY, MAY 19 6:30pm

Welcome Reception – Marriott Courtyard Hotel (Includes Calcutta)

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 – Cowboys Golf Club 7:00am 8:30am 1:00pm

Check In; Driving Range; Putting Contest; Pro Golf Tips Shot Gun Start Lunch and Awards Ceremony

for Hotel Reservations, Please call Marriott Courtyard Hotel SCWA Group Rate $150 S/D - Deadline is April 24, 2015 2200 bass Pro Court • Grapevine, Texas • (817) 251-9095

Individual Registration

For Team Sponsorship & Registration See Reverse Side For Team Sponorship & Registration visit- www.swcarwash.org • Only Team Sponsors are guaranteed Team Member requests.

• limited to the first 72 paid registrants.

• $150.00 per person includes green fee, cart, prizes, driving range balls and lunch.

Name: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Company: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Mailing Address: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ City: ___________________________________________________ State ______ Zip ____________ Email: ___________________________ Phone: ____________________________ Fax:___________________________ Handicap: ____________Or Average Score: ______________

Total Golf Fee Enclosed: $ __________________ Mail completed form with payment by May 1, 2015 to SCWA, 4600 Spicewood Springs Road, Suite 103, Austin, Texas 78759

Register & pay by credit card online at www.swcarwash.org or see reverse side.

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Phone (800) 440-0644 (512) 343-9023 fax (512) 343-1530.

Advantage Continued from pg. 23

Ray states that for in-bay automatic and self-serve washes, remote monitoring is important since they are often left unattended.

“A lower cost yet good quality analog or even IP-based system works best for these locations where adequately capturing pre-existing damage on vehicles isn’t necessary,” he notes. “These washes are generally smaller and do not require as many cameras as well.”

According to Jones, paying for monthly monitoring service is another option for ensuring a wash is observed at all times.

“A monitored system will cost a monthly monitoring fee, but unless the owner/operator wants to be on call 24/7, it is well worth the fee. These systems can be useful whether the carwash is open for business or not,” Jones states.

Jones shares that a waterproof/tamperproof day/ night model with built-in infrared will allow monitoring during the overnight hours. “This is a very inexpensive general purpose camera format today, and will stand up to environmental abuse,” he continues.

For in-bay automatics specifically, Ray says owners should invest in systems with DVRs that have more channels to capture pay stations and the insides of bays.

Ray believes owners of tunnel carwashes should invest in high-quality equipment with commercial grade IP-based network surveillance systems and the best resolution possible.

Upkeep is minimal, safety is high

Surveillance systems require little upkeep, but they can offer a large return on investment. Jones says to keep the DVR in a clean, dry environment, and systems will last several years.

Spears recommends performing regular inspections to keep everything running smoothly. “A monthly check to make sure that the system is still recording to a healthy hard drive or remote cloud, and also periodic cleaning of camera lenses, especially outdoor and bay cameras, will keep your system humming along nicely,” he says.

Due to the chemicals and other conditions common in carwashes, Spears reiterates the importance of installing high-quality equipment.

“The corrosive environments found in carwash bays and tunnels are really hard on cameras, so it is vitally important to make sure that the camera has a waterproof rating of at least IP67 or IP68,” he shares. “It also helps to make sure that you get a two or three year warranty, because any camera placed in a challenging environment, such as a carwash, needs a longer warranty period.”

By Robyn Tucker, Managing Editor, Professional Carwashing & Detailing.

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Management Affordable Care Act Quick Car Wash Tips

Employer concerns with the Affordable Care Act’s employer mandate (and other provisions) are starting to pick up as the requirements of the act become very real. There are large changes coming in 2015 with which every car wash owner would be wise to become familiar.

If you take nothing else away from this article, take this: while the law is complex, it is manageable with the right advice. A robust discussion of all of the intricacies of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) goes beyond the scope of this article, but what follows should help you start managing your car wash in the right direction.

EMPLOYEE AGGREGATION

If you own separate car wash locations, under different legal entities, they will probably be grouped together for the purposes of counting whether you employ 50 or more full-time employees or their equivalent.

