SIMON Testa, managing director of Stainbusters Cleaning and Hygiene, which is described as a specialist in hard floor cleaning and resilient floor refurbishment, had been in the carpet cleaning, upholstery, curtains and rug industry for about 20 years. But because the market had become saturated, he felt he needed to move into something new – resilient and hard floor cleaning. And he preferred the idea of refurbishment ‘rather than ripping out old floors and replacing them which has a much more harmful impact on the environment’.

Part of the process led him to become a Bona certified contractor. But as to how he came to work with the company, he says Bona ‘had the perfect solution’ and that he ‘was looking for a flooring company that provided environmentally conscious products and services’.

The move refined
Of course, learning a new trade takes time and on this Simon says he went on a Bona training course and used its technical support to learn more. The course gave him a full introduction to the system including full floor renewal and maintenance processes.

Doing a job properly isn’t easy – everyone in flooring knows that. And from Simon’s perspective, he sees several challenges relating to floor renewal. One that is key is ‘getting the many stages of the process in the right order to maximise the timing to ensure minimum disruption for the customer’.

For him, it’s important to follow the correct sequence and methodology so the result is perfect.
He states that ‘it takes a lot of care and expertise to renew flooring in sections and to ensure a perfect colour match and finish’.

Not unsurprisingly, he has come across examples of work where contractors have tried to cut corners and have used sub-standard products. This is why he says ‘if the process isn’t carried out correctly and if low quality products are used, it will result in an inferior finish which will quickly deteriorate and won’t withstand wear and tear from usage and traffic’.

Growth
Apart from a range of services for carpets, upholstery and hard floors, as well as a floor renewal service, Simon says that the business also offers hard floor restoration that includes marble, travertine, limestone, porcelain, and other natural stones.

He mostly caters for the commercial sector and covers the whole of the UK. But naturally, travel undertaken is dependent on the size and nature of the job.

He says ‘the business has grown over the years from referrals, recommendations and building new relationships’.

And for the larger scale projects, he works with a few trusted subcontractors ‘who are specialist in what they do’.

Notably, Simon says ‘owing to the nature of the floor renewal service we are starting to get a lot of interest from new customers seeking environmentally friendly solutions as well as an affordable and cost-effective alternative’.

Because of this, the company actively promotes its services through social media, networking opportunities including LinkedIn and targeted online marketing campaigns.

Restoration
The demand for floor restoration and refurbishment is, says Simon ‘constantly growing’ as organisations are becoming more aware of their environmental responsibilities and impact.

Indeed, he says schools and healthcare now have CO2 targets. On top of that, he says that the current economic climate means that ‘organisations are looking for new and innovative ways to save money and meet their industry targets. Floor renewal is perfectly suited to many sectors including schools, hospitals, care homes, retail, commercial and so on – all of which use resilient flooring extensively’.
www.stainbusterscleaning.co.uk
NEXT MONTH: Part two of our interview with Simon.