October 2015 – DKI – Disaster Kleenup International

10 Best Practices for Social Media for Business

Oct 29, 2015

By: Chelsea Haley, DKI Ventures, LLC

Social media allows you to reach and interact with millions of people – for free! Okay, there’s no such thing as a free lunch; you have to work at it to build this kind of following, but it is free to: Get set up and acclimated to each platform, connect with and engage your current and prospective customers, follow industry experts, post valuable content to show your expertise, and check-in on what your competitors are doing.

Get set up and acclimated to each platform.
Connect with and engage your current and prospective customers.
Follow industry experts.
Post valuable content to show your expertise and build brand awareness.
Check in on what your competitors are doing.

The list is endless and the value is priceless. So, hop on board!

Follow our blog throughout the month as we share best social media practices, from how to save time posting relevant content and what best times to post each day on each platform, to how to correctly and how often to post your message to each platform to get the best results.

Follow these simple 10 best practices and watch your customer base and engagement rise.

Plan Ahead:

There are several holidays and annual events that you are already aware of and can plan for. Create a calendar and list each of these with simple messaging; or, even better, utilize the various sites and apps that allow you to schedule post ahead of time and automatically publish them for you. Click here for the latest on scheduling.

Get to the Point:

No need to tell a back-story on social media. Your post should be short and sweet. Abbreviations are typically appropriate. If you want to provide more information, attach a link to your brief post for readers to click on to learn more.

Use Hashtags:

Hashtags help you reach a wider audience on Twitter and Instagram, especially, but also on Facebook during worldwide or national events. “Trending hashtags” are easily accessible on each of these platforms. Read our blog on posting with hashtags.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words:

Not only are visuals more compelling, but it’s a scientific fact that our brains process visuals thousands of times faster than the written word. Make your posts/tweets stand out by adding images or videos. This will help you dramatically increase engagement over posts that only contain text. Read our best practices on posting visuals.

Post/Tweet During Peak Hours:

Depending on your target audience and the platform you’re using, ideal days and times to post may fluctuate. Read our latest blog post to discover the best times to post for each outlet.

If You’ve Got it, Flaunt it:

Leverage and promote your current content – announcements, blog posts, customer FAQs, contests, etc. No need to squander time and/or money creating new content when what you already own shows your expertise, customer service, and can direct traffic to your website.

Post and Tweet Strategically:

Keeping up with the latest breaking news and trending topics is important, but it’s also critical to be respectful of your audience’s newsfeeds on particular platforms. Read our upcoming blog for tips and tricks on how often you should be posting to each social platform. Read our upcoming blog for tips and tricks on how often you should be posting to each social platform.

Quality Trumps Quantity:

Building millions of social media “followers” doesn’t have any impact on your business if they’re not engaged, not sharing your company information with others, not visiting your website, nor buying your services/products. Focus on your current customer base, and build loyalty – If they are loyal to you and your services, word-of-mouth/social media advertising will rise, with them sharing your company with their own followers.

Humanize your brand:

If you expect others to follow you, like/share your content, comment on your posts/page, then reciprocate and connect directly with your followers. Show your followers the people behind the brand. Share photos of your team outings, holiday parties, volunteering events, etc. Also, consider sharing appropriate pictures of happy customers. Remember that people trust and buy from other people.

Show, Don’t Sell:

If you’re selling, they won’t buy. Your followers aren’t connected with social media to be constantly advertised to, so be respectful of this. Limit your direct solicitation postings to roughly 5-10%. The rest of the time, instead of constantly tooting your company’s horn, provide value to your fans by teaching them something new or giving them something fun or engaging to connect with. Being a thought leader will build brand trust with your audience and will entice them to come back for more.

Lead is the New Manage – Motivating a Sales Team of Millennials in the Restoration Industry

Oct 20, 2015

Guest Blog By: David Romano, Benchmarkinc Founder

Don’t even try to MANAGE Millennials. Seriously. That tactic, which worked brilliantly with Baby Boomers and Generation X is dead! What must be done now is for you to LEAD them.

The good news is that Millennials are just people – people born between 1980 and the early 2000s; according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics they now make up nearly 40% of the workforce. Like most people, they aim to have a job where they are valued, make an impact and develop their skills, all while being interested in what they do and being fairly paid for their effort. At the same time, they require to be part of a team led by a “Players” coach instead of a coach with an authoritarian style that manages through unrealistic expectations, threats, and sanctions.

Leading is different than managing. While managing is about organizing, coordinating and telling, leading is about inspiring and enabling and co-creating. The number one problem first-time leaders face is failing to understand that leading requires entirely different strengths than does doing or managing. For those willing to change, the successful framework looks a bit like this.

