Why an Economic Downturn Can Be Good For Your Painting Business

There are a few businesses that seem to never be affected by an economic downturn…

…and if you are in the home improvement industry you are in luck, especially if you run or are planning on starting a painting business.

House painters and painting business owners are in luck because the skills they’ve developed are, for all intense and purposes, recession proof.

While it’s true that the larger new construction painting business owner will feel the pinch of a down housing market there are always other markets to service. When housing prices readjust the residential repaint market will be flooded with opportunity.

Even now, existing homes offer an unlimited opportunity during a slow economy, here’s why:

For one, a person’s home is often times the largest investment they will ever make…

So when property values fall, homeowners instinctively begin looking for ways to improve what they have. They seek out cost effective ways to increase the value of their home and painting is always at the top of the list.

Painting is also one of the first things a homeowner thinks about if they decide to put their house on the market for sale. A new coat of paint on everything makes the house visually appealing to perspective buyers.

When the economy changes the way it has it is vitally important to be prepared. Here are a few ways to get started:

• Do your homework! Get to know your competition and what they are offering with their services…
  
  
• Get very clear about how your services meet the customers needs and be able to communicate that to them.
  
  
• Take time to brainstorm all the possible ways you can set your painting services apart from the crowd… Think of ways to make your painting services more appealing.
  
  
• Brainstorm a list of incentives you can offer your customers. For example if you are painting the exterior of their house offer them a free gutter cleaning or window washing.

It’s not only important to prepare yourself you must also show passion for what you do!

• Get your rap down – learn to get the homeowner excited about the painting project.
  
  
• Help them visualize the finished project and the feeling they will get as they pull up to their freshly painted home.
  
  
• Help them understand that the updated curb appeal will not only improve the look of their home but also increase the value as well.

Other ways to set your self apart could be:

1. Keep a running list of references and testimonials…
2. Create a portfolio of before and after pictures…
3. Invite people to your web site to read about your services.
4. Offer a coupon on your web site, etc.

Doing these kinds of things lend a lot of credibility and legitimacy to your painting services.

Remember happy customers talk to people! Learn to promise expectations and then always over deliver on that promise.

In this new economy your focus should be on building long term relationships with your customers… repeat business!

Don’t make the same mistake so many other painting business owners make and try to squeeze every last penny out of the customer on the first job.

Your goal should be to become “like family”. To become the painter of choice every time they or their family or friends need a paint job.

Before you know it you will be painting for the same group of people and their friends again and again year after year.

A Simple Bidding and Estimating Technique...

I get emails all the time asking for bidding and estimating advice... Some go so far as to tell me I am selfish because I don't give away my system for free!

It's true that knowing the secrets I share in my #1 rated Bid-to-Win Estimating System will surely put you light-years ahead of other painters in the field, but they are simply too valuable to give away for free...

I busted my butt for years, working for below average pay (paying my dues and eating a lot of crow) to earn the respect of my mentor.

My neighbor runs a very successful home improvement business that currently does about a million dollars a year in business...

They focus mainly on re-models, roofing and siding as well as custom decks. His company subs out the work to local carpenters and handymen and this is how he goes about bidding jobs.

Please understand that this is NOT the best way to bid paint jobs, but it will work OK to get you started. You will not be able to grow using this method, but you will turn a profit which you can then invest into your copy of Bid-to-Win.

His bidding system works like this:

He charges $200 per day per man. So an eight hour day pays $25 an hour. Not great, but not bad either. The subcontractors don't have much in terms of overhead, there is no marketing costs or customer service to deal with. They simply go in and do their job.

Let's say there is a bathroom re-model and the estimate is for four days... Here is how he would calculate his bid:

1 subcontractor for 4 days = $800 ($200 per day)
Materials cost = $1400
Overhead expenses 20% = $440
Profit for the company 30% = $792

Total Bid for Re-Model = $3432.00

Now $200 a day is not a bad income at all - but using this method is very limiting to you! You could most likely go in and paint this bathroom in one day (walls, ceilings and trim).

