Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:35:00 -0600 http://www.ocibr.com/ Cleaner News @ OCIBR.com en-us http://www.ocibr.com/images/logo.gif http://www.ocibr.com/ ocibr@theEZhost.com http://www.ocibr.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=205 MikeysBoard.com presents the Low Moisture Carpet Cleaning Super Conference (VLM Chat) with Rick Gelinas, Steve Smith, Clark Lancaster, John Geurkink, Jeff Hruby ... Hosted by Mike Pailliotet @ OCIBR.com Club Greenhorn Carpet Cleaners Chat Room CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE RECORDING Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:35:00 -0600 http://www.ocibr.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=203 Indianapolis, Indiana - Summerfest IX 2007 Spot Master Champions - Andrechelle Cermak and Rachelle Hill The 2007 Spot Master Championship sponsored by DSC (dscprod.com) was on Saturday at Summerfest IX in Indianapolis, Indiana. The contestants (teams of 2) had to take out some of the hardest stains in a given time. The winners received a trophy, and spotting kit from DSC and title of SummerFest IX SpotMaster Champions Think you've got what it takes to be champion? Bring it to Summerfest X 2008 Spot Master Chapionship Mon, 06 Aug 2007 10:25:00 -0500 http://www.ocibr.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=202 Indianapolis Indiana - Andrechelle Cermak of Andrechelle.com and EcoClean Carpet Care, Mentor, OH and Scott Rendall of BRC and Rendall's Certified Cleaning Service, Howell, MI were honored with the Summerfest IX Man and Woman of the Year awards for 2007. Both are high quality individuals, operate good honest businesses, and give back to the industry. Mon, 06 Aug 2007 09:45:00 -0500 http://www.ocibr.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=201 There is a theory that has been circling for years that Sponsored Ads impact your SEO efforts. Some people believe that Google or Yahoo! pay-per-click help website owners achieve higher organic rankings. To go direct to the source, a Google user has asked whether or not this is the case by posting a question on Google groups, a help forum for users of Google. The response from Google was: Mon, 21 May 2007 09:50:00 -0500 http://www.ocibr.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=200 One of the most important on-page SEO factors is often forgotten by many website owners - content. I like the old saying, "content is king" because it still plays a huge part in determining how websites rank in search engines. Generally, the more relevant content you can provide the better. Other factors do play a part, such as quality, relevance and optimizing your content, but generally more is better. Why? Because search engine spiders look at the words on your website to assess its topic, content and relationship with other pages. The more content you provide the more text the search engine spider has to read and the more valuable your website will be to search engines and visitors. So here are 5 tips to keep in mind when creating search friendly content: Sun, 20 May 2007 11:35:00 -0500 http://www.ocibr.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=199 The Yahoo! Search Blog announced they have completed an update to their algorithm last week. The update is set to effect how their algorithm ranks web pages and determines which sites are included in the search index. From the Yahoo! Search blog: "We rolled out some changes to our index and ranking algorithm last night. So, as you know, throughout this process you may see some changes in ranking as well as some shuffling of the pages included in the index. This update should be complete very soon." Index updates are important for major search engines in order to combat spam and reward webmasters who Thu, 17 May 2007 12:45:00 -0500 http://www.ocibr.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=198 The Google Enterprise blog recently featured the Volkswagon website for using new Google features to power a search box on their website. At the time, Google was unaware the major car manufacturer was actually search spamming, but as Danny Sullivan revealed, the website was using hidden text. Below is the hidden text as reported by Search Engine Land: Wed, 16 May 2007 05:25:00 -0500 http://www.ocibr.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=192 Your website is only as good as it is findable. A recent study showed that nearly 90% of Internet users use search engines to locate the web pages they are looking for. 90%! MANY sites are built with no regard for "Findability" at all - some are basically invisible to search engines. Websites that are not finely tuned to be found by the big search engines -- Google, MSN Search and Yahoo -- won't be found by potential customers either, turning what should be a valuable marketing tool into a waste of time. Looking for a cost effective way to get new customers? Look no further than .... Sun, 21 Jan 2007 07:35:00 -0600 http://www.ocibr.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=188 In order to help you quickly and easily surf the Carpet Cleaning Industry Bulletin Boards and Forums, we've created a handy website, The Carpet Cleaners Hub. At the top of the page ... Fri, 15 Dec 2006 15:20:00 -0600 http://www.ocibr.