Soap Warehouse Blog

We are back and getting back to normal business after the good time down in Orlando, FL for the Power Washers of North America convention, October 23-25th.

We made it down last Tuesday in time for the first of two round table lunchs. Soap Warehouse was the sponsor of the Marketing table and we enjoyed eating and discussing ideas with some old and new contractors like Mrs. Ruth Shepley with Klean King, her son Curtis Hunsinger's new business, with Mrs. Vicki Eubanks with South Shore Building Services out in California who along with her husband have been in this business since 1979. Also at the tables was a current Soap Warehouse customer Mr. Nevin Mast of Holmes Siding and other exhibiting vendor staff.

Wednesday was all about the Exhibits and the Contractors coming around to meet with the sponsoring vendors. This year our booth was supplied with quarts of many of our most popular exterior and fleet washing products, as well as 10 lb. pails of our newest powder items.

 

We gave away two $50 product coupons as door prizes, which were won by Jake Mortensen of Red Rock Window Washing from Las Vegas and Jesse Juban of Juban's Pressure Washing in Walker, LA. We also donated two 10 lb pails of powder product for the PWNA auction which were won by Vickie Eubanks of South Shore Building Services and Stewart Esposito of Absolutely Clean Power Washing. We also took enteries at our booth for a free 60 second marketing video valued at $279 that we drew for after returning here and was won by Jeff Jacobs of Jacobs Pressure Cleaning in Melbourne, FL.

Soap Warehouse always enjoys sponsoring industry events that allow contractors the chance to learn and network with others just like themselves. Until next time.

 

As we mentioned in our last post the Power Washers of North America was set to have their annual convention in Nashville, TN and it was a great success. We introduced four new products, held booth drawings, donated two $100 product coupons as door prizes and two cases of our new Dyn-O-Coil as auction items.

The PWNA hosted almost 100 contractors from all over the country, even as far as Hawaii and over 12 vendor exhibitors at the Hotel Preston. Although the weather was cold and gloomy the accommodations were well received and did not require that anyone leave the hotel during the entire event. Which was convenient because the time was packed morning to night with courses, learning sessions, snack and chat lunchs, and trade show vendor times. There was even a special cocktail hour, award event and following meet and greet Saturday night.

If you are a contractor and are not a member of the PWNA you should really think about joining The PWNA.

Here are a few shots from the event:

 

 

The 2011 Power Washers of North America convention is next week. It will be held this year in Nashville, TN, October 20th-22nd.

Soap Warehouse will be there as an exhibitor and is also a Gold Sponsor of this years event.

We will be introducing some new products, a few that are to full fill needs that our customers and past trade show participants indicated that they wanted.

First is our Dyn-O-Coil Mineral Scale Preventer System. Many contractors complain about how their hot water machines get fouled and had problems stemming from hard water issues. So with that in mind this new product will inhibit scale crystal formation and even remove existing scale on coils, in a pump, on valves etc. with no harm to the machines parts.

Just a 1/2 ounce of preventative per gallon of soap mix is all that is needed, 1 quart per 55 gallons of water for prevention or 1 gallon per 55 gallons of water to work on removal of existing scale buildup.

Soap Warehouse will be giving away 4 gallons a day as a booth drawing during the event as well as donating 2 cases to the PWNA auction to raise money for the organization.

Next is a product for roof washers that were having trouble with their bleach solutions staying long enough on steep pitched roofs that they did not want to be up on. This product we are calling "Hang Ten". Because this solution additive will thicken to hold the chemical on the roof even at a high degree of roof angle. All that is needed is for "Hang Ten" to be 5% of the solution mix. Ex: 1 quart (32 ounces) per 5 gallons (640 ounces). The quart being 5% of the 5 gallons.

Hang Ten can be mixed into straight 12.5% sodium hypochlorite or into a dilution. It even has aded surfactents such that other cleaners should not be needed in most cases. But it can be used with our product Citrus X-terior if added cleaners and fragrance is desired.

Hang Ten will not thin out over time, in fact it may get slighty thicker than its original thickness at 30 minutes out. The normal rest time we suggest after mixing and before use.

We also have two new Kitchen Exhaust cleaners; "Bonzi" and "Hood Cling" These are for our Hood cleaning customers that either wanted a product like another "Bonzi" product that is out on the market or one that had longer cling time on veritcal surfaces but with out adding any foam component to get it.

