5 Tips For Getting Into The Painting Business
Starting a new painting business can bring a whirlwind of emotions. The simple truth is there will be many ups and downs, confusion, and perseverance.
In this article we’ll simplify and lay everything out to set you up for the best route to a successful business.
It will take some work to get started, but eventually, this can turn into a highly profitable business with an army of your painters all over the state.
But…
It’s important to realize that scaling will take some time and patience, so for now, let’s focus on the very first step to your future.
Step 1: Register Your Company
The very first step before you can legally start is to register your company. This sounds and seems a lot harder than it is.
You’ll first wants to register with the secretary of state. Good news: this can be done online.
Just search “*your state* secretary of state” and it should be the first link on google.
From there you’ll want to file a new document and follow their instructions to establish your business.
Its recommended to set up your company as an LLC (Limited Liability Company). This will separate you from the company meaning you can’t personally be sued if anything ever happened.
Another benefit of an LLC is that it will be your brand and that’s how you can market your business.
Step 2: Purchase The Proper Painting Equipment
To do a quality paint job with speed, it’ll most likely require professional equipment. This can get a little costly but will pay for itself after some jobs are completed.
The cost of everything will be based on brand, quality, and what all you need. It’s important to keep in mind that although cool, you don’t need all the little trinkets in a paint shop. Especially when starting out it’s better to not buy as much than to buy too much equipment. Investing in the best paint booth is also a great idea.
Heres a list of the tools that are most important:
- Ladders: 8’-12’ and 28’-32’ $100-$300
- Drop Cloths (prevents spills) $20
- Caulk Gun: $10
- 5-in-1 scraper: $10
- Sandpaper: 60 to 80 grit sandpaper
- Brush: one brush per team member. Quality is necessary. $15-$25
- Roller, roller head, roller tray
- Airless Paint Sprayer: Perfect for large areas but make sure whoever is using it has the skills necessary to operate. $250-$1,500
- Masking Gun: Used to mask off windows, doors, roofline, etc. $50
Total cost: $500 to $2,000
Sherwin Williams sells almost everything you may need starting out on average projects.
Step 3: Get Your First Job
There are many different ways to do this part. Regardless, it’s necessary to grow the business.
One of the cheapest routes is talking to friends or family and either they will ask for work or they will recommend you to others.
Print some flyers and leave them around town, just be sure of your county’s local laws. After we printed a few flyers, we were able to get our first job, which was painting vinyl siding.
The final tip can get expensive but it’s a great route to scale and grow the business. This route is online marketing, so a website will be necessary. You can do google ad words, Facebook ads, or a strong SEO that ranks you high on google.
Step 4: How To Paint Your First House
After getting some leads from your marketing, you’ve finally landed your first customer! This can be a very exciting time and maybe a little nerve-wracking.
But its time to put those emotions to the side and to do a high-quality paint job.
Always keep in mind that it’s not your home so you’ll need to be cautious with their rules. Be sure to clean everything up and avoid messes at all costs.
It’s vital to do a great job as it will make the customers happy and leads to them recommending you to others.
Step 5: Scale And Grow
So now you’ve registered your company, got the equipment, and landed your first job. If it’s truly what you enjoy then it’ll be smart to plan for scaling.
Scaling your business can be scary and might even cost some money at the start, but in the end, you’ll get more freedom and profits.
To scale, you’ll first need enough jobs coming in the door. So if you’re getting a decent amount of jobs that you cant handle on your own its time to bring in some team members that are skilled and trustworthy.
It’s also important that you continuously market your company and build relationships to get some organic traffic.
When it comes to painting the sky is the limit, you can truly grow your business as big as you’d like.
Final Thoughts
All in all, building a painting business is a very exciting experience that can make you loads of money.
The first and most important step is to register your company and set up any legal papers required by your state. This will keep you safe and also is a great marketing point.
The rest of the business is in your hands by customer service, quality service, and scaling the company.
As stated before, the sky is limited in the painting business. Everyone needs houses painted to either keep up-to-date or just freshen up the house.
The most important part is to get started now or it could be pushed back and just not happen, so go out there are start your future today.
