Painting companies offer exterior and interior decorating services for commercial and residential property owners, building contractors, and commercial real estate brokers. They generally decorate existing buildings, homes, retail and office buildings, museums, and galleries. They also paint the exteriors of new homes, apartment complexes, rehab properties, and privately owned properties. Painting companies can be approached through referrals by current or past clients. Painting Companies usually have a portfolio that prospective customers can look at to get an idea about their painting experience and services.
Painting companies must have proper licensing and insurance. A license is obtained through local and state boards. These licenses ensure that the painting companies follow accepted industry standards. They also ensure that the painting company adheres to safety guidelines such as proper lighting and ventilation for work areas. Painting companies must follow health and safety regulations, such as proper disposal of paints and other materials. Painting companies must keep clean work areas.
Insurance is important for protecting both the customer and painting company. Painting companies should provide a policy that protects both the customer and the painting service provider. The insurance protection helps cover any damages, losses, and injuries that may occur during the painting services. Some policies provide coverage for pain and suffering, loss of earnings, physical disability, and interruption of business. In addition to these benefits, insurance helps a client avoid over-painting jobs or hiring untrained employees.
Before starting a painting business, it is imperative to gather all required liability insurance, business licenses, and equipment. It is advisable to buy this insurance from the insurance company that one has chosen for the painting business. Research on the Internet can help one locate the right painting company. Different types of insurance cover different risks.
Many states require painting companies to be licensed. An LLC (limited liability corporation) is a legal entity in most states. An LLC is a separate entity from its owners and can suffer different consequences, depending on state law. Although not formally recognized as an entity by the IRS, an LLC is treated as a pass-through income for state tax purposes.
It is important to choose a location for the new business. Paint is expensive and large scale operations are not feasible. Large paint companies can offer discounts to attract new customers. Some local schools and community centers offer a free painting or other arts related programs. Community colleges and technical institutes also offer inexpensive courses in painting techniques.
Profit margins for painting companies vary widely. It depends on the size and competition in the painting industry. The profit margin per square foot is lower than for any other service industry. The high cost of labor and overhead in a painting company results in profit margins that are much lower than for other service industries. It is difficult to find large profit margins for the painting industry; however, some areas have greater concentrations of companies that have high enough profit margins to attract investment.
A painter may decide to start his own painting company if he believes that he has the right entrepreneurial skills to succeed. Starting one’s own painting business can be intimidating and stressful; however, if proper planning is made and profit margins estimated, it is possible to start a successful painting business with good potential for growth. As with all businesses, it is important to obtain proper training from certified painting school graduates and obtain the proper business licenses.
Another key component of a painting services website is the contact/service directory. Many companies provide a list of their painting contractors or a general list of painting services. Some sites include a phone number or a link to a website where you can locate a contractor. Some sites provide a link to a homeowners’ forum where homeowners can share information about finding a good contractor. Other sites provide a free downloadable checklist of services and contractors, which may be useful in your search for a painter or painting services provider.
A good way to increase traffic to your website is to create a social media page with a fan/follow button. The painting contractor website uses the Facebook and Twitter social media profiles to notify customers of new hires, project updates, and schedule changes. Social media allows customers to get in touch with the painter directly and also allows a company to spread the word about openings or specials. The website uses a blog format to update the daily goings-on. The homeowner’s forum provides an opportunity to talk about job openings, any problems contractors may have, and perhaps most importantly, how-to tips on paint techniques.
One of the reasons homeowners love Facebook is that it allows them to interact live with other members. One homeowner recently posted: “I just found out that my husband’s new contractor has a Facebook page! It’s great! He’s such a great person, we’ve been married 14 years, I’m so glad he decided to use Facebook to connect with me. We get to talk about just about anything, house maintenance, landscaping, anything but painting.”