DocuSketch is committed to helping contractors succeed. The company keeps building, kept improving, and kept investing in the restoration professionals who trust us every day, it said.

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A recognized RIA partner, AnswerForce received the award at the 2026 , held April 27-29 in Savannah, Georgia. The Contractor’s Choice Awards recognize innovative products and services that empower restoration professionals to better serve their clients. Winners are selected through a voting process by restoration industry professionals.

“This award underscores how AnswerForce has always prioritized human connection, which is essential to the restoration industry,” said Shanna Ross, AnswerForce senior account executive. “When homeowners have experienced a catastrophic loss, they want to talk with a real human who can empathize with them, not an automated system. That’s exactly the service we provide to restoration professionals, allowing them to serve their clientele with compassion and understanding.”

AnswerForce provides restoration service providers, along with other service-based businesses, with a combination of robust technology and human operators, allowing them to capture leads and field inquiries around the clock.

The post AnswerForce Wins RIA Contractor’s Choice Award for Third Year Straight appeared first on Cleanfax.

“Severe weather is no longer a seasonal concern­—it’s a year-round reality impacting homes and businesses across the country,” said Jenny Lindström, First Onsite senior vice president of customer experience. “What this data shows is that while awareness is high, preparedness hasn’t kept pace. Too many people know the risks but still don’t feel ready when disaster strikes.”

As extreme weather events become more frequent, Americans are increasingly focused on the conditions that disrupt daily life, safety, and infrastructure. Extreme heat is the top concern nationally, with 70% of Americans worried about its impacts, followed by 62% who worry about winter storms. These events no longer function as seasonal inconveniences, but instead pose significant risks to property and operational continuity.

The environmental toll continues to weigh heavily on the public, with 60% of the population worried about poor air quality resulting from wildfires, and 59% concerned about the impacts of drought. Additionally, more than half of Americans fear the effects of flooding (55%), while wildfires and tornadoes cause anxiety for 52% of the population, respectively. Finally, 41% of Americans remain concerned about hurricanes.

While concern is national, the specific weather threats vary sharply by region. (See Table 1 for the full breakdown.)

• The West: Wildfire concern is highest in the West (75%), where the focus is shifting toward long-term smoke mitigation and air quality restoration—with 81% concerned about wildfire smoke, the highest figure of any region on any measure in the survey.
• The South: Hurricane anxiety peaks in the South (61%), where physical destruction remains the primary driver of the nation’s highest insurance premiums.
• The Midwest: Residents here are most concerned about winter storms (80%)—the highest single regional figure in the survey—and surging utility bills from extreme temperature swings. Most (76%) also rank tornadoes as a top worry.
• The Northeast: Flooding (59%) and winter storms (74%) top the list, alongside the high cost of major renovation and repair as a significant barrier to property resilience.

Source: First Onsite Property Restoration and Angus Reid. Bold indicates highest regional figure per row.

Financial impact is a key property concern for Americans, particularly for homeowners and businesses. The data identifies a clear hierarchy of concerns that outweigh the immediate fear of physical damage:

• 82% of Americans are concerned about rising insurance costs.
• 72% of respondents worry about the impact of power outages.
• 69% of Americans are concerned about major renovations and repair costs.
• 67% of Americans fear direct damage to their building or property.
• 65% of respondents are concerned about mold growth and indoor air quality.
• 53% of Americans worry about decreased property value.

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Meanwhile, this month, that will increase the state’s . The state’s current minimum wage of $12.77 per hour, which took effect Jan. 1, will rise to $13.75 per hour on Jan. 1, 2027, and then to $15 per hour on Jan. 1, 2028. Beginning in 2029, the wage will be adjusted annually to reflect changes in the consumer price index.

However, also this month in seeking to raise the minimum wage did not make it out of committee. Louisiana’s minimum wage mirrors the federal level, which remains at $7.25. Additionally, last year,  raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $20 an hour, but the bill failed in a House subcommittee in February. That same to increase the state’s minimum wage to $16 an hour, but the legislation has failed to gain traction. The minimum wage in Kansas also matches the federal minimum wage rate of $7.25 an hour.

