"Countdown to 2010" Year End Celebration! LOTS of FREE STUFF!

Well, we have kicked off our "Countdown to 2010" Year End Celebration and we're excited to share a lot of great time saving and money making information with you... for FREE!

Check out www.StartAPaintingBusiness.com/december_freebies.html and download all of the great reports!

There will be 4 FREE reports in all, one new report will be added each week throughout December...

Each FREE report is meant to help you create momentum, so you can enter 2010 with the right mindset and a definite plan of action, to make it your best year ever!

The economy is improving and the residential interior and exterior painting market is beginning to turn around, and we want to help you take advantage of it.

Painting for Profits is ON SALE for under $75 (Regularly $147) until the end of the year (the price goes up to $197 on January 1st.)

Act now and gain all the benefits of having a proven, easy to follow, step-by-step system help you reach your goals much faster and easier...

Have a Blessed Holiday Season!

Stress Reduction for Painting Business Owners... Spend More Time In The Big Picture!

End of the year and winter is just around the corner... These are stressful times for a lot of painting contractors. Questions like:

Did I make enough money over the busy season to make it through the holiday slowdown?

Will the phone ring enough this winter to keep my head above water?

Will the economy in 2010 be better than 2009...

While no one has a crystal ball, there are signs that the economy is starting to rebound and the housing market is beginning to turn around, but who knows?

The only thing we can do is keep a good attitude, make new and better plans based on the feedback from the year before, take more "consistent" action and see how things turn out.

For my organization (personally) 2010 is going to be about GROWTH! We have made plans to better our best in every area of our business, both online and locally.

We are reinventing ourselves... Being more creative with our marketing... giving more back... improving our brand and image... because 2010 is a "Positioning" year.

Throughout history, those who built the best businesses and amassed the greatest wealth were those who were able to position themselves to capitalize on a recovering economy.

It's time to MAKE NEW PLANS... BIG BOLD, throw caution to the wind, and bite off more than you can chew plans!

In early 2010 we will be introducing a new Hybrid Marketing Concept to the national painting market. My team and I have spent thousands of hours developing and refining this NEW cutting edge program, and it's going to improve the lives and businesses of painting contractors all over North America. (More on that to come...)

My point in this blog post is simple... The day-to-day "struggles" can be a grind. The tough lessons that are learned when you reach for more and dare to dream, can kick your ass to the point that you don't feel like going on.

That's why I'm reminding you to "Spend More Time In The Big Picture." Define who you ultimately want to be... How respected and profitable you want your painting business to become... How much more you want to give back to your community and family...

Imagine what 2010 could be like if you just went for your dreams...

My personal mantra for 2010 is "Going ALL IN!" I'm betting on myself and I'm biting off more than I can chew, because in the end, what the hell is the point of living in fear all the time.

If you are reading this and are serious about the house painting profession, and are ready to lay it all on the line, "Go ALL IN" we are with you every step of the way!

Over the next few weeks (through the rest of 2009) we'll be posing updates on this blog, about the projects we are finishing up (for YOU) that will give you 99% of what you will need to turn your vision into reality. You will have to supply the 1% action, but you will have access to the best tools, advice and ideas and information to help you achieve your success much, much easier.

Start prepairing your mind right now for bigger, better things for your life and business in 2010... Go ALL IN, bet on yourself and know that, we got your back!

Painting Business Owners Who Deliver Added Value Can Sell At Higher Prices...

Added Value... what does that mean exactly?

Well, added value can be anything that is included in the price of the paint job, that is perceived by the homeowner as an "Above and Beyond" benefit.

For example:

Three different painting contractors could bid a job at $3,500 and provide the same quality finished paint job, however one of them may also include, window washing, or free touch-up service, or two free gallons of paint... as an added benefit.

Added value is a great way to set your painting business apart from your competitors, but remember, you must be able to communicate that added value to the homeowner.

A great way to do this is to create an "Added Value" flier that you include in your estimate package. It should outline what your painting company does different or better then everyone else AND how the homeowner will benefit from it!

In this new economy, it is more important then ever to be able to differentiate yourself from all the other painting business in your market. What you offer as added value makes your company unique and more desirable to your prospects.

Sit down right now and brainstorm ways you can "Add Value" and improve the customer experience.

Hope this helps!

Have You Ever Made This Mistake In Your Painting Buiness? Here's The Solution.

I have this book of quotes that I read every morning when I wake up... I just pick it up, close my eyes and open it up to a page and read the quote.

Well, for the last three days in a row, I have opened the book to the exact same quote so I figure there is something I need to learn from it. It says:

"The world makes way for a man (or woman) who knows where he (or she) is going"

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

You see, things haven't exactly been going as planned lately. Many of our new projects are WAY behind schedule and seem to be at a standstill... When people make promises and don't follow through on their word, it reflects poorly on the business owner.

I sent out my newsletter a few weeks ago asking folks to take a survey in exchange for a free trial subscription in our new membership web site that I was expecting to be ready to launch in October.

Well here we are almost in the last week of October and, you guessed it, it's not ready yet.

So what do I do? I guess the only thing I can do is look for the lesson and learn from it.

After all, my goals of providing the best, most up to date information & resources for growing a painting business, haven't changed... I still know where my business is going and like Emerson said, the world will make way for me to do that.

However the lesson I've learned and want to pass on here is simple.

Try not to promise more than you can deliver. ALWAYS under promise and OVER DELIVER.

I have met a lot of "fly by the seat of your pants" business owners, who talk a good game and will say YES to every question a customer asks (even if they know nothing about the skill needed to deliver the result).

They figure, "I'll land the job and figure it out as I go..." But the problem with that approach is that most of the time, in the end, it's the customer who suffers most.

