Sorry - Just Not Technical Enough…!

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

Apparently our Seminars are just not technical enough – this was a comment from an unnamed source from one of our legislative environmental groups -  when asked why he wasn’t attending our seminar in March. He had actually been told by his superiors - not to attend

Well forgive me for taking offence – but – surely we all need to be talking about the issues relating to release of a bio-control agent. Let’s get people to discuss non native species – let’s broaden the dialogue and get developers and local authorities educated.

I believe that part of the problem with our Governing bodies that they are all too bloody insular. Unless you are actually in DEFRA or spend weeks ploughing through their tedious website – it’s very very difficult to keep track of what’s going on and what decisions are being made.

The majority of the general population doesn’t even know that DEFRA exists, let alone what it stands for or even what it does. When one attends conferences and seminars held by these ‘boffins’ very few people attend and those that do – already know about the issues and probably wrote a thesis on the subject.

Yet - when the Public were consulted about the potential release of the Psyllid aphid – only 66 people responded….and three of those were from Japanese Knotweed Solutions!

So FORGIVE me if I’m not technical enough - but we have seventy people coming to our seminar – which is four more than responded to the Public consultation.

Sorry for the rant – but I’m disappointed that our legislative bodies are so narrow minded.

Wouldn’t it have been a perfect opportunity to broaden the audience and get the message out amongst a different set of people? Rather than just talking to yourselves – get out amongst the people that pay your wages.

Mike C

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Mike Clough – the brand…

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

So who am I?

I’m just a man who’s intentions are good – please don’t let me be misunderstood… - I think that may be a song lyric – but it sums me up.

I seem to have managed to cultivate an image of being a hard nosed business man – …but it wasn’t always that way…

fading lights and dreamy music…

I originally studied to gain a degree Landscape Architecture, then did a Post Graduate Diploma in Landscape Design.

Whilst doing the Post grad course I decided to set up a Design and Build practice and began to carry out high quality Design works throughout the UK. The company expanded to eventually have a team of 6 landscape Architects and 18 site based lads.

As part of the package we offered maintenance work on all of our sites – it was at this time that I began to study invasive non-native plants. I travelled throughout the UK talking about the problems alien species caused – and getting a feel for the issues surrounding invasives.

It quickly became clear to me that alien species were here to stay - and here to cause major problems for construction….

I gained a reputation as being Mr Japanese Knotweed …and so I set up Japanese Knotweed Solutions.

The same lads that had worked for me carrying our landscape works had all the required skills to tackle invasive weeds – chemical treatment and spray certificates, machine licenses, rope access, chain saw license holders – so it was an easy change of direction…

So really I’m just a bloke who saw a problem – and thought – that’s going to become an issue!

The rest is history.

Mike C

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Japanese Knotweed Solutions – So what is it that you do??

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

Believe it or not I still get asked that question!

I get introduced as ‘this is Mike Clough of Japanese Knotweed Solutions’ and the response is …. ‘so.. what is it that you do?’.

I have taken to answering in my Tony Soprano voice – … ‘I’m in waste management’ or my favourite .. ‘I kill things’….

I have been doing a lot of internet work recently and adding myself onto the likes of ‘linked-in’ (Facebook for grown ups) and Twitter (an outlet for egotists) – but none of these has a section that describes what I do for a living….

I keep wanting to type ‘I kill things’ but there isn’t a box for that particular description….

I don’t consider myself part of an Environmental Group.

I don’t consider myself a Construction Company.

I’m not a Landscaper.

I don’t do Maintenance.

Maybe I need to start a whole new business section under a separate banner – Natural Born Killers – they could make a film about my exploits??

Mike C

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So what do we have planned for 2010??…

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

Well without giving too much away – 2010 may well be an interesting year.

We are all waiting with baited breath to see if the Government will approve the release of the Psyllid aphid?

Will this be the silver bullet that the boffins are expecting (sorry Dick Shaw if you are reading this!)..?