This is undoubtedly one of the largest mistakes car wash owners are making. Separate EINs does not mean separate “employers” under the ACA. For example, let’s assume that Bob owns four car washes, Car Wash #1 GP, Car Wash #2 LP, Car Wash #3 LLC, and Car Wash #4 Inc.

If Bob owns four car washes with no more than four other people, Bob’s car washes will be added together to see if, all together, all four car washes add up to 50 full-time, or full-time-equivalent, employees. That is also the case if Bob owns not only car wash locations, but other businesses as well. Let’s say that Bob owns a dry cleaner (in addition to the four car wash locations above), the dry cleaner employees, too, will probably be added into the equation.

The ACA has a very expansive, inclusive definition of what constitutes an employer. Make sure you inform yourself about exactly who constitutes “the employer” as the term relates to your business specifically.

EMPLOYEE CLASSIFICATION

It is now more important than ever to avoid misclassifying employees. By now we have all heard that employers should begin to worry about the employer mandate penalties when the employee count reaches 50 or more full-time employees or their equivalent. This incentivizes car wash owners to try to label employees as independent contractors (in trying to avoid reaching that 50 full-time or full-time equivalent employee threshold) because independent contractors don’t count toward that 50 mark, whereas employees do. Resist the urge to do this. Not only will you cause yourself the traditional Department of Labor problems (e.g., overtime and minimum wage problems), but you will have a whole new set of problems

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Advantage to deal with under the ACA. For example, suppose that you misclassify one of your full-time employees as an independent contractor.

A year or so later that employee (whom you mislabeled as an independent contractor) goes to a healthcare exchange and qualifies for government help. Now regulators will come to your business and make inquiries. As we all know governmental inquiries are very expensive.

If you are on the fence about a particular employee it is better to be safe than sorry and label that employee as an employee and treat him or her accordingly.

PART TIME/FULL-TIME

If you have both part-time and full-time labor, you are going to have to work a bit harder.

The ACA defines a full-time employee as an employee with 30 or more hours of service a week. Everyone who works below that threshold is considered part-time labor. Because regulators were concerned that some employees would be shifting in and out of coverage (depending on, for example, car wash seasons), they devised a very complex way keeping track of who is, and is not, a full-time employee. Car wash owners who only employ full-time employees will be able to circumvent this entire mechanism, but will probably have higher exposure to employer mandate penalties

(because only full-time employees trigger the employer mandate penalties).

HOURS OF SERVICE “Hours of service” are not the same as “hours worked.” The phrase, “hours of service,” is specifically defined by the ACA. “Hours of service” includes hours worked (in the traditional sense) as well as hours where an employee does not work but you have to pay the employee anyway.

Hours of service are used in determining whether an employee is a full-time or part-time employee. Hours of service are also used to identify full-time equivalent employees. You will underestimate your employees’ hours of service if you only consider the hours they actually worked. In assessing hours of service, include: • All hours for which your employees are paid or entitled to be paid by your business • All hours for which your employees are entitled to pay even though they may not be working.

These periods include vacation, holiday, illness, incapacity (including disability), layoff, jury duty, military duty, maternity or paternity leave, or other leave of absence where you have agreed to pay them.

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Advantage The provision that should be especially relevant to the car wash industry is the first one, “All hours for which your employees are paid or entitled to be paid by your business . . .” For example, let’s assume that you have instituted a “waiting period” where employees are compelled to clock out, but not leave your business, when business is slow or there are no vehicles. The FLSA makes it clear that such an employee is entitled to be paid during that “waiting period.” So, under the ACA, those hours would count toward the minimum 30 hours we talked about earlier.

EXEMPT

None of this applies if you employ fewer than 50 human beings. If you are a small-car-wash owner who has one or two locations you probably do not employ more than 50 human beings. If that is the case, there is no situation under which the employer mandate penalties can be assessed against you (provided that you have accurately defined the size of “the employer” as covered at the beginning of this article).

The above information is intended as an introductory primer to get you going in the correct direction.

For more information, you should contact your legal or accounting counsel.