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=183 I've heard many small-business owners say they think they should get a website. They're not quite sure what they need to do, but they know they should have one. They're right! The Internet is recognized as one of the most cost effective forms of advertising available - soon every business will appear online in some form, and if your competitors get there first, then you could be missing out on potentially valuable customers. Compared to the more traditional advertising mediums, the Internet has potential circulation figures/coverage area that can't be matched - and all at a fraction of the cost of a simple series of advertizements in the local paper - let alone any sustained marketing campaign! To get your own company online, you need the following: .... Mon, 19 Jun 2006 13:44:57 -0500 http://www.ocibr.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=182 NEW AND IMPROVED!! The Cleaners Referral Network Directory website has been completely redesigned utilizing an entirely new format. Please check your listing for errors. We transferred all the business listings manually from the old Cleaners Referral List website into the new format The new website will allow for quicker additon to directory, a rating system, a maping system, a cleaner search engine, more detailed listings and more. If you are not listed, join and submit your cleaning business details to the Cleaners Referral Website. If you are not listed, you can not get referred. Get Listed NOW. Need a quality cleaner to service friends, family or relocating clients? Check the Cleaners Referral Directory to find the best cleaner in that area. http://directory.ocibr.com Sat, 10 Jun 2006 21:52:09 -0500 http://www.ocibr.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=171 How to become a member of the Marketing Club and access over 800 shared marketing pieces by cleaners, for cleaners To become a Member and receive access to the downloadable forms, flyers, newsletters, postcards, brochures, sales letters, etc.; You must be a Registered User of OCIBR.com AND contribute to the Marketing Club either by donating a few dollars OR by sharing your marketing materials. Click Here for Marketing Club Info REGISTER: Send an email to Mark Cermak at ocibr@yahoo.com with your.. 1. Full Name 2. Desired username (no spaces) 3. Desired password SUBSCRIBE: After registering, sign in and then click the "SUBSCRIBE" link in the menu. The easiest, most hassle free way to maintain Marketing Club membersip status, is with a $5.00 monthly subscription. Access to the Marketing Club may also be obtained with a one time donation of $25 for 1 month, $150.00 for 1 year Choose a plan and click "SUBSCRIBE NOW!" OR SHARE: In order to maintain membership status, one submission of material must be made per three month period. (example: submitting four documents would equal one year membership.) Use the file upload form to share your materials with the OCIBR Marketing Club. This upload form can also be found in the Marketing Club Menu and the "My Account" section. Please read the file upload FAQs before uploading. Accounts are hand activated after review of the submitted material. I do this in my spare time and sometimes can take a few days. Copyright Notice: By using this Web Site you agree not to post or transmit in violation of another party's copyright or intellectual property rights. Authors submitting materials agree that individuals who obtain it from this site are free to use it for their materials in own use freely and without restriction. Wed, 08 Feb 2006 18:35:30 -0600 http://www.ocibr.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=172 The web can be a vital marketing tool for your business. Here’s how to do it... Sun, 15 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.ocibr.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=173 You can improve your link popularity score (in search engines) by .... Sat, 14 Jan 2006 12:00:00 -0600 http://www.ocibr.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=174 Drive clicks to your website by ‘tagging’ it correctly. Now that you’re aware of what kinds of content to include on your website, there are also some logistics that you should know. The following are just some of the components that should be included in the code of the website. If you are unsure about this area, contact your webmaster. Sat, 14 Jan 2006 08:00:00 -0600 http://www.ocibr.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=162 From OCIBR University Business Website 101 course .... A press release or, news release as it is also called, is a condensed article that is written in a journalistic style. A press release is not a sales document, resume, or an advertisement. The purpose of the news release is ... Sun, 04 Dec 2005 05:05:00 -0600 http://www.ocibr.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=160 From OCIBR University Business Website 101 course .... When we talk about content we refer to the news story you are telling. Keep the following points in mind when writing your press release. Is your news "newsworthy"? The purpose of a press release is to inform the world of your news item. Do not use your press release to try and make a sale. A good press release answers all of the "W" questions (who, what, where, when and why), providing the media with useful information about your organization, product, service or event. If you read your press release and it reads like an advertisement, rewrite it. Start strong. Your headline and first paragraph should .... Sun, 04 Dec 2005 05:00:00 -0600 http://www.ocibr.