Don't Yell! Want To Start A Painting Business

Respond

OK - don't yell everyone - I am not a painter, but I want to start a painting business in 2008. I have a great head for business and am great at sales. I would like to hire painters and spend my time marketing and bidding jobs. I am not great at painting but I can prep and do other things to add value on the job. I am not looking to be too long on each job anyway, since I want to focus on leads, bidding, more leads, etc.

I want to start in the painting biz because there is a need in my region for responsible people to come in and do what they say they will do for the customer. I believe in quality, developing a reputation and creating a pleasant experience for the homeowner. As you all know, people say this all the time, but a lot of times they don't come through. If I do what I say I will do, I know my business will flourish.

I have money to start up a biz for supplies, advertising, licenses, etc. I am a woman who is an upstanding member of my community, so I have credibility and know a lot of people who have promised to help me with referrals. I am a whiz at organization and managing multiple projects and being extremely efficient with my time and money.

I have been reading a lot of these posts and I have a ton of respect for all the entrepreneurs out there who are helping newbies and who genuinely love what they do and love to talk about it. I don't want to offend any of you by being a "john" and not knowing anything and busting into your area of expertise. But I need some tough love and I am tough enough to hear it, so lay it on me brothers and sisters and tell me if you think a businesswoman without painting experience can actually make this work.

Thanks!

DeanV

I think the toughest part will be estimating. Without painting experience, I do not know how I would come up with a bid. I base all of my prices by looking at the job and figuring out how many hours it will take me to get it done and how much materials. This was learned by being hands on and being a painter first. With time, after you hire your crew and get to know their speed you will be able to keep track of things like that and your bids will get better. The hard part will be hiring the right experienced painters.

ModernStyle

You had better trust the guys you hire or they will milk every job you put them on. But you also dont want to push them too hard because that will make the quality suffer and the " what the hell have you ever painted?" questions will start to fly. Anything can be done if you want it bad enough.
Run a legit business, treat your customers right and dont hire any damn illegal aliens.

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Respond

Great advice to the above posts - thanks. I think bidding will be rough, but I can afford to break even or lose some money in order to learn some lessons.

Hiring will be challenging. Question: How do people "milk every job"? What does that mean pls?

buildenterprise

Any hourly employee can "milk the job" by making it take longer than necessary....I think piece work is the way to go, but then you run the risk of employees rushing the job.

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HomeGuard

thats exactly how i started, I've never painted, prepped, or anything other than supervised on a jobsite. but the only way to make sure you make enough is to keep 3-4 crews going at a time.

the only warning I give you: don't forget about the time you will spend supervising jobs and handling the customers at those jobs in addition to marketing, sales, estimating ect.-- a 10 hr day is a good one.

buy the national paint cost estimater to help with pricing.

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Milk was a bad choice

KJLinden2002

Looks like I'm moving to where your at!... JK.

I sorta knew how to paint when I started. I could knock out exteriors with the best of them because that is all I did. This summer I hired my first helper that had 3 years experience. I worked along side him and hired a ground man. He, though not knowing it, taught me pretty much everything I know about painting. How to cut, roll, what products work best for this and that. Don't get me wrong I knew a lot but I learned from my employees. I am now better than any of them. I look at getting out of the field more and doing more advertising. If you say you have the demand then just hire a couple of people you can trust and work a few jobs for the first few months until you feel you can cut, roll and spray better than any of them. Most important you need to learn the different product lines and their cross-overs. This way you can sell the customer the right product at the time of the bid. It definitely isn't good when a customer asks you a question and you don't know. Learn to calculate square footage and Follow (FOLLOW FOLLOW) up with your customers. I can't tell you how many times I sold a job because I called the guy to ask him if he got the fax, or ask him how his bidding process was going and if he needed any recommendations.

Joewho

If this is purely from no hands on experience or knowledge, then do what everyone else does.

Get the paint estimator hand book. Get the "out of the bucket" program. Join napp and the other one, etc, etc.

Respond

Thanks for the great advice. What do you mean, "a 10 hr day is a good one" - allocate my 10 hour days to my bid prices?

I was also thinking of having some rooms in my own house painted by potential employees to calculate the time and costs.

donb1959

Take the easy way out, move to NC hire me for 75K yearly (plus bonus), and I will handle all the field work for you.

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hometechnc

Just my opinion, but I would strongly recommend going to work for a known, quality painter in your region for at least six months. Learn the basics insofar as materials, techniques, estimating,etc.

