PPC sat down with Paul Jordan, owner of HTD Painting in San Francisco, to find out the secrets of his company’s success.

What has been the biggest turning point in the success of your business?

When the recession hit, I was running multiple crews/ jobs at the same time. Coordinating everything was a big-time job. I was working tons of hours. Now my business is smaller, but still very productive, and I have my sanity.

What’s the biggest challenge of running my own company?

Paperwork and letting go and admitting I cannot personally do all aspects of a given job. I have to trust my workers or my subcontractors to do the job well.

What’s your favorite part about running my own painting business?

Setting my own hours is great. I love that my office is always changing. Sometimes I work on a location looking dead on at the Golden Gate Bridge. Other times I’m enjoying the sun on the other side of the city.

What’s the best business advice you ever got?

“First get the job, then figure out how to get it done.”

What advice do you have for young people entering the business?

Never bid a job for less than what you are willing to do it for. Take every job you can, no matter how small — you never know what doors it may open.

This article was originally published in the Spring 2015 issue of PPC magazine. Paul Jordan was interviewed by Mike Starling, PPC Editor. Read more about what pro painters have discovered on the job in the PPC What I’ve Learned archive.