SCWA Member, Jacob M. Monty is managing partner of Houston TX-based Monty & Ramirez LLP. Monty is board certified in labor and employment law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Perspective Capture Rate Take Care in Calculation

I came across an article written by an equipment manufacturer that discussed what traffic count is needed to assure a profitable location. To paraphrase: Enough cars are needed to pass by every day so even if only a tiny percentage stopped for a wash that would be enough to pay the bills and have a significant profit left over.

To determine how much traffic count is enough, the recommendation was to look at what car wash experts call the “capture rate.” The author described capture rate as simply the percentage of vehicles that actually stop and get a wash.

To determine the number of vehicles, average daily traffic flow and a capture rate the location is likely to achieve are needed. The article mentioned that many factors can affect capture rate including visibility, speed limit, traffic light or stop sign, ease of entry and exit, and presence of other businesses.

The approach is to multiply capture rate and average traffic. For example, capture rate of 0.00829 times traffic of 29,000 equals 240 cars a day. If the wash is expected to be open 312 days, annual sales volume would be 75,000.

According to the author, there’s even an easier way to do this: Give his company a physical address and the firm is willing to run the numbers free of charge. The

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Advantage firm’s model accounts for traffic, accessibility, demography, climate, competition, and other factors to rank and score properties compared to historical data from other car wash operations and how they performed.

However, experience has shown models based on the principle of similarity like analogue-based models and discriminate analysis can only forecast store turnover inside relatively wide intervals.

For example, during the first month of operation, the customer attraction rate for a new car wash site may be 100 percent. Here, some portion of the customers are random, as in they just “happened to be passing by,” and some are distinct, as in they received a direct mail coupon for a free wash to visit (shopping trip).

During the second month, the wash produces 2,000 vehicles. Of these vehicles, 1,000 represent new customers who washed their car only once. The other 1,000 represent 500 customers who came back and bought a second car wash that month. Thus, we can say the car wash has a customer attraction rate of 50 percent and a customer loyalty rate of 50 percent.

The next month, the car wash produces 3,000 cars.

One thousand are new customers who washed their vehicle only once that month and the other 2,000 represent 1,000 customers who came back and bought a second car wash that month. The wash now has a customer attraction rate of 33 percent and loyalty rate of 67 percent.

Let’s move ahead several years and the business is producing 75,000 washes annually. Here, survey and panel data show 19,000 washes were unique visitors who washed their vehicle only once. The other 56,000 washes represent 1,000 loyal customers who washed their vehicle, on average, several times a month. The wash now has a customer attraction rate of 25 percent and loyalty rate of 75 percent whereas capture rate increased from 0.00344 (3,000/30/29,000) in month three to over 0.008 in year three.

However, it was not capture rate that led to higher sales volumes but rather a higher customer loyalty rate. In other words, our example wash doesn’t see 75,000 different individuals, it really sees 20,000.

For instance, if the wash added an unlimited program, and 1,000 customers buy-in and then visit on an average of four times a month, the customer loyalty rate would increase from 75 percent to 85 percent. The actual total number of cars washed would increase from 75,000 to 123,000 and some folks would calculate the daily capture rate as 0.01 (123,000/29,000/312).

However, this capture rate is misleading because the number of individuals visiting the car wash hasn’t changed from the number who visited when the car count was 75,000.

Consequently, it takes more than capture rate to determine how much traffic count is enough to ensure a profitable location.

Bob Roman is president of RJR Enterprises – Consulting Services (www.carwashplan.com).

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Finance A Will Only Helps When You’re Dead HERE’S HOW TO PROTECT YOUR ASSETS WHILE YOU’RE ALIVE

Many people spend lots of time carefully crafting their wills so that their assets will be distributed properly when they die.

But they often pay too little attention, or no attention at all, to a document that could be vitally important while they are still alive.

And then a terrible thing happens to them—they become incapacitated…chaos ensues…and their assets are squandered.

Fortunately, the document—a financial power of attorney—can stop such a sad scenario from ever occurring. It would dictate how your assets are to be handled if you become unable to manage your own affairs.

