LisaRidgely

iPad Buzz: Is It Deserved?

Lisa Ridgely — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:57:00 GMT

Apple unveiled its latest gadget, the iPad, this week. For months, the tech world has been buzzing about this tablet computer, which amounts to a crossover between a laptop and a smartphone. The thin, lightweight iPad looks like a large version of an iPhone, with a 9.7-inch touch screen that eliminates the need for a keyboard and provides a superior medium for viewing movies and playing games.

Consumers will like the price point: iPads start at $499 for the basic 16 gigabyte flash memory storage. More expensive models come with 32 or 64 gigs of storage, costing consumers $599 and $699 respectively. All models come with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capability. Those will be available in March. Starting in April, the tablets can also be purchased with two AT&T 3G data usage plan options.

Having just wrapped up a lot of research into Generation X for the January/February cover story, technology and how it's increasingly being used by building service contractors is definitely on my mind. With BSCs using smartphone applications, cameras and messaging capabilities to do business, I wonder how the iPad might influence the continually evolving tech landscape. Surely many iPhone apps will cross over to the iPad; perhaps there will also be new ones more suited to a tablet-sized touch-screen computer. New gadgets potentially have great implications for BSCs.

Would You Barter Cleaning Services?

Lisa Ridgely — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:22:00 GMT

With cash flow problems presenting roadblocks for business owners across the country, it makes sense that people are looking for new, innovative ways to make money.

Old trends, however, are also re-emerging. Bartering - exchange of goods and services, without the use of money - has become a hit among small business owners, according to a recent CNNMoney article on a barter expo event. Bartering may not help a business make money; rather, it helps a business hold on to cash precious cash, enabling them to use it to pay bills and make payroll.

It's an age-old practice that, for some, makes a lot of sense right now, as the battered economy is just starting to recover from a huge recession. The article featured a jeweler bartering for a case of meat, or for plumbing services for his stores.

Casual bartering is certainly common practice for a lot of people. In my personal life, I barter all the time. I'll take someone to dinner for fixing my guitar, or I'll accept a beer or two in exchange for helping someone move. When I used to work at a newspaper, we bartered with a local restaurant for our holiday parties, swapping the amount of the bill for ad space. My friend who is a landscaping contractor has always bartered with other contractors on projects.

Has the economy changed the way you look at doing business? Have you bartered, or would you? Are there other ways to ease economic pains right now?

Cleanliness And Godliness

Lisa Ridgely — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:33:00 GMT

This past Sunday, my family attended a service at my late grandfather’s church as part of an All-Saints’ Day celebration (my grandfather was certainly a saint to us, and to the church, to which he was a benefactor).

The first thing I saw after walking through the door was a hand sanitizer pump bottle sitting on a table for people to use upon entry and exit. A glance around the lobby and adjacent gathering area yielded half a dozen more bottles scattered throughout. Half of a bulletin board was dedicated to flu prevention tips. In the restroom, a laminated detailed list of the steps to proper hand washing was posted on the mirror. And before ushers helped with communion, they were lined up in front of the pastors, who administered portions of hand sanitizer.

The effect this had on me as a visitor was that I immediately felt more at ease, and was happy to have reminders of the ways I can prevent the spread of illness. That the organization was being so proactive and open about education and practicing good hygiene was impressive.

Whether it was the work of an in-house custodial staff or a janitorial contractor, this is what we should strive for in the cleaning industry. It doesn’t take much to encourage occupants to practice better hand washing and hand hygiene, so why can’t every facility be like this church?

Never Say Never

Lisa Ridgely — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:01:00 GMT

In talking with building service contractors over the course of this spring and summer — for the official business of article research, or just to catch up — I’ve found the general sentiment is that BSCs are doing a lot more for a lot less. Whether they’re losing accounts to lower bids, witnessing customer bankruptcies, experiencing cash flow issues, or dealing with major service cuts, one thing is for sure: it’s harder than ever to hang onto profitable accounts.

One BSC I recently spoke with said his company’s making half of what it was bringing in this time last year — and that revenue dive is not for lack of trying. In fact, BSCs are bending over backward to retain accounts, and are finding it more and more difficult to say no to requests and propositions that even six months ago they would have passed up. For example, this BSC has purchased pieces of cleaning equipment, something he never would have done in the past, in order to keep long-term accounts that otherwise would have been farmed out to another contractor.

