FIRESMOKE&

A Rainbow International® publication Winter 2012

Luce, Smith & Scott, Inc.Franchise Business Insurance Saving YOU

from ordinary Service!

Contact: Cynthia J. Lockhart, CICFranchise Insurance Executiveclockhart@lucesmithscott.com1-800-642-8338 ext. 221

www.lucesmithscott.com

The Dwyer Group®

Award Winning Insurance

Program!

Auto•

Property•

Workers Compensation•

General Liability•

Umbrella

Contents4 Adding Fire And Smoke Damage Mitigation To Your Service Bundle

6 Puff Backs - The Cause And The Cleanup

7 Fire Loss Mitigation, System Accounts And You

8 Honoring A Loved One

9 A Special Ronald McDonald House Charities® Announcement

11 Contents Cleaning

12 From The Mailbag

14 Franchisees Of The Month/New Employees

15 Jump Into The Fire

16 Smoke & Mirrors

18 Halloween Bone Bash/Top Gun

19 Top 40 Franchisees

20 Keys To Success

21 New Franchisees

22 On The Hunt For A Publicity Stunt

24 Halloween Haunts/Capitol Corner

25 R-Zees For R-Zees/Stop, Drop & Roll

26 The 12 Days Of Holiday Safety

27 Reunion Collage

Luce, Smith & Scott, Inc.Franchise Business Insurance Saving YOU

from ordinary Service!

Contact: Cynthia J. Lockhart, CICFranchise Insurance Executiveclockhart@lucesmithscott.com1-800-642-8338 ext. 221

www.lucesmithscott.com

The Dwyer Group®

Award Winning Insurance

Program!

Auto•

Property•

Workers Compensation•

General Liability•

Umbrella

ROB wHITE President, Rainbow International®

JACK wHITE Vice President of Technical Services, Rainbow International

FRANK AuCOIN Director of National Accounts, Rainbow International

RODNEY HARRIS Director of Technical Services, Rainbow International

MANDI CLARK Public Relations Specialist, Rainbow International

HEATHER MCLEOD Marketing Manager, Rainbow International

ANNE-CLAIRE COLLINS Marketing Coordinator, Rainbow International

ALEx BERRY Project Manager for RIM, Rainbow International

MIKE BIDwELL President, The Dwyer Group, Inc.

Editorial Staff

Contributors Staff

JON CARRILLO Graphic Designer, The Dwyer Group, Inc.

MANDI CLARK Public Relations Specialist, Rainbow International

HEATHER MCLEOD Marketing Manager, Rainbow International

StormSurgeTM 3

Fire & Smoke DamageFFire damage can be a major part of a restoration contractor’s arsenal of services. According to the Insurance Information Institute, one out of every 10 homes will experience damage from fire or smoke this year. That frequency equates to over $11.6

billion in property damage in the U.S. and over $1.6 billion in Canada during a typical year.

Fires cause more than property damage. A property fire can be a traumatic and very stressful experience

for a home or property owner. It is crucial that the fire restoration or mitigation and cleaning contractor have the knowledge and skill to put the home or property owner at ease and make him/her comfortable that their property will be restored with expertise and professionalism to a pre-loss condition.

The knowledge and skill that is imperative for a fire restoration or mitigation contractor can

be acquired through proper training, education and timely support, when preparing for, or right in the

middle of a fire job. At the corporate office in Waco, the Rainbow International® team is very proud of our hands-

on fire mitigation and contents cleaning training center. The center is a climate-controlled multi-room scenario

stimulator that allows students to apply classroom knowledge to jobsite application.

We have added fire training to our list of required training classes for all

new Rainbow International franchisees. Participants are led through classroom

sessions as well as hands-on training. This 5-day class covers contents, structure cleaning, smoke

remediation, and Xactimate® training on how to estimate fire and contents.

Our technical support team also fields fire mitigation questions that come in through our technical support hotline. I know that many of you take full advantage of that resource and find access to that type of support irreplaceable. I would agree and add that in my opinion, technical support is one of

Mitigation to Your Service Bundle

Adding

4 StormSurgeTM

the most important services that the home office staff provides to you, our franchise partners.

Fire mitigation has grown to over 12 percent of our total top line sales on a yearly basis. When you add in fire reconstruction, this “total fire” number would increase to over 16 percent. We expect the revenue dollar and percentage of business from this service to continue to grow as more Rainbow International franchise partners embrace fire restoration. The proper training and knowledge will be a competitive advantage that separates you from some of the other competitors in your market.

If you have not already done so, I encourage you to add fire/smoke damage mitigation to your service bundle. In order to get started, take the following steps:

1. Obtain IICRC training for yourself and your key team members in Waco.

2. Get access to a facility that can be used to store fire/smoke-damaged contents before cleaning and after they have been cleaned.

3. Learn the five basic factors of a successful fire and contents division: facilities, personnel, equipment, supplies and systems.

4. Consult with your FC as well as our Rainbow International fire support team.

5. Train your employees on what to expect from the property owner in terms of state of mind. Start with the Code of Values®, and make sure that your employees have an attitude that shows empathy to the customer who has experienced property fire damage.

6. Attend the project management session in 2013 at one of the seven regional meetings that will be held across the country.

Fire mitigation and cleaning will grow your business and help Rainbow International as a whole reach our Vision 2017 goal of 510 franchisees with average top line revenue of $649,000.