My neighbor passes along all the painting leads to me and allows me to bid the jobs through my own business rather than subbing them to me through his. We have an on-going working relationship that works out great! I refer jobs to him and he does the same for me.

Using the formula I reveal in the Bid-to-Win Estimating System this job paid out like this.

• The paint job took one complete 8 hour day and was bid at $550
• Materials cost $102.55
• Overhead expenses around $50
• Total pre-tax profit $397.45 or $49.68/hour

Not bad for an easy days work! As you can see there is a BIG difference in knowing how to properly bid and estimate paint jobs, but if you are just getting started, using the method of $200/day plus materials & overhead can give you a nice starting point.

As I mentioned using the $200/day bidding method makes it very hard to grow your business because the profit margins are quite small, but on the other hand earning $1000 a week working for yourself is a lot better than earning $600 a week working for a boss!

If you are ready to go out on your own you will benefit greatly from my painting business building success systems!

The complete Bid-to-Win Estimating System is sold as a stand alone course for those of you who already have your marketing in order... BUT it is also INCLUDED in the Painting for Profits - Painting Business Building Success System as a FREE bonus...

Painting for Profits lays out 16 proven, low cost marketing tips, techniques and strategies in step-by-step detail! Painting for Profits is a complete painting business building success system which includes a quick-start guide, employee management and development system, office management system, marketing system as well as the Bid-to -Win Estimating system - all in one package!

Positioning Your Painting Business...

Positioning your painting business has nothing to do with quality, longevity or price... It has everything to do with being at the top of a home owners mind when their looking for a painter.

The main focus of positioning should be to ask yourself:

1. How do I position myself as the painter of choice in the minds of the home owners in a certain neighborhood?
   
   
2. What actions do I have to take to make this happen?

The answer to those questions is marketing... consistent, low cost, effective marketing strategies. (I lay out 16 of them in step-by-step detail in the Painting for Profits course.)

One of my favorites - both for its extraordinary low cost and for its amazingly high ROI (return on investment). No it's not door hangers, although door hangers are great IF you know how to write them correctly.

What I'm talking about is radius marketing.

Radius Marketing is one of the most powerful and cost effective marketing strategies available for promoting your painting business!

Your next satisfied customer is closer than you think!

As a painting contractor who offers painting services, the needs of your clients and their neighbors are often very similar. Homes in subdivisions are built around the same time and as a result are often in need of similar services at the same time. This is especially true with painting!

With the Radius Marketing system for paint contractors, you can now have a tool at your fingertips to launch as little as a 50 piece direct mail campaign to the closest neighbors of the job you just completed… All in less than 12 seconds!

As far as paid advertising goes…I have found nothing that works better or is as powerful as radius marketing because neighbors love to hear your painting business was the trusted source used by neighbors or friends just down the street.

This marketing program is a perfect match for those in the business of:

• Interior and Exterior Residential Repaints
• Power Washing
• Or any other handyman type service

Radius Marketing is an innovative marketing solution. Imagine a simple, sophisticated and powerful system that automatically targets new prospects right around the job you just completed. (Or a neighborhood you hope to work in).

Best of all you can launch a powerful direct marketing campaign in just 12 seconds from your computer and it costs $39.50 per complete mail campaign (4.25x5.5 full color postcard) or $44.50 for the Jumbo 6x11 full color postcard.

You’ll never need to buy another list, lick another stamp or print another letter or card because they do it all for you automatically!

Once you’re set up, you’ll just login to the system, enter the address of the job you just left and hit the submit button. From there they handle the rest.

To view a demo of the Radius Marketing Program and see how easy it is to get a complete mailing campaign started, just log in at www.smartleadsusa.net, enter username: brad123, password: brad123. Hit Enter Jobsite Address and put in your address – about 12 seconds of effort!

It’s like having a multi million dollar print and mail facility attached to your desktop 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! They even give you the mailing list!

This is truly one of the best marketing strategies I have come across in years! Be sure to request additional information from Sherie Carlson by clicking here right now!

