Editor’s Note—February 2019

by Michael Hamline, Editor / Published February 2019

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that as an editor of a trade magazine, I’m not clairvoyant. I do not know what the immediate future—next couple of days—or the distant future—six months down the road—holds for our country, the economy, the pressure washing industry, or the life of my family. What I do know as we enter into the second month of 2019 is that if one does not have goals or a plan in any sphere of life—economic, spiritual, personal, physical, mental, and more—one is basically planning to fail. That’s why the February issue of Cleaner Times is important to read as you plan for your business and livelihood.

In Diane Calabrese’s article on page 6 “Marketing Is a Dynamic Process,” Beth Borrego of See Dirt Run! shares, “Marketing is a multi-faceted approach to making the phone ring, so that you can sell your services.” It comes as no surprise, but the sale of your product or products is the end goal of using marketing. Borrego shares other important tips on the need to understand the market you are competing in, developing the knowledge of how different buyers of your services will search for your business, establishing a prudent marketing budget, and seeking help from your peers.

DJ Carroll with Coach Carroll says, “Sales is the number one most important aspect of business. You must understand that until a sale is made, nothing happens.” He also talks about the importance of cold calling, social media advertising, direct mail, and more.

Terri Perrin helps us explore British Columbia and the industry opportunities there in her article “Beautiful British Columbia” on page 10. There are definitely opportunities for pressure washing, but it’s important to do your research and count the cost of doing business before you start working in this beautiful province of Canada.

Don’t fail to turn to page 20 and read about Dr. Marlo Dean of Kärcher who was one of CETA’s 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award winners at PowerClean this past year. As almost all know, he has been a vital person in representing the pressure washing industry before several different regulatory bodies. As Debbie Murray the managing director of CETA points out, “Marlo has served on the CETA board of directors and/or technical committee in some capacity since 1998. When a technical question is asked, the first person you think of is Marlo.”

We look forward to seeing what 2019 brings.

Michael Hamline
michael@adpub.com
(800) 525-7038