By Rob WhiteFire & Smoke DamageMitigation to Your Service Bundle

Happy Cleaning!StormSurgeTM 5

T

PUFF BACKSThe Cause and the Cleanup

By Jack White &The majority of homeowners do not have the slightest idea of what puff backs are, much less about the mess they can make. Most homeowners only think about the more common domestic problems like water damage and mold issues.

A puff back is the puff of smoke and soot from a malfunctioning heating unit inside a furnace that brings unwanted debris and messy gunk into the home. When a furnace works correctly, it mixes fuel and oxygen in balanced amounts for effective combustion. The right mix produces a steady flame that burns up the fuel. A puff back happens when the mix is unbalanced. If the rate of combustion slows, but the fuel injected into the system stays constant, a sudden combustion can occur.

Just like when a car backfires, a puff back can cause a “boom” and a big vibration. This movement shakes loose built up soot in the heating system and ductwork, and the air stream of forced air that

normally brings heat into the home will now bring soot particles.

Residue from a puff back is usually a sticky, oily film with a petroleum base. It has a strong smell and makes a mess that gets everywhere. Because a mini explosion powers the puff back, these soot particles get a push getting into the nooks and crannies of a home and furniture. The soot from a puff back can get into the fabric of furniture, exposed soft goods, behind doors and into drawers. It can even invade closets and blanket the homeowner’s clothes.

The combination of nooks and crannies, momentum and a petroleum base makes the mess caused by a puff back difficult to clean. It is important to know that traditional cleaning methods can make the mess even worse. A combination of thorough cleaning, sealing, aggressive deodorization and painting may be required. •

6 StormSurgeTM

The Cause and the CleanupIIn January 2010 Rainbow International® entered into its first formal fire loss mitigation program with a major insurance carrier, Liberty Mutual. Our history in this arena was limited and we were somewhat cautious. Based on our past successes with water mitigation (due in no small way to our intense hands-on training efforts in “Jack’s House”), the decision was made to build a hands-on fire mitigation/contents training facility at our company headquarters in Waco.

The facility was completed in August 2010 and the first FSRT (fire & smoke restoration technician) and OCT (odor control technician) Certification classes were held in September 2010. To date, in excess of 250 franchise technicians have been trained and received their respective certifications. We have also trained and certified insurance adjusters and training executives from Liberty Mutual, Safeco, AAA, Texas Farm Bureau and numerous other carriers. Fire mitigation training is now a requirement for all new Rainbow International franchisees. Take advantage of this great resource!

Growth of the fire loss mitigation program over the past year has been stellar to say the least. Fire loss mitigation revenue increased 263 percent in 2012 over 2011, just within the Liberty Mutual account. We are projecting similar growth within Liberty Mutual in 2013. We anticipate entry into a similar fire loss mitigation agreement with Safeco in 2013, which will drive revenue projections even higher. Taking into consideration our growing relationship with Armed Forces Insurance (AFI) and the recent

contractual agreement entered into with Allstate Insurance Company (which includes fire mitigation), fire and smoke damage restoration represents the single largest growth opportunity before us as we enter 2013.

As we move forward into this new growth opportunity, proper training and knowledge of all the latest technological advances is a must, and will yield a distinct advantage over your competition.

The fire loss mitigation program for our System Accounts customers requires that you fill out an application for approval. The application can be obtained by contacting your FC or Rodney Harris directly at 254-745-2411 (Rodney.Harris@DwyerGroup.com). Rainbow Manager and Xactanalysis are a requirement for participation as well. Upon meeting all requirements for participation, your coverage area will be added to our network and you will typically be notified of loss assignments in the same manner as that of the current water loss mitigation program.

I would encourage each and every one of you, if you have not already done so, to add the fire loss mitigation program to your current service offering. Take advantage of our fire training facility and all the benefits it offers. Send your technicians to training so that your customers are insured of receiving a service level experience exceeding their expectations. Fire loss restoration will help you grow your business and aid in building the brand awareness that is so vital to the future success of your company. •

By Frank AucoinYOUFire Loss Mitigation,

System Accounts &

StormSurgeTM 7

R

Rainbow International® Raises Cancer Awareness in the Community

Honoring a Loved one

Roger Goertz honored the memory of his wife and business partner this year by raising awareness in the community, donating money to aid breast cancer research and purchase life-saving equipment for the local hospital.

One year ago, Stacey Goertz, was honored at Memorial Hermann Hospital’s annual “In the Pink of Health” fundraiser. Three months later, Goertz sadly lost her battle with cancer, but not in vain. Rainbow International® of Houston has carried on her mission, memory and vision of giving back to the community.

“Stacey was diagnosed in 2007 with breast cancer, went through therapy and had been stabilized for several years,” recalls Mr. Goertz. “Then, in 2011, she learned that the cancer had spread to her liver and brain. All I could think was ‘This cannot be happening.’”

Following the final diagnosis, Mrs. Goertz continued her highly active community service-filled life, volunteering as Chairperson for the Memorial Hermann Hospital’s “In the Pink of Health” fundraiser to purchase equipment for women’s health. In addition, Mrs. Goertz

was an active member of the local Chamber of Commerce, Montgomery County Food Bank and as a member of the International Franchise Association’s Franchise Congress.

“I went to my technicians earlier this month and asked them if they would mind wearing pink shirts out on calls, in honor and memory of Stacey,” says Goertz. “It’s an all male force, so I didn’t know how they would react to wearing pink, but everyone was overwhelmingly supportive of the idea.”