I cannot fathom entering this trade as a business owner, and not knowing the basics. You would be setting yourself for being manipulated and/or ripped off by your employees, and quite possibly, you customers.

George Z

You are not a painter.
Consider that to be an advantage, not a problem.
Most of us came in the business as painters and it took us forever
to see this as a business. Getting out of that bucket was tough.
In the begining, start with the average production rates
and then adjust them to fit your crews.
If you can afford it, follow this sequence:
focus on the administrative part first,
marketing and sales next,
production last.

If you are not good at something, hire people that are.

Join NAPP and look at some of the Out of the Bucket systems.
and read the E-Myth

Yes.

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Respond

Hey George Z

I am happily married, but I would slap a big fat juicy kiss on you right now if I could. Thanks for the advice and encouragement.

And to all of you with advice that isn't as encouraging, thanks for that as well. It's great to hear all sides - I will learn from all of it.

KellyPainting

Well your off to a good start. We will help you as much as we can..

Here's a few pointers to get you attacked the least...
1st tell us your bid and ask our opinion.... don't ask us to bid.
2nd always give as much information as possible.
3rd be nice...if were attacked we will bite back.

Listen to George, he's got some good points... Just coming here puts
you ahead of the rest... Also your the age and gender is the same
as the clients you'll be working for. Take you time you will learn by your
mistakes. Never let the customer think you don't know what you are doing
they can read it in your body language..and get someone who has ran a crew
.....Get the best guy you can afford and take it from there.

Brian

I agree with George Z-- the lack of painting background is a blessing in disguise. More than 90% of those starting a painting business this year will be out of business within 10 years. The primary reason is lack of business skills.

As George said, if you aren't good at something, hire those who are.

Brian Phillips

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Houston Interior Painting
Houston Exterior Painting
Houston Painting Contractor

KJLinden2002

And, if you think you know already know alot. Hire someone who has a couple years of experience and learn their pros and cons. Adapt to their pros and teach him yours. That should wipe out all of the cons that you might have as a home owner painter. O yeah, and the only brush you need is a good 3 inch. Everything else should only be used for special situations. Also I use an 18 inch roller for almost everything. In general, in an 8' bedroom, you should be able to cut the whole room twice as fast as you roll.

premierpainter

Could not agree with George more. I hate painting and don't. I run a business. We are blessed that the phone rings. I meet people all the time that have no work and the phone does not ring. With good business practice, advertizing and a good knowledge of business background, you will do fine. We get anywhere from 10 to 20 calls a day. This is not because I know how to paint...this is because I know how to run a business. We have 2 different businesses and do quite well, year after year. Make sure that you stand out from all of the other guys and you will be fine.
Good luck and just worry about getting the phone ringing

THINKPAINTING

Alot will depend on your location. My area is over loaded with painters, painting contractors, and companys.

Location just as in real estate makes a difference. Good luck.

Dave Mac

So you better be good at knowing what is good and what is not. Personally for me, its easier having been a painter to know what is good, and what is not. And then hiring someone, with my expectations.

Ive always thought it was easier to learn the trade from the ground up with the end in mine. The buisness part to me is way easier then the technical part. You cant have a a profitable buisness with out a good understanding how the field works, no better way to understand how the field works then to have been in the field. I personally enjoy the fact, I dont have to take someone's word for what is a good production rate, or how to do something, I dont have to be the best at everything, but I want to know hands on, how everything in my company works.

Thanks
dave mac

Capella

I don't know if this will work for you but I talked to a guy recently who did it. He found himself a good independent crew who knew a ton about painting but nothing about running and growing a business. He told them that he could generate a ton of business and keep them busy constantly if they'd help him get off the ground. You obviously have to be careful that you can trust the foreman/manager and the crew. It worked for him and he has since added a second crew. Both crews are contract but they (say they) work only for him because he keeps them busy enough.

As far as milking goes, I've also seen company owners say to a crew "I've estimated this job at 28 hours (3.5 days) and I'll pay you and your crew $325/day up to a maximum of 3.5 days". This is the same as piece work. Just be careful that they aren't rushing too much to get out early.

There's all kinds of ways to this I guess, so hopefully you can take many ideas from this forum (and painttalk.com and make them into something workable for you. Good luck with the new business!

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Dennis
Zebra Paint - Austin Painting Contractor
Interior and Exterior Painting for House or Office
Zebrapainters.com