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=161 From OCIBR University Business Website 101 course .... Below you will find some of the most common errors encountered in press releases. You do not get a second chance to correct the negative impressions left by a poorly written release... Sun, 04 Dec 2005 04:00:00 -0600 http://www.ocibr.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=158 Have a Happy Holiday!! Wed, 23 Nov 2005 06:00:00 -0600 http://www.ocibr.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=155 Winter rears its ugly head in Northeast Ohio Break out the hot cocoa. A few inches of snow blankets the landscape and temperatures in the 20's with wind chill readings of 12 degrees F here on the Lake Erie lakeshore. The remote temperature sensors in the van were reading 37.0 and 32.5 degrees this morning. Thu, 17 Nov 2005 07:00:00 -0600 http://www.ocibr.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=156 Protect yourself, keep warm and dry Dress properly Dress in layers. The material itself does not produce heat to keep you warm, its the trapping of the air around your body that makes it able to insulates your body heat. Keeping your clothes dry helps your body to stay warm. Moisture evaporating from wet clothes has a cooling effect on your body. Protect yourself from the wind as it can increase the evaporation process by wearing nylon as outer layer. Dressing too warm can cause problems when working hard and sweating. If you feel yourself getting overheated or sweating be sure to ventilate or drop layers of clothes, take off your coat and hat. You are wearing a hat, right? Your body loses alot of heat through your head. Keeping your head warm is critical to cold-weather comfort. Put your hat on to stay warm, take it off to cool down. Thu, 17 Nov 2005 06:00:00 -0600 http://www.ocibr.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=154 by Mark Finnerty Many of you have expressed concern for the victims of this historic disaster, and like many you feel the need to help but you may not know what to do. As a survivor of several major hurricanes I can tell you that there are two organizations that are the most visible and generous with there help and support after a storm. The American Redcross and the Salvation Army both have a huge job in front of them as the endeavor to assist the victims of this amazing storm return to something resembling normal. I personally have benefited from the kindness of strangers that is delivered to victims through these vehicles. They do not ask anything from those they help and work tirelessly in the worst of conditions. I encourage each of you to follow the links below and give a little of you hard earned money to one or both of these groups to help your fellow man. The amount of money you may spend on a six pack or a steak at Outback can help someone who has nothing left get back on there feet. I am giving the links for the American Redcross National Disaster Relief Fund and the Salvation Army U. S.. The Salvation Army has a section of their online form to say what effort you want your donation to assist. American Redcross National Disaster Relief Fund https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation-form.asp Salvation Army https://secure3.salvationarmy.org/donations.nsf/donate?openform&t=US_USC*USE*USS*USW Wed, 31 Aug 2005 14:46:35 -0500 http://www.ocibr.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=153 New program offers help to those sick of rising insurance costs The problem with insurance is that you are paying for it, whether you use it or not. This gripe is one of those usually met with a dismissive shrug of agreement followed by a quasi-comforting statement like, "Yeah, but what are you gonna do?" But for those sick of the ever-increasing costs of health insurance, there is, in fact, something you can do. Tue, 16 Aug 2005 12:00:00 -0500 http://www.ocibr.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=152 Only ONE month until Summerfest VII Sept 15-18 2005 Portland, OR Dont miss it!! More details.... Sat, 13 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.ocibr.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=151 There will be a Spot & Stain class courtesy of Taf Baig & Magic Wand Company at Summerfest VII. The class will be held on Friday 9/16 at the hotel. The room can seat about 35 people so it's first come, first serve. Everything you ever wanted to know about how chemistry applies to carpet cleaning. You will learn how to take out any stain you will ever encounter It just doesn't show you what products to use but how you don't need many products you already use. You'll understand the chemistry and learn how to use these advanced techniques remove spots using only 4 products. This will be a one day class. The value of this class is 149.00 and is free of charge. Mark Cermak Summerfest Committee Sun, 07 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0500