[debandstac]

How is the painting business in your area? My husband, Stacey has been in business for 10 plus years, and I was wondering if any one else was having any slow time in their field. We are in Jacksonville, Fl and even though my husband sprays, he sprays the whole wall and not like a master blaster as some do. Alot of painters come in and just does a mist over the walls and charge the same amount as a full paint job. So it is hard to compete with those types of painters and their prices.

So anyone else have the same problems or the ecomony is just as bad?

deb/stac

 

[johnthepainter]

dont compete with those hacks

 

[Housepainter]

As to economy I am seeing more people having to put off work they either want to do or need to do. I believe that higher prices for fuel, food, etc. are beginning to impact some of the service businesses. I spoke with a local eye Dr. this past week her business is down about 30% over previous years.

As to competing with those who do less quality...do your best to sell your quality workmanship over theirs... then deliver.

Then you may have to adjust... to what the people can afford.. For example I recently had a customer who wanted me to paint some new bookshelves in their home. In our conversation on working up the bid, they said they wanted a high end "furniture" quality paint job.... I bid accordingly.... Price to High....they cryed....
I asked what price did you have in mind... They shared a price about 1/3 of the bid...
I said ok....but this is what you will get...and explained the difference in the quality...

hope this helps

 

[crow]

yea, its slowed down round here, theres still work, but aint got that Im booked till christmas thing going on. this is just the begining. our whole world is flippin out man! greed for oil, clean air, non toxic food and water, nuke threats, buncha freaks runnin round blowin themselfs up. it aint even close to being over. iran aint yet made its move. (thats the one we ought to be watchin.) this nation cant take another war "$$$$" and our enemy's know it. it'll get worse before its really over. wars aint always won by killin. run your enemy outta food, ammo, drive to fight, and a nation at its knees! as long as the goverment is spendin this huge amount to butt in to everyones business (worldwide) we gonna have these problems. but theres always the rich folks! they want work done no matter what.

 

[paint_booger]

When business slows down for painters, the rate of chipping paint grows.

Don't worry ... it's all going to be fine in a little while! We might have to scrape a little bit more, but painting is going to be around for a long time!

pb

 

[ewingpainting.net]

I am finding in these times we are experiencing across the states. You have to work harder to get those jobs. Yes times are slower for the weaker ones. Sorry to be so honest but its true. the ones that are trying to ride these times will be bankrupt when the next boom hits. if you are working hard and being aggressive you will survive

 

[NACE]

Residential, down 15-20%. Retailers down an average 15% including Paint & Decorating, Hardware, Lumber Yards. Commercial: Up significantly. Never had so much business in the large commercial painting category, including large, high end commercial projects ie Hospital additions, Casinos, corporate headquarters, hotel, high end residential and high end condo high rises. Also some state work that started 2-4 years ago is now in the painting phases, so commercial painting and light industrial remains strong. Residential house painters are really struggling. Not sure what will happen when people need fuel oil in the fall and winter, including retail stores, to the paint business.

 

[Bushdude]

In this area: new housing, down for the count, industrial, nothing is made in the US anymore, high end repaints, rich hire illegals so they have more money for european vacation or beamer. Commercial pretty well down, corps are looking for bids so low most jobs are losers. County and state here are bankrupt, can't even fill pot holes from last winter. Oh and W and the rest of the brain trust in Washington, don't really have to tell you about their fine work? Do I?

 

[The Painter Guy]

In this area it's steady but not breaking any records. There are a lot of NEW paint companies now as usually happens when things get tough. We have had a lot of lay offs in the area and that only fuels the problem.
The only things that are helping me right now are repeat customers, a professional presentation of the estimate to new prospects (I hear continually from my employees, who heard it from the customer that the reason we were selected was because of the proposal). And this forum gets a nod from me because it's members either remind me of what works or helps with entirely new ideas.
Jim

 

[Dmax Consulting]

I haven't seen that much of a slow down in call volume. I am seeing people be a lot more price sensitive and I am seeing the competition giving really low estimates. I'm in Atlanta.

 

[acrylicrecoating]

Indiana has its ups and downs. The company has been around since 1959 and I have worked and then owned since 1991. You have to take the good with the bad and adjust accordingly.

We don't go out and buy vehicles unless we can pay cash for them we don't use credit cards unless we have to and then we pay them off every month.

Our biggest problem is the joe blow that just became unemployed throws a ladder on his truck and calls himself a painter. We just tell the customer sure you can hire them for their lower price but if something goes wrong we have been around and they will go back to another job.

If they still hire the guy with the truck and ladder they were going to anyway and I know eventually they will be calling me to fix whatever they screwed up.

 

[vermontpainter]

We don't go out and buy vehicles unless we can pay cash for them we don't use credit cards unless we have to and then we pay them off every month.quote]

Never, ever buy trucks for cash. Why would you use your own money when you can use someone elses for next to nothing and gain tax advantages in the process?

The paying off cards each month...:thumbsup:

 

[crow]

I tell folks like that , I can get you a guy that will paint it for a case a beer, but,, you get what you pay for. I ran into a guy just last week , he seen my van and said man I wish I had a van and a drivers license! he said he just painted a 2 story home ext. for 500 bucks!!! said it took him a week! his brother has a car and they been workin the area. but,, anybody that would hire a guy reekin of booze, at those prices, I dont really wanna get involved with.

 

[acrylicrecoating]

We don't buy brand new and my accountant says we are better off than most of the companies he does taxes for. The last two vehicles we bought were from companies that had gone out of business and we bought them at auction. Pennies on the dollar 11,000 van for 4,000.

The estimating vehicle we use is a duranago and the people were advertising they were going to lose it to the bank and they just wanted someone to pay off the balance. That was two years ago worth 10,000 paid 3,900.00.

No payments! Winters can be tough sometimes as we are mostly exterior so we never have to worry if it gets lean.

 

[debandstac]

Thanks for all the replies, I appreciate the info

deb