Make the company a place where you always want to be: If your mission is to provide a service better than your competition through working longer and harder than anyone else, you need to make the company a place your employees love to be.

Food means a lot to Millennials: Millennials covet well-prepared food and dine out more often than not; and the reward of a meal can be even more important than the potential commissions and/or bonuses. The productivity gained and the vibe created far outweigh the cost of the food.

A relentless focus on the bottom line will not inspire Millennial workers to be relentless: Your business and financial goals will not be closely aligned with the goals of your Millennial team. Provide the belonging and self-actualization needs they crave, and Millennials will knock your socks off with astounding performance. If you give them the environment they seek, your profits will soar.

Be specific: Talking in theory can make for an interesting conversation, but coaching specific items and tying expectations to measurable (and attainable) results yields the best outcome. This is especially true when working with Millennials since they have less working experience. Often, your newer employees don’t know what they don’t know, so they aren’t even aware if there are better options available or if their performance is sub par.

Be positive but realistic: Most people appreciate being recognized for doing well. Make sure you stop to point out successes as you see them. This does not need to be formal; just plan to give the “fist bumps” (you can even blow them up) as they arise. In addition, have structured individual meetings with your employees at least twice a month to go over their performance.

In summary, Millennials are people too. They’re just new(er) people to the workforce, and as such, they want and require more direction on a regular basis. Most managers probably have that direction (good or bad) in their heads, but the key is to share this information with your employees in a productive manner along the way. Your team morale and performance will greatly improve as a result of your planning and attention. You have to ask yourself, is it more important to hold on to the ideals you have formed over your career and stop progress; or, is it better to adapt to the attributes of today’s workforce, embrace change, and lead a company to a greater level of profits and efficiency? Your call, but the answer should be pretty obvious!

Cousino Harris Participates in Fire Prevention Week with the Perrysburg Township Fire Department

October 18, 2015 – DKI, North America’s largest disaster restoration contracting organization, today announced that one of its member companies, Cousino Harris Disaster Kleenup of Ohio and Michigan, ended Fire Prevention Week with the Perrysburg Township Fire Department’s annual open house on Saturday, October 10, 2015.

Each year, the Perrysburg Township Fire Department opens up their location on Lime City Rd. to the public for tours, displays and demonstrations. Cousino Harris participated with an informational and promotion table, as well as assisting with handing out smoke alarms. In addition, they built a demonstration house and donated it to the fire department years ago, which is still being used for a house fire demonstration, of which the local children can participate. Other organizations involved, included Lowes, Wood County Emergency Management and The American Red Cross.

Shelly Konz, marketing for Cousino Harris said, “This is a wonderful event for children to participate. The fire department does a wonderful job promoting and participating in this annual event and engaging and educating all the kids that attend.”

About Cousino Harris Disaster Kleenup

With a full service team of skilled craftsmen and technicians, Cousino Harris Disaster Kleenup is equipped to tackle any size reconstruction and/or remodeling project, whether residential, commercial or institutional. Cousino Harris Disaster Kleenup is proud to be able to be involved with projects from beginning to end. For information please visit us at www.cousinoharris.com or call 419-874-9500.

About DKI
DKI, headquartered in Chicago, is the largest disaster restoration contracting organization in North America. DKI Franchise Member companies provide full service restoration to their customers: emergency response, water damage mitigation, fire and contents cleaning, mold remediation, complete reconstruction and much more, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. DKI returns damaged property to its pre-loss condition quickly and efficiently, delivering complete satisfaction to our consumer, insurance, and corporate customers. For more information about DKI, visit our website at www.dkiservices.com and download DKI’s Red Cross Emergency App www.redcross.org/mobile-apps/emergency-app.

Bay Area DKI Honors Breast Cancer Awareness Month with their 2nd Annual October Charity Campaign

October 16, 2015 – DKI, North America’s largest disaster restoration contracting organization, today announced that one of its member companies, Bay Area DKI, of Tampa and Jacksonville, FL, is honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a second annual donation campaign.

To honor National Breast Cancer Awareness Month each year, Bay Area DKI holds a charity campaign for the entire month of October. For every property owner who hires them during October for water damage removal or drying services, Bay Area DKI will donate $25 to the Moffitt Cancer Center to help support their efforts in breast cancer research.

Located in Tampa, Moffitt Cancer Center Moffitt Cancer Center is a world-renowned hospital, cancer research facility and a National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. This designation has elevated Moffitt into an elite group of centers nationwide whose singular focus is the rapid translation of research discoveries to directly benefit people with cancer. For more information, visit www.MOFFITT.org.

“We are extremely proud to participate in this awareness campaign. Last year we raised $1,000 for Moffitt Cancer Center and we are hoping to raise even more this year,” said President of Bay Area DKI Mark Spicola.

