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For new members and visitors: So you think you want to be a painting contractor?

217K views 177 replies 135 participants last post by  TKbrush 
#1 · (Edited)
So you think you want to own a painting company…


So for whatever reason, you have decided you want to start a business. More specifically, you want to be a painting contractor. You’ve come to the right place for information pertaining to this choice of careers. But before we get too deep into it, let’s get this out of the way. Buy this book, and read it. Seriously, for your own good, do it. It’s a short, fast, and easy read, and it will set you straight right from the start. It will help you determine if you truly want to own a business, or if you are just a technician who is having an entrepreneurial seizure. I can tell you from experience, and think that most of the professionals on this site that have been in business for 10 years or more will agree that running a painting company isn’t near as easy as most people think it is. In fact it is damn hard. So you painted your buddy’s house, and think you can make a living at it? Read on.


Next, determine if you have enough experience in the industry to successfully run a painting business.* You will need to have more than just the basic knowledge of using a brush and roller. If you have only painted a couple rooms or such for friends or family, you don’t have enough experience to run a successful and profitable company. I would say a minimum of 5 years of actually painting for living would be a decent start. If you’re only 22, and claim to have been painting for 10 years, guess what. Being 12 years old and helping your cousin/uncle/dad/whoever after school and on weekends doesn’t count as experience. Experience starts when you are painting to pay your bills, feed your family, keep your utilities on, etc. If you have less than 5 years experience of actually painting for a living, I highly recommend finding a job with another contractor and gaining some time on the wall and in the trenches.



*If you want to run only the business end of the business, and plan on subcontracting out the labor, then I can’t help you here as that isn’t my experience. Maybe, if you ask really, really nicely, Brian might give you some good input on that business model.



There are a couple books on the market that could also help a newbie paint contractor. These will give you only basic information (nothing beats hands-on experience):


by William McElroy
Paint Contractor’s Manual by Dave Matis & Jobe H. Toole


The PDCA puts out several good books on the subject. They are fairly pricey, but well worth the money. All the PDCA books can be found at the PDCA Store.


The Business of Painting – a basic business management manual for paint contractors
Marketing for Paint Contractors
Effective Business Planning for Painting and Wallcovering Contractors


While knowing the hands-on technical know-how to be able to paint for money, just as important is the ability to be a businessman to run the business. To do this you need to know accounting, bookkeeping, estimating, and have managerial skills. No one is born with these traits, they must be learned somewhere, somehow. If you have no experience, in any of these, I highly recommend looking into some night classes at your local community college. Bookkeeping I & II, Accounting I & II, Taxes for Small Businesses, etc. Most of these classes are cheap, and can be done at night. If school ain’t for you, then start reading. Some basics to start off with:


On the numbers:


How Much Should I Charge? By Ellen Rohr
By Ellen Rohr
Keeping the Books by Linda Pinson
Markup & Profit by Michael Stone


On estimating:


2008 National Painting Cost Estimator
PDCA Estimating Guide Volume I – Professional Estimating Procedures
PDCA Estimating Guide Volume II – Rates and Tables
Defensive Estimating by William Asdal


Be aware, I see many new contractors come to these forums looking for pricing information. While it is possible that another contractor might be able to help you understand how to price something, it really isn’t feasible for them to tell you an actual price for that task or job. Why? Read this.


And estimating is all about production rates. You need to keep careful track of how long everything you do takes. I also often see contractors asking what a good choice of software is to help them estimate jobs. Here is a news flash for ya: If you don’t know your own production rates, there isn’t a piece of software in the world that can help you. Every piece of estimating software I have ever seen requires you to punch in your own production rates and material usage rates to be able to accurately spit out a final price. Learn to figure out production rates, materials, and pricing on your own before you look for a software shortcut.


Some more books that might help out in the long run:


Run Your Business So It Doesn’t Run You by Linda Leigh Francis
System Buster by Phillip Paul Beyer
The One-Minute Manager by Kenneth Blanchard


One last tip: Read every thread started by PressurePros.


That is about all I can stand to type right now. I welcome all the veteran contractors here to please add to this post with comments, advice, or whatever they can offer to help out the newbies.
Please keep it respectful, and on topic.
 
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#73 ·
So you want to be a Painting Contractor?

The most important thing is Pride.

Pride in your work. Take Pride in what you do, and you can conquer Life. DO a good job for good money in other words.

Love what you do, and you will be 99.9% ahead of everyone else.

You can conquer the World!

The rest will sort itself out, and that is where Faith comes in.

Believe in yourself

(and don't do stupid estimates of course).
 
