Stratus Joins the ISSA!

The International Sanitary Supply Association (now named as The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association) is an international association of companies that consider professional cleaning as the focus of their activity, and Stratus is now officially one of them.

The vision of Alfred Richter, who founded the National Sanitary Supply Association in 1923, has been remembered as. “I realized there was a great deal I did not know about the business. I presumed that a conference of successful distributors, drawn from various metropolitan cities, would result in an exchange of ideas that would be beneficial to all.”

From the ISSA:

Richter understood that the cleaning industry needed to unite as a community—not only for the betterment of its members, but also for the health of the nation. Based on these ideals, the association grew from its few founding members to a worldwide organization, and in 1966, to reflect its growing international membership, the association changed its name to International Sanitary Supply Association. Then, in 2005, the association embraced cleaning service providers, prompting the association to change its name and tagline simply to: ISSA—The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association.

ISSA’s 87 years of experience can mean success for your future. ISSA has alliances with more than 75 local, regional, and national associations as well as industry, government, and other leading corporate and community entities around the world. These are in addition to its own offices in Lincolnwood, IL; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Leicester, United Kingdom; Monterrey, Mexico; and Shanghai, China.

Stratus Building Solutions and the ISSA share the same passion for leading the facility services industry by providing the most up to date technology and processes, fostering the growth of our members and franchise owners, and finally cleaning for health.  The ISSA is a great resource to help broaden the knowledge of all of Stratus Building Solutions. 

The ISSA vision is simply “ISSA will be the leading resource for information, education, networking, and commercial opportunities as well as the leading voice in government and the community for firms within the cleaning industry worldwide.”

To achieve their vision, they follow the proactive steps

• Facilitate ongoing networking, communications, and commercial opportunities for the members.
• Provide members with the highest quality, industry-specific, relevant information.
• Be the most widely accepted resource for knowledge and standards regarding professional business practices and making the scientific connection between cleaning and health.
• Have the greatest impact on establishing a global cleaning community.

For more information, contact the ISSA Marketing Department at 800-225-4772 (North America) or 847-982-0800; e-mail, diannab@issa.com.  For more information about Stratus Building Solutions facility services, please visit www.stratusbuildingsolutions.com; call 877-731-2020; email Dennis Jarrett at d.jarrett@stratusclean.com.

Stratus Building Solutions Committed to Changing Lives

Stratus Building Solutions is making history!  Last Friday, Stratus Building Solutions of Philadelphia made waves by offering an SBS-24 Franchise Plan free of charge.  The SBS-24 is a sizable franchise package valued at over $12,000 and has the potential to earn the winner up to $30,000 a year. 

Master Franchise Owners Tom Weiss and John & Bonnie Coleman are offering this to the community in an effort to make a difference on the unemployed and the under-employed.  Tom states, “We’ve been so fortunate, we’ve grown so fast and we’ve been very successful that we want to give back…and there are a lot of under-employed and unemployed people right now, as we all know, and we want to help someone out.”  The free giveaway is intended to motivate and inspire participants to know that business ownership can be for them.

On Friday, April 8, 2011, Tom Weiss appeared on a Talk Philly segment that ran on the noon to 12:30 PM which introduced the contest. The contest ends on April 24, 2011, at 11:59 AM and the winner will be announced near May 1, 2011, on Talk Philly.

To participate in the contest, US Citizens and registered aliens living in the Greater Philadelphia Area who are 18 years or older must fill out the Stratus Franchise Giveaway entry form located in the contests section of cbsphilly.com or by calling Stratus Building Solutions at 215-957-5830, and mailing it to Stratus Franchise Giveaway, 120 Gibraltar Road, Suite 109 Horsham, PA 19044.

 

Dennis Jarrett, CEO of St. Louis-based Stratus Building Solutions, observes, “It is very gratifying for me to know that we are able to share the prosperity of Stratus with our local communities.”  President Pete Frese adds, “Our vision with Stratus was to offer franchise ownership to the people who want to make their financial dreams come true.  The Stratus system will lead the lucky winner to prosperity in these tough times.”

Stratus Building Solutions franchise benefits include orientation and training; customer referrals; administrative and accounting support; pre-arranged credit lines; access to insurance and surety bonds, financing options, promotional support; and other turn-key advantages. The firm’s headquarters are at 1976 Innerbelt Business Center Drive in St. Louis, Missouri.

For more information, please see the website http://www.stratusclean.com/ or call Stratus Building Solutions at 314.731.2000 or toll-free at 877.731.2020. Media contact: Dennis Jarrett.

The Top Ten Ways You Can STILL Stay Healthy This Season

One of the unique things about the professional cleaning industry is that it is made up of thousands of sole proprietors, many with few (if any) workers. However, there is a significant operational issue with owning such a small company; if the sole proprietor gets sick, which is a bigger risk during these winter and spring months, it can cause havoc, economic pain, and even result in the loss of an account. Here are the top ten ways you can stay healthy this season:

1.       Eat well. Eat three well-balanced meals each day and try to avoid fast food.

2.       Wash your hands. Wash your hands frequently while working, after removing gloves, using cleaning equipment, tools, and/or chemicals.

3.       Use PPE. Wear gloves, goggles, and other protective clothing when working.

4.       Avoid inhaling chemical fumes. If mixing chemicals, do so in a well-ventilated area.

5.       Get plenty of sleep. Try to make your hours consistent; getting home and to bed at about the same time each evening improves sleep.

6.       Take a multivitamin. Some people believe in vitamins, and some don’t. But if taken as directed, vitamins may be able to keep you healthier.

7.       Get a flu shot.

   8.       Have a weekend. To keep the body strong and healthy, it is important to have a day or two off each week.

   9.       Drink lots of fluids. Drink plenty of water and juice while at work. If you think you are getting sick, drink even more. Some studies indicate drinking extra fluids at the first signs of illness can help it pass through your system faster.

   10.    Use ergonomic equipment. Select more advanced cleaning equipment, which is designed to make your job easier and help keep you healthy.

Finally, lighten up and stay happy! Studies indicate that people who have a positive, happy attitude towards life often have a stronger immune system!

Guest blog by Chelsea Pulley