Why You Should Outsource Facilities Maintenance?

Facility managers are under increasing pressure to lower operating costs by utilizing best practices, advanced technologies and best use of assets. In today’s environment, outsourcing facilities maintenance makes good financial sense and here’s why:  It’s cheaper (and you get better results).

In-house staff cost more than their salary! 

A common mistake made by companies is to overlook the soft costs of in-house facilities management such as:

·       Human resources costs related to facilities maintenance employees,

·       IT and software costs for supporting those employees,

·       Costs for issuing purchase orders, paying bills, and managing facility budgets,

·       Legal expenses for drafting and administering vendor contracts.

By outsourcing your facilities maintenance, these costs evaporate and staff time is freed up to concentrate on other tasks.

Need Another Reason?

In addition to reducing operating costs, outsourcing your facilities maintenance can improve your overall maintenance services too. Contracting with a company whose core business is facilities maintenance means they are the experts at just that!  These professionals are trained to perform the services they are tasked.  Whether you need stucco repaired or light fixtures changed, graffiti removed or toiled unclogged, these highly trained professions can resolve most any maintenance issue. More than just handymen, building maintenance professionals offer a high range of building engineering services.

So, just think, no longer will you worry about if your parking lot has potholes, or if the lobby is clean or if the building needs painting.  Just think of the weight that will be lifted!

How to Outsource Your Facilities Maintenance

1)    Identify the specific facilities maintenance activities to outsource.

2)    Contact your facilities maintenance provider.

3)    Together, set the service levels and reasonable response times for each service.

Your FM Partner

With more than 20 years in the facilities maintenance industry, AFS Florida will work with your organization to develop a customized facilities maintenance program for your company.  Contact us today for a free quote and together we can start measuring our success!

Commercial Facilities Experts

American Facility Services (AFS) spent the last 20 years building individual companies that specialize in specific commercial exterior building services.  The result is one point of contact that comes with a vast wealth of experience in a variety of commercial facility services.  With offices in Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa, AFS’ portfolio of commercial facility services enable our clients the convenience of working with a single provider for all their commercial property needs. Contact AFS today at 866-793-3735 or visit our website at http://www.afsflorida.com for an online proposal.

Not Just Handymen

If you’ve ever hired a handyman, you know it can be hit or miss on several key points:

•        His skill set
•        His quality of work
•        His price
•        His reliability.

How’d you like to never have to hire a handyman again?  Sounds too good to be true, right?  Well, it’s not.  Here’s what you need to do -- find a company that is an expert in exterior building services and that puts the customer first by tailoring their services to meet your needs. Trust me, it’s not an impossible task, in fact, you’re reading an article from that kind of company right now!

Get Help - Exterior Building Services

So, how can an exterior building services company help you?  Probably in more ways than you can image - or, maybe not.  Did you think of any of these services?

•          Maintenance Services
•          General Contracting
•          Sweeping Services
•          Porter Services
•          Bulk Debris Removal
•          Janitorial Services
•          Pressure Washing
•          Hydro-Cleaning
•          Sealcoating
•          Line Striping
•          Asphalt Repair Services
•          Commercial Painting
•          Parking Lot Maintenance

We’ve Done All the Work

Basically, instead of hiring a painter, a sweeping company, a guy to pressure wash your building, or hydro-clean your parking garage, you simply contact American Facility Services (AFS).

American Facility Services (AFS) spent the last 20 years building individual companies that specialize in specific commercial exterior building services.  The result is one point of contact that comes with a vast wealth of experience in a variety of commercial facility services. 

So how have we done it? Over the years AFS has created sister companies operated by experts in their respective fields in various exterior building services – like asphalt, general contracting and janitorial services. Each of these companies have hired and trained a complete team of technicians – focused on their respective service.

We don’t have janitors working as painters, or pressure washers that double as part of the asphalt team.  AFS is not a ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’.  In fact, the way AFS has built its business, you can truly be assured that an expert will be working for you.

If AFS is currently performing one of your many commercial facilities maintenance tasks, why not contact them to take the stress off of finding a handyman and wondering when the job will get done and the quality of workmanship that will go into the job.

Contact us today and see how we can tailor our services to meet the needs of your business!