On the other hand, in March a for raising the minimum wage to $30 an hour for large businesses by 2030 and to $29 an hour for small businesses by 2031. The legislation, under consideration by the City Council, would nearly double the citywide minimum wage—which increased to $17 in January. The proposed minimum wage law would affect more than 1 million workers, according to a .

If passed, New York City would have the highest minimum wage in the country, surpassing cities such as Denver, which currently has a minimum wage of $18.81 per hour; Washington, D.C., with a minimum wage of $17.95; and Flagstaff, Arizona, where the minimum wage is $17.85, . California hospitality workers also that raised the minimum wage for fast-food workers.

As , earlier this year a proposed plan by Maryland lawmakers could raise the minimum wage to $25 by 2030, up from $15. Additionally, in introduced legislation to raise the state’s minimum wage to $11 per hour by Jan. 1, 2027, a significant increase from the current $8.75 per hour. In February, also proposed to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour with a scheduled path to reach $20 per hour by 2030. Wisconsin’s minimum wage currently matches the federal minimum wage.

Earlier this year, were introduced in Missouri and Nebraska that would lower the minimum wage for minors.

Looking to the future, on June 16, on whether to raise the state minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour by 2029.

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However, apologies might not always be the best policy. Researchers conducted five experiments, including a large-scale field experiment, which demonstrated that apologies backfire when consumers are not aware of the failure.

Apologies decrease consumer satisfaction, trust, recommendation intentions, and repeat patronage behavior, the researchers found, because apologies increase awareness that a failure occurred.

Furthermore, apologies backfire for both mild and severe failures when room to increase awareness of the failure is available. Additionally, apologies backfire over notifications about a service failure. Although both apologies and notifications increase awareness of the aspect of the service experience that was a failure, apologies uniquely increase awareness that this constituted a failure.

Beyond increasing awareness, apologies backfire by decreasing perceived service quality and competence.

However, apologies also increase perceived warmth and honesty, the researchers found. Consequently, apologizing can be beneficial when consumers are already aware of a failure because apologies are less likely to backfire and more likely to enhance positive perceptions of the firm.

The researchers believe these findings challenge the conventional wisdom that apologies are always the best policy when something goes wrong and provide insight into when to apologize.

The post Are Apologies for a Service Failure Always the Best Policy? appeared first on Cleanfax.

The 2025 increase in job market optimism came entirely from nonremote-capable, fully on-site workers, while optimism dropped for fully remote and remote-capable, fully on-site workers.

However, job market optimism fell sharply last year in the United States and Canada. The United States/Canada region is now second-to-last in regional job market rankings. Since 2019, this region has fallen 23 points, from 70% to 47%.

U.S. business media reported on a “no hire, no fire” job climate for most of 2025, Gallup said. to official jobs numbers also found that the U.S. added only 181,000 jobs last year, down from the 1.5 million the year before.

When employees feel they have a choice in their work, Gallup found they are nearly 50% more likely to say it’s a good time to find a job. This belief holds across every region of the world. As technologies like artificial intelligence reshape the world of work, upskilling will likely be an essential part of employee hope for the future.

The post On-site Workers Gaining Employment Optimism appeared first on Cleanfax.

This course delivers immediate, real-world value for attendees by helping them:

• Participate in hands-on learning demonstrations.
• Strengthen expertise in building science and moisture dynamics.
• Improve accuracy in inspections and moisture detection.
• Reduce costly errors in restoration projects.
• Enhance credibility through industry-recognized certification.
• Gain practical knowledge that can be applied immediately in the field.

MCRA continues its mission of connecting restoration professionals and advancing industry standards through high-quality education, shared expertise, and a commitment to excellence.