For those of you that read the blog you will have noticed a change in my perspective on the aphid release – my initial doubts have been assuaged – and replaced by a genuine excitement. I don’t think it’s the answer – but I think it’s going to help – and I think it will be a real godsend to those plagued by JK who have no budget – watch this space – or attend our seminar in March (for details contact Suzanne at JKSL – 0161 723 2000)

As MD of Japanese Knotweed Solutions, I believe we must be supportive of any strategy that provides a ‘Solution’ even if its just one of many solutions available.

We are also waiting with baited breath to see results to our on going field tests of a new ‘green’ strategy – based on composting of rhizome and surface growth of Japanese Knotweed – to produce an inert material capable of being re-used as mulch – watch this space.

The ‘MeshTech’ system continues to produce amazing results on site – we await confirmation of our biggest project to date using the system - which if approved will make a huge difference to 2010….

…SO…all in all an exciting prospect.

Mike C

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Life - Doesn’t get any Easier…

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

Bit of a dig at one or two clients here – so you may wish to avert your eyes!

How about the customer who signs a contract with a payment term of 21 days then – and only then – when the invoice has been overdue for a week – tells us that their …. ‘Accounting system has been changed and they can’t pay us for another 45 days’. So we are looking at over 70 days after invoice before we see a penny…

Strange that their accounting system has been changed three times already this year…..

Duuh – how is a small to medium business supposed to grow!

The Quantity Surveyor (clear throat and spit) tells our accounts department that … ‘there is no point you going down the legal route’… because…. ‘by the time papers have been served – you will have been paid’.

At the other end of the supplier chain – my plant hire company and the tip to which the contaminated material has been sent – all require to be paid when due….on time…. or they wont continue to trade with us.

It appears as if the end client has no requirement to honour his obligations - ….yet still expects us to jump on the next project.

So here at Japanese Knotweed Solutions - it appears that…. we ….are funding the economic growth of the United Kingdom….

Mike C

Ps Anyone wishing to know the name of the client…give me a call 07766 901901

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New Year Message from Japanese Knotweed Solutions Ltd

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

Well… 2009 has been an interesting and challenging year – people leaving, people joining, people emigrating – and some people just getting plain OLD (that would be me!).

However, at the end of the day I can safely say that I am looking forward to a positive 2010.

We have a great team here at JKSL….and I mean that sincerely!

…and I am looking forward to working with each and every member of the team in the New Year and seeing how we can develop in the coming months. There will be good days and there will be challenging days but its all about having a positive mentality and knowing that we are the best.

We may not win every job going - but we know that we do the right job for the right price and keep to our core values. Our mission statement is to be … ‘the number one service provider in the industry’ and we continue to be on target for that goal.

I cannot guarantee that the country will leap out of difficult times in 2010 – but I can guarantee that whatever the future holds we will be ready and able to face the challenges with enthusiasm and a smile.

Lets all have a Happy AND Prosperous New Year.

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A. Is it Going to Happen - Follow up

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

…..and the answer to the Christmas Quiz.

Out of 70 million people…….

The number of people that responded was….

66

…and out of the 66, 31 were in favour and 35 were broadly against.

However it wasn’t a vote, but simply a consultation.

The final decision lies with the Government who will decide over the next few weeks with the result being made public in the New Year.

Watch this space.

Mike C

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Cheap and Nasty…

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

What a great word – Cheap !

What a way to advertise your services – we are cheap…

Well I’ve got to be honest, I’m 48 and if there is one thing I’ve found in life …it’s that you get what you pay for.

Cars, food, clothes, shoes - even accountants.…you name it…if its cheap….then its cheap for a reason.

My mother always used to swear by Marks and Spencer – saying that it was good quality – you could tell it was good because you could wash the clothes repeatedly and they stood up to the test of time.