About American Facility Services

Since 1993, American Facility Services (AFS) has built a solid reputation based on safety, quality and customer service. With offices in Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa, AFS’ portfolio of commercial facility services enable our clients the convenience of working with a single provider for all their commercial property needs. Contact AFS today at 866-793-3735 or visit our website at http://www.afsflorida.com for an online proposal.

Why Do You Need Day Porters?

Day porters perform invaluable, time-saving services and are an excellent way to control property maintenance costs.

Even as businesses look to streamline costs and expenses, they still understand and appreciate how important the aesthetic appearance of their commercial property is to visitors and clients. After all, their first impression of your facility resides within its appearance. Cutting corners in this arena is not possible, but saving money isn’t impossible.

Having a day porter assigned daily tasks during business hours help keep your building clean. An added benefit of having a day porter on site is that it allows you the comfort of knowing about and being able to respond to any maintenance problem that may occur. What may start out as a small repair can quickly escalate into a huge maintenance issue if gone unnoticed or unreported by staff. 

What do day porters do?

Day porters perform a multitude of tasks to keep your facility spotless, leaving you free to focus on your business and clients. A comprehensive porter service checklist can address the most common cleaning concerns; however, this checklist, of course, can be modified to meet the needs of your particular facility.

Some of the tasks day porters can perform include:

·         Small to Large Size Litter Removal

·         Oversized Debris Removal

·         Bulk Trash Removal

·         Dumpster Enclosure Cleaning

·         Trash Receptacle Cleaning

·         General Cleaning

o   Windowsill Dusting

o   Sidewalk Spills

o   Public Phones

o   Light Fixture Dusting

·         Outdoor Cobweb Cleaning

·         Window Cleaning

·         Storm/Hurricane Cleaning

Compliment Parking Lot Sweeping

High-touch commercial day porter services also compliment high-tech sweeping services, here’s how:  Day porters walk parking lots during the daytime hours to police areas for trash, scrape gum, remove cigarette butts from flower beds and wipe down trash cans. This helps keep your parking area clean in between sweeping services.

Whether you are a facilities manager for an apartment complex, office building, commercial and industrial complex, school or hospital, day porters just make sense. Many businesses have already outsourced day porter tasks to a commercial facilities maintenance company to avoid distracting staff members from their other duties.  Having this type of service can promote an atmosphere of professionalism and assist your business in performing these necessary services.

Performing exterior janitorial services and providing a wealth of beneficial services to offices, hotels, institutions and other facilities, day porter services are available on a flat hourly rate, daily, weekly or monthly basis.

About American Facility Services

Since 1993, American Facility Services (AFS) has built a solid reputation based on safety, quality and customer service. With offices in Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa, AFS’ portfolio of commercial facility services enable our clients the convenience of working with a single provider for all their commercial property needs. Contact AFS today at 866-793-3735 or visit our website at http://www.afsflorida.com for an online proposal.

Hydro Clean is Green Spring Cleaning

Spring officially begins on March 20^th, but for Floridians, we’ve been enjoying spring-like weather for weeks.  If you don’t believe that statement, just ask anyone up North!

With spring come a lot of general maintenance tasks to freshen up local businesses. These tasks include everything from exterior painting, to bulk debris removal and taking care of some chores that may have slid by the wayside during the cooler Florida winter months, like cleaning your parking garage.

Are you Considering Having Your Parking Garage Cleaned?

Did you know the storm water system enters directly into our lakes, rivers and the oceans without being treated? Only rainwater should go into the storm water drain. One quart of oil can contaminate as must as 100,000 gallons of drinking water.

Looking for a Green Cleaning Solution?

Hydro-cleaning can be completed in an effective, efficient and environmentally safe way!  State-of-the-art equipment ensures that contaminates are eliminated and the process has received the EPA’s 100% approval.  What makes the hydro-cleaning process EPA approved is the ability to reclaim, eliminate, and recycle hazardous waste water run-off so that it does not enter into our storm system.  What’s an added benefit to hydro-cleaning? It can be done at any site!

What is Hydro-Cleaning?

You’ve probably heard the term pressure washing, well hydro-cleaning is a form of high pressure cleaning, but it’s unique because it’s green!

