BACKGROUND:

Ron Wright owns a Heaven's Best carpet cleaning franchise in Laguna Beach, California, which he purchased in 2006. In fact, he is the first of approximately 1100 Heaven's Best franchisees to have purchased one of Daimer's hard surface cleaners.

Ron has been an entrepreneur most of his life, owning service businesses ranging from landscaping to swimming pool maintenance. His carpet cleaning franchise serves small businesses and medium- to high-income residents in the Orange County area.

SITUATION:

With a database of nearly 1000 customers, Wright's carpet cleaning business has been very successful. But recently two trends encouraged him to seek ways to expand his offerings.

First, he noticed that many customers were pulling up there rugs and staining the concrete slabs underneath to produce a nice design effect. Secondly, the economy has softened and, since he's been through tough times before, he wanted to diversify his business. "When the economy slows down, customers often cut their services," he said. Many of his customers' homes have large expanses of tile floors that needed cleaning.

DECISION:

Wright searched the Internet for suppliers offering cleaning equipment, like hard surface cleaners, that could handle indoor tile, including difficult surfaces like travertine, and outdoor concrete patios and driveways. He found a listing for Daimer Industries.

"The Web site was fantastic," he said. "The [product] videos really sold me." Wright also liked the technical support options. "Daimer offers an 800 number and a very responsive staff."

In the end, he purchased Daimer's XTreme Power HSC 13000A hard surface cleaner, which includes a 1500-PSI, nine-inch powered spinning head with extraction capabilities. These hard surface cleaners, which clean porous and non-porous surfaces, can also clean grout and carpets. The 13000A hard surface cleaners also have a special low-noise, acoustic case so he wouldn't bother his customers while working.

He also purchased Daimer's Eco-Green® Tile & Grout Cleaner, an industrial-strength cleaner that is environmentally safe and is designed for use by hand or with machines like Daimer's hard surface cleaners. Not only do his customers ask for green products, by law he has to be careful about carrying toxic chemicals in his truck.

BOTTOM LINE

The first three weeks Wright had the 13000A hard surface cleaner, he increased sales by more than 25 percent. "For one job, I did the carpet and then offered to clean her travertine [floor]," he said. "Now, I'm going back to clean her driveway and patio." At one job, he used the 13000A to clean both the carpet and hard flooring. Another customer had a dirty lime-stone floor. He cleaned a single tile by hand with the Eco-Green® Tile & Grout Cleaner to demonstrate how clean the floor could look. At press time, he had scheduled a job to finish the 300-square-foot floor using the 13000A.

Wright says hard surface cleaners have several selling points for his customers: they're fast, they don't make a mess, and, as a result, he can charge less -- a key consideration in a souring economy. "[My prices] are very affordable because the machine is very fast and I don't have to spend all day," he said. The 13000A cleans up to 1000 square feet per hour, according to Daimer.

Hard surface cleaners, like the XTreme Power 13000A, speed his jobs two ways. With tough surfaces like travertine that have holes and pits, he needs a system offering high-pressure cleaning. The 13000A generates pressure levels of up to 1500-PSI. In addition, hard surface cleaners produce minimal overspray, which minimizes clean up. "I carry a small rag in my pocket and occasionally have to wipe up a small spot."

Customer Information:

Heaven's Best
2702 Ashwood, South Orange County, CA 92626
Contact: Ron Wright

Product Information:XTreme Power HSC 13000A

Description:

This line of commercial-grade hard surface cleaners cleans porous, non-porous, flat, and uneven surfaces. It features a nine-inch motorized spinner head that spins at 1000 RPM and generates pressures levels of up to 1500 PSI. These hard surface cleaners offer two features to minimize overspray: continuous extraction and a rubber guard around the head. The unit also includes an acoustic case that reduces operating noise to 58 decibels; ensuring this system is the quietest of its type in the industry.

Price: $7,010 (at press time)

Product Information: Eco-Green® Tile & Grout Cleaner

Description:

This all-natural formula is designed to dissolve and remove dirt and soap scum from grout lines and tile. Tile & Grout Cleaner uses tiny Micro-Blasting® micelles, derived from food-grade ingredients, to penetrate, encapsulate and remove dirt, oil and grease from tile while preventing re-deposition. It contains no corrosives, benzenes, petroleum products or other harmful ingredients found in many other cleaners. It is certified as Readily Biodegradable. Daimer's Eco-Green® line includes more than 100 products and formulations. Tile & Grout Cleaner can be used in conjunction with Daimer's hard surface cleaners.

Price: As little as $2.53 per diluted gallon, including shipping.

Supplier Information:

Daimer Industries, Inc.
16 Tower Office Park
Woburn, MA 01801
http://www.daimer.com
800 471-7157