Whether you’re looking to improve job performance, reduce risk, or stand out in a competitive market, this certification delivers real, actionable value. Spots are limited so secure your place today. For more information or to register, click .

The post MCRA’s Building Moisture Inspection Certification Course appeared first on Cleanfax.

This course delivers immediate, real-world value for attendees by helping them:

• Participate in hands-on learning demonstrations.
• Strengthen expertise in building science and moisture dynamics.
• Improve accuracy in inspections and moisture detection.
• Reduce costly errors in restoration projects.
• Enhance credibility through industry-recognized certification.
• Gain practical knowledge that can be applied immediately in the field.

MCRA continues its mission of connecting restoration professionals and advancing industry standards through high-quality education, shared expertise, and a commitment to excellence.

Whether you’re looking to improve job performance, reduce risk, or stand out in a competitive market, this certification delivers real, actionable value. Spots are limited so secure your place today. For more information or to register, click .

The post Advance Your Expertise with MCRA’s Building Moisture Inspection Certification Course appeared first on Cleanfax.

With more than 40 years of experience, Specht brings a deep and well-rounded understanding of the trades, having worked across nearly every facet—from a family-owned contracting business to national service providers, manufacturing, and private equity.

Specht began his career in his family’s plumbing business on the west side of Cincinnati, becoming a Master Plumber in his early 20s. His hands-on experience includes drain cleaning, plumbing service, and commercial new construction. During the course of his career, he has held a wide range of leadership roles including foreman, plumbing manager, zone manager, sales manager, vice president of operations, president, and chief operating officer.

He has also contributed his expertise to several respected organizations, including Kohler Co., Roto-Rooter, and Carr Supply—a Winsupply company.

One of Specht ’s most notable accomplishments came during his tenure with The Waterworks, where he worked alongside founder Thom Havens to help grow the company from a US$3.5 million operation in 1997 to more than $20 million in revenue by 2021. During this time, he developed a strong foundation in operational excellence, leadership development, and financial management.

Specht brings extensive expertise in profit and loss management, budgeting and forecasting, balance sheet analysis, and KPI development. He is known for helping businesses improve margins, strengthen cash flow, and connect field activity to financial performance through disciplined processes and data-driven decision making.

“I chose Violand because it truly feels like the right place for me,” Specht said. “Throughout my career, I’ve developed a deep appreciation for the people in this industry and the work they do every day. I wanted to be part of an organization where integrity matters, where experience is used to serve others, and where the goal is to help businesses and people become better. Violand’s mission and values align closely with my own, and I’m excited to contribute in a meaningful way.”

Specht’s coaching style is grounded, strategic, and practical, with a strong emphasis on collaboration, accountability, and leadership development. He is known for his ability to balance hands-on guidance with empowering teams to execute independently once expectations are clearly defined.

“We’re proud to continue adding experienced leaders like David to our team,” said John Monroe, Violand’s director of consulting. “His depth of industry knowledge, operational expertise, and commitment to helping others succeed make him a valuable addition to Violand and to the clients we serve.”

The post Violand Management Associates Adds David Specht as Business Advisor appeared first on Cleanfax.

Validated targets refer to ​decarbonization and emissions reduction goals developed ​by the SBTi, which provides a framework ⁠for companies to establish and validate these ​targets.

By the end of 2025, 9,764 companies had validated science-based targets. Over the same period, the number of companies with validated net-zero targets grew even faster, rising by 61%.

Key report findings include:

• A 40% increase in companies with validated science-based targets in 2025.
• Asia is the fastest-growing region (+53%), now expanding at a scale comparable to Europe.
• Strong sectoral growth led by healthcare, information technology, and materials. The healthcare sector grew 76% year-over-year in science-based targets.
• Europe accounts for the highest number of companies with targets overall, at 49% of all targets, followed closely by Asia at 36%, and then North America at 11%.

Japan continued to lead as the territory with the highest total number of companies with validated targets, with 2,091 at the end of 2025, followed by the United Kingdom (1,363) and the United States (943).

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