A Relationship You Can Trust

A&K Painting’s success has been powered by personal relationships with Sherwin-Williams

For A&K Painting, it’s all about relationships. “A relationship you can trust” is the tagline for the Charlotte-based commercial and industrial painting company, and president Kevin Robbins says it’s at the core of their identity. Continue reading A Relationship You Can Trust

What’s the Next Step for Your Business?

Take your business from simple startup to multimillion-dollar enterprise

Are you in a rut with your business? Are you hesitating over whether it’s the right time to hire a salesperson, promote a member of your crew, or finally get off the truck yourself? These are part of the natural growing pains of running a successful business, a feeling that Brandon Vaughn—owner of Wise Coatings and chief strategist of Conquer Coaching—knows all too well.

Vaughn says there are five stages for every business owner, ranging from a startup one-man operation to an executive running multiple businesses. Continue reading What’s the Next Step for Your Business?

Do You Know the Hottest Exterior Trend of 2024?

Combine this cutting-edge trend with premium coatings to wow homeowners

Black exteriors are a new exterior paint trend that has been growing rapidly in popularity over the last couple years. Make sure your business is prepared by offering homeowners premium coatings with durability that lasts and thoughtful insight into the implications of this trend. Continue reading Do You Know the Hottest Exterior Trend of 2024?

Learning on the Job

Train your team and grow your business with free learning resources through Sherwin-Williams

Yesterday’s answers won’t solve today’s problems. In a competitive and rapidly changing painting industry, you can’t afford to fall behind your competitors. You need to stay on top of the latest techniques, trends, and productivity-enhancing resources in order to meet your bottom line and keep your customers happy. Learning and growing—as a painter and a business owner—is vital for any successful painting contractor. Continue reading Learning on the Job

Why Choose Sherwin-Williams?

These 3 attributes make Sherwin-Williams the best choice for your next job

As a painting contractor, your relationship with your paint supplier is important. Your paint supplier is an extension of your business, helping provide the products you need—when and where you need them—to get the job done. Your supplier must also be a partner you can rely on to lend expertise and provide cutting-edge solutions to increase your productivity and profitability. Continue reading Why Choose Sherwin-Williams?

How to Break Into the Commercial Sector

Gulf Coast Premier Painting’s owners share 5 things they wish they’d known when they started taking on commercial jobs

Cody Edwards and Matt Fruge, co-owners of Gulf Coast Premier Painting (GCPP) in Houston, Texas, remember the nerves they felt the first time they took on a commercial job. As contractors who had primarily worked in the residential space before, handling a large commercial project was intimidating.

“I remember it well,” Edwards says. “It wasn’t in Houston, so we were on the road. It was going to be an eight-week job: 22,000 square feet of texture on top of painting 142,000 square feet of surface. I don’t want to speak for Matt, but I was scared.” Continue reading How to Break Into the Commercial Sector

5 Essential Prep Tips for Repainting Cabinets

Following this process will help ensure success on your next job

Preparation is the most important factor when it comes to the success of your cabinet repaint job. Failing to properly prep can result in peeling, chipping, or cracked paint—and a strong likelihood of a costly callback. Continue reading 5 Essential Prep Tips for Repainting Cabinets

Does Your Equipment Need a Spring Checkup?

These tips will ensure you’re ready for exterior season

Spring’s just around the corner, and like many painting businesses, you’re probably beginning to prepare for exterior season. In all your preparation, don’t forget to perform an annual checkup on your equipment. Now’s the time to make sure your gear is still performing well and to upgrade or replace any tools or equipment as necessary.

Here’s a quick checklist to help guide you through some of your most important equipment maintenance decisions. Continue reading Does Your Equipment Need a Spring Checkup?

Eye on the Industry

Nick Slavik highlights 4 industry trends every painter should know

As a painter, it’s important for you to keep an eye on developing trends in the field. After all, it can help you make better recommendations for customers and keep your business one step ahead of the competition. Continue reading Eye on the Industry

A Quality Finish for Cabinets

Gallery Series™ wowed this veteran painter and her clients

Kitchens are often go-to spaces for homeowners craving a new look. But a full remodel can be expensive and take a lot of time. Repainting kitchen cabinetry offers potential clients a more time- and cost-effective solution to achieving a fresh, modern look.

Give your homeowners the best possible finish by offering a high-end premium coating designed specifically for cabinets, trim, and millwork. This professional painter did exactly that by using the new Gallery Series™ Waterborne Topcoat from Sherwin-Williams, a hard-wearing, professional-grade coating designed to help painters achieve a flawless factory-like finish. Continue reading A Quality Finish for Cabinets

Get the Most Out of the Sherwin-Williams PRO+ Program

Run your business from anywhere with digital tools designed for you.

Owning your own painting business means wearing a lot of hats. While you may not know what unique challenges today will bring, you can be prepared for anything with the digital tools available through the Sherwin-Williams PRO+ Program. Continue reading Get the Most Out of the Sherwin-Williams PRO+ Program

Caring for Your Applicators

Tips for cleaning and extending the life of your applicators

An easy way to save money is to extend the life of your brushes and roller covers. With proper cleaning and storage, a good roller cover can last you multiple jobs, and a good brush can perform at a high level for years. Continue reading Caring for Your Applicators

Above and Beyond

This New Jersey-based painter credits his Sherwin-Williams team for helping solve some of his biggest challenges

After 28 years of working in the painting industry, Wilber Vargas—founder, owner, and manager of Wilber’s Painting in Maplewood, New Jersey—says it takes a lot to surprise him. But he’s been happily surprised by how his local Sherwin-Williams team has committed to supporting his business. Continue reading Above and Beyond

Why You Should Attend the 2024 PCA EXPO

Network, learn, and set your business up for success this year

The 2024 Painting Contractors Association (PCA) EXPO is just around the corner, taking place in Orlando, Florida from February 26 to March 1. It’s one of the biggest national events of the year for painters—a convention “designed by painting contractors for painting contractors,” according to PCA Executive Director Nigel Costolloe. Continue reading Why You Should Attend the 2024 PCA EXPO

How to Find and Hire the Right Job Candidate

Save time and energy with these hiring best practices

Few decisions are more important for your painting business than hiring the right employee. A good hire can maximize your business’ productivity, boost team morale, and lead to long-term growth. The high-potential newcomer you hire today could become a future leader for your company—or they could become a headache that quits on you a few months later.

It’s hard to know when you hire someone whether they’re the right pick, but experts point to three key best practices that can guide you. Follow these practices for finding and hiring job candidates, and odds are good your next hire will be the right choice. Continue reading How to Find and Hire the Right Job Candidate

The Best Business Tips I’ve Ever Received

Veteran painting contractors share their business wisdom

Every successful painting business owner once started out as an ambitious painter with a dream. Establishing and growing a business takes skill, a bit of luck… and quality advice from a trusted mentor.

We asked veteran painting contractors to share the best advice they ever received when starting their business. Here’s what they said. Continue reading The Best Business Tips I’ve Ever Received

PROFESSIONAL PAINTING CONTRACTOR