If well-written, it can help safeguard your assets while you are still alive and in need of the assets but unable to make sensible decisions. It can play as vital a role as the health-care power of attorney, which dictates who would make health-care choices for you.

Without a financial power of attorney in place, there might not be anyone poised to take over your financial affairs if you become unable to do so yourself, particularly if you are not married. (And if you are married, your spouse will not have control over assets held in your name unless your power of attorney puts your spouse in charge.)

Eventually your family might petition a court to appoint a guardian to look after your financial affairs. But the process of appointing this guardian can be lengthy and expensive, possibly costing tens of thousands of dollars, and the court might select someone you do not want.

Generally, a court-appointed guardian receives some compensation for his/her time. And the court proceedings are part of the public record, which means that private details about your health or mental status could become widely known.

Another trap: People who do have financial powers of attorney often don’t realize that the documents are poorly written—so the documents won’t provide the intended safeguards.

Here’s how to make sure the financial power of attorney that you create or that you already have created avoids major problems…

Problem: Your power of attorney does not take effect until it is needed. In many states, you have the option to create a “springing” power of attorney that goes into effect only if and when you become incapacitated. That sounds

like a great idea—why grant someone power over your finances sooner than is absolutely necessary?

Trouble is, a springing power of attorney can lead to delays and headaches for your financial agent—the person you designate to take charge of your finances. That’s because strict health privacy laws make it difficult for your doctor to be able to sign a document stating that you have become ­incapacitated.

What to do: Consider having an “immediate” power of attorney, which goes into effect as soon as you sign it, rather than one that goes into effect when you are officially declared to be “disabled” or “incapacitated.”

Important: Monitor your financial accounts after your power of attorney takes effect to make sure that your agent does not take advantage of his access to them. If you cannot monitor your own accounts closely, or fear that you might not be able to in the future, ask a CPA or trusted friend or family member to monitor your ­accounts.

Problem: You empower your financial agent to make gifts. Many financial powers of attorney include a “gift ­provision” that lets your designated agent make gifts from your savings on your behalf. Unfortunately, this creates a greater risk that your agent could steal your assets by making excessive gifts to himself or to his friends and family.

In years past, it made sense for many people to include a gift provision despite the risk. That’s because by allowing the agent to make gifts to your family members on your behalf, you could reduce the size of your estate before you pass away, lowering your estate tax bill. But the amount that is excluded from federal estate tax has been increased to $5.34 million or more, depending on the year of death. That means the vast majority of people would never have to pay federal estate tax (although they might be subject to a state estate tax).

What to do: Make sure that your power of attorney does not grant your agent unlimited power to make gifts. If your estate is large enough that federal estate tax is a concern, tell an estate-planning attorney that you would like to discuss safer options to reduce that tax, such as authorizing your agent to make gifts only to recipients of your choosing and only up to the amounts that help reduce estate taxes.

Problem: You choose your agent based on age. It is vital for your agent to have—in order of importance— unimpeachable integrity…solid common sense…and at least a modest amount of financial knowledge. But what tends to happen is that people simply name their oldest adult son or daughter regardless of whether that person is the most qualified. That’s probably because the oldest child acted most responsibly when your kids were still kids.

What to do: Name whichever family member best meets the three requirements of the position listed above—even at the risk of offending your oldest child or other family 41

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Advantage members. If none of your close family members fits the bill, consider naming a close friend. You should also designate a successor agent, especially if your primary agent is as old as you or older. You can change your agent any time you wish, as long as you are not yet incapacitated.

Problem: You do not give your agent any instructions.

Think about how challenging it can be to manage your own financial affairs. Now imagine what your agent will face if he has to keep your financial house in order without any help from you. He might have to guess your financial goals and priorities. He might have to dig through your files just to figure out which financial institutions you work with.

What to do: Sit down with your agent, and explain what, specifically, you would like him to do if you are incapacitated. It’s best not to include these specific instructions in the power-of-attorney document itself, because you then would have to go to a lawyer to have the document amended each time something about your finances related to your instructions changes.