Every employee, to help raise awareness in the community and give homage to the work started by Mrs. Goertz, wears the shirt, in conjunction with pink shoe covers, each Friday.

“Our company operates by the Code of Values® set-forth by Rainbow International, and this allows our employees the ability to live and work in an environment which embraces this sort of compassion.”

“This month now holds more meaning for me and my team than ever before,” says Goertz. “I know God has his newest angel, and she is looking down on us, proud that we are carrying on her legacy.” •

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Rainbow International® Raises Cancer Awareness in the Community

Please visit the partnership team website created for franchisees. Click on the RMHC logo on the front page of your connection or go there directly at http://tdgpartnership.weebly.com. The password is RMHC.

AIRE SERv®

After providing meals, participating in the annual 5k, changing air filters monthly and providing AC service at no cost, the Aire Serv of Las Vegas was honored as the House Hero by RMHC® of Greater Las Vegas on September 8th. “Aire Serv has spent hundreds, if not thousands, of hours at our House,” said Alyson McCarthy, executive director for RMHC of Greater Las Vegas. “Without their generosity, our organization would have to dig deep into our operating budget for costly repairs and maintenance.”

GLASS DOCTOR®

Glass Doctor of Amarillo is having a little friendly competition with sister company Mr. Rooter of Amarillo. They are trying to collect the most Wish List items, food and household items for Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Amarillo. The shop is a large supporter of the local House. Earlier this fall, they donated labor and materials for 14 custom mirrors worth nearly $1,500.

MR. APPLIANCE®

Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) in Houston is passionate about helping families of the community who are in need. When Mr. Appliance of North Harris

& Montgomery Counties heard that they could help RMHC in Houston by replacing broken refrigerator parts, they decided to step in and donated more than $3,500 in labor and parts. Now RMHC in Houston can spend less time worrying about their appliances and more time with the families.

MR. ELECTRIC®

Debbie Bob-Holtz, a member of the Mr. Electric team in Madison, recently stayed in an RMHC house while visiting her daughter who was diagnosed with cancer and staying in the hospital. “RMHC brought joy to a part of my life that was so dark,” said Bob-Holtz. Over a year later, Debbie’s daughter is in remission and living a cancer-free life.

MR. ROOTER®

Kathy St. Croix, from Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Greater Syracuse, and her team humbly provided and served a delicious baked ziti dinner to their local Ronald McDonald House Charities., to help feed and comfort the families staying there. They look forward to serving their next meal in the coming months.

RAINBOw INTERNATIONAL®Jason Kitts, owner of Rainbow International of Monroe, Mich., recently went to cook and serve dinner at his local Ronald McDonald House Charities in Toledo, Ohio. He plans to continue stopping by once a month.

THE GROuNDS GuYS®

The Grounds Guys, across North America, participated in their second annual Monika Day. On November 8th, The Grounds Guys worked to give the gift of togetherness, by serving their local RMHC. Monika Day is a special day of giving back to families in need and our teams donated more than $20,000 in time, services and wish-list items. Many helped revitalize the property, others installed holiday lighting for the first time for their house, several locations stayed to cook a meal and donated wish list items, from food to lawn equipment. John Deere also joined the event this year and donated equipment and supplies to help bring joy to the families of RMHC.

The Dwyer Group® Partnership Team Supporting Ronald McDonald House Charities®

StormSurgeTM 9

How toHeLp?Top 10 ways to make

a difference forfamilies staying at our Houses.

COLLECT COINSSet up jars or Poptab Boxes around your home, office, school or church. Collect pennies, pocket change, have classrooms compete, whatever! Your coins can make a change.

1

JEANS DAY

Charge your employees

or coworkers for the

privilege of wearing

blue jeans. Charge for

the week, day or month.

4

wISH LIST DRIvECall the House for a list of needed items.

8

wELCOME BAGSHave a drive or purchase useful,

playful items like gas or gift cards, note pads, snacks, travel games, funny pens, quarters,

stickers, ANYTHING! Bring items you’ve collected to the RMHC near you. They can be put in a “Welcome Bag” for our families

checking in.

2 GIFT CERTIFICATES

Collect Gift Certificates for

grocery stores, gas, long

distance, convenience stores,

local restaurants and more!

3

ADOPT A HOLIDAYDo you love Mother’s Day, Easter, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day or any holiday? Adopt a House: Decorate, make a meal, bring gifts,do a project with families. Spread your organization’s flair, good wishes & holiday cheer!

5

THANKS A MILLION CLuBCollect Poptabs! If your school or organization

donates 1,000,000 tabs (790 lbs.) you’ll be part

of their exclusive “Thanks a Million Club”. Drop

off collected pop tabs to any RMH or directly

to a recycling partner. Call a House near you for specific details.

9

STAMP DRIvEHave your group hold a USPS stamp drive. RMH

families love to send cards & notes home.

6

SERvICES

Donate services to

help lower the cost

of business at your

local House.

7

COOKIE BRIGADEBake with your

friends & family. Deliver your tasty

treats to one of our Houses. Nothin’ says lovin’ like

homemade cookies!

10

The Dwyer Group® Partnership Team Supporting Ronald McDonald House Charities®

Contact individual housesfor more information.

10 StormSurgeTM

How to

Contact individual housesfor more information.

TToday’s homes and businesses contain so many types of different contents. A home can have everything from pots and pans, electronics, musical instruments, fine art, toys, tools and videos. A business can have phone systems, computers, files, specialized tools and retail inventories. The list goes on and on.