Hydro-cleaning removes dust, oil, and grease that can not only be tracked out of your parking garage and into your facility, but also can cause wear on your cement pavement.  But, what makes hydro-cleaning green is that it does not create water runoff like pressure washing. The water is actually recycled, cleaned, and reused again!

Watch the Hydro-Cleaning video!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc8hZInOCRw

How is it Done?

The equipment’s 360 degree turning radius allows the operator to move around any obstacle. The system has a high powered engine and an onboard vacuuming system for water reclamation. An operator can effectively clean a four foot path.

Underneath the cleaning deck unit are two belt driven rotary arms that rotate at 2800 rpms and 8 hydro jet nozzles rated at 4000 psi. Water is introduced to the cleaning surface at a maximum temperature of 220 degrees. While reclaiming the hazardous waste water and reducing water consumption by 80 percent, the process prevents wastewater run-off into the storm drains - which is environmentally safe.

Once the operator has performed the cleaning, contaminated water is transferred in less than 30 seconds from the hydro-cleaning equipment to treatment tanks. An additive is introduced to the contaminated water and agitated to separate the hazardous waste. The water is then filtered and recovered to be used again in the cleaning process.

About American Facility Services

Since 1993, American Facility Services (AFS) has built a solid reputation based on safety, quality and customer service. With offices in Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa, AFS’ portfolio of commercial facility services enable our clients the convenience of working with a single provider for all their commercial property needs. Contact AFS today at 866-793-3735 or visit our website at http://www.afsflorida.com for an online proposal.

Maintenance Checklist for Your Parking Lot

Parking lots are a large capital expense for a facility manager. Keeping your parking lot well maintained will help protect your investment and impact your customers in a positive way. But, how do you know what you should do and when?  This checklist will help you know more about a proper, effective and timely parking lot maintenance schedule:

Clean Parking Area
Regular cleaning of a parking lot or parking garage can help identify potential problems. The simple act of walking the parking area during the cleaning process and making some observations can spot small issues.  Addressing them now, can stop them from turning into bigger, most costly problems.

Parking lot cleaning can be broken into three categories – trash removal, parking lot sweeping and hydro-cleaning.

Trash Removal – Keeping empty trash receptacles in and around your facility in high traffic areas will encourage visitors to be tidier. Depending on the amount of visitors your building sees on a regular basis, you may require professional help for cleaning including porter services, janitorial services and even bulk debris removal.  Obviously, this task needs year round attention!

Parking Lot Sweeping Schedules - Parking lots should be swept weekly, year round, to remove dirt and trash. Removing this trash not only keeps your facility more attractive to visitors, but it also prevents the garbage from clogging your parking lot drains – causing standing water, and polluting the streams, lakes, and the ocean.  If you’ve run out of hours in the day to accomplish this task regularly, hire a professional company.

Hydro-Cleaning Schedules - Wash parking surfaces periodically, at least twice a year, more often if you have a high traffic area.  Spring is an excellent time of year to wash your parking area!

Hydro-cleaning removes dust, oil, and grease that can not only be tracked into your facility, but also can cause wear on your pavement.  Hydro-cleaning does not create water runoff like pressure washing. The water is actually recycled, cleaned, and reused again.

If you haven’t seen this process, watch this great video!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc8hZInOCRw

Inspect Drainage 
Standing water can penetrate into asphalt pavement and even concrete causing potential structural hazards. Now is an ideal time to clean out floor drains, basins and gutters to prevent debris from stopping drainage.

Inspect Lighting Fixtures
Broken or burned out light bulbs impact building security and the safety of your visitors. How well are your lots lit at night?

Remove Vegetation
Vegetation that grows through the cracks and seams of your asphalt paving can mean trouble. Large cracks should be filled and parking lots should be seal coated on a regular basis.  Think your parking lot may need some repairs?  We recommend contacting a professional paving company like ABC Paving and Seal Coating!  Visit their website now.

About American Facility Services 
Since 1993, American Facility Services (AFS) has built a solid reputation based on safety, quality and customer service. With offices in Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa, AFS’ portfolio of commercial facility services enable our clients the convenience of working with a single provider for all their commercial property needs. Contact AFS today at 866-793-3735 or visit our website at http://www.afsflorida.com for an online proposal.

Line Striping 101

Parking lot line striping is a task that will be on a facility managers’ to do list at some point of their career.

