National Clothesline

IFI hopes cleaners won’t be content to follow a traditional “business as usual” format. Instead, the association has planned a conference in Orlando designed to help cleaners shake things up while increasing their success.

The “Business as UnUsual” winter conference will be held at the Wyndham Orlando Resort Feb. 22-23.

IFI promises that cleaners who attend will be incapable of seeing their businesses as the same afterward. After all, the most successful businesses must continually revaluate everything in order to say ahead of the competition and continue on a profitable path.

Highlighting the conference will be several guest speakers who will share their expertise on a variety of topics, including ways to retain customer service, motivating employees and growing business.

One of the headliners present will be retail expert Lori Yarick, who has accumulated six years’ of experience with Dependable Cleaners in Massachusetts as the district manager to over half of the company’s 17 locations.

She will present “Come Again... Creative Solutions for Keeping Customers” which will breakdown the importance of a variety of factors, including: creating a positive experience; value-added programs; customer appreciation ideas; educating customers; techniques for inviting customer opinions and feedback; and creating a work environment to motivate and retain associates.

Also on the itinerary will be Trudy Adams, the director of customer service and sales for Cleaner’s Supply. She will closely examine the topic of motivating employees.

Her seminar will outline ideas on: how to attract good candidates; what should be in a policy manual; the influence of the workplace atmosphere; the importance of recognition; establishing benchmarks and incentives in your production department; and ways to make work fun.

Rounding out the list of guest speakers is Diana Vollmer, a senior consultant with Methods for Management. She will deliver two sessions.

The first will be called “Measure Up and Compare — Establishing Benchmarks and Incentives in Your Production Department.” She will help attendees incorporate methods of measuring the production of their plant employees, as well as be able to compare those results to the productivity of other cleaners.

Her second session, “Are You Making Money? Determine the Cost of Productivity and Guarantee Profitability,” will help cleaners get on the fast track to reaching profitable goals.

During the program, attendees will learn how to calculate the total cost of production and then use an interactive calculation tool to boost profitability.

Discounted room rates at the Wyndham Orlando have been secured by IFI at a cost of $139 per night if reservations are obtained prior to Jan. 21. Call (407) 351-2420 and use the group code “International Fabricare Institute” for reservations.

Registration for the conference is $489 per person, or $439 for Five-Star Professional Affiliates. The conference is exclusively for companies professionally affiliated with IFI. To sign up, call (800) 638-2627.

The Coin Laundry Association will hold its spring seminar at the Hilton in the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL, March 9-10.

The conference will bring together laundry owners, potential investors, distributors and manufacturers to share their insights and skills in developing a successful laundry operation, improving store security and increasing revenue.

“Florida is experiencing a lot of activity for both current laundry owners and potential investors,” said Brian Wallace, CLA president and CEO. “It only makes sense that we offer a solid line-up of educational programming in Orlando to help owners further the return on their investment.”

A full day of sessions on Friday, March 9 is devoted to current owners with topics ranging from evaluating their laundry to creative marketing strategies.

Saturday, March 10 is designed for investors researching the industry and covers such topics as determining the right location and lease considerations.

Attendees can receive a special room rate of $189 per night at the Hilton in the Walt Disney World Resort until February 6.

For more information about the CLA’s spring seminar, visit coinlaundry.org or call (877) 252-4332.