Poll: how many people do absolutley no painting in their companies?? - Paint Talk

SterlingPainting · 02-04-2010, 08:12 PM

Thought it would be interesting to find out how many people rely entirely on employees to complete contracts. I for one do all my own jobs and just hire help...just not ready yet to delegate everything. One day though...

BTW this is the first time Ive ever done a poll on any forum, so hope this works...

**daArch** · 02-04-2010, 09:00 PM

being a paperhanger, I do absolutely no painting. I prolly threw your stats off. But at least I got the poll movin.

**Workaholic** · 02-04-2010, 09:19 PM

I do most of my own painting and have a helper.

chrisn · 02-05-2010, 04:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daArch

being a paperhanger, I do absolutely no painting. I prolly threw your stats off. But at least I got the poll movin.

You mean you never prime????

aaron61 · 02-05-2010, 08:01 AM

I only paint on our charity projects although I did my time....30years!!!!

Wolfgang · 02-05-2010, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaron61

I only paint on our charity projects although I did my time....30years!!!!

Heck Aaron, you're still just learning

. (That's what I hear from a couple of guys in their 70's who are still painting.)

johnisimpson · 02-05-2010, 11:05 AM

I voted as doing most of my painting and having helpers but I'm hoping and working on changing that this year. Trying to move more towards selling and just helping out on larger jobs or when schedules/projects need to be hurried up.

The Painter Guy · 02-07-2010, 10:45 PM

I marked it as absolutely no painting. After 25 yrs that is how it evolved. I do the estimating/selling, and everything else business related. My brother Mike runs the jobs doing a lot of the painting but this year it is time for him to start letting the younger guys do the painting and hope to have him supervise more.
Jim

**daArch** · 02-07-2010, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisn

You mean you never prime????

Prime? OK, once in a great while. But no finish paint.

And "prime" ain't the same as prep coat . I think the last full bodied prime/seal was about three years ago.

Rcon · 02-07-2010, 11:09 PM

I do all my own work these days and have a helper when needed (who happens to be my brother and a damn fine painter that i`ve trained myself).

When the business was booming I had 8 painters working and I would just do estimates and supply runs only - no painting (because I honestly didn`t have the time).

HeatherP · 02-08-2010, 10:35 AM

paint with helpers, apparently I am too much of a control freak!!!

WisePainter · 02-08-2010, 04:09 PM

I am too greedy, I keep all of my money.

caseysbuilding · 02-08-2010, 06:25 PM

I can't watch someone else paint. It drives me crazy.

Dave Mac · 02-08-2010, 09:30 PM

some very interesting responce's

Schmidt & Co. · 02-08-2010, 10:06 PM

I have five employees and work in the field every day. With my management style, thats what works best for me.

Six years ago I ended my "out of the bucket" experiment. I spent three full years just running the buisness. Did not pick up a brush the entire time. (although I personally did the paper hanging)

At the end of the three years, going over the numbers, and a lot of soul searching I decided to get back into the tools. I looked at how I manage and decided that the I make more money in the field and I'm happier.

I guess you could say that I have a greater sense of a accomplishment painting and managing versus only managing.

Platypus · 02-08-2010, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeatherP

paint with helpers, apparently I am too much of a control freak!!!

Ditto. I'm trying to extract myself from the day-to-day on site stuff but just don't have the momentum or help that I really trust quite yet.

johnisimpson · 02-08-2010, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caseysbuilding

I can't watch someone else paint. It drives me crazy.

Agreed, I don't like to be on a job if I'm not dressed to work because I will almost always start helping out. It looks so slow and/or messy when someone else is doing it.

SterlingPainting · 02-09-2010, 01:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Platypus

Ditto. I'm trying to extract myself from the day-to-day on site stuff but just don't have the momentum or help that I really trust quite yet.

same exact thing here, I look back and remember the way I worked when I first started and then I think to myself "good help is hard to find!"

Wolfgang · 02-09-2010, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schmidt & Co.

I have five employees and work in the field every day. With my management style, thats what works best for me.

Six years ago I ended my "out of the bucket" experiment. I spent three full years just running the buisness. Did not pick up a brush the entire time. (although I personally did the paper hanging)

At the end of the three years, going over the numbers, and a lot of soul searching I decided to get back into the tools. I looked at how I manage and decided that the I make more money in the field and I'm happier.

I guess you could say that I have a greater sense of a accomplishment painting and managing versus only managing.

Exactly how I've always felt. I told myself a long time ago when I could no longer paint it was time for me to shut it down. Keeping to my word.

The last few months have been a real eye-opener for me. I have other business ventures that I can spend less time on for a larger return, though I dont have the "passion" for them as I do painting.

It was never a matter of being a control freak, there comes a time when you have to have the confidence in your employees. Maybe I was lucky... but a large part of me is going to miss it.

Ardee · 02-09-2010, 12:09 PM

I've always been in the bucket. Always loved it. In 2010 My plan was to get out of the bucket-retire the brush and pick up the pen. This decission is in part because my government won't let you write of late remittance fines anymore. Another part is that I see younger painters that are faster, neater, and stronger then I. It's not working out that way tho. I'm still on the job, I'm still the one satisfying the customer and it's still my signature thats on the completed job. Last year I had two helpers and they were saying Don't you have an estimate or something to go to? It's their nice way of saying get out of our way-you are slowing us down. So I don't know where to vote this year. Hire painters is what I like to vote but that would be a lie.