For more information or to schedule a consultation with Bay Area DKI for your restoration services, please call (877) 462-2354 or email [email protected]

About Bay Area DKI

Bay Area DKI is a full service damage restoration company providing Tampa Bay area with quality restoration services for over 28 years. The Bay Area DKI team is specialized in restoring and rebuilding properties that have been affected by water damage, fire and smoke damage, wind, mold or sinkholes. As a full service, licensed General Contractor our highly trained professionals can repair property damage of all kinds, from cleanup to reconstruction. For more information visit www.bayareadki.com or contact Kara Benson at (813) 835-1445.

Cousino Harris Shows Off Their “Things That Go”

October 15, 2015 – DKI, North America’s largest disaster restoration contracting organization, today announced that one of its member companies, Cousino Harris Disaster Kleenup of Ohio and Michigan, participated in the Things That GO Show on Oct. 10, 2015 at Levis Commons in Perrysburg, OH.

The Things That Go Show is a free opportunity for the community to get up-close and personal with farm machinery, emer things_that_go_dump gency vehicles, commercial equipment and more. Entertainment and activities also included an inflatable obstacle course, a mini-gator track, and a horse-drawn hayride.

Cousino Harris sh things_that_go_girl owed guests the workings of a dump truck and allowed parents to take photos of their children sitting in the truck with hard hats.

“The event was a great idea and the kids were just enamored with all the “Things that Go,” specifically the garbage and dump trucks,” said Shelly Konz, marketing of Cousino Harris.

About Cousino Harris Disaster Kleenup

Cousino Harris Hosts Their 5th Annual Chic Palooza

October 14, 2015 – DKI, North America’s largest disaster restoration contracting organization, today announced that one of its member companies, Cousino Harris Disaster Kleenup of Ohio and Michigan, hosted their fifth annual Chic Palooza on October 2nd at the Stone Oak Country Club in Holland, OH.

Chic Palooza is an annual event, hosted by Shelly Konz & Mia Isaacson of Cousino Harris, to pamper Cousino Harris’ female clients and an opportunity to introduce a new charity, of which the guests have the option whether or not to donate.

“Years ago we were talking how men can golf, get their hair cut, pick up their dry-cleaning, but women (in the same positions) don’t get the same flexibilities. We decided to create an event where women get pampered, and it has evolved from there,” said Shelly Konz, marketing for Cousino Harris.

Over the years, the event has grown to around 100 women, including insurance agents, adjustors and wives of clients. This year’s evening event allowed attendees to indulge in chair massages, manicures, facials, shopping and various exercise and craft classes, while enjoying DJ entertainment.

In addition, the event collected approximately $500 for this year’s charity of choice, The Daughter Project, located in Toledo, OH, which helps raise awareness about sex trafficking and offers services to support those victims. In the last three years, they have helped 11 young girls between the ages of 13 and 17. The money raised at Chic Palooza will help The Daughter Project purchase clothes and necessary lifestyle items for the two girls currently in their home.

About Cousino Harris Disaster Kleenup

J.C. RESTORATION, INC. RAISES OVER $5,500 FOR LOCAL BURN PREVENTION CHARITY (IFSA)

October 8, 2015 – DKI, North America’s largest disaster restoration contracting organization, announced today that one of its Member Companies, J.C. jcrsmoke_water_2

Restoration, Inc. (JCR) of Rolling Meadows, Ill. successfully hosted insurance and property management professionals for seminars on fire and smoke damage during the week of September 22-25, 2015. The event raised over $5,500 for JCR’s chosen charity, the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance.

The “Smoke on the Water” Course, presented by JCR, was an Illinois Department of Insurance approved CE course, attended by over 350 industry professionals. The course explained the processes involved in fire damage mitigation and restoration, and illustrated how insurance companies, property management professionals and restoration professionals can work together to provide property owners with ra jcrsmoke_water_11 pid, responsive, technically accurate procedures for loss mitigation on fire damage claims. Through class participation and hands-on demonstrations, the attendees learned that advanced techniques and technologies save downtime and money throughout the fire damage claims process. Classroom discussions also focused on the public health and safety issues associated with fire restoration situations.

The Executive Director of the IFSA, Phil Zaleski, who spoke during the week, about IFSA’s dedication to fire safety and burn prevention through public education, announced that the funds donated would support IFSA’s Camp “I Am Me.” Camp “I Am Me” is a week-long camp for children and teenagers who have experienced injuries from burns. To learn more about the Camp, please visit www.ifsa.org/camp-i-am-me.

“Supporting charitable programs and getting involved in the surrounding community is of tremendous importance to everyone at JCR. It is an honor to select the IFSA as our Charity for this event. With our commitment to provide educational programs and resources,” General Manager Steve Rost stated. “J.C. Restoration is pleased to support the IFSA and Camp I Am Me.”