Also create a list of your financial accounts, recurring bills, passwords and log-in information, and let your agent know where he can find this. Or use a bill-paying and financial-management software program such as Quicken, then provide your agent with the passwords needed to access your computer and this program. This not only gives your agent a listing of your accounts and bills, it also allows

him to go back to prior months to see how you handled your financial affairs in the past, providing a template for how you would want them handled in the future.

Martin M. Shenkman, CPA, JD, an estate- and tax-­planning attorney with the law firm Martin M. Shenkman, PC, which has offices in New York City and Paramus, New Jersey.

Personal Perspective 11 Clever Ways to Get More Done In Less Time

Of course, it’s not a secret that the modern world can be an overwhelming place. The average American is confronted by at least five times as much information each day as he/she was in 1986. The typical supermarket now stocks more than four times as many items as in 1976, greatly increasing the number of decisions faced during a chore as seemingly simple as grocery shopping. And this kind of information and choice overload permeates our culture.

Yet the human brain has not evolved to cope with this deluge of information and decisions.

However, there are various ways to cope that will reduce stress, save time and bring your life back into bal-

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“Everyone told me MacNeil’s got the best” WHY GARY JONES CHOSE MACNEIL “It’s such a good wash, word gets around that this is the place to clean your car.”

Gary Jones

Super Suds Car Wash, North Platte, NE, on his MacNeil 130’ Express Tunnel with wheel and tire add-ons

IN GARY’S WORDS: Customers love it “We did our first 100,000 cars in a year.”

Superior components for a superior clean “We’ve got two sets of WrapAround brushes and they just do a miraculous job.”

Higher quality, lower maintenance “Even after 100,000 cars it still cleans so well and operates so smoothly.”

See for yourself what MacNeil is doing for Gary.

Visit www.macneilwash.com/garyjones

Everyone wants a MacNeil. www.macneilwash.com 44

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Advantage ance. Here are 11 practical strategies rooted in cutting-edge neurological and psychological research that can help you thrive and be happier in today’s overloaded world…

Write down everything that’s on your mind to clear your mind. When something is nagging at your mind, it significantly reduces your ability to focus on anything else—the brain’s capacity for attention is limited.

To clear your mind of distractions, jot down every idea, doubt and responsibility that is competing for your attention before turning to an important project or at any other time that you feel overwhelmed.

The human mind’s desire to hold on to thoughts is greatly reduced when we know that those thoughts have been written down (or typed into a smartphone or computer). It’s the neurological equivalent of downloading computer files onto a backup storage device to clear up space on the computer’s hard drive.

Two more ways to “offload memory” from your brain…

• Use a smartphone calendar app to remember deadlines and responsibilities. Your brain won’t feel that it has to keep track of everything you need to do and ­everywhere you need to be if your smartphone is remembering these things for you.

Some smartphone apps, including Google Now iPhone Reminders, even feature “location-based” reminders that provide a helpful nudge when you’re in the location where this information is most useful.

Many smartphones have this function built in.

Example: Set a location-based reminder to remind you to pick up a gallon of milk next time you are in or near the grocery store.

• Each evening, place a note about any items that you need to remember the next morning somewhere that you will see it at the start of your day, such as by your front door or on the driver’s seat of your vehicle.

Assign everything a precise place. Start with items that you chronically misplace. Choose a specific hook for your keys…and a specific spot in a specific drawer for your reading glasses. The brain has a structure called the ­hippocampus that does a wonderful job of remembering where things are—but only if things are always in the same spot. The hippocampus is relatively ineffective at locating things that lack a fixed location. Also…

• Choose one or two locations in your home to serve as an all-purpose storage location for items that lack any other obvious storage spot.

This might be a “junk drawer” in the kitchen for small items…and a specific “miscellaneous” corner of an attic or a basement for larger items.

Junk drawers and miscellaneous storage areas are a triumph of ­cognitive economy. It would be

inefficient to devote time and mental resources to deciding where to store each hard-to-sort item and remembering where to find these things later.

Store items by usage, not by type. People tend to store items together with other similar items. All household paperwork often is stored together in a single file cabinet…all tools together on a tool bench. But while that seems sensible, it actually can make things more challenging to find in some c­ ircumstances.