When line striping and other pavement markings are clear to detect, visitors to your parking lot can park their cars easier, pedestrians are able cross safely and traffic flows are better managed moving in and out of the parking area.

 For a facility manager, it helps to understand the line striping process to be able to better plan for this necessary commercial maintenance service.

A local paving company can be contracted to re-stripe a parking lot. Once on the job site, the paving contractor will work with the facility manager to determine if the same lines will be re-striped or if a new layout would better accommodate the needs of the facility.

 If a new line striping layout will be created, the paving contractor will take measurements of your parking lot, and then draw a sketch. The new line striping layout will include the dimensions as well as any obstructions such as light poles, trees or other obstacles that can limit the number of parking spaces.

Each parking stall will be 18 feet deep and can be at 45, 50, 55, 60 or 90-degree angles. The depth of the parking lot and traffic flow will determine which angle will work best.

Following local zoning laws for handicap and fire zone clearances and distances, as well as the facilities requirements, an asphalt paving company can then paint the parking stalls and perform other line striping tasks as needed.

Preparing a parking lot for new line striping is half the battle. First, the weather must be taken into consideration. The line striping project should be scheduled during dry weather. Not only does the area need to be dry when the paint is being applied, it’s also important to avoid rainfall for at least four hours after re-striping.

Next, when the asphalt company is ready to start the project, the lot will need to be barricaded or roped off to keep cars from parking in the re-striping area. Once clear of all cars, the parking lot should be pressure washed to remove dirt, mildew, vegetation and other contaminants. After this step is completed, the asphalt pavement should be left to dry thoroughly. Depending on the temperatures and humidity, this could take a full twenty-four hours.

After the asphalt is dry, the paving contractor should use a landscape blower to remove any remaining sand, dirt or other particles immediately prior to beginning the line striping installation.

 The paving company will carefully measure and map out the parking lot layout using chalk or spray paint. Once complete, the paving contractor will use a walk-behind machine or manually paint the stripes.

 Alternate parking should be arranged for approximately 36-48 hours so that the area can be prepped, the parking lot lines striped and once the process has been completed, the area can have a full twenty four hours for the marking paint to dry. Although most line striping is dry to the touch within 30 minutes, for best application results, a full drying cycle should be allotted.

About ABC Paving and Sealcoating 
With more than 20 years of experience, ABC Paving and Sealcoating is Florida's leading paving contractor. ABC Paving and Sealcoating provides commercial organizations with the highest level of customer service, professional workmanship and services including: asphalt paving, asphalt repairs and prevention, pothole repairs, sealcoating, line striping and pavement marking, thermoplastic, crack filing, signs and safety devices, concrete sidewalks, concrete curbs, site preparation and signs and safety devices. We use our experience and the latest equipment available to get the job done right the first time in a timely, cost effective manner. For more information about ABC Paving and Sealcoating, visit our website at http://pavingandsealcoating.com or call 866-934-7623 for a free estimate.

AFS for the Budget Conscious Manager

Facilities executives like you know that budgets for commercial buildings are tight. Contracting with a single provider helps you control and monitor costs, while maintaining your property in good repair.

A well-maintained property not only keeps tenants happy and paying rent, it removes safety hazardous which can be financially devastating should a lawsuit occur. It also assures a longer lifespan for facilities line items like the parking lot, the building structure and the mechanical and electrical components of the buildings. How so?

• Taking care of your parking lot involves sweeping it on a regular basis, filling asphalt cracks and sealcoating on a regular basis. If these tasks are not completed on a set schedule, sand, rocks, trash, and even vegetation will cause the surface of your asphalt pavement to erode, unravel and basically fall apart. Once the process starts, it’s a slippery slope that can result a large cash outlay for total asphalt replacement. Parking lots that are well maintained – regularly swept, sealcoated and have their cracks filled, require less of a financial strain on an ongoing basis than the cost of a total asphalt pavement replacement.

• Buildings that are pressure washed, caulked and painted regularly protect your tenants from the elements. Sealing your commercial facility keeps out not only the rain and wind, but also the bugs which can have a devastating effect on the structure and its tenants! Properly maintaining a building’s exterior protects the structures integrity thereby extending the life of the asset while maintaining or even improving upon the value of the asset.

