ICPA"S Letter from the Founder

As we are all aware, Small businesses have many and often unique obstacles that differ from their larger
counterparts that they must overcome on a daily basis i.e. marketing, purchasing and administrative. Often
these obstacles equate to three (3) simple factors - Time, Money and Numbers!

By virtue of being small businesses will lose out on the power to command respect from manufactures and
larger vendors to obtain premium pricing that is available to the larger companies and franchises.

Why? Let's face it - it is a fact….. Why would any company/ sales person want to work hard for 500 smaller
customers when they can work hard for just one customer who has the combined buying power of all of the
other 500. Everyone wants to score that one big sale that equates to the sale of the century. Since small
businesses typically do not have the time or manpower to deal with drawn out processes they usually do not
get the pricing afforded larger companies that have the resources to manage the process and negotiations.

Depressing you say……………. Yes it is. So what can be done to change this? The simple answer is to join
forces with businesses like your own. By joining forces, and combining numbers these small businesses will
have one voice, a unified voice of purchasing power.

What we at Independent Cleaners Association are offering is a chance for smaller business to unite to
regain the time, numbers and money that we need to grow our businesses and to realize the fuller potential
that is available to us. Join us and begin to be heard!

Allow this association to aid you by doing the following -

1) Soliciting other businesses to join into the purchasing alliance ~ as of 5/19/06 we are 96 companies
strong in the alliance

2) Negotiating cost savings to pass on to our members ~ As of 5/19/06 we have 13 vendors working with us
for discounted pricing on equipment and supplies.

Here is a recent example shown on our bulletin board of savings -
" I recently had the pleasure of quoting the ICPA prices to a member who was already using some of the
products that our vendors carry before becoming an ICPA member. He stated that he was currently Already
getting a 15% discount on this product from his local rep. When we compared pricing; the difference in cost
per case that he was paying with his exsisting discount to what he would pay being an ICPA member it came
to a difference of $28.98!!! The savings on 1 case alone of this product that he uses everyday comes to Just
$1.02 less than the membership into ICPA for new members!! Now tell me, Isn't it worth the cost of
membership to save like that all of the time?"

3) Stream lining ordering to save time and energy thus freeing personnel to do other things for your
business ~ With Our "Purchasing Requisition" members can have the alliance solicit bids for items not
currently offered by our vendors for them, freeing them from the work of seeking the best pricing.

Sincerley

Theresa Peterson
Owner - Quality cleaning Maid to Order House Cleaning (established 1986)
Founder Independent Cleaners Purchasing Alliance (ICPA)
Original Co founder (retired) Of Global Cleaning Association