29 Nov Vision: Without It, People And Businesses Perish
Hello all! It was great to meet all the dedicated VLM cleaners at the VLM Mini-Fest in Macon, GA. I believe all who attended, benefited from the fellowship and instruction that was given. You may thank Mark Stanley for this article; he and I were discussing “vision” and I thought this would make a great subject to write on.
The Bible says, “for the lack of vision, people perish.” I would like to take that one step further and say that for the lack of vision, people and businesses perish. Do you have a vision or mission statement that everything your business does is measured against? If not, you should develop one.
A vision or mission statement is very common in corporations. It states what the company’s business is about and what its purpose for being in business is. For example,
The LMCCA (Low Moisture Carpet Cleaner’s Association) Vision Statement is as follows:
We will act to unite all Low Moisture Systems under one “umbrella” in order to ensure uniform and consistent,
1. Cleaning Standards
2. Client Relations
3. Business Ethics
4. Education
5. Technical Support
6. Research and Development
7. Interaction between the IICRC, Carpet Mills, Industry Publications, and other Organizations.
The LMCCA will also be instrumental at “breaking down the walls” that divide and separate the Industry we love. The LMCCA shall also include Equipment and Chemical Manufacturers as well as other Industry Professionals as our “Industry Partners”. These IPs will be involved on the LMCCA Advisory Council, but will not have any voting privileges.
The above vision statement is the basis for everything the LMCCA does. Anything that would fall outside your company’s vision statement would do one of two things:
1. Invalidate the vision statement.
2. Make it necessary to update the vision statement.
It is not uncommon to have to update a vision statement, but it should only be done for a very pertinent reason.
Another very important part of any business is its “Code of Ethics”. Ethics determine
how we conduct our business. For example, The LMCCA Code Of Ethics:
We, the members of the LMCCA are proud of our chosen profession and of the
professionalism we display in the cleaning and restoration work we perform.
>> We are committed to our obligation of providing the absolute best possible service
to all our clients.
>> We pledge steadfastly to avoid any false or misleading representation of our
products or services.
>> We value our place in the community and recognize our responsibilities as local
business professionals.
>> We support the aims and objectives of the Low Moisture Carpet Cleaner’s Association and participate in efforts toward advancement of our Industry through the LMCCA’s programs and services. From these two sources, your Vision Statement and Code of Ethics, you should derive your “Goals”. Every business must have goals! Your stated goals should be both short-term and long-term. For example,
The LMCCA’s current “Statement of Short-Term Goals”:
1. Organizing all Low Moisture Methods into an Association.
2. Provide a substantial LMCCA Membership “benefits package”.
3. Foster positive business ethics by all LMCCA members.
4. Encourage LMCCA members to make an all out effort to develop “Client Cheerleaders”.
“Statement of Intermediate Goals” :
1. Organize events that promote VLM cleaning methods.
2. Develop training and technical support systems via the SLMCT (School of Low Moisture Cleaning Technology).
“Statement of Long-Term Goals” :
1. Provide our Industry Partners a “real world atmosphere” for testing of equipment and
chemicals.
2. Supply findings to Industry Partners on possible improvements necessary in equipment and chemicals tested.
3. Set the standards for VLM (very low moisture) cleaning above the IICRC’s S-100 Standards.
4. (Via direct IICRC involvement) help to “break down the walls” that separate and
divide our Industry.
As you can see, these goals compliment both the Vision Statement and the Code of Ethics. You will find that if you take the time to sit down and write out these three things (Vision Statement, Code of Ethics, List of Goals), your business will be much less likely to become another “statistic of failure”. In an Industry where 5 years from now, at least half of the cleaners in the Yellow Pages are no longer there think: Vision.
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As the LMCCA launches its membership nation-wide, it is important for us to have the issues we discussed in place. One of the goals the LMCCA has is to provide a real opportunity for the small business owner to receive a substantial “benefits package”. This benefits package includes: health, life, dental, liability and other forms of insurance as well as full trade scholarships,a nation-wide referal system and more! For a complete list of LMCCA membership benefits, please click HERE.
Another goal of the LMCCA is the implementation of the School of Low Moisture Cleaning Technology (SLMCT). This school is projected to be up and running initially by June 2002 (in conjunction with the upcoming VLM-Festival 2003). The SLMCT’s purpose will be to train technicians in “hands-on” application of various VLM systems in conjunction with IICRC certification in carpet cleaning. The SLMCT will additionally offer a certification in proficiency in the operation of VLM cleaning systems. The SLMCT’s goal is to have VLM Equipment and Chemical Manufacturers donate or loan equipment, chemicals, and staff to make the SLMCT a “World Class” VLM setting for learning.
We are very excited at the future we believe VLM has and appreciate all those who have and continue to make this organization possible!
Lonnie McDonald
LMCCA Director
President/CEO of LeatherPro
Integrity Carpet Cleaning Inc.