• Regular maintenance issues such as mechanical and electrical repairs resolve smaller issues that occur on a day-to-day basis. Left unmanaged, they could turn into big problems. A leaky toilet can become a flooded office building. A short in a light fixture could mean a tenant falls down a dark staircase. An un-kept lobby or reception area could mean the loss of a big account. Contracting with a one-stop-shop for all your commercial needs makes good financial sense for the short-run and the long-run. Not only will you be able to track expenditureers more closely, but also you’ll have one company managing all of your facilities maintenance needs.

As the president of Orlando’s leading facilities maintenance company has said, “The key to any successful commercial facility service is the ability to effectively pay attention to the details. It’s the details that separate building service companies apart from one another.” So, having said that, the question now is, “How can we help you?"

About American Facility Services

Providing both interior and exterior commercial building services throughout the state of Florida since 1993, American Facility Services (AFS) has built a solid reputation based on safety, quality and customer service. With offices in Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa, AFS’ portfolio of commercial facility services enable our clients the convenience of working with a single provider for all their commercial property needs. Contact AFS today at 866-793-3735 or visit our website at http://www.afsflorida.com for an online proposal.

Are You Ready for a Test?

In the next paragraph we’re going to ask you one question and we need you to answer with the first thing that pops into your head. Ready? Ok, here we go!

What can our company, American Facility Services, do for you? 
Ok, what was the first thing you thought of? Did you answer “Parking Lot Sweeping” or “Porter Services”? If you did, you’re not alone.

 While we have serviced many customers over the years in these two areas, it’s not the only things we do. Did you know that?

 AFS is a Full Service Commercial Building Services 
Whether you’re looking to have your parking lot maintenance needs taken care of or have our company take care of your porter services, we can do that. But, we can do a lot more for your facility too.

AFS is Not Just Sweeping & Porter Services! 
We are your go to people for all of your commercial facility needs. So, what does that mean, really? Well, American Facility Services provides custom designed facility maintenance service for commercial property manager and owners throughout Florida. We offer a complete range of commercial building services so our clients have the convenience of working with a single provider for all their commercial property maintenance needs. Our Services Include:

• Building Maintenance Services
• General Contracting
• Bulk Debris Removal
• Janitorial Services
• Pressure Washing
• Hydro-Cleaning
• Sealcoating
• Line Striping
• Asphalt Repair Services
• Commercial Painting
• Parking Lot Maintenance
• And, of course sweeping and porter services!

 Because we provide a complete range of services, our customers have the convenience of working with a single provider for all their commercial property needs. AFS is a fully insured, commercial facility service provider who puts uncompromising emphasis on safety, quality and customer service in all divisions.

 Ready to take that test again?

About American Facility Services Providing both interior and exterior commercial building services throughout the state of Florida since 1993, American Facility Services (AFS) has built a solid reputation based on safety, quality and customer service. With offices in Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa, AFS’ portfolio of commercial facility services enable our clients the convenience of working with a single provider for all their commercial property needs. Contact AFS today at 866-793-3735 or visit our website at http://www.afsflorida.com for an online proposal.

Who Do You Call for all Your Facility Needs?

As a commercial facilities manager, property manager or asset manager, you’re skilled at juggling a list of day-to-day activities that would make most people’s heads spin!   Your typical daily to do list may look like this:  Building one needs several offices painted, someone dumped an old couch behind building two, the entire parking lot needs to have the pot holes repaired and the all the sidewalks need pressure washing.  Feel the stress building?

After taking a deep breath, you pick up the phone and start dialing. 

 Call the painter, leave him a message.

 Call the bulk debris removal company, leave them a message.

 Call the paving contractor, leave them a message.

 Call the pressure washing guy. Leave him a message. 

Then, the waiting game begins.  Will anyone return the call?  Are these places still in business?  Who else do I know that I can call if so-and-so doesn’t call back?  All those thoughts run through your brain. 

There has to be an Easier Way!

Managing multiple projects, contractors, responsibilities and expectations takes time and energy.  Plus, the frustration levels increase when contractors don’t call back, don’t show up, jobs take longer than expected and quotes run over budget.   What if there was an easier way to get the job done, and done right?