Save yourself the aggravation and never refer anyone based on what they say they can do...

Make them prove to you that they can deliver the goods, because after all if you vouch for someone and they don't deliver, it is going to reflect poorly on YOU!

The membership site (and all of the other projects) IS going to launch and it is going to be AMAZING, but it is going to be a few more weeks until it goes live and for that, I apologize.

As of right now I'm still waiting for a progress report and time line.

I'll be sure to post updates as soon as I know more.

10 Surefire Ways to Keep Your House Painting Employees Happy

I know a lot of you are owner operator painting business owners but when you decide to grow your business and make the leap to running crews and employing people you will find that these 10 tips will go a long way in keeping them happy and productive.

After all, your employees are on the front lines everyday and when they're not happy, it has a negative effect on you and public perception of your business.

Here are 10 surefire ways to keep your house painting employees happy:

1. Ask them for their input
2. Give them incentives to grow
3. Keep them up to date about decisions that affect them
4. Be flexible and accommodating toward their personal needs
5. Outline their job description and explain your expectations (structure)
6. Encourage them to share their creative ideas
7. Listen to their complaints
8. Reward good behavior
9. Hire happy people
   
10. Pay them well

Remember - happy employees serve your customers better and take pride in their work.

I'll post more tips about how to incorporate your employees into your plans for growth. They can actually play a major role in expanding your business.

FREE Copy of Think and Grow Rich! Here's How

Hey everyone, I'm REALLY EXCITED about this!

I want to send you a FREE copy of my favorite book of all times - "Think and Grow Rich"

Did you know that It's Already Created a Million Millionaires!

...And I want YOU to have a copy for FREE!

Get Your Free Copy of Think and Grow Rich
www.FreeTGRbook.com

Just tell us where to send it, and we'll get it right out in the mail to you today.

My friends Vic and Lisa Johnson are doing this crazy marketing
test where they're giving away Napoleon Hill's "Think & Grow Rich."

I'm helping them with their big giveaway and wanted to make sure
you got your copy before they take this offer down.

Get the details here:
www.FreeTGRbook.com

Feel free to pass this on to friends. They can get one too if they
act right away.

This is one of my favorite books. I know you'll love it!

Andy Thompson

(NEW) Painting DVD Teaches This Old Dog New Tricks!

Start-up painting business owners who want to develop better house painting skills and a more fluid understanding of the process for achieving a professional quality paint job, will benefit greatly from Dan Brady's new DVD - "Learn How To Paint A Room Like A Pro".

A few weeks ago I saw a press release come across my desk about a new DVD that outlined the skills & insider tricks of the trade, for painting a room like a professional...

Anyone who knows me, knows that I get really fired up when I see painting contractors use the "Power of the PRESS" to promote their business... so I did what I always do, I sent Dan an email congratulating him.

I had the privilege of speaking on the phone to Dan - Owner of Dan Brady Painting and Wood Restoration, in Travers City, Michigan.

I told him that from time to time, I have new start up painting business owners contact me asking for tips and tricks to improve their painting skills, and that some the people on my newsletter list may be interested in his new DVD.

However before I could promote it, I had to make sure it passed muster and a few days later my copy showed up in the mail.

First impression, I was very impressed! Not just with the depth of information but how professionally it was presented and recorded...

This is Dan's first installment to his "Tricks of The Trade Painting Videos" series and if his follow up DVD's are anything like the first, this information rich library is sure to become a genuine asset to the painting industry.

In fact, I was one of those people who liked to say "there isn't much anyone could teach me about the skills or process of painting..." (because I've been painting all of my adult life) but I'm not ashamed to say I learned a few valuable insights that will save me a lot of time and improve my production process, greatly.

...Which in the end helps to improve my clients overall experience, and that's what it's all about!

Although the DVD is geared toward teaching the "DIYer", it will also help the small business owner who specializes in targeting interior residential repaints by helping them:

• Streamline the process and reduce the time it takes to paint a room
  
• Improve the overall quality of the finished product
• Improve their overall client experience

Less time to produce the job + a better looking finished product = lots of happy, satisfied customers and more money in your bank account!

The way I see it, if this DVD helps you reduce your production time by just 30 minutes per job (because it helped you streamline your production process) it is worth a thousand times the $24.95 asking price.

We are happy to give Dan Brady and the "Learn How To Paint A Room Like A Pro" DVD our highest recommendation.

To learn more about Dan Brady and see a sample of the DVD head over to: www.danbradypaintingtricks.com

Perk Up Your Painting Business With Prizes

Hey, everyone loves the chance to win something and as far as I can tell no one else is doing anything like this...

One of the ways we are going to make our estimates stand out in 2010 is to create a "Lucky Envelope" that we give to each prospect along with our written estimate. We are kicking around a few ideas for what should go in the "Lucky Envelope" to help us make a better impression on our potential clients.

Here are a few ideas we are considering...

1. A scratch off lottery ticket
2. A coupon for a buy one get one free meal at a local restaurant we have a relationship with.
3. A chance to win their paint job for free contest offer
4. A free car wash or movie ticket

Brainstorm some things you can use to make your painting business stand out.

Success in this new economy, takes creative thinking.

Do your best to make the experience more fun and exciting for the home owner and watch your sales improve.

Remember - Sales is service!

The last thing you want to do is look and sound like every other painting contractor in town.

We are about two weeks from launching our (NEW) Subscribers Only Membership web site, where we will share detailed information about how to put together these fun creative (money making) ideas to work.

The monthly membership fee will be less than a cup of Starbucks coffee and scone, especially for our first 100 charter members.

We'll be posing a blog announcement with a link to the new web site very soon, so be sure to bookmark this blog and check back often!