The big question is, how do we clean and what do we use to clean all of these items when they are made up of so many different materials?

Let’s break it down to some of the most basic steps we should be taking on every content item we are looking at, and determine how we should clean it. The first questions we should ask ourselves when viewing damaged contents are: What is it? What is it made of? What’s different about it? And what’s wrong with it?

Cleaning the object properly starts with accurate identification of the item you are about to clean. If you do not take the time to understand what you are about to clean, then you will likely end up with an item more damaged by you than the actual peril it was damaged from.

Identify the peril the content was damaged by, and then identify the residue(s). Let’s take fire as an example. There are different types of smoke residues. Are you dealing with a wet smoke (sticky)? Is it a dry smoke (loose), or is it a protein smoke (light in color, but lots of odor)? Each one of these requires different cleaning procedures.

Contaminates like mold, asbestos, lead, fuel and oil should also be a concern when examining the contents for the first time.

Testing contents is a way of turning suspicions into facts, so always carry a testing kit with you during your walk through. Testing the contents to be cleaned will give you the information needed when determining if an item can be cleaned to a pre-loss condition.

Understanding the categories of cleaning will also help you and your crews to determine what can be cleaned and what is the best method to clean the item. The four basic principles are mechanical, solvent, lubrication and chemical. You may have to use one or a combination of two or more to get the item cleaned.

When cleaning contents keep in mind that you should always work with your least aggressive products first, and then move down the line to more aggressive products. If a lamb wool duster removed the bulk of the particles and residues from the item, and a light wiping with lemon oil completes the cleaning process, do no more.

Contents cleaning is a great add-on service to your service lines, and can be quite profitable when done correctly. The corporate technical team is here to assist you if you are currently doing contents. If you are thinking about adding contents as a service, I encourage you to attend the Rainbow International® OCT and FSRT classes in 2013. •

Contents CleaningAfter Fire & Smoke

By Rodney Harris

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Rainbow International® of Modesto,

For having a flood in my house, I would have to say I had the best experience with Bart. He was very kind and helpful to my family. I definitely won’t use anyone else except Rainbow International if I ever need this type of work. Best experience for having something horrible happen.

Thank you Bart and staff,

-Katie Winn

Rainbow International of Alamance County,

My first interaction with Rainbow International was with Dorrell, with whom it was just a pleasure to talk through our issue. He was incredibly pleasant. Also, Chloe did a wonderful job of keeping me informed when technicians would be arriving. Clinton was very knowledgeable and likewise very pleasant.

-Melanie Ball

Rainbow International of NEPA,

Your company and techs have exceeded my expectations. It takes a lot for me to give great in each category. I would refer your company to anyone in need of your services. Thank you!

-Christine Anzuoni

Rainbow International of Kingston,

Hi Rosemary,

I would like to thank you for sending such a great company to do the repairs in my apartment. Josh and Tim were in my apartment last week to do repairs. I would like you to know that the two gentlemen were polite, courteous and very professional. Their work was efficient; they were on time when they said, they answered all my questions politely and with expertise. Josh and Tim did an excellent job and I would recommend this company to my family and friends based on their performance. Thanks again for caring about me as a tenant.

Take Care,

-Tracey Smith

Rainbow International of Pinecrest,

To Whom It May Concern:

I write this letter in recommendation of Rainbow International Restoration and Cleaning Services. I had the pleasure of working with Mr. Silva and his team on the restoration of my hotel La Quinta Inns & Suites Miami Cutler Ridge.

We suffered intense water damage due to a tropical storm. Mr. Silva and his team were quick in responding to the situation arriving at irregular work hours to make sure the job got completed as quickly and efficiently as possible. I recommend him and his team highly.

Throughout the course of the restoration, Mr. Silva and his team were consummate professionals. He was accurate in his initial assessment of the scale of our project. He was absolutely clear in his record keeping and time log. He chose and managed his team well. Our job was done with care and precision. In addition, he is extremely clean and tidy in the workplace. He and his assistants never left the worksite in disarray. They vacuumed all drywall dust daily.

Mr. Silva took special care to prevent any of the job dust from trailing throughout the hotel. The only complexity in working with Mr. Silva is that, as he himself will tell you; good work takes time to complete. Patience is required when you work with a perfectionist.

Best Regards,

-Ingrid Fernandez La Quinta Inns & Suites

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Rainbow International of wilmington,

Dear Mr. Owens,

Please accept this email to express my appreciation for your employee, Lenny Brown, during the recent water damage restoration service your company provided. He assisted my insurance claim through the damage assessment and dry out process. I am convinced his efforts kept our closing on schedule. His work ethic defines what customer service means to the client. I would recommend your company to friends and family.

Sincerely,

-Vince Manzi

Rainbow International of Orange County,

To Whom It May Concern:

I recently used Rainbow International for a disaster in my condo. When I was first called about the major flood at my condo, I was overwhelmed with anxiety and fear. Once I actually saw the condo and the extent of the damage, I thought for sure it was going to be nearly impossible to correct the problem. But as soon as I met Geoff Miller and Bill Schlott all my worries disappeared. They assured me there was indeed light at the end of the tunnel.

Geoff and Bill took full control of the entire disaster immediately. They explained to me every step of the way what they were doing and kept in contact with me on a daily basis. Needless to say this eased my mind. Whatever I asked of them they followed through with 100 percent. They are both outstanding gentlemen who are very trustworthy and open minded at resolving and fixing these types of problems. This perfect duo showed the utmost professionalism as well as expert skill and knowledge in completing my condo project. The job was done quickly and above and beyond my expectations. They even worked directly with my insurance company, which took a great deal of pressure off of me.