Is this a commonplace customer relations conundrum? Have other BSCs experienced similar situations, in which customer demands are more difficult to say no to than they used to be? How far are contractors going to keep customers?

Federal Agencies Update Flu Season Guidelines For Schools

Lisa Ridgely — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:57:00 GMT

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have released updated H1N1 flu federal guidelines for public health and school officials. The guidelines outline different response levels based on the severity of the flu strain in state and local communities.

Schools have been included in the broader national H1N1 response framework, which includes encouraging vaccination and preventing infection, because the CDC anticipates more cases of H1N1 after the school year begins this fall.

As always, a seasonal flu vaccine is available for the fall flu season. A special H1N1 flu vaccine will also be available in mid-October.

Building service contractors servicing schools — as well as other accounts where flu transmission is a major concern — should pay heed to the guidelines, which recommend that schools have plans in place to deal with infection and pandemic flu. BSCs know the drill when it comes to flu season: encouraging good hygiene and sick occupants to stay home, and the continued cleaning and disinfecting of touch points and hot spots. BSCs should already be talking with customers about the upcoming flu season, and communication should have an emphasis on H1N1 and the implications of another outbreak this season.

Swine Flu: Promote Preparedness, Not Panic

Lisa Ridgely — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:14:00 GMT

Though many building service contractors have had their fill of swine flu (H1N1) news, health officials are warning that we haven’t seen the worst of this flu virus strain yet. During a flu preparedness summit this week, the secretary of U.S. Health and Human Services advised health, government and education officials to prepare for the virus to come back this upcoming flu season in a more severe form than we’ve seen this spring and summer.

A vaccine should be ready for release to the public in mid-October, but until then, officials should prepare for a much more severe flu strain to hit the general population. Hundreds of millions in federal funding, in the form of preparedness grants for state health departments and hospitals, will be made available to fight the more severe strain. There is particular concern over schools being significantly affected by the virus this fall.

The World Health Organization recently upgraded the strain of Influenza A to phase six global pandemic, meaning it has spread worldwide.

Many BSCs are reporting that swine flu is already off their customers’ radar screens. This makes communication about flu prevention more important than ever. BSCs should be checking updates on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site dedicated to H1N1 flu, and remain in communication with customers about infection control techniques throughout the summer. In matters of occupant health and possibly life or death, it’s better to be prepared for the worst than to ignore a threat.

Immigration Reform Not Topping Legislative Agenda

Lisa Ridgely — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:14:00 GMT

In my many discussions with building service contractors across the country during the past year or so, many have told me that one of their biggest concerns is immigration policy and reform. Though attempts at a comprehensive legislative reform package have failed, many business owners had hoped that with a new incoming administration, the issue would be prioritized and back on the table soon.

Legislators in favor of reform are eager to tackle the issue. However, an already overcrowded legislative agenda likely won’t include immigration reform for this year, with President Obama recently admitting a reform bill probably wouldn’t have the time or consensus needed to pass in the near future. Points of contention with recent legislative attempts include granting citizenship to those who came here illegally and a guest worker program.

This is disappointing news. BSCs — many of whom employ legal immigrants and some of whom compete with other contractors who hire illegals — have been watching and waiting for a long time, hoping for some type of reform would hit the floor for discussion. Though this is definitely a situation in which you can’t please everyone all the time, and opinions vary on what the best answer to the immigration problem is, most BSCs would like to see improvement regarding employment issues.

Let Refrigerator Incident Be A Lesson

Lisa Ridgely — Mon, 18 May 2009 14:26:00 GMT

Sometimes, an incident that makes news serves as a reminder to all that when cleaning products are used improperly, occupant health is at stake. Case in point: A combination of fumes from rotting food in an unplugged refrigerator and a cleaning product sent seven employees of a San Jose, Calif., AT&T office to the hospital, caused the evacuation of 325 employees from the building, and earned the response of a HazMat crew. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured, but some 28 people were treated for nausea, vomiting and respiratory symptoms.

Though news reports are conflicting on what chemical was used (some say it was a mix of chemicals being used to clean the refrigerator, others claim an employee unwittingly sprayed a spot cleaner into the air to cover up the rotten food odor, thinking it was air freshener), this incident underscores the importance of having the right cleaning products in the right hands. In this case, it seems the wrong product was in the wrong hands: the woman cleaning the fridge was likely not a janitor and had a sinus problem that prevented her from smelling the chemicals.

