Painting contractors offer a wide variety of property maintenance work including, wallpaper, paint, and floor finishing services on both residential and commercial properties.
Painting contractors are not only skilled in varying painting techniques, but also have the skills to bid on jobs, evaluate project expenses, and recruit employees in order to complete a specific project.
Starting a painting business can be simple and with little upfront investment. By starting small you can expand your workforce and services with time, allowing your business to take off.
Before you become a painting contractor though, there are some points you need to consider to successfully launch your company.
First and foremost, determine what type of services you are planning to offer. Decide if you will concentrate on residential work, commercial work, or both. Will you only offer painting services? Or will you also deliver wallpaper and specialty coating services? Remember, the more services you offer, more supplies, tools, and training will be required to get your job done.
The types of services you offer will impact the name of your new painting business. After all, if you offer a range of services, you don't want to call your company Bill's Painters and limit yourself. To find a great new name for your painting business, just use a free business name generator and pick from hundreds of business name ideas.
To work as an independent painting contractor, you need to have a license or carry liability insurance. Though there are no certain educational standards for painting contractors, they must know about painting, the necessary tools, and measurement techniques to get the job done right. Keep in mind, the licensing requirements for painting contractors vary from state to state.
For example, if you live in Arizona, you need to have at least two years of experience to get licensed. Whereas, in Texas, you do not need to have a license but are required to carry liability insurance. Some states also require a written exam for licensing and so on.
Insurance is a legal requirement in the U.S. for nearly all businesses. The painting industry, in particular, carries a lot of liability, so it’s important to make sure you’re covered. You may face several risks on projects such as workers being injured, paint spills, road accidents, and stolen supplies, just to name a few. But the right insurance policies will provide you coverage from all these risks.
No matter which type of painting services you are offering, interior or exterior, you should have an insurance policy to protect the financial assets and the reputation of your business. There are several insurance policies you should consider:
Once you start a painting firm and decide your area of specialization, the next step is to market it to your target audience. Advertising your business and services is key to successful growth. It can help you in increasing your visibility within the industry, helping you make new customers to expand your business. If you are a residential painting company, you can utilize word-of-mouth referrals, online ad, and flyers to advertise successfully. On the other hand, a commercial painting firm can also visit local contractors to introduce your business and make clients.
Regardless of your business type, keep in mind that marketing is vital for the success of your business, and it requires time and patience. If you’re new to advertising, here are some tactics that you may follow to market your painting business:
Employees are the base of every business, and having a dedicated workforce can make a huge difference in making your painting firm a success, but the recruiting and on-boarding process can take time. You need to train them and deliver all the required equipment and materials to help them get their job done, and manage payroll and employment taxes.
One effective way to manage and supervise all these tasks is to hire a professional subcontractor. Subcontractors can handle these things on your behalf. This can give you more time to focus on bigger projects.
These are some of the crucial points you need to work on to become a professional painting contractor. If you are planning to start a painting firm or have recently taken your painting firm on the road, make sure to consider the points mentioned above. Also, remember to apply for licensing, ensure to have liability insurance, and complete all the important paperwork to get your business recognized.