I felt the need to let you know that these two gentlemen not only show integrity and dedication, they are also extremely skilled at what they do. I would highly recommend them to anyone who finds themselves in a water, fire or smoke situation.

Sincerely,

-Lee Ann Costanzo-Sargeant

Rainbow International of New Castle,

Dear Mr. Visser,

I am writing this letter to express my deepest gratitude for the marvelous service you have provided in the person of Robert Ashton. His expertise, dedication, kindness and outstanding performance of the work in my basement is greatly appreciated. Robert is a valuable asset to your company and the service he provided was and is above and beyond my expectations. He was reliable and always on time. He was patient, calm, caring and kind, which in turn, helped me get through this difficult period.

I am deeply grateful that a company with such integrity came to my rescue at this time of great distress as a result of Hurricane Sandy. It is rare to find a company with such trustworthiness and compassion because so many companies take advantage of senior citizens, and, of course, being a woman I am vulnerable.

So I say again, thank you and God Bless.

Sincerely,

-Sylvia FIcklin

StormSurgeTM 13

Monthfranchisees of the

Paul lacasseRainbow International of Ottawa CentralOttawa, ON

Ken stefanRainbow International of E. Cuyahoga & N. Summit CountiesCleveland, OH

sep.terry Whittingham, Paul neWman and nathan isbisterRainbow International® of Edmonton Alberta, CA

jul. aug.

NEWEmployeesWe are also pleased to

announce the addition of Marla Mock to our support team.

Marla will be taking over the Upper Midwest territory of Marc

Macomber in the role of franchise consultant. Marla

will maintain an office at headquarters in Waco.

We are fortunate to have Marla join our team after a number of years directing and managing the Central Texas operations of a nationally recognized restoration, mitigation and reconstruction business. She served in the capacity of branch manager, division manager, director of operations and business development officer. Marla also has project management and contract administration experience in the construction industry.

Rainbow International® is excited to announce

Anne-Claire Collins as the new Marketing Coordinator.

A n n e - C l a i r e will graduate from

Baylor University in a few days with a Public

Relations and Marketing/Management degree.

She grew up just up the highway in Fort Worth, Texas. Anne-Claire was involved with Chi Omega sorority, a member of Alliance for Women in Media and several other organizations throughout her time at Baylor.

During her down time Anne-Claire enjoys running and has participated in a few half marathons. She loves fishing, arts and crafts, cooking, home decorating and Baylor football.

14 StormSurgeTM

ABy Heather McLeod

As the temperature outside starts to drop and people spend more time inside trying to stay warm, the potential for accidental fires from fireplaces, gas ranges and space heaters rises. According to FEMA, every year, fires during colder weather account for more than a billion dollars in property loss.

This fall, there are several new resources for your Business Development Associate to use when talking about fire with agents and adjusters. All specifically focus on things that homeowners can do to prevent fire and all serve to highlight you as the knowledge expert.

Monthly Marketing MessageOne of the monthly messages for the fourth quarter is on home fire safety and prevention. It provides some basic fire prevention tips that your insurance referral sources can share with their policyholders. Download it today from Ad Builder. You can find it under Campaigns – Monthly Marketing Message.

Social Media Each month, a list of daily social media posts is available through Rainbow International® Connection (RIC) for you to use for your business. The posts for the month of October were centered on fire damage and prevention. If you are looking for ideas for your Facebook page or Twitter account, download the file and start posting today!

You can also download Facebook timeline and thumbnail images with home fire safety graphics from Ad Builder for use on your local Facebook page. You can find the files under Campaigns – Monthly Marketing Message.

YouTube video ContentIf you haven’t been on the Rainbow International YouTube channel lately, there are several new, short videos that are

great to share with your insurance referral sources. Check out the two part series on Fire Safety and Prevention.

Emails Through Constant ContactIf you have already signed up with Constant Contact for email marketing, the two-part fire safety and prevention videos, as well as the corresponding monthly marketing message, have been built into pre-made emails for you to send to your agents and adjusters. If you are not using Constant Contact, sign up today via constantcontact.com and email your password to the Marketing Department to be set up with Rainbow International email templates.

As you can see from the chart below, the fire safety and prevention video emails mentioned above performed better and saw higher open and click through rates than the averages seen by Rainbow International franchisees that sent emails via Constant Contact in October.

There are a variety of different resources available to you to on fire damage, safety and prevention. Take advantage of them and use them this month when out on sales calls. •

Have any ideas for new resources? Contact the Rainbow International Marketing Department today!

FireInto the

CLICK THROUGH RATEOPEN RATE

37%

38%

12%

25%

ALL OCTObER FRANCHIsEE CONsTANT

CONTACT EmAILs

RAINbOw FRANCHIsE HOmE FIRE PREvENTION

vIdEO EmAILs

Marketing Message

StormSurgeTM 15

IIf businesses were surrounded by good news all of the time public relations would be easy. But the truth is bad things happen, and we must sometimes deal with mishaps and controversy in our industry.

Have you noticed how some stories linger around forever and some others disappear after only a few days? The time it takes the story to settle directly correlates to how you combat the news. Never try to cover up or lie about something that happened. Usually if someone thinks you are lying they will dig deeper to find out what’s going on.

Be prepared for any situation by having a written plan in case of a crisis. The PR team at the corporate office can help to customize your plan.