Building service contractors do not want a situation like this to happen in any of their customers’ buildings. Make MSDS sheets available, ensure proper product labeling, and advise tenants to consult BSCs or cleaning professionals before using cleaning chemicals and, whenever possible, to leave the work to the experts.

Do You Live A Life Of Weisure?

Lisa Ridgely — Tue, 12 May 2009 19:50:00 GMT

There is an interesting new term on the block, and it may just describe the lifestyle of many building service contractor execs. “Weisure” is a melding of work and leisure — two things that were kept as separate as work and home at one time. Now, with the Internet and tech gadgets giving people the ability to work anywhere, anytime, the notion of a private life uninterrupted by work has become a bit antiquated.

BSC execs have always had to be on call; it’s the nature of the business to have to be available to answer a difficult question from a supervisor, respond to a customer emergency or deal with second-shift personnel issues.

Work-life culture is evolving, according to this CNN article examining weisure. For the first time in U.S. history, the higher up the economic ladder you are, the more likely you’ll put in a long workweek — and busy execs are using technology and the Internet to its full advantage, taking care of work and pleasure at the same time.

Work can now be done from the car, at home while watching TV with the kids, over lunch at a restaurant with Wi-Fi or mid-afternoon at a coffee shop from a smartphone. At the same time, execs may also be in their offices during the workday, networking on LinkedIn or myCleanLink, checking the stocks or organizing a golf outing with clients and associates using their work e-mail accounts.

This cultural shift is here to stay, say some experts. So if you’ve been waffling over buying that amazing smartphone that seems to do it all, consider it a great investment that will help you live a life of weisure.

Don't Drop The Ball On Pandemic Planning

Lisa Ridgely — Wed, 06 May 2009 14:06:00 GMT

It hasn’t even been two weeks since most Americans heard the term “swine flu” for the first time, but the H1N1 flu strain that has sickened thousands worldwide, including more than 400 in the U.S., is already making history as a pandemic.

By now, most building service contractors have memorized the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Web site URL, met with their distributors for advice and extra disinfectants and sanitizers, and answered customers’ questions and requests for service in response to the recent H1N1 flu outbreak.

The good news is that the strain is not proving to be very strong (people aren’t dying at alarming rates) and it is responding to antiviral medications. However, some health officials are warning that this year’s flu season will start early, during the summer, and be especially intense this fall because of the lack of human immunity to the new strain.

So even though the concern over H1N1 in places like airports and schools has quelled a bit, building service contractors need to keep their pandemic cleaning protocols handy. If you don’t have a good or updated plan of attack, work on one that applies to H1N1 and make that information available to customers. Continue to check out CleanLink’s special swine flu section as well as the CDC Web site and keep cleaning and disinfecting to eradicate pathogens that can make building occupants sick. Be prepared to answer questions with authority and plan ahead for a bad upcoming flu season.

This is an opportunity to strengthen relationships with customers, and for those who have contingency plans, they may open the door to partnerships with new customers that are prioritizing flu outbreak prevention. Despite the state of the economy, customers will be ready to spend more to invest in that “ounce of protection” BSCs are there to provide in the first place. This is a great opportunity to build business and partnerships.

How Are You Showing Employee Appreciation?

Lisa Ridgely — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:57:00 GMT

Though a lot of companies are scrimping and saving wherever they can these days, Wal-Mart became an unexpected source of economic inspiration to many this spring by boosting its annual bonus payout to its 1.45 million strong workforce to $933 million — an increase of almost 50 percent from last year. Employees will be given nearly $2 billion, a company record, in total awards, which includes profit-sharing payments, 401K contributions and merchandise discounts.

Though the retailer is one of few that have performed strongly during the recession, the message of corporate generosity is not lost on those who have been given a little extra financial reward at a time when they most need it. The average bonus is about $930 per worker.

This may be a good time for building service contractors to revisit incentive programs. Even if employee morale is generally good, with unemployment rates continuing to rise, workers may be more stressed about work and the stability of the job market than they appear. Whether or not you can afford to give bonuses, there are plenty of other ways to reward employees for their hard work. From a nice hand-written note of thanks to gas cards to a pizza party, a little bit goes a long way.