All Your Facilities Needs Under One Roof

There is an easier way to manage all of your facility needs.  A one-stop-shop for facility needs.  Simply make one call, speak to an actual person and let them know what you need done.  It’s that simple.  No unreturned calls, unanswered voicemails, or other communication issues.

Who Can Help You?  We Can!

You may already be using American Facility Services (AFS) for your parking lot sweeping or porter services, but what you may not know is AFS is more than just that.  We’re a one-stop-shop to all your commercial facility needs.

It’s true!  One call really does do it all.  With offices in Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa, AFS’ portfolio of commercial facility services enable our clients the convenience of working with a single provider for all their commercial property needs. 

We offer complete  building maintenance services, bulk debris removal, janitorial services, pressure washing, hydro-cleaning, asphalt paving, asphalt repair, sealcoating, commercial painting, parking lot maintenance, general contracting, and of course parking lot sweeping and porter services.

AFS strives to complete projects on time, for a competitive price and satisfy our customers with job well done.  For a free proposal geared to your particular facility, give American Facility Services a call or get an online quote today!

About American Facility Services

Providing both interior and exterior commercial building services throughout the state of Florida since 1993, American Facility Services (AFS) has built a solid reputation based on safety, quality and customer service.  With offices in Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa, AFS’ portfolio of commercial facility services enable our clients the convenience of working with a single provider for all their commercial property needs.  Contact AFS today at 866-793-3735 or visit our website at http://www.afsflorida.com for an online proposal.

Top 8 Things a Janitorial Service Can Do For Your Business

If you’re on the fence about hiring a janitorial service for your commercial facility, just take a quick look at some of the benefits and services you gain from contracting with a cleaning company.

1)    Personnel – With a cleaning service or janitorial service, you don’t have to hire in-house employees.  You contract with a maintenance company for those services.

2)    Office Cleaning – Your offices are kept clean and orderly on a daily or weekly basis according to the needs of your particular facility.

3)    Restroom Sanitation – With a janitorial service, your restrooms are regularly restocked with toilet paper, hand towels, soap, air freshener and seat covers.  Proper sanitation of the restrooms including cleaning of the toilets, urinals, partitions, walls, floors, sinks, fixtures, countertops, and mirrors is also taken care of for you by your cleaning service.

4)    Green Cleaning Services – The environment and your health is important to all of us.  To reduce the amount of chemicals in your workplace atmosphere and our world, professional green cleaning offers non-toxic and eco-friendly cleaning products which are safe, reliable and efficient.

5)    Emergency Cleaning Services – In the event of a natural disaster, break-in or other situation where your office space is in need of emergency cleaning, your janitorial service can assist you with this type of clean-up.  Janitorial services have emergency response teams available for dispatch in the event of an unanticipated cleaning event.

6)    Window and Skylight Cleaning – Having a polished image of your company starts with the curb appeal of your facility.  Plus, spotless windows let in more sunlight improving the mood and energy levels of your employees and customers.  A janitorial service can provide this cost-effective way to improve the look and feel of your facility.

7)    Pressure Washing – Welcoming your customers to your parking lot and business with a clean exterior appearance is important.  High-pressure sprayers and hydro cleaning methods restore and maintain building exteriors, roofs, concrete walkways and sidewalks.  Commercial cleaning services that offer pressure washing for the exterior of your facility can even offer a service that includes use of  an EPA compliant, water recovery system.

8)    Day Porter Services – A continuous flow of visitors through your building poses a significant challenge in terms of housekeeping.  Day porter services can be contracted to keep common areas like cafeterias, lobbies, lounges and conference rooms clean.  They can also assist with window cleaning, monitoring the restrooms for cleaning and paper supply replenishment.

About American Facility Services

Providing both interior and exterior commercial building services throughout the state of Florida since 1993, American Facility Services (AFS) has built a solid reputation based on safety, quality and customer service. AFS Janitorial, a division of AFS, provides cleanings services to a wide range of facilities including commercial cleaning in high-rise office buildings, restaurants, and auto dealerships.  With offices in Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa, AFS’ portfolio of commercial facility services enable our clients the convenience of working with a single provider for all their commercial property needs.  Contact AFS today at 866-793-3735 or visit our website at http://www.afsflorida.com for an online proposal.