#74 ·
I would never trust a software to determine rates on a job considering that each job is a unique patient just like the people you are doing it for. You adjust accordingly based upon each individual project. That's what being a pro is about , knowing people and the job also.
 
#75 ·
Very kewl thread. Glad I found this place. Id like to add a couple things if its ok, I know Im new here but been in the biz quite awhile.
Reading those books are great, very familiar with those marketing gurus but you gotta get in the field and work your tail off for the REAL DEAL experience. New people to the business, IMHO, can learn a bunch by pounding out rental units and apartments to get the productivity pace down. Learn how much square footage you can kick out, completely and perfectly, in what amount of time. And you really gotta know your applications. To start out knocking out small stuff like single rooms is a great way to get going, then you up it to adding in the crown moulding, then your next job do the louvered bifolds, but wait. My Home Depot semi gloss peels whenever I bump it????
Learn the products, primers, applications and techniques. It can only be learned on the job.
 
#77 · (Edited by Moderator)
Painting contractor for 15 yeras

The thing i like about painting is very job requires something different.
I have been a painting contractor for over 15 years and worked in all different projects , I have been working on my own for close to 10 years, i decided to go towards the residential side of painting , its worked out great , i have built up a great clientele , when the building side slowed down i stayed busy
 
#78 ·
"If you’re only 22, and claim to have been painting for 10 years, guess what. Being 12 years old and helping your cousin/uncle/dad/whoever after school and on weekends doesn’t count as experience."

As i have seen a lot of painters who told me about their 20 year experience, and turned out to have no basic knowledge of painting I find this line very true for many beginners.
 
#80 · (Edited)
So you think you want to own a painting company…


"So for whatever reason, you have decided you want to start a business. More specifically, you want to be a painting contractor. You’ve come to the right place for information pertaining to this choice of careers. But before we get too deep into it, let’s get this out of the way. Buy this book, and read it. Seriously, for your own good, do it. It’s a short, fast, and easy read, and it will set you straight right from the start. It will help you determine if you truly want to own a business, or if you are just a technician who is having an entrepreneurial seizure. I can tell you from experience, and think that most of the professionals on this site that have been in business for 10 years or more will agree that running a painting company isn’t near as easy as most people think it is. In fact it is damn hard....."






I'm f@cked...
 
#81 ·
Great information

Thank you for the information. I am currently teaching painters in the pacific how to set up there own small business.

They don't have any money, tools or transport. How can they set up a business you may ask?

Well many have started the first contract working for tools and equipment, I have taught them to allow for the cost of a carrier (hire truck with driver, very cheap) at the beginning and end of the project. Then just have somewhere safe on the job to leave the tools. Each day they then can catch the bus to work.

Some have grown there business from there like Tulia who formed Painting Perfection I set up her web site.

Here is a story of one of my girls Mere who started her own business.

I am proud of what they can achieve, this is real poverty to healthy lifestyle stuff that chokes you up.
 
#82 ·
Thank you for the information. I am currently teaching painters in the pacific how to set up there own small business.

They don't have any money, tools or transport. How can they set up a business you may ask?

Well many have started the first contract working for tools and equipment, I have taught them to allow for the cost of a carrier (hire truck with driver, very cheap) at the beginning and end of the project. Then just have somewhere safe on the job to leave the tools. Each day they then can catch the bus to work.

Some have grown there business from there like Tulia who formed Painting Perfection I set up her web site.

Here is a story of one of my girls Mere who started her own business.

I am proud of what they can achieve, this is real poverty to healthy lifestyle stuff that chokes you up.
Keep up the good work, I will be watching your success.
 
#96 ·
Hello Everyone,

I am looking to start a painting company and was looking for maybe some good ideas to get the ball rolling.

I have been working as a handyman for the last 5 years. In this time painting has been one of my top jobs along with a huge list of other itmes. 90% of all of my work comes from my handyman Website and no other advertising. In recent months my call volume has drasticly decreased but when I go to the paint store for supplies I notice that they are extremely busy. So my idea is to back away from the handyman thing and try to go full scale painting.

The problem is, it does not seem to be working as I planned. I made a new website http://mooresvillepaint.com/. Printed out some business cards. I ran Google AdWords for 2 weeks,posted on Craigslist but still I am not getting any business.

In my handyman service the internet has been really good over the years at keeping me busy as well as placing business cards in public places. I have tried signs around town as well as flyers on mailboxes. These I have not had much luck with.

My question would be how would you guys recommend bringing in NEW business to an unknown company?
 
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