On Saturday 26 September 2026, Cleanspec Cumbria welcomed professional cleaners, trainers, suppliers and business owners to Penrith for Cleanspec: On the Tools.
The day was built around live demonstrations, honest conversations and the chance to get closer to the tools, systems and people shaping the professional cleaning industry. But some of the most talked-about moments happened when the machines stopped and our three guest speakers took over.
Dan Fitzpatrick, The AI Educator.
Allan Simmons Jnr of Get Booked Up.
Paul Cranney of StoneCare Direct.
Three very different speakers, covering three subjects that matter to almost every business in our industry: using technology properly, winning more work and developing valuable specialist skills.
They were knowledgeable, generous with their experience and, most importantly, genuinely useful. No vague motivational speeches. No padding. Just ideas people could take away and put to work.
Dan Fitzpatrick: Making AI Useful for Real Businesses
Artificial intelligence is everywhere, but access to AI and knowing how to use it well are two very different things.
That was the heart of Dan Fitzpatrick's hour-long talk.
Dan is internationally recognised as The AI Educator. He is a five-times bestselling author, Forbes contributor and global keynote speaker who works with leaders and organisations on safe, practical and effective AI adoption.
Those credentials could make AI sound like a subject reserved for global companies and technology departments. Dan did the opposite. He brought it straight back to the reality of running a small business.
Customer enquiries. Marketing. Administration. Planning. Creating content. Organising information. The endless collection of jobs that compete for attention before, during and after a working day.
His message was not that AI should run a business for you. It was that, when it is given clear direction and used with human judgement, it can help remove some of the noise and give business owners more time to concentrate on the work that needs them.
Dan made a fast-moving subject feel approachable. He showed that using AI well is not about chasing every new tool or handing over control. It is about identifying a genuine business problem, giving the technology proper instructions and keeping standards high.
For many people in the room, the talk changed AI from something they had heard a lot about into something they could begin using with far more purpose.
Find out more about Dan Fitzpatrick and The AI Educator
Allan Simmons Jnr: Marketing Advice Built Inside a Cleaning Business
Next came Allan Simmons Jnr of Get Booked Up, and his subject was one every cleaning business understands: how to turn good work into a business that stays busy and profitable.
Allan has been in the carpet-cleaning industry since 1988. He still owns a successful multi-van cleaning business, which is a big part of why his advice connects so well with cleaners.
He understands the work because he has done it. He understands the marketing because he has tested it. And he understands the frustrations because he has built systems to solve them inside a real cleaning company.
Allan's talk focused on the practical side of getting noticed, generating enquiries and turning those enquiries into booked work. He cut through the idea that marketing has to be complicated, expensive or completely dependent on the latest social-media trend.
The strongest marketing is often built on the things businesses already have: previous customers, good results, genuine reviews, useful follow-up and a clear reason for people to choose them.
That sounds simple. Doing it consistently is where most businesses struggle.
Allan showed why better systems matter. A great job should not be the end of the customer relationship. With the right follow-up, communication and organisation, one customer can become repeat work, referrals and a much stronger local reputation.
His advice was direct, relatable and grounded in decades of experience. There was no pretending that business growth happens overnight. The lesson was far more valuable: do the right things consistently, measure what works and stop leaving future bookings to chance.
Paul Cranney: Turning Knowledge Into a New Service
Our third guest speaker was Paul Cranney of StoneCare Direct, who had already spent the week at Cleanspec delivering professional training in surface identification, stone and tile restoration, cleaning, stripping and sealing.
Paul is well known throughout the industry for his practical, straight-talking approach. He has a way of taking a subject that can initially feel highly technical and making it understandable without ever oversimplifying the work involved.
His talk introduced visitors to the opportunities available in stone, tile and hard-floor care, while also making one point very clear: specialist results begin with correct identification and proper training.
Knowing what a floor is—not simply what it looks like—changes everything. It affects the products, machinery and process that should be used. It also prevents expensive mistakes and gives a cleaner the confidence to explain the correct treatment to a customer.
Paul showed why hard-floor care can be such a valuable direction for an established cleaning business. The service sits naturally alongside carpet and upholstery cleaning, but it requires its own knowledge. Entering it properly can open the door to restoration and maintenance work in domestic and commercial properties, often with a much higher value than routine cleaning alone.
The appeal of Paul's teaching is that he does not hide behind jargon. He shares the reasoning, demonstrates the process and encourages people to understand the surface in front of them. His enthusiasm for the work is obvious—and infectious.
Paul was joined at the event by Jim Stamp and Shona Zycinski, helping visitors with questions, products and practical advice from StoneCare Direct.
Discover StoneCare Direct training
Three Talks With One Thing in Common
AI, marketing and stone-floor restoration might seem like three completely separate subjects. In practice, the same message ran through all of them.
Good businesses do not grow by guessing.
Dan showed the importance of directing technology properly rather than using it without a plan.
Allan showed why marketing works best when it becomes a consistent system rather than something done only when the diary goes quiet.
Paul showed that adding a specialist service requires real understanding, not simply buying products and hoping for the best.
The tools were different, but the principle was the same: learn properly, make informed decisions and use the right system for the result you want.
That is exactly what we hoped the talks at On the Tools would deliver.
More Than a Day of Demonstrations
Cleanspec: On the Tools was created to give people access.
Access to professional machinery before committing to a purchase. Access to trainers who understand what happens on real jobs. Access to manufacturers and suppliers who can answer detailed questions. And access to speakers who could help visitors think differently about where their businesses go next.
Dan, Allan and Paul each brought something special to the day. They gave their time, shared their experience and spoke to our industry with a genuine understanding of the pressures small-business owners face.
The talks did not compete with the hands-on side of the Open Day. They completed it.
Trying a machine can help you choose your next piece of equipment. A great conversation or one new idea can change how you use your time, attract customers or build an entirely new income stream.
Thank You
To Dan Fitzpatrick, Allan Simmons Jnr and Paul Cranney: thank you.
Thank you for taking the time to prepare, travel to Penrith and share so much with everyone who attended. You each brought a completely different perspective, and together you made the speaker programme one of the highlights of the day.
We also want to thank every visitor who listened, asked questions and joined the conversations afterwards. A talk only becomes valuable when people are ready to take the ideas away and do something with them.
On the Tools was about trying things, learning from experienced people and leaving with a clearer idea of what could come next.
Our three guest speakers delivered exactly that.