Consider all the possible things that could go wrong within the restoration industry.

Appoint a spokesperson from your office that can stay calm in the midst of pressure or questions from customers and the media.

Be optimistic and look for the good in the situation. Stay calm and tell the customer or media the positive changes that will come out of the situation.

Keep customers, employees and suppliers in the loop during the entire situation. Staying quiet will only fuel rumors and panic within your business.

Research. Take note of how other companies have handled their selves during a crisis. Relate their crisis to your business and think about how you would have dealt with it.

If the crisis is big enough to reach the press you will need the corporate office to prepare a statement. Reporters will find the story if you hide it from them, and you may not like how they portray you.

Get to the press first so you can have a hand in what will be portrayed. You could even use your website to get your side of the story to the public.

It is important to contact your franchise consultant and PR team as soon as something arises. We are here to help you every step of the way. •

mirrorS&By Mandi Clark

12

456

RemembeR316 StormSurgeTM

StormSurgeTM 17

TOPtop gun®Rainbow International®

Weekly reports & fees must be received at World Headquarters by Wednesday of the following week. Quarterly financial statements must be received at World Headquarters by 15th of the following month.

AdmirAl T. Whittingham / N. Isbister / P. Newman (Edmonton, AB) $3,581,725Dean & Christina Maillot (Calgary, AB) $3,525,539Aaron Fischer / Jeremiah Butler (Fredericksburg, VA) $1,705,447John Wheeler (Greenville, SC) $1,129,667Kelly Olson (Kansas City, MO) $1,024,370Rob & Tuesday Hanavan (Cincinnati, OH) $887,304Keith Delong / Jonas Rice / Phil McAlister (Knoxville, TN) $869,170Reed Mattingly (Columbia, SC) $858,997

CAPTAiN Charles Blackburn (Midlothian, VA) $574,079Joe Schwebach & Joel Christensen (Sioux Falls, SD) $567,757Jason & Shelley Barck (Des Moines, IA) $567,245Gary Johnson (Springville, PA) $553,147Kevin, Joy & Shelly Beirne (Davenport, IA) $513,127Chris Hamilton / Ben Gervais (Tacoma, WA) $500,152Joseph Shrock (Danville, OH) $499,654Kenneth Stefan (Cleveland, OH) $434,152

COmmANdEr Boo & Carolyn White (Bozeman, MT) $420,999Russ Regan (Bohemia, NY) $415,713Jim, Cathy & James Neal (Waukegan, IL) $396,871Ryan & Rebecca Hill (Vancouver Island, BC) $382,660Ben Sutton (Erie, PA) $375,409Jeff Bennett (Jackson, MS) $370,563Bob Wilson (Joliet, IL) $368,357Mike O’Connor / Cliff Turner (Grande Prairie, AB) $367,543

liEUTENANT George Corley / Carl Castrogivanni (Centereach, NY) $365,614Terry & Jill Jennings (Ottawa, IL) $362,247Roger Goertz (Houston, TX) $360,704Paul Lacasse (Ottawa, ON) $334,648Chris Camp / Mike Miller (Tampa, FL) $316,462Troy Boor (Troy, VA) $316,224Henry Lechuga & Kellie Jonas (Escondido, CA) $314,849

FrANCHiSEES CLOSE TO TOP GUN STATUS Bob Cobb (Rochester, NY) $312,021Jim & Carol Deal (Chandler, AZ) $307,081Brad Massoletti (Fort Worth, TX) $306,123Joseph Smith, Jr. (Madison Heights, MI) $306,097Brian & Barb Eckelkamp (Washington, MO) $290,326Robert Bevacqua (Lake Forest, CA) $281,427Raymond French & Ryan Blackwell (Pensacola, FL) $277,740Jay Van Deusen (Bel Air, MD) $268,394Jake Elgin (Charlotte, NC) $248,948

2013 reunion recognition Top Gun FranchiseesTop Gun franchises are those who attain the top 10% in sales ranking. They are the few, the proud, the brave, who seek the heights of achievement. They are the goal setters and goal busters, the shining examples of our organization. They exemplify The Dwyer Group® & Rainbow International Code of Values®.

Award Year: April 29, 2012 – May 25, 2013 Top Gun & Top 40 Franchisees: April 29, 2012 – September 29, 2012

Kami Visser of Rainbow International® New Castle worked with Liberty Mutual agent Melissa Emerson at the 2011 Bone Bash party benefitting the Arthritis Foundation. The affair was held at the DuPont Country Club in Wilmington, Delaware and included spooky decorations, costume contests, an auction, music and games.

BONEHALLOWEEN

BASH

18 StormSurgeTM

40TOPRainbow International®

Sales RankingJanuary - September 2012

top 40 Franchisees

Weekly reports & fees must be received at World Headquarters by Wednesday of the following week. Quarterly financial statements must be received at World Headquarters by 15th of the following month.