If an item is always used in a particular place, it probably should be stored near that place, even if various other, similar items are stored elsewhere. If an item is used only at one particular time of year, it should be stored with various other items that are used at that time of year.

Examples…

That little tightening tool that comes with a piece of Ikea furniture can get lost among larger tools. Instead, tape or strap it to an out-of-sight spot on the Ikea furniture itself.

Kitchen tools used only for cooking (as opposed to, say, serving) should be stored as close as possible to the stove—I hang mine right over the stove—not necessarily with other kitchen ­implements.

Holiday cookie cutters should be stored with holiday items, not with ­everyday baking items.

Invoices from a child’s summer day camp should be filed with tax paperwork, not with child-activity–related paperwork, because summer day camp expenses might be tax-deductible and so the invoices would be needed when completing a tax return.

Assign each project its own location. Your memory can be greatly aided by location and context. That’s why people often experience a flood of old memories when they return to a place where they haven’t been in years. It’s also why students do better on exams if they study in the same room where the exam will be given.

Of course, this can be a detriment when you are trying to remember something out of its natural location or context…or when trying to focus on just one thing in a place where you pursue multiple projects. Famed neurologist and best-selling author Oliver Sacks, MD, has a strategy for coping with this challenge—he chooses a different spot in his home or office for each project that he is currently pursuing. This spot might be a particular room in the home or a particular table or desk in the office.

Stepping into a project’s designated space triggers the memories he has formed in that specific location, improving his ability to focus his mind on only that project so that he can think more productively and creatively about it. Any other projects that he currently is pursuing are tackled elsewhere, so his mind is somewhat less likely to drift to them. Similar…

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Advantage • If you struggle to maintain focus while using your computer, you could set up different user accounts on your computer for each project. Select a different computer-screen background picture and/or color for each of these user accounts. You may find it easier to focus on a particular project or task when using its user account. tract you. The Don’t let unimportant e-mails dis­ prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for complex thinking such as decision-making and problemsolving, has a novelty bias—it is easily distracted by anything new.

That’s why e-mail can be such a productivity killer.

Every time a new message arrives, your prefrontal cortex nudges you to stop whatever you’re doing and see what it is.

The best solution is to keep your e-mail account closed most of the time, opening it to check for new messages only when you take breaks from a project. But if you cannot do this because you sometimes receive e-mails that require immediate attention, at least reduce the number of e-mails that interfere with your focus. Two potential ways to do this…

• Open a new e-mail account, and give its address to only your most important contacts. Keep this

BOARD OF DIRECTORS President:

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www.swcarwash.org The Advantage is the official publication of the Southwest Car Wash Association. It is published four times each calendar year by SCWA, 4600 Spicewood Springs Rd., #103, Austin, Texas 78759. The officers, directors and members of the Southwest Car Wash Association, as well as The Advantage editors, in accepting advertising for this publication, make no independent investigation concerningthe services or products advertised and neither endorse nor recommend or make any claims as to the accuracy and therefore assume no liability thereof. The opinions expressed in the articles are not necessarily the opinions of SCWA and its publisher and therefore makes no warranties and assumes no responsibility for accuracy or completeness of the information herein. (512) 343-9023.

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e-mail account open on your computer desktop, but leave other e-mail accounts closed most of the time.

• Use your e-mail program’s filter settings to automatically sort e-mails by categories into subfolders rather than into your main e-mail in-basket.

Daniel J. Levitin, PhD, the James McGill Professor of Psychology and Behavioural Neuroscience at McGill University in Montreal and Dean of The College of Arts & Humanities at the Minerva Schools at Keck Graduate Institute, Claremont, California.

Did You Know Phone scams cost consumers nearly $8.6 million last year? The average loss was $488.80. To protect yourself: Don’t return calls from unknown numbers… use a search engine to research suspicious numbers before returning calls…and check phone bills monthly for fraudulent charges.

