In our fast-paced world, we are constantly bombarded with new ideas, innovations and questions. Where do we turn for information about our business, our employees and our customers? This month we delve into a search for sources of information about our industry.  

Question: We are a three-year-old company, and we frequently encounter questions across a wide range of topics. Our usual approach is to post these inquiries on social media in hopes of receiving timely responses. What are your thoughts on this method of obtaining answers in our industry?

Answer: None of us have all of the answers. We admire your willingness to rely on others to assist with your questions. We can learn a great deal from others — from their successes and from their mistakes. However, we suggest expanding your knowledge base beyond social media posts to obtain “quick answers” by taking advantage of other resources containing valuable industry information.

Here are some sources we have found to be valuable for portable sanitation contractors.

PRO and Pumper magazine libraries and social media

These magazines are excellent resources for accessing years of industry knowledge. Did you know that you have online access to every issue of PRO magazine since 2007 and every issue of Pumper magazine since 2008?

The search option on their websites (www.promonthly.com and www.pumper.com) allows you to find articles on various topics including basic operations, best practices, customer service, new products and current issues, just to name a few. Your questions can be answered professionally and accurately with years of shared experience from PROs and research from the reporting staff. You can also see advancements and changes in the approach to various challenges over the years. 

Company profile articles can offer insights, valuable information and inspiration. You can learn from these companies’ experiences, and you might even consider contacting them directly if you have additional questions based on their shared information.

You can find this information and more on other social media applications. On Facebook, “PRO Magazine – Serving Portable Restroom Operators” has a large following. Instagram (@promonthy) and X (formerly Twitter) are quite popular (@ProMonthly). Again, you can find more detailed information and answers to questions concerning our industry.

Industry supplier resources

Suppliers interact with multitudes of PROs and, over the course of time, have developed materials to answer common questions and to assist companies where needed. Here are several examples of the vast amount of information available to assist in your quest for knowledge and answers.

PolyJohn offers JohnTalk, a newsletter with current and topical information on our industry (www.johntalk.com). This publication began in 2017 and now has a large collection of 432 entries containing industry-specific facts and figures. As with PRO and Pumper, the “search” feature is valuable in your investigation of particular topics. There are also manuals available for use by PROs that cover topics such as marketing your business, finding and keeping good employees, best practices, and even a guide to starting your own portable restroom business. Templates are available for sample rental contracts, applications for employment, inventory forms and truck maintenance and safety inspection reports that are useful information for PROs to investigate.

Satellite Industries (www.satelliteindustries.com) also offers helpful and useful information for PROs. Satellite’s website offers planning tools such as route scheduling, special event pricing, product maintenance and a restroom calculator for determining the correct number of units at an event. Its blog, The Weekly Download, has a large collection of useful information and tips that are helpful in answering questions PROs may have.    

ServiceCore (www.servicecore.com) features information on its website from a blog to case studies to its new ToiletTalk series of 32 video podcasts. Recently, ServiceCore compiled its 2022 Portable Sanitation Industry Benchmark Report from collected data from operator interviews and surveys. This report allows operators to evaluate their operation in comparison to other companies, to investigate areas to increase revenue and to look at important topics such as industry growth and supply chain challenges. A new Benchmark Report is in the planning stages. ServiceCore has also developed four eBooks for PROs to use – Driver Playbook, Routing Playbook, Billing Playbook and Starting a Business Playbook.

These are just some examples of sources of useful information that offer more in-depth and descriptive information when a simple post on social media cannot adequately cover or explain. Check with your suppliers and you will find that in addition to their product lines and descriptions, they also provide useful general information for PROs.

Portable Sanitation Association International

The association (www.psai.org) was founded in 1971 and the website features a large collection of information. PSAI is the face of our industry to the public, local regulators and the federal government in the U.S. The PSAI also interacts with other organizations worldwide.

Education, training and certification are major areas of focus, and the website has a collection of material — both written and video — to assist PROs in training and retaining employees. The complete PSAI Training and Certification Programs are soon to be available online and on-demand, increasing the number of route service technicians that can be certified.

The Industry Library has a collection of articles and information ranging from best practices to templates on the cost of doing business to the new ANSI Standards that the PSAI has provided input and support. The Glossary contains 197 entries and is a valuable training tool and an excellent resource to find a quick definition of unfamiliar industry terminology. The biweekly newsletter is sent electronically to all members covering current issues, training opportunities and industry education as the primary focus. The PSAI also prepares the annual Industry Resource Directory that contains ANSI, OSHA and ADA standards that guide our industry, best practices, and a member directory of both operators and suppliers.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Learning about our industry is an ongoing and neverending process. Sometimes we need quick answers, and we create a post on a social media page and often get rapid responses. Most answer the question based on best practices, but some do not, while others are just plain incorrect. Frequently, answers also involve the discussion of prices and pricing, which is in direct violation of U.S. antitrust laws.

The purpose of our column this month was to introduce PROs to more reliable and in-depth sources to obtain answers to questions. These sources are professional, reputable, and based on sound knowledge and years of experience. Our best advice is to keep asking those questions and your company, your employees, and your customers will benefit from the answers.