T. Whittingham / N. Isbister / P. Newman (Edmonton, AB) $5,931,950Dean & Christina Maillot (Calgary, AB) $5,858,608Aaron Fischer / Jeremiah Butler (Fredericksburg, VA) $2,971,749John Wheeler (Greenville, SC) $1,824,253Kelly Olson (Kansas City, MO) $1,773,886Rob & Tuesday Hanavan (Cincinnati, OH) $1,616,024Keith Delong / Jonas Rice / Phil McAlister (Knoxville, TN) $1,523,758Reed Mattingly (Columbia, SC) $1,507,159Charles Blackburn (Midlothian, VA) $1,098,783Gary Johnson (Springville, PA) $1,057,937

Mike O’Connor / Cliff Turner (Grande Prairie, AB) $946,183Kevin, Joy & Shelly Beirne (Davenport, IA) $939,984Chris Hamilton / Ben Gervais (Tacoma, WA) $910,129Jason & Shelley Barck (Des Moines, IA) $908,745Kenneth Stefan (Cleveland, OH) $852,248Joseph Shrock (Danville, OH) $817,729Russ Regan (Bohemia, NY) $806,451Boo & Carolyn White (Bozeman, MT) $773,821Joe Schwebach & Joel Christensen (Sioux Falls, SD) $748,899Bob Wilson (Joliet, IL) $733,370

Jim, Cathy & James Neal (Waukegan, IL) $694,867Jeff Bennett (Jackson, MS) $683,189Roger Goertz (Houston, TX) $670,826Terry & Jill Jennings (Ottawa, IL) $665,339Chris Camp / Mike Miller (Tampa, FL) $650,793George Corley / Carl Castrogivanni (Centereach, NY) $632,797Ryan & Rebecca Hill (Vancouver Island, BC) $626,908Bob Cobb (Rochester, NY) $617,344Troy Boor (Troy, VA) $599,580Brad Massoletti (Fort Worth, TX) $575,987

Joseph Smith, Jr. (Madison Heights, MI) $563,559Ben Sutton (Erie, PA) $554,296Jay Van Deusen (Bel Air, MD) $552,632Paul Lacasse (Ottawa, ON) $535,986Jim & Carol Deal (Chandler, AZ) $531,181Henry Lechuga & Kellie Jonas (Escondido, CA) $518,676Robert Bevacqua (Lake Forest, CA) $515,659Mike O’Connor / Cliff Turner (Grande Prairie, AB) $512,478Brian & Barb Eckelkamp (Washington, MO) $498,974Raymond French & Ryan Blackwell (Pensacola, FL) $476,055

1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10

11.12.13.14.15.16.17.18.19.20.

21.22.23.24.25.26.27.28.29.30.

31.32.33.34.35.36.37.38.39.40.

LIEUTENANT

COmmANdER

CAPTAIN

AdmIRAL

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During General Session at Reunion this year, I used my time to share my personal keys to success as a franchise owner. If you attended Reunion, I want to provide a recap of the key points or “Keys” for review and follow-up in this article. If you did not attend, while abbreviated, I hope you are able gain some insights you find useful.

I was a franchisee with three of our brands for 11 years; we experienced quite a bit of success. I was invited to become president of one of our brands, requiring me to sell my businesses and move to Waco. Ultimately, I had the honor of serving as president of four of The Dwyer Group® brands. As I was transitioning into a new role from franchisee to brand president, I reflected on why I experienced such success in my franchise businesses. The resulting eight key elements which I labeled, in retrospect, were key tenets to my building a successful franchise business.

In this article, I list the 8 Keys below. Restating the entire presentation would be too much for a newsletter article. But I will provide a recap of the 8 Keys over the next several issues. The recap of the first key is included below.

The 8 Keys: 1. vision – When I started, I had a vision for what I wanted to build. I have no intention of overusing a popular business cliché here. In fact, when I started, I didn’t call it “vision,” that was before it had become a popular cliché. It was a picture, a strong desire of what I wanted. I got help with that picture by visiting and talking to top franchisees both before and after I opened each franchise. That action provided me with a desire, a picture and a belief in what was possible.

2. Take Control 3. Implement Systems 4. Easy to do Business with 5. Recruit Others 6. Set Targets 7. Financial Accountability 8. Be a Student

This is my personal formula for success in business. Looking back, while I certainly would like to have a few do-over or two, I really do not have any regrets. My role has changed over the years, but my formula has not. These Keys are all elements which I continue to practice today. I had the opportunity to reflect on my formula and write it down. It is my hope that you find something useful in this to shape your formula for success. Each of our top franchisees have some system or formula for success, even if they have yet to articulate it. It is a great exercise. Success is a journey and I wish you all the best. •

“My role has changed over the years, but

my formula has not.”

D

By Mike Bidwell

20 StormSurgeTM

FranChiseesneW

Jesse russoWColorado Springs, CO

Johnny, Jason & christian baiasChico, CA

greg neuvilleFort Myers Beach, FL

marK & Josh lingurarRiverside, CA

miKe & tammy davisRedmond, OR

miKe durKinWarren, NJ

glen collettiNew Hope, PA

Paul smith Henderson, NV

Warren JohnsonLubbock, TX

Justin smithLake Worth, FL

Jim barrAbilene, TX

Kevin colemanAugusta, GA

erin marcKetta & Peter simPsonUnion City, NJ

ben fontanaBaton Rouge, LA

StormSurgeTM 21

For a publicity Stunt

OnThe

hunT

By Heather McLeod

22 StormSurgeTM

BBeing proactive about attracting media attention can be a cost-effective way to get people talking about your franchise. Media coverage builds credibility for your business. Local and trade publications are often more trusted than a company’s own marketing material. Several Rainbow International® franchise owners have taken advantage of this and planned publicity stunts specifically to generate media attention.

Jay Van Deusen, owner of Rainbow International of Bel Air, used building a new office as a way to create free publicity. Van Deusen purchased land for a new office, which housed an old farmhouse. Since the farmhouse would have to be demolished in order for construction to begin, Van Deusen took the opportunity to make this simple demolition into something truly attention-worthy.