Starting a Painting Business in the New Economy

Contrary to what you may think, starting a business of your own is the single smartest action you can take... and if that business happens to be a residential Painting Business your chance of profiting wildly in this new economy is outstanding.

Here's why -

1. As housing prices regulate back to their normal standards, before the over-inflated bubble burst, home owners understand that in order to retain the value of their home or to get a good price when selling, they must make improvements... and painting is at the top of the list.
   
   Why? It is the biggest cosmetic improvement and it is one of the least expensive ways to update.
   
   
2. The tax benefits of owning a small business (painting or otherwise) are outstanding. It is a legal way to keep more of your hard earned money in your household.
   
   
3. Working for yourself is always the smart thing to do when an economic downturn happens.
   
   When you are in control of your own actions you can go out and make as much money as you want. When you are at the mercy of working for a boss the best you can do is an hourly wage and hope your boss doesn't cut your hours.

Starting a painting business is really quite easy - if you have a few years of experience under your belt, you should consider at least starting a part time business with the intent of working your way into full time...

Remember what I said about great tax benefits? Well, Uncle Sam says that even education is tax deductible - that means you can invest in Painting for Profits and write it off as a business expense.

You've got to love it...

What Does Mind Set have to do With the Success of Your Painting Business?

“Expect your every need to be met, expect the answer to every problem, expect abundance on every level, expect to grow spiritually.” - Eileen Caddy

As house painters and painting business owners we often find ourselves wrapped up in the day to day challenges of our chosen profession. There are so many things to think about and do that if one of them goes wrong it tends to throw the whole day into a spiral…

It seems like not a day goes by that I don’t see a painter in the paint store with a scowl on their face or hear them complaining about a customer or a bad employee.

You see, when we concentrate our mind on all the little things that can and do go wrong on a daily basis we tend to see more and more of them. This holds true in all areas of our lives not just our work day but relationships, health and finances as well.

Here is a tip that has helped me “Get my Mind Right” and make the day to day operations of my painting business a lot more enjoyable!

At first I thought this stuff was a little airy fairy but I have to admit in a short time I saw a real positive difference.

Here is how it works… Please don’t let the simplicity of this technique be the reason you dismiss it before you give it a try!

First start by writing a list of things you are grateful for. For example:

1. I am so grateful that I get to be my own boss…
2. I am so grateful for all the referrals people send me... etc.

Whatever it is (even if it is only something you want to happen) for example:

1. I am so grateful that the ad I just placed is going to attract a dedicated, experienced employee with the desire to grow with my painting business.
   


2. I am so grateful that the contact I made today is going to bring in a flood of new jobs... etc.

The idea is to get you into a mind set of gratitude and positive expectations. The best times to do this are:

• Just before you go to bed in the evening… Give thanks for all the things that went right in your day and visualize how you want the next day to be.

Go to bed with gratitude and thanks in your heart even if your day was a struggle, it makes waking up a lot nicer!

• Upon waking up in the morning… Looking back at my morning routine before I began practicing this technique regularly, I would open my eyes and my mind would flood with all the hurdles and problems I was going to have to face that day.

I would jump right out of bed and begin to put out the “mental fires” sometimes forgetting to even kiss my wife before I left.

Now, because I go to bed with a grateful mind set I wake up with optimism and gratitude in my heart! Before I put my feet on the floor I take a deep breath through my nose and say thank you and then mentally run down the list of things I am grateful for.

Again, I know this may sound a bit “out there” for some but because this powerful exercise is all done in your mind, no one needs to even know you are doing it!

The more you can keep your mind on all the things that you are grateful for and that are going right in your life the more those things will happen to you… Same holds true for the not so good things.

The truth is that both are available all the time. It’s what we hold our attention on that causes us to feel the way we feel.

Creating the proper mind set for success is a critical part of experiencing success.

Create your ideal painting business in your mind first and then live there, working everyday to live up to your own highest expectations.

