Cleanfax: Rest in Peace
by Jeff Cross, executive editor
After more than 30 years,
Cleanfax is ceasing publication… Why? The corporate entity that owns the
Cleanfax brand has decided to exit the cleaning and restoration industries.
I’ve been with
Cleanfax for nearly 15 years. It’s been a good run.
What happened?
As you can see with virtually all print media companies, pages are disappearing. Newspapers and magazines have been decreasing in size and many of them have suffered and some have even shut down. Some have seen the future and made the smart move — they have gone digital, utilizing online media publishing options to continue. And even to thrive.
As for seeing pages decrease, that’s happened to
Cleanfax. When I joined
Cleanfax as editor, we were enjoying between 80 and 100 pages on average. But as the digital age continued to impact how people - like you - demand to receive information, the pages of
Cleanfaxbegan to shrink. If you look at the last print issue (November, 2016) you see a measly 34 pages if you count the front and back covers.
But with online/digital publishing,
Cleanfax did see the future. I’ve been publishing much more editorial content online and in electronic newsletters than print, and we have seen ad revenue climb with digital sales.
So why not just go digital? Why not cease publishing Cleanfax as a print magazine and keep moving forward with what works in the media world today: Digital publishing. The bottom line is it wasn't the vision of those who own the
Cleanfax brand.
Now there’s a huge media void, an information gap. It's a void created by the exit of
Cleanfax — a void of covering both cleaning and restoration with an unbiased, professional approach. Yes, it’s true you have online forums such as Mikey's Board and TruckMountForums, and they do provide information to you. I enjoy them as well. I go over there once in a while for a friendly beating.
A little history
As many of you know, I was in publishing (I worked for a daily newspaper) before I started my carpet cleaning and restoration company. Ten years later, I caught the journalistic bug again and started to write for John Downey, the founder of
Cleanfax, and eventually sold my company and went back to work in the media as editor of
Cleanfax.
I began training and consulting, launching Totally Booked University and also became an
IICRC-approved instructor. A busy life but I really enjoy helping others as much as I can.
The media and publishing editorial content for cleaners and restorers is in my blood.
What’s next?
I plan to ignite and carry the editorial torch that was
Cleanfax. If you are reading this, then you can see what's next:
CleanDryMedia and a variety of editorial products to provide cleaners and restorers the information they need. It will have news, technical tips, cleaning and restoration management and marketing feature articles… even some cool cleaning and restoration surveys to provide you with valuable data and statistics. An online media company wouldn't be complete without product showcases to keep you informed as to what you need for your companies.
And there's much more.
You will soon see in your inbox the CleanDryMedia
Insider, a weekly e-newsletter, that will be editorial focused for both cleaners and restorers. And to keep you up-to-date on products and services that industry manufacturers, distributors and consultants offer, stay tuned for the CleanDryMedia
Partner News.
An all-encompassing digital-only media company for the combined cleaning and restoration industries.
When will this happen? Soon. I'm putting the finishing touches on CleanDryMedia.com now and it will soon go live with fresh editorial content and digital newsletters. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss a thing.
What I look forward to is getting more creative, much like John Downey experienced in the early days of
Cleanfax. Thanks, John, for being a mentor and teaching me everything you know! Oh, and you owe me breakfast (for those that don't know this, John and I are virtually neighbors here in central Ohio - go Buckeyes!)
For now, I want to do two things:
- Thank you for being a loyal subscriber or supporter of Cleanfax and the editorial products I’ve been producing.
- Invite you to be part of CleanDryMedia as a subscriber and reader, and let me know what you want to see in regards to editorial content. I will listen. Click here for the subscription page. When you sign up, you will be redirected to a free, really cool Marketing Kit, courtesy of MarketingZoo.com
That’s the news for now. You have the details. Email or call me if you want wish to chat.
My best,
Jeff Cross
Executive Editor |CleanDryMedia.com
JeffCross@CleanDryMedia.com
(740)973-4236