About J.C. Restoration:

J.C. Restoration is one of the fastest growing independent restoration companies in the Midwest. Since 1982, JCR has been successfully restoring damaged properties in the greater Chicagoland area for thousands of Home and Business Owners. JCR offers complete emergency mitigation and restoration services for properties affected by Water, Fire, Smoke, Storms, and Mold. Our Emergency Response Teams are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week– with vehicles fully stocked and ready for immediate dispatch. Restoration Services Include: Building / Structural Damage, Water Damage, Fire Damage, Emergency Clean-up, Certified Mold Remediation, Contents Restoration, Document Restoration, and Commercial/Large Loss Services. To learn more about J.C. Restoration, please call 800.956.8844 or visit www.jcr24.com.

Fire Prevention Week – How it all Started

Oct 7, 2015

By: Chelsea Haley, DKI Ventures, LLC

Every year, around this time, social networks become filled with the hashtag #FirePreventionWeek. But, do you know why? Why this week every year? Well, here are those answers:

Q: Does Fire Prevention Week have an annual theme?

A: Yes, the theme for 2015 is “Hear the Beep Where You Sleep. Every Bedroom Needs a Working Smoke Alarm!” Roughly half of home fire deaths occur from fires between 11 P.M. and 7 A.M. – when people are asleep.

Q: When did it originate, and why?

A: Fire Prevention Week is the longest-running national safety observance on record. Those who survived both the Great Chicago and the Peshtigo Fires (on October 9, 1871) never forgot the tragedies, and firefighters changed their views on fire safety. As a result, on the 40th anniversary of these catastrophes, the Fire Marshals Association of North America decided to observe these fires through public fire prevention information. This commemoration grew incrementally official over the years, and since 1922, Fire Prevention Week has been observed annually on the Sunday through Saturday week of October 9.

Q: What was the Great Chicago Fire?

A: The cause of the fire was undetermined, but legends point to a cow knocking over a lantern, while others accuse human behavior or even a meteor that struck the area. However it happened, it is known as one of America’s worst fires in history, killing approximately 300 people, leaving 100,000 homeless, destroying more than 17,000 structures and burning more than 2,000 acres. The fire started late October 8, 1871 and continued through October 10.

Q: What was the Peshtigo Fire?

A: While the Great Chicago Fire is the most known of the fires to ignite in 1871, it wasn’t the largest. The Peshtigo Fire was the most devastating forest fire in American history. It also occurred on October 8, 1871 in Wisconsin, killing 1,152 people, and destroying 1.2 million acres. Historical accounts state the blaze was caused by an unintentional brush fire by several railroad workers clearing land for tracks. Within an hour, the fire had completed ravaged the entire town of Peshtigo, WI.

Q: What can you do to prevent fires?

A: Educate yourself, your family, friends and staff. The National Fire Protection Association has some great fire safety tips, including checking your smoke alarms and creating a fire escape plan.

Check your smoke alarms throughout your house and office building every month – When working properly, these can save lives!

Sources: www.nfpa.org, www.mnn.com, www.history.com

DKI Volunteers with Habitat for Humanity for the Second Year

October 2, 2015 – DKI, North America’s largest disaster restoration organization, announced today that its CA location will be participating in a Habitat for Humanity build in Martinez, CA on Friday, Oct. 2, 2015.

For the second consecutive year, the CA office employees will meet with other volunteers to assist in building a brand new community, called Muir Ridge, which will consist of approximately 20 four to three bedroom homes. The homes are scheduled to be completed in Spring/Summer of 2017.

Last year, D h4h2 KI and the other voluteers assisted with laying and pouring the foundations of each home. This year, the jobs consist of carpentry and electrical services, roofing, caulking, painting and siding of the homes, as well as fitting the doorways of each room.

DKI offers additional PTO to encourage corporate employees to give back to their local communities nationwide.

Chelsea Haley, the marketing/executive assistant for DKI said, “I am very excited to give back to the community again. Everyone had a positive attitude about helping out, and we worked well as a team. I was amazed how much we were able to accomplish in just one day!”

h4h3

About DKI

DKI, headquartered in Chicago, is the largest disaster restoration contracting organization in North America. DKI Franchise Member companies provide full service restoration to their customers: emergency response, water damage mitigation, fire and contents cleaning, mold remediation, complete reconstruction and much more, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. DKI returns damaged property to its pre-loss condition quickly and efficiently, delivering complete satisfaction to our consumer, insurance, and corporate customers. For more information about DKI, visit our website at www.dkiservices.com and download the DKI-sponsored Red Cross Emergency App www.redcross.org/mobile-apps/emergency-app.

Month: October 2015