When you hold yourself to a higher standard than anyone else can, you will always have satisfied customers and peace of mind when you lay your head on your pillow!

Try it; you may be as pleasantly surprised as I was when it really starts working for you!

Is Your Painting Business Built on Quick Sand?

Quite often painters email me excited about starting their own painting business… They tell me all about how much experience they have in the trade or about how well they can paint.

Most of the emails look something like this:

Hello Andy, I have been painting for [insert # of years here]. I want to start my own business. I have most of the tools I will need but I don’t know how to get started, any suggestions?

Yup, here are some suggestions…

• Realize that good painting skills will not guarantee your success

Seriously, wipe that thought right out of your mind!

Now, I’m not saying that having good skills isn’t important to success, they are.

…but what I am saying is this:

When it comes to running your own painting business, it’s not how well you can paint that counts, it’s how well you can market your services and how profitably you can bid paint jobs.

If you don’t make absolutely sure that you have a rock solid understanding of how to keep a steady stream of customers calling you and the confidence to bid and estimate the jobs with accuracy – you are building your painting business on quick sand!

That is exactly why I have made the foundation of my #1- Rated Painting Business Building Success System – Painting for Profits all about:

• Giving you 16 incredibly powerful – low cost marketing techniques and strategies that are proven to get home owners to consistently pick up the phone and call you for an estimate. Everything is laid out in easy to follow step-by-step detail.

• Sharing my secret bidding and estimating formulas so you will have the confidence and know how to accurately and profitably bid paint jobs every single time.

…But no matter how great you can paint – if no one is picking up the phone and calling you for an estimate… and you don’t know how to properly bid paint jobs your painting business will collapse like a house of cards. It’s just that simple.

…And this isn’t just for beginners either! Even if you already have a painting business up and running you STILL need to make sure that you can keep a consistent flow of new customers calling and that you are landing the majority of the estimates you submit.

That is the only way to make sure your painting business is built on a solid foundation.

P.S. If becoming profitable and successful as a painting business owner only had to do with having great painting skills there would be a lot more rich painters out there.

Introduction to the Painting Business Success Hierarchy

In the next series of blog posts I’m going to reveal the building blocks for creating a solid long term and (more importantly) profitable painting business. I say “More importantly profitable” because there are plenty of painting businesses that hang in there year in and year out who are barley making ends meet!

I call these building blocks… “The Painting Business Success Hierarchy”

Regardless of whether you are a:

• Full time, full service painting business…

• Part time one man show…

• Or a mammoth multi crew franchise painting contractor…

Developing your painting business using the proven building blocks of “The Painting Business Success Hierarchy” gives you the best possible chance of long term profitability.

Let’s get right to it…

Step 1 – Marketing! Marketing! Marketing!

It is important to realize that:

As soon as you decided to start your painting business you ceased to be just a “house painter”, you became a “MARKETER”!

”In order to build a profitable painting business you must develop a series of cost effective marketing strategies that allow you to target the specific jobs that work best for your business model.”

This is especially important when you are just getting started. The last thing you want to do is dump a bunch of money in an ineffective traditional advertising campaign.

Don’t get me wrong, there is a time and place for traditional advertising but it is certainly not when you are just getting started! Yellow page ads for example are only effective when you have the advertising budget to get noticed… (Half to full page ads that can cost TENS of thousands of dollars per month)

I talk to painting business owners all the time who are “Just Squeaking By” month after month because their yellow page ad eats up all the profits.

Most of them have no idea about the dozens of powerful cost effective marketing strategies that have been proven to work far better than any traditional advertising ever could… For PENNY’S on the dollar!

I reveal 15 of them in step by step detail in the Updated and Expanded 2008 Version of the Painting for Profits – Master Painting Business Success System which is being released to the public on January 28Th…

The truth is, unless you have a cost effective marketing plan that keeps a steady flow of new clients calling you for an estimate… You are dead in the water! It’s that simple.

In my next blog post I will reveal the second step in the Painting Business Success Hierarchy... Keep a lookout for it.