Often, you may want to start doing different and interesting things every day. Whether it be your simple day-to-day activities or even your job, it is quite obvious that everyone needs a change to keep their life entertaining. Within this change, you may get the bizarre idea of a painting business. However, you might not know how to start a painting business.
The first thing you need to do when you’re getting into the painting business for the first time is to select a target market. This will help you decide what kind of consumers you will be dealing with. However, the most important thing to do is to manage transportation. This is necessary as you will drive to peoples’ houses to paint.
However, there is more to the painting business than what is mentioned above. It requires a lot of hard work to start a painting business alone, especially if you’re new to the business. But you need not worry. This article will cover all the things you need to know about starting a painting business, whether it is a good idea or not, and if the business is profitable. So, keep reading!
Starting A Painting Business: What You Need To Know
It is quite probable that you might be employed in the painting business for years and might finally think of starting your own company. Well, all you need to know are the right tips for it. You need to start by creating a business plan and then following it till your plan succeeds. Below are some of the crucial tips listed down for you before you get started.
Know Your Market
To be successful in starting the painting business, you need to be better able to understand the opportunities existing in the market and learn how to grab them when you have the chance. If you want your painting business to be only based in your local area, you need to figure out if there is sufficient demand for painting in the area.
One way you can get insight into the target market is by talking to fellow painters. If you’re based in your area, it will be easier to talk to them as you may already know a lot of professional painters.
It will be harder to start this business in a completely new area and so, harder to interpret the market as well. You also need to have a clear knowledge of your competitors and their strategies. Once you fully know all these, you can start your progress.
Practice Leads To Perfection
Painting is a laborious, detail-oriented job. Getting to work outside on occasion is a major plus for many painters, but it can also be physically demanding. This is because it is frequently done from the top of a ladder. Moreover, getting a room ready for painting may be a workout in itself. You will have to go through all the ordeal of scraping, patching, and sanding before even picking up a brush.
Learning how to establish a painting company is also a creative and enjoyable experience. Of course, the greatest method for becoming a great painter is to practice! Before you start soliciting clients, see whether any of your friends or family members require painting services.
You can work for a while with an established painting company to truly learn the ropes and then get into the business yourself. Quite agreeably, there’s no better way to learn than to do it yourself.
Your skills with people also need to be great. You’ll be going into people’s homes, conversing with customers, and directly dealing with any issues that arise. You want to come across as a real professional who is kind, timely, and respectful of their time and space. Only then will clients be eager to refer you to others if they enjoy both your personality and your work.
Schedule Office Time
In the first several months, you’ll be doing a lot of administrative work. It’s a crucial stage in starting your own painting business, and if you think about it now, you’ll save time and stress later on when you’re swamped with work.
State and local rules will change depending on where you live. The town office or municipal hall in your area should also be able to assist you. You can check out their online resources, or schedule an in-person meeting with them. You can then write down the questions you want to ask so you can obtain all of the answers you need in one visit. This will make your whole job easier later on.
You will also need to set some time aside to take care of taxes, invoicing, and a few other details. Once you are ready to become a professional painter, it will require you to get any necessary permits to register your business as well as other things such as opening a bank account and buying insurance.
Buy Materials
Once you have successfully set up your business, you will then need to buy materials. A painting business does not need a large amount of equipment. All you will need is a truck, a few rollers, brushes, trays, and drop sheets if you’re just getting started. Also try to get a ladder, a pole, and a kit, as you will have to reach great heights to paint.
Moreover, starting a painting business also does not require a large sum of money. This industry has a relatively low entrance hurdle. A truck is the most expensive piece of necessary equipment, followed by a sprayer. However, that is not required to start a painting business.
In addition, you don’t need all the sophisticated tools to get fundamental chores done. In fact, it is recommended to start with basic equipment until you have a project that requires something more, such as a sprayer. Even then, you might not need to invest in high-priced equipment.
Apart from these, there are other mandatory tips that you should know before getting into the painting business. These will all help you to understand the work better, especially if you’re new to this.
What You Will Need To Start Your Painting Business
There is some basic equipment you need when you first start your painting business. It all depends on the square foot and the kind of surface you are painting. As you are new to the market and will start out small in the beginning, only the primary necessities will do the work. Below is a list of some of the fundamental equipment that you will require along with the cost of it.
Brush, Rollers, And Sprayers
Brushes and rollers of superior quality are essential for industrial painters. Depending on the work, you’ll require a different style. A small, angled brush for window sashes, for example, costs less than $10, but a wider wall brush costs more like $25 or $30.
If you are looking for something a little more high-tech, then sprayers are your go-to. These are favored by many painters, especially for outdoor projects. They’re quick and simple to operate. Airless paint sprayers that are well-made start at approximately $200.
Paint
A gallon of paint will typically cover 350 square feet and will cost between $25 and $45 per gallon if you choose a good brand. Primer costs around the same per gallon, although it depends on the surfaces you’re painting.
While every house is different, a 1,500-square-foot home will require around 10 gallons of paint for the outside and 2-3 gallons for a typical interior room. So, you need to plan accordingly.