Both are sodium hydroxide products and should be very price competitive with others in todays marketplace.

Be sure to stop by our booth at the PWNA for a special thank you gift, to register for a chance to win some Dyn-O-coil for your self or to order product at show special savilngs.

See you there. To read more about Dyn-O-Coil or to order

Just wanted to let everyone know what a great time we had down in Tampa at the end of July. Normally you do not find large industry events going on during the summer months because it is the "Busy Time" for most pressure washing buisnesses. But some times it is great to take a few days off during the rat race of the season to step back, take a breather, and enjoy meeting and learning with fellow pressure washers.

This was held at the MainSail Suites and Conference Center, a stones throw away from the Tampa International Airport and just a bridge away from the beaches of St. Petersburg and Clearwater. The main days were Friday and Saturday, but for some things started on Thursday for intense learning with a Roof Cleaning Certification Class. More Certification classes continued thru the weekend for Wood Restoration, Seal n Lock paver sealer, Waste Water Control, UMACC's Safety Certifcation with a second Roof Cleaning Certification to finish things off.

In the Main Ball room, there was a General Admission program that included speakers with topics that covered direct mail marketing, illegal discrimination, DOT hazmat regulations, roof cleaning safety as well as a few motivational speakers. On Saturday morning there were multiple hands on product and equipment demonstrations that were put on by the many exhibitors that had tables and booths set up in the front entrance halls. During the two days there were also other pay to learn classes that covered things like Graffiti Removal, Commercial Kitchen Cleaning, Pressure Washing Basics, Equipment Maintenance and Fleetwashilng.

But it was not all work, Friday night the NCE had a dunking booth to kick off raising money for their chosen charity of the event, Hillsborough County's "Make-A-Wish" Foundation. During the weekend they raised just over $4,000 for this charity. Most attendees went out Friday night to the Causeway to "Whiskey Joe's" restaurant and bar for food and fun, and some stayed on after the end of the event on Saturday to take in a day over at the local beaches.

Soap Warehouse is proud to be able to help sponsor, exhibit and attend events such as this throughout the year. Our next show will be the PWNA (Power Washers of North America) Convention in October held in Nashville, TN. Hope to see you there.

 

Many times when I am speaking with customers on the phone I ask them if they will be attending a conference, roundtable or convention that is coming up in the industry. And more often then not I get the response “No”. When I ask why they will say things like; “It would cost me too much”, “I can’t take the time away from my business, or I work by my self”, “I have never been to a convention”, “If I was not here my crews wouldn’t do the jobs right.”

So when is the last time to you spent the time and money to improve the way you do business? Took a refresher course or class to learn a new skill set? Networked with peers? These types of activities should not be considered a luxury for your business; they should be a necessity, just like your equipment and labor.

Here are some major selling points on why you should attend these types of events.

• ·Learn first hand from industry experts that have successfully implemented business solutions in your industry
• ·Keep up to date on new and emerging products and methods
• ·Create or increase your professional network
• ·Learn talking points to communicate more effectively with customers
• ·Get immediate ideas, answers and solutions to issues within your industry and business
• ·Learn new and profitable marketing techniques
• ·Meet new vendors that can decrease expense and increase revenue 
• ·Hear new product announcements
• ·Visit multiple vendors in one location
• ·Get answers directly from vendors about products  
• ·See demonstrations of equipment or products in action
• ·Do comparison shopping
• ·Talk with others who are using a product or service you are researching

Conference events offer opportunities to expand your knowledge base, improve your skills and network with others in your field.  You can find out what your peers are doing, what the new trends in the industry are, and where there’s room for improvement. Learn what involvement role you can be in to help your industry as a whole.

At these events, you can participate in special sessions specifically designed to stimulate your personal and professional growth.  These can help you increase your ability to do a job, learn how to influence others through communication and marketing skills plus help you develop a personal brand that is distinctly your own while vastly improving your chances for success.    

You’ll have the opportunity to meet some top-dogs in your field.  You’ll get to ask them what keeps them motivated and rejuvenated on the job.  Through them, you can glean valuable insight on their journey to the top.  Conference’s and Convention’s are your golden opportunity to cultivate relationships with these industry superstars – what could be more profitable than that? 