A deadly bacterial infection is leveling off. The bacteria Clostridium difficile, often acquired in hospitals, is linked to 14,000 deaths a year in the US. The main cause is antibiotic overuse. The number of patients diagnosed with the infection nearly doubled between 2001 and 2010 but leveled off from 2008 to 2010 (most recent data available).

Nearly $1.25 million in IRAs is protected from creditors’ claims if you file for bankruptcy. Exception in most states: An inherited IRA. The US Supreme Court ruled this year that inherited IRAs generally are not protected under federal bankruptcy law. They may, however, be protected under state laws in Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas. To protect inherited IRAs elsewhere, place the money in a trust…if the IRA is inherited from a spouse, roll it into your own.

Tax preparers almost always make errors?

Seventeen of 19 unregulated tax preparers randomly tested by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) made mistakes. Best: Check the tax return for common errors, such as omitting non-W2 income and claiming an ineligible child for the Earned Income Tax Credit.

Millennials are less punctual than older workers?

Twenty-two percent of those born in the 1980s or 1990s say that they are late at least once a week, compared with 15% of those 55 and older.

Exercise may reduce men’s nighttime bathroom visits. Men who were physically active for an hour or more per week were 13% less likely to need to get up two or more times per night to urinate–a condition known as nocturne. And they were 34% less likely to have severe nocturne.

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Welcome New Members The SCWA members listed below have joined SCWA since our last issue. We Appreciate your Support!

Roy Murray Laserwash of Copperas Cove Burnet TX

Rick Alvarado Denver Water Denver CO

Avery Dickens Oil Patch Wash Colorado City TX

Troy Huisman Superior Control Systems, Inc. Tempe AZ

Anthony Antonis Laguna Industries Portland OR

Mark Dost Zoom Car Wash Houston TX

Jonathan Isham Snappy Scrubs Car Wash Shreveport LA

Cory Baright G&G LED Lighting Red Hook NY

Chris Drake May Group International Ft Worth TX

Jack & Kathy Kelso JK Distributing Dalhart TX

Timothy Black CEFCO Convenience Stores Temple TX

John Dresselhaus US Adventure RV Davenport IA

Jay Scott Brown Shawnee Suds Shawnee OK

Gary Erickson Northgate Carwash Colorado Springs CO

Carey & Amy Kemna Kemna Auto Spa Express Fort Dodge IA

Chris Peters CL Thomas/Speedy Wash Victoria TX

Troy Brunson Tidal Wave Investments Guymon OK

Randee Erickson Rocket Car Wash Red Oak TX

Jon King Stoner, Inc. Quarryville PA

Tosh Railey Modern Building Systems Houston TX

Michael Call Mile High LED Systems Golden CO

Rodney Foy Savoy Properties Forest Hill TX

Ben Kirby US Adventure RV Davenport IA

Matthew Reinhardt SoCo Express Wiley CO

Kevin Chrane KGKC Properties, LLC Austin TX

Art Graf Ryan-Adair Enterprises, Inc. Austin TX

Jessen Lane Fast Lane Little Elm TX

Arthur D. Stephens, Jr. International Drying Corp.

Prairie Grove IL

Larry Lundy Luster Car Washes Aurora CO

Adam Sturdivant The Kent Companies Midland TX

Shadi Harati Cadillac Car Wash Houston TX

Steve Mathis White Water Car Wash Cypress TX

Rex Tippy Raider Rinse, LLC Lubbock TX

Justin Holland Complete Signs Dothan AL

Eric Miller Hi Performance Car Wash, Inc. Denver CO

Ron Walker Green Mountain Car Wash Lakewood CO

Nancy Ciancio City Horizon Car Wash Denver CO T.B. Copeland Cougar Car Wash Georgetown TX Jeff Crawford Squeaky Clean Car Wash Hugoton KS Reagan David Ingleside TX

Paula Honchar Davis Express Carwash N. Richland Hills TX

Michael Milligan Marval Auto Glass Denver CO

Jennifer Nixon Carwash Facelift Lawrenceville GA Girish Patel Q Companies Arlington TX

Shane Wilson White Water Car Wash Cypress TX

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Saving you money, one pail at a time!

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