Obviously in the world of invasive weed eradication there is massive scope of cutting corners (if you are unscrupulous). There is massive scope for saying that a plant is dead when actually it is still alive beneath the soil surface….

I have even known certain companies to take credit for Japanese Knotweed losing its leaves….. – in Winter - !!!! – (in case you didn’t know…. it does that EVERY year!!!)

So take my advice, if you see an advert on Google saying that a company is cheap….stay well away.

Here at Japanese Knotweed Solutions we don’t say that we are cheap, we have even been called expensive by some companies. BUT as with the recent banking fiasco – IF……a company is giving a service away for little or no margin – IT CANNOT BE SUSTAINABLE!!!!

The whole point of being in an industry that deals with invasive species that are capable of lying dormant, capable of re-growth from tiny fragments, or in the case of Giant Hogweed or Himalayan balsam – growth from seed….

…then you need a company that’s going to still be around if problems occur….

We aren’t cheap – maybe that should be our new tag line?

Mike C

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Keeping it ‘in-da house’…

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

One of the things that sets Japanese Knotweed Solutions apart from ‘the crowd’ of JK contractors is that… WE …DO EVERYTHING… ‘IN HOUSE’..!

We don’t sub-contract the digital surveying, we don’t sub-out the CAD work or the report writing, we don’t sub-out the machine works, we don’t sub-out the borrow pit lining or the heat sealing and encapsulation - or the chemical works or even the aftercare….ITS ALL DONE BY US, FULL TIME CARDS IN – EMPLOYEES OF JAPANESE KNOTWEED SOLUTIONS.

Why am I stressing this?? – well… not many companies can provide this level of service. Many of the ‘smaller’ companies suggest that by sub-contracting out various sections of the works package you may be able to save money??

Naaah it just doesn’t work like that.

As soon as you get somebody involved who isn’t fully conversant with Japanese Knotweed issues – YOU WILL GET A PROBLEM.

What about the survey carried out by the company that didn’t clean their boots/wheels – who pays for the cross contamination??

CAD works not done properly - who pays when the drawing doesn’t match the survey??

Machine works sub contracted out – who pays when the machines aren’t cleaned at the end of the works??….probably the next customer??

Heat sealing and encapsulation – we know it’s been done properly – because we did it!

Some companies suggest that…  ‘their Managing Director gets involved with every project and has a hands on approach to every job’… sorry…. but it cant be much of a company then??

At Japanese Knotweed Solutions our Managing Director does what he does best (that would be talking …!) our surveyors - survey, our machine drivers drive machines, the spray teams - spray and the heat welders (you guessed it) heat weld…and to follow them around we have a full time re-visit team checking and monitoring the works that have been carried out..

Next time you want a Japanese Knotweed job pricing - ask for a professional company – ask for Japanese Knotweed Solutions Ltd.

Mike C

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Putting it in Perspective….

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

Do you occasionally feel a bit down, a bit fed up…not quite 100%. Does this lead then into feeling sorry for yourself…?

Even I have had the odd moment of self pity when not hitting targets and not making the required margins on projects. I have also had the odd moment of dejection when I realised I couldn’t justify having an Aston Martin DBS….

Well what one actually needs is a dose of reality.

Last week we at Japanese Knotweed Solutions sponsored ‘Casting for Recovery’ – a charity aimed at people who have or are recovering from - breast cancer.

And boy does it make you feel humble.

Here are a group of ladies giving up time to help others who have a dreadful disease – and ensuring they have a happy and memorable few days. The ladies who attended the day were all smiling, happy, positive and all were enjoying every moment - even though it rained and the fishing wasn’t easy!

It rather put my problems into perspective - and made me realise that you should take each day as a gift and do something positive with it…sorry if that sounds a bit trite but …it’s true.

So thanks to Jenni at the Peacock in Rowsley for organising the event and the ladies from ‘Casting for Recovery’ for their support – and I will go on record to say we will do the same thing next year for them.. if we are asked.

Mike C

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