Economic Stimulus: Friend Or Foe?

Lisa Ridgely — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:59:00 GMT

With all the talk of economic stimulus, and promises being made to help businesses, are BSCs buying it?

The stimulus package that was signed by President Barack Obama last month contains nearly $300 billion in tax provisions, including breaks to help companies secure a cash cushion to get through the recession. Even though the bill’s final version was watered down — for example, the net-operating loss carryback extension was axed — some businesses still will benefit from tax breaks under the bill.

Under the bill, certain companies can buy back their debt at a discount to defer income tax payments owed on the difference over the next decade, thus boosting earnings. Also, it temporarily broadens net-operating loss carryback from two to five years for businesses with gross revenue of $15 million or less, meaning companies could apply losses from last year to past and future tax bills to get money back on taxes they’ve already paid. Will it help BSCs?

To read more, click here.

Making The Case For Doing What's Right

Lisa Ridgely — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:55:00 GMT

Following the recent salmonella outbreak at a peanut processing plant in Georgia — which affected 1,800 products, sickened hundreds and has been responsible for the deaths of at least nine people — facts are emerging that are sickening in a different way. According to internal emails and testimony from laboratory experts during a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee hearing, Peanut Corp. of America shipped products intended for sale that had been identified as contaminated with salmonella. The owner refused to testify at the hearing.

An accidental outbreak is regrettable but much more forgivable than knowingly sending products to stores that have tested positive for a deadly bacteria — a claim the FDA is making against the corporation.

Ignoring red flags and warning signs is a reckless practice any company should stay far away from. Building service contractors can prevent tarnishing their reputations by doing what’s right for the customers and building occupants they service, even if it does not positively impact profits. Investing in legal hiring practices, following up on customer complaints, implementing a good safety program and ensuring the proper use of cleaning chemicals are just a few ways BSCs can prevent problems down the line.

Beware Latest Computer Worm

Lisa Ridgely — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:00:00 GMT

The spread of a worm affecting Microsoft Windows has exploded this month, infecting millions of PCs all over the world with a sleeper virus that gives hackers access to personal information. The virus is called “Downadup” or “Conflicker” and does not spread via e-mail or the Web like some viruses. Rather, it affects computers tied to corporate networks that have been compromised, for example, by an infected laptop or USB data sticks.

The worm then scans networks looking for unprotected machines to infect and tries to guess passwords to individual computers using random guessing of hundreds of short, common passwords. Those computers that do not have Microsoft’s patch for the bug installed are at risk. Once the worm is running, it creates a Web server, resets a computer’s system restore point and downloads files from the hacker’s Web site.

This worm is alarming because of its scale and the speed of infection; within four days last week, the number of affected computers went from 2.5 million to 8 million, according to DailyTech.com. However, experts say it is not being used — yet — to steal personal information.

Building service contractors that have company networks need to make sure the patch is installed on all computers, including laptops. Also, this is a good time to check anti-virus software, because the patch won’t necessarily keep networks safe without good security. All users should be reminded to be installing software updates. Encourage users to choose passwords that are long and difficult to guess by combining letters and numbers (versus “123456,” “password” or “qwerty”), and to change them regularly.

Billionaires Make 2009 Predictions

Lisa Ridgely — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Ask the some of the world’s richest people what 2009 will look like, and they’re just as scared as the rest of us. Of course, it’s hard to believe that billionaires will be going to bed hungry anytime soon — but a handful of members of the Forbes 400 offer some unique insight into the status of the economy.

Though opinions were polarized, with these ultra-rich expressing either bullish optimism or bearish pessimism, many cite fear itself as the most alarming economic trend. The erosion in confidence in the economy has kept consumers from spending much — and that will continue to plague businesses and investments, they say. Lack of credit and government bailouts that favor large incumbents also topped the list of alarming trends.

Are building service contractors afraid of what 2009 will bring? I think some are — and perhaps most should be, since a little bit of healthy fear can create a leaner, more efficient business — but I’m getting the sense that they aren’t spending much of their precious time complaining about it. BSCs are tough and are going to do whatever it takes to keep their businesses profitable.

My guess is, a drop in customer markets such as retail and spending cutbacks affecting regular services as well as scheduled maintenance projects would top the list of economic trends for BSCs.