Attending an event is one of the most exciting, accessible opportunities for breathing new life into a job that’s feeling dull and mundane or for a business that is floundering or just stagnant. When I came to work for Soap Warehouse over three years ago, I was determined to help our customers improve their business that in turn would improve ours. I am always amazed at the level of energy attendees achieve by meeting with their peers; the contractor’s passion for their field is palpable.  Everyone has so much fun throughout these events and they take that enthusiasm with them when they go back to their workplace. 

So let us get back to the main reason people do not attend events, the costs. Travel costs, hotel rooms, learning sessions, meals and camaraderie with peers. Sound familiar? Sure those expenditures are on the Con side of the argument but what about the Pro side, and how what you can learn can add up to future cost savings and increased revenue in the long run?

Take the plunge and attend an event. Create a spreadsheet and list all your expenses on one side. Once you are back home those costs will not change. Then list each thing you learned and as you implement them note what monetary improvements you gained from them. Ex: a new marketing technique gains you 5 more clients a month vs. your old way. How much extra income is that generating? Ex: Using a different soap decreases your cleaning time, As the weeks and months go by you will be able to see and track how valuable those upfront expenses have been to you. Granted some event costs may take longer to be recouped then others, but I have yet to regret attending any event as an attendee or exhibitor in the long run. I think after you give it a real try you will agree with me.

The PWNA annual convention is next week, October 21-23, at the Ramada East Airport Hotel located in Columbus, Ohio. Although Soap Warehouse is a member, we will not be in attendance or exhibiting because of our other obligation at the NBAA in Atlanta that same week, we feel that this is the biggest event in the Power Washing Industry each year and everyone in this business should be a member and those that can attend should be there.

There will be pre convention classes for specific niche learning as well as the basics given by a great group of presenters. Classes start at $69 for members.

As stated on the PWNA website "Conventions are one of the 4 pillars of the PWNA. Annually people from across the country and from across all the power washing industries get together for continuing education, networking, to see old friends and the latest in equipment from Distributors and Suppliers." "It is an opportunity to learn what is happening across the country regarding regulatory issues. It gives you an opportunity to see what might be coming to your community and give you time to prepare for it to protect and maintain a profitable business. The annual convention is the highlight of the year for many PWNA members. Join today to take advantage of this powerful resource. Register online right now to attend." Resgistration is still open and you can still make plans to be there.

Soap Warehouse looks forward to be able to attend and possibly exhibit as well next year when the PWNA convention will be held in Nashville, TN Oct 20th-22nd, 2011.

Unfortunity because Soap Warehouse sells products to such a wide range of customers we are just not able to be a part of every convention and event each of these different product groups cover.

Look for a special offer for PWNA attendees on the Soap Warehouse Facebook and Twitter postings during the convention.

 

I can not believe this is March already!

We have been very busy planing for this year.

We are currently working on designing a new web site that we hope improves our customers enjoyment of our site.

This has been a very cold snowy Winter for many of our customers and as such a slow start to the new year. But with signs of Spring finally peaking through now is the best time to make sure all of your equipment and supplies are ready for the Spring boom.

If you are reading this blog and have not yet given us your e-mail address, please take time to do so. You miss out on so many opportunities when we can not keep you up to date. E-mail your address to soapwarehouse@hotmail.com, subject: add address.

Last December we started a monthly Newsletter which includes information on special offers, contests as well as things you should be aware of such as price changes, up and down. To subscribe go to this page.

This year we plan to get out as much as we can to meet current and new customers. We are supporting both the Mid America Trucking Show the middle of this month & the Northeast Pressure Washer Seminar in NY at the end of this month. We plan on attending a PAMA seminar in Savannah, GA on the 21st of this month, going to and exhibiting in the PWNC meeting mid May in Charleston, SC and later in the year going to TX to exhibit in the 2nd largest Truck Show in the country; The Great American Truck Show in Dallas TX, Aug 20,21 & 22nd. And if we are lucky we will finish out our show year in October exhibiting at the PWNA meeting and supporting again the AOPA Expo in November. Please make plans to come and see us and attend these great events. We will send out more info as the year goes on.

Here is wishing you all a great month and start to the beginning of the pressure wash year.