“You are not alone.”

That is the message members say they’re getting from the Painting Contractors Association (PCA) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As a painting company owner, it can feel like you’re on an island even in normal times,” says Nick Slavik, a Minnesota contractor who serves on the PCA board of directors. That feeling is heightened now, he says, and many contractors have a lot of questions on how to navigate the new challenges they’re facing.

“The unknown is the biggest challenge,” he says. The PCA is stepping up efforts to provide even more educational programs to address those questions.

“The PCA got on top of this early,” says Dave Scaturro, a New Jersey contractor on the PCA board. “It’s been a huge help to contractors across the nation just to connect.”

A recent example is “Operation COVID-19 Response,” an eight-week web conference dedicated to providing paint pros with the resources they need to respond to COVID-19.

“The webinar series has been great, especially the updates about the financial aid from the government, which seems to evolve daily,” says Mike Katounas, a PCA member and president of Home Works Painting in Chantilly, Virginia.

The PCA has also posted a page dedicated to employer resources for responding to COVID-19. In addition, COVID-19 concerns have been addressed on several of the PCA’s recent PaintEd Podcasts.

A recent episode, for example, focused on the impact of COVID-19 on painting businesses. Nick May of Walls By Design joined PCA board members Jason Paris (Paris Painting) and Gina Koert (Shamrock Painting) to discuss what they’re doing to protect their businesses, employees and customers.

The PaintED Podcast is free to listen to for members and non-members alike. Hear the latest podcasts on the PCA website.

Another free resource is the Ask-A-Painter program, which gives paint pros and homeowners a chance to post questions and get answers in real time. PCA board member Nick Slavik hosts the show every Friday on the PCA Facebook page.

There are more programs for those who join PCA. PaintED webinars offer fresh and relevant contractor training several times a month and cover business and technical topics. Weekly team meeting videos cover topics like safety protocol, application techniques, leadership development, technology and employee training tips. Members also have access to over 500 training videos, research, best practices and proven strategies to grow, sustain and support their painting business. Non-members can preview three courses for free:

• Estimating: How Much Should We Charge Per Hour?
• Working with General Contractors
• The Key to Growing a Strong Business

Learn more about what the PCA offers pro painters at pcapainted.org.