Monthly Archives: December 2017

Dryers vs. Towels

By |2024-01-05T22:19:14-06:00December 17, 2017|

Which method should your building use for hand drying in the restrooms? The correct answer will depend on your goals. The question of hygiene was finally settled, if you can take the formal researchers at the Mayo Clinic and the quirky science stars on Mythbusters seriously. But hygiene may not be the only, or at ...

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Words Successful People Never Use

By |2024-01-05T22:19:15-06:00December 15, 2017|

The ISSA Leadership Summit is a new three-day event designed for business owners and key staff at residential and commercial cleaning companies. Three nationally-known keynote speakers will reveal tools to help the audience think more strategically and catapult their businesses to the front of the pack. I’m opening the summit on Friday morning, April 20, ...

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Class “A” & Intending to Stay That Way

By |2024-01-05T22:19:13-06:00December 13, 2017|

When Mall of America® (MOA), the largest shopping complex in the United States, broke ground on a 10-story office building attached to its retail space, competition for corporate tenants and facility management companies was fierce. Located in Bloomington, MN (a suburb of the Twin Cities), this 170,000-square-foot U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and ...

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Certification: Does it Matter?

By |2024-01-05T22:19:06-06:00December 12, 2017|

The cleaning industry worldwide is going through a shift that is turning the typical business model we are accustomed to on its head. The times of salespeople cold calling a customer and walking away with a sale are gone, having migrated to the e-commerce space and online shopping, The Internet of Things, and e-learning are ...

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Cleaning Is Not Black and White

By |2024-01-05T22:19:05-06:00December 11, 2017|

How much labor will it take to clean my buildings? For someone new to the cleaning industry, this might seem like a simple, straightforward calculation. Seasoned professionals know better. As a cleaning consultant, this is one of the questions I am asked most frequently, and even I can’t provide a black-and-white solution. Today, we have ...

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Navigating the Channels of Change

By |2024-01-05T22:19:05-06:00December 11, 2017|

The Predicament We live in rapidly changing times. The familiar ebb and flow of business cycles has been replaced by a systemic shift toward perpetual fluctuation. Successful business owners know that they must continually evolve to stay ahead of the changes and—as always—of the competition. The mystery is how to unleash the spirit of innovation ...

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Keep Commercial Carpeting Looking Its Best

By |2024-01-05T22:19:04-06:00December 10, 2017|

Office buildings, schools, hospitals, retail outlets, and other commercial properties experience a large amount of foot traffic. With the traffic comes tracked-in dirt that soils the carpet and creates an unhealthy environment. As a cleaning professional, you need to know exactly how to clean carpets and how often to clean them. Follow these best practices ...

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Building Managers, Contract Cleaners, & Supply Chain Disruptiors

By |2024-01-05T22:19:04-06:00December 8, 2017|

What appears to have become more and more apparent in the 21st century is that we can expect significant supply chain disruptions, primarily due to natural disasters such as storms. For instance, the flooding in Thailand that occurred in 2011 left the auto industry on its knees for months. One manufacturer that was particularly impacted ...

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Peers Weigh In on Carpet Care

By |2024-01-05T22:19:03-06:00December 7, 2017|

I recently posted a question in our LinkedIn group, ISSA—the Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association. With more than 28,000 members, it is the largest cleaning-industry-specific group on the business site. My question was, “What is the worst carpet care challenge you have faced and how did you conquer it?” I heard some horror stories, from various ...

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Chemcraft Industries: A Story of Survival in Chicago

By |2024-03-21T02:40:35-05:00December 6, 2017|

When you’re on hold on the phone with Chemcraft Industries’ Chicago, IL, office, a friendly recorded voice greets you with some historical facts. “The year was 1947; the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered in Jordan. Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers, and Chemcraft Industries joined the industry…” History plays a huge part in this family-owned ...

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