Stratus Building Solutions Franchise Check Day

Stratus Franchise Check Day is a time when Franchise Owners have the chance to talk to everyone at Stratus. Here we have Hanso, and Operations Manager; Stephanie, the Office Administrator; and Alicia, the Adminstrative Assistant.

How Often Should I Vacuum?

Frequent vacuuming is an important part of keeping carpets looking clean. Because carpet hides soil so well, many building owners and managers think their carpets are clean, when they're actually quite dirty. That's why it's important to educate your customers on how often carpet should be vacuumed.

The first thing you need to look at is how heavy the foot traffic is in different parts of the building. Some areas will need more frequent vacuuming than others. Here is a breakdown of heavy, medium, and light traffic areas that are common to most buildings.

Heavy traffic areas. These areas should be vacuumed daily because they receive the most traffic every day. The heaviest traffic areas are the entryways. The front entry is often given the most attention, but don't forget that employees and vendors frequently use other entryways in the building, so these must be vacuumed daily too. Other high traffic areas include lobbies, reception areas, elevators, hallways on the first floor, vending machine areas or coffee centers, and breakrooms.

 Medium traffic areas. These areas may need to be vacuumed just two or three times a week. Medium traffic areas would include office areas, hallways and upper levels.

Light traffic areas. These areas will probably need to be vacuumed just once a week.Light traffic areas would include areas not used very frequently like conference rooms or empty offices.

Detail vacuuming. Most cleaning companies detail vacuum offices once a month. Detail vacuuming involves using a back pack vacuum with crevice tool attachments. These tools help you to get into hard to reach areas like underneath desks, between file cabinets, and along the walls where dust and debris collects.

Every building is different, so be sure to review the amount of traffic in each building before deciding what frequency of vacuuming is needed in each area. Also, include your customer in this decision as they will be able to give you more information about traffic patterns.

(Originally written by Steve Hanson for the ISSA)

Stratus Building Solutions in USA TODAY for 50 Top Franchises for Minorities

Stratus Building Solutions celebrates diversity within the organization once again with inclusion in the Top Ten list of this year’s 50 Top Franchises for Minorities reported by USA Today on November 4, 2011.  The survey is in its fourth annual list and this is Stratus’ second recognition.

The National Minority Franchise Initiative recognizes Stratus to be leader in the franchising field with proven successes for minorities.  Stratus Building Solutions exceed the expectations with over 5,000 franchisees and with 93% minority participation.

“We hope this award reminds people about the strong work ethic and mental perseverance that come with a large minority base,” says CEO Dennis Jarrett.  Stratus Building Solutions also includes a Veteran Program as well as a Referral Program to franchise owners.  “Without dedicated franchise owners, the Stratus name is nothing.  We owe our successes to our team of franchise owners all over the country."
Stratus placed in the Top Ten recommended franchises being called “an optimal franchise that meets your needs” and that “there is no question that these companies are clearly doing something right and that they actively support your inclusion within their systems.”  Click here for the article and list of Top 50 companies.

 The National Minority Franchising Initiative uses a number of different resources such as company’s books, FDDs, etc. that one would reference when considering a franchise.  Access to these materials and for more detailed information on franchises actively seeking minority franchisees, please visit www.MinorityFranchising.com.

What is Green Cleaning?

From Wikipedia:

Green cleaning refers to using cleaning methods and products with environmentally-friendly ingredients to preserve human health and environmental quality.

Green cleaning techniques and products avoid the use of chemically-reactive and toxic cleaning products which contain various toxic chemicals, some of which emit volatile organic compounds causing respiratory and dermatological problems among other adverse effects. 

Green cleaning can also describe the way residential and industrial cleaning products are manufactured, packaged and distributed. If the manufacturing process is environmentally-friendly and the products are biodegradable, then the term "green" or "eco-friendly" may apply. 

Green cleaning is behavioral as well as simply using healthy and environmentally-friendly products.  Consumers are being made aware of the ways in which green cleaning is most-effectively used.

Read more

Stratus Building Solutions Ranks in Inc. 500

INC. MAGAZINE UNVEILS 30TH ANNUAL LIST OF AMERICA’S FASTEST-GROWING PRIVATE COMPANIES – THE INC. 500

Stratus Building Solutions Ranks #494 on the 2011 Inc. 500 with Three-Year Sales Growth of 688.9%

Stratus Building Solutions jumps over 400 spots to rank #494 in the 2011 edition of Inc. Magazine’s Annual List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies.

Inc. magazine today ranked Stratus Building Solutions #494 on its 30th annual Inc. 500, an exclusive ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. Stratus increased 688.9% in three years. The list represents the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy–America’s independent entrepreneurs. Companies such as Microsoft, Zappos, Intuit, Jamba Juice, Zipcar, Clif Bar, Vizio, Oracle, and many other well-known names gained early exposure as members of the Inc. 500.

Stratus Building Solutions’ CEO, Dennis Jarrett, was featured in an interview in the Franchising section regarding how Stratus has “doubled its size three years in a row” due to wide range of franchise options available, low market share and the necessity of having work done locally. Stratus also was ranked #1 as Most Revenue per Employee at $9.1 million dollars each.

“Having Stratus ranked so highly in this year’s Inc. 500|5000 is an honor and we share it with the whole Stratus system. The growth from ranking 916 to 494 in the matter of a year has been tremendous in our current economic times, but we are actually creating jobs with this model,” shared Jarrett. President Pete Frese added, “And we are not done growing by any means, as there are tremendous interests and opportunity internationally. This, along with our ranking from  Entrepreneur as the #1 Fastest Growing Franchise continues to drive our growth.”

To read more, go here.

Stratus is the Green Clean Industry Leader

Anyone familiar with Stratus Building Solutions is well aware of our thorough commitment to sustainability.

We have gone through rigorous testing of our products and process in order to actually be considered "green."  Third party verification processed by trusted industry leaders like the USGBC and Green Seal guarantee the Stratus Clean your facility gets is in line with our commitment to be environmental stewards.

For more information on Stratus Green Clean, click here or call for your local Stratus office at 877-731-2020.

Stratus Carpet Care featured in Cleaning & Maintenance Management

Cleaning & Maintenance Management magazine released the July 2011 edition that is a spotlight edition on Carpet Care – and features our very own David Farrell and Marvin Ashton! They lend their expertise in an article instructing how to “Become a Trusted Carpet Care Expert.”  

  

This is a huge opportunity for Stratus personnel to share their expertise on the importance of carpet maintenance.  With property owners already trusting a commercial cleaner to care for their facility, they can add value by caring for the carpet, too.

Using the current economic situation as a lead in, that thought emphasizes the importance of controlled spending. 

David Farrell,  Executive Vice President

David and Marvin did an excellent job going through the carpet care program and its importance in the upkeep of a facility.  Starting with the tools necessary, they walk through the process starting with a plan for landscaping.  Entering the facility, they recommend walk off mats and a spot removal program.  Next, they move into describing the interim phase and different machines and techniques that have become available through advances in the industry. 

 

Marvin Ashton, Master Development Director

The bio under David and Marvin’s pictures references Stratus as the “industry leader in facility services, using their own line of Green Seal-certified chemicals, StratusPrivate Label HEPA vacuums and other proprietary products that fall in line with the company’s strong emphasis on environmental stewardship.”

We have various categories covered in our press room.  The major goal is to diversify the audience scope. When we write articles like these, our intention is to share our Stratus knowledge with industry professionals.