Ladders
If you are painting both the interior and outside of your home, you will need two ladders. A ladder that is 8 to 12 feet tall will cost approximately $100, while one that is 28 to 32 feet tall would cost around $300.
The height of the ladder depends on how far up the wall you have to paint. You will need the taller ladders for exterior painting, whereas the smaller ones will work for simply the interior. Apart from this, you can always hire inside scaffolds for approximately $10 per hour if you’re just getting your feet wet.
Transportation
Once you have got the equipment needed for painting, it is now time to invest in a vehicle that can transport your equipment to the job site if you don’t already have one. Some painters claim that using a van makes it simpler to stay organized and keeps your equipment safe.
While a new cargo van costs approximately $30,000, a secondhand vehicle may save you a lot of money. If you are new and do not have a great source of finance, it is best to go with a secondhand one. Don’t forget that you will also need a ladder rack. Fortunately, excellent ones are available for about $100 and $200.
Marketing Materials
New company owners need good marketing, but you don’t want to spend a lot of money on it while you’re just learning how to start a painting business.
You can start with a Facebook profile for your new business and some painting business cards for less than $50, and you’ll be up and running in no time. You will need to add a little more money for brochures or fliers to send out. Don’t worry, you will be able to repay those costs after your first few tasks.
There are other equipment you will require before you start your painting business as well as after you have been properly established. These are essential if you want to grow into a big company. However, if you wish to remain small, you’re good to go with only the materials mentioned above.
Why Is Starting A Painting Business A Good Idea?
There are a lot of reasons why starting a painting business is a good idea. One of the main reasons is because the painting has a large market. There are many different sorts of painting jobs available. Commercial painting tasks are also available for offices, apartment complexes, industrial facilities, and more. With the magnitude of the market, the possibilities are infinite!
Moreover, the market is not only huge but is also a recurrent market. This means that even if you paint a house or an office in a specific year, it will most likely need to be repainted in a few years, and the customer will contact you.
All these structures require the services of a painting business because painting is frequently a necessity rather than a pleasure. The market is continually expanding in size as well.
Not only this, but the start-up costs are low as well. Your aim when starting a business on your own is to make a profit as fast as feasible. Unlike other sectors, the painting sector has exceptionally cheap start-up expenses. This means that you can start a painting business for almost nothing and generate a profit with only a few clients.
In addition, grasping the work of a painting business is also relatively easier. Understanding this industry is pretty basic for someone with no prior painting expertise. This makes starting a painting business very simple, especially if you have no prior expertise.
To paint houses, you may need a contractor’s license in certain states, but in others, you won’t even need to apply for one. How convenient!
Why It Is Not A Good Idea?
If you want to make the greatest money with the least amount of time and effort, establishing a painting company isn’t the correct decision for you. Painting isn’t going to be a quick fix. Although with time, you can achieve success. If you’re establishing a painting company, you should plan to work on a tight schedule and put in a lot of time and effort.
You need to be willing to put your entire heart and soul into your painting business. Starting a business is challenging, but for many people, the rewards exceed the difficulties. After years of hard effort, you’ll be rewarded with a career that allows you to manage your time and income. If you don’t put in the time upfront then establishing a painting company is not for you.
Getting into the painting business is also a never-ending responsibility. When the clock strikes 5 p.m., you can no longer mentally check out and forget about work. You are accountable for everything as the business owner, even after the workday has ended.
Finding a balance between work and family life may be incredibly tough now that you are solely responsible for your staff, clients, and everything in between.
Nonetheless, there are also risks of failure. However, as a business owner, you can’t be frightened to fail. In reality, you must be able to accept setbacks and be willing to learn from them. If you can’t get back up after stumbling a few times along the way, you will not be able to thrive in the painting industry for a long time.
Is A Painting Business Profitable?
Owing to minimal beginning costs and strong margins, most painting enterprises are profitable. If this is your first priority as a small company owner, the painting sector is a great option for you. You may rest comfortably knowing that each work you perform will assist cushion your company’s bottom line because most jobs have strong profit margins.
Painting is one of those things that almost everyone is going to require at some time in their lives. From new buildings to home renovations, there will always be chances for you to close. With so much demand for painting services, the appropriate marketing strategies may help you build a solid pipeline of leads.
When you examine how many individuals look for painting services each month, you should also know what is the typical pricing for various painting services. An exterior paint job costs more than an inside paint job.
The more tasks you can finish each month, the greater your net earnings will be. However, these are typical costs, and certain jobs will cost more or less depending on the task or square footage.
Moreover, the number of projects you take on, the size of your team, the market, the services you offer, and how effective you are at producing high-quality work will all have an impact on your annual income and earnings. Thus, when determining your growth objectives, you must consider all of these factors.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to start a painting business, you can slowly create a company of your own. All you need to do is know the right tips to get started. You will also need a sufficient source of finance as once you have established the market, you will need to start buying equipment. A van alone costs a lot.
People require painting jobs every now and then, especially on the exterior. On the contrary, a painting business is not always stable. If you’re only based in your local area you might not get a lot of demand for painting. Even if you do, it will only be about twice a year from the same house. It is still profitable as one task can cover a lot of the costs of the business.