Van Deusen donated the farmhouse to the local Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company and allowed them to set a controlled burn to demolish the structure. Rainbow International turned this into an event by inviting the community and providing refreshments.

Another group of franchisees in New York and New Jersey teamed up and drew straws… to flood one of their homes. The franchisee left with the short end of the stick was Jason Brown. Brown let a crew of owners and service professionals flood his home with hundreds of gallons of water, all for the purpose of showing that the Rainbow International method of water removal and drying does not require structural elements of a home to be ripped out and removed.

These franchise owners got the attention of local media as well as industry trade publications. In addition, they made the most of social media by posting photos, videos, and links to any press mentions to their Facebook or Twitter pages.

When done as part of a well-developed marketing plan, publicity stunts can be another great way to highlight your franchise and capture the attention of local media and trade publications. •

when completing your 2013 marketing plan, brainstorm potential publicity stunts with your franchise consultant and your local team. Get everyone involved in thinking of new ways to attract local media attention!tip

5 Essentials for Executing a

Publicity stuntTalk to your FC. Make sure your FC knows what you are doing – they can connect you to the

appropriate people on the marketing and communications team.

Follow your brand’s system. Use the opportunity to highlight what makes your brand different

from your competitors.

Tie back to your core services. Make sure whatever you are doing relates to your business!

Capture the moment. Film and photograph the event and use the content for your local

website and social media.

Look for partners. Team up with other franchisees in your area, vendors or a charity like Ronald

McDonald House®. The more people involved, the more likely you are to get media coverage.

3.

2.

1.

4.

5.

StormSurgeTM 23

CORNeR

Rainbow International® of North Central Florida participated in the Lake Louisa 2012 Equine Obstacle Trail Challenge and Costume Contest. The event is held every year at Lake Susan National Park. This year the team won the first place ribbon for creepiest costume. •

Halloween

R

haUntsCAPITOL E-Commerce Tax Policy Could Help Small Businesses

Have you noticed most of the tax policy discussions that come from Washington focus on the individual and what the varying tax schemes could mean to household returns? It would be a breath of fresh air if the debates instead focused on how proposed tax policy changes might affect small businesses since they employ about 50 percent of private sector workers.

I would encourage you as a small business owner to make sure your representative focuses on tax policy ideas that would stimulate growth, such as a sales tax on retail transactions conducted on the Internet. Forrester Research estimates U.S. e-commerce sales at $210

billion in 2012. Applying a 9 percent tax to those transactions yields $18.9 billion.

Imagine if the federal government could raise revenues on an untapped area,

so more tax deductions, credits and lower rates could be offered to small businesses facilitating job creation and an expanded tax base. •

By Les Hanks

... tax deductions, credits and lower rates

could be offered to small businesses.

H

E

Rainbow International® of North Central Florida participated in the Lake Louisa 2012 Equine Obstacle Trail Challenge and Costume Contest. The event is held every year at Lake Susan National Park. This year the team won the first place ribbon for creepiest costume. •

In honor of Fire Safety Month the Rainbow International® and Mr. Electric® marketing and communications teams visited a local pre-kindergarten class.

r-Zees forFranchisees Helping Franchiseesr-Zees

stop, Drop and roll!

Every year at Reunion the R-Zees for R-Zees committee organizes a fundraiser to help raise donations for struggling franchisees with Reunion expenses. Since the program began the fund has helped a few franchisees with expenses that would otherwise not have been able to attend Reunion. This year, the R-Zees for R-Zees fund helped eight franchisees attend the 2012 Reunion.

The franchisees that are given help from the fund understand that it is not a handout; they are receiving a hand-up, as is proven by the support and assistance they give in return to others going forward. Each hand-up is an opportunity to help build another successful Rainbow International® franchise. The assistance includes, but is not limited

to: travel expenses related to Reunion, emergency or crisis related events and mentoring travel expenses.

This year at the Reunion the R-Zees for R-Zees committee was blessed to be able to add an additional $3,743 to its fund, thanks to the generosity of those in attendance at Reunion who opened their hearts to help others. The R-Zees for R-Zees Committee would like to say thank you to everyone that donated to this worthy cause, making it possible to help more franchisees attend Reunion next year.

If you have a desire to learn more about the R-Zees for R-Zees Committee, please call Cathy Stanton at 800-583-9100 ext. 2423 or email her at cathy.stanton@dwyergroup.com. •

StormSurgeTM 25

26 StormSurgeTM

R

rainbow internationaL® Secures aLLState® As A National Account

Rainbow International recently entered into a Professional Services Agreement with Allstate®, the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer.

Under the agreement, the Rainbow International franchise network will provide loss mitigation and restoration services related to water, fire and smoke damage services to Allstate policyholders.

“Rainbow International and its franchisees take pride in utilizing cutting edge loss mitigation and restoration technology along with use of the most up to date equipment available in the restoration industry,” said Frank Aucoin, Director of National Accounts for Rainbow International.

“This opportunity allows these two companies to join forces and bring customers an even higher level of service when they need it most.” •

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RB Training:January 14-18January 21-25Ferbruary 11Ferbruary 12-15Ferbruary 18-22Ferbruary 25-March 1March 4-8March 11-15March 18-22

U.S. Holidays: January 1

2013 CALENDAR EVENTSFebruary March

January

what kind of weather do turkeys and rainbow international® like?

Foul Weather!