Successfully providing on-site service during the COVID-19 crisis requires both increased communications and special precautions. Continue reading Building Customer Confidence for Interior Work
Category Archives: ONLINE EXTRAS
‘You Are Not Alone’: PCA Offers Education and Support for Paint Pros During COVID-19
“You are not alone.”
That is the message members say they’re getting from the Painting Contractors Association (PCA) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Continue reading ‘You Are Not Alone’: PCA Offers Education and Support for Paint Pros During COVID-19
Keep Your Business Moving With a Focus on Exteriors
Exterior painting season is here. Now is a great time to promote services that can be completed outside the home for a fresh look and increased curb appeal. Continue reading Keep Your Business Moving With a Focus on Exteriors
Need to Decompress? These Stress Relievers
Can Help
Stress levels may be high these days in the paint contracting world, and if you’re among those struggling to deal with the pressure, you’re not alone. A recent survey conducted by the University of Chicago for the Data Foundation found that roughly two-thirds of Americans say they felt nervous, depressed, lonely or hopeless on at least one of their last seven days.
Continue reading Need to Decompress? These Stress Relievers
Can Help
What We’re Doing to Stay Safe and Productive During COVID-19, with Colorado Painter Dave Barry
Dave Barry started painting at age 14 in Boston. He moved to the mountains of Colorado in 1996 and started his own company, Barry Painting Inc. Over the years he has painted everything from small homes to some of the most exclusive residential properties in the Boulder, Colorado area, as well as commercial and multifamily properties. He recently started a new business called Rocky Mountain Finishing LLC, with a spray booth that helps him expand into finishing cabinets, metal, furniture, trim packs, doors and more. PPC editor Mike Starling caught up with Dave to ask him about the challenges he’s facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Continue reading What We’re Doing to Stay Safe and Productive During COVID-19, with Colorado Painter Dave Barry
Are You an Exterior Expert? Here’s How to Raise Your Game
The time is right for exterior painting, especially with interior painting demand down due to COVID-19. If you’re not an exterior specialist, this article will give you the building blocks to elevate your outdoor painting game, from proper surface prep and when to prime to topcoat sheen, applicator options and cleanup.
Continue reading Are You an Exterior Expert? Here’s How to Raise Your Game
New Rule Affects PPP Loans For Contractors
A new rule regarding the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) could help contractors running small and mid-size businesses gain greater access to low-interest loans for meeting short-term payroll needs.
Continue reading New Rule Affects PPP Loans For Contractors
7 Things to Do Right Now to Fuel Future Growth
The COVID-19 crisis has hit painting contractors in a variety of ways, and many of you likely have more time on your hands than you did before.
So what to do? Here are some ideas to help maximize your future productivity and ensure you hit the ground running when you’re able to work at full throttle again.
Continue reading 7 Things to Do Right Now to Fuel Future Growth
The Next Generation: These Contractor Favorites Are Now Better Than Ever
If you’re like most professional painting contractors, you have your go-to products, those you rely on job after job after job. So it’s good to know that paint suppliers are continually looking for new ways to improve these coatings. This article is a roundup of contractor favorites that have recently been reformulated with “Next Generation” upgrades. Continue reading The Next Generation: These Contractor Favorites Are Now Better Than Ever
Better Than Ever: Introducing Next Generation ProClassic®
For years, ProClassic® has been the pro painter’s preferred choice for many interior trim paint applications. Its hard, durable finish makes it ideal for doors, windows, trim, furniture, and other interior residential and commercial applications. Now, Sherwin-Williams has launched Next Generation ProClassic Interior Waterbased Acrylic-Alkyd Enamel, available in the two most popular sheens for interior trim work – satin and semi-gloss. Continue reading Better Than Ever: Introducing Next Generation ProClassic®
When Leadership Matters Most: Tough Times Require Strong, Courageous Leaders
It’s never easy to be a leader, even when business is booming. Remember when your phone didn’t stop ringing and your crews barely had time to clean their brushes between jobs? Your critical decision-making and guidance then led your team to maximum success. Continue reading When Leadership Matters Most: Tough Times Require Strong, Courageous Leaders
Game Changers: New Airless Handhelds Bring Maximum Efficiency to the Job Site
Airless spray application is a result of atomizing the paint stream under high pressure, but without the use of supplemental compressed air. Paint flows from a spray tip at high speed and separates into a spray pattern. While airless paint spraying is an innovation introduced more than a century ago, the technology continues to evolve today as contractors seek tools and methods to maximize their jobsite efficiency. Continue reading Game Changers: New Airless Handhelds Bring Maximum Efficiency to the Job Site
Lessons from the Past: How Contractors Handled the 2008 Downturn
“The West Wing” was a popular television series that ran through 2006. One episode tells the story of a guy who walks down the street and falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can’t get out. A doctor passes by and the guy shouts for help. Continue reading Lessons from the Past: How Contractors Handled the 2008 Downturn
A Four-Point Plan to Wow Your Customers and Pull Your Company through the COVID Crisis
What steps are you taking to protect your business during the COVID-19 emergency? In this article, pro painter and PPC contributing writer Terry Begue offers a framework to help you stay engaged and take care of your customers through this restricted time, so that you can emerge on the other side of this crisis with a business that’s ready to take care of you.
Continue reading A Four-Point Plan to Wow Your Customers and Pull Your Company through the COVID Crisis
3 Smart Ways to Keep Your Company Strong through a Down Economy
The COVID-19 emergency is presenting numerous challenges for painting contracting companies. In this article, we explore three ways you can mitigate your risk and build for the future during these challenging economic times.
Continue reading 3 Smart Ways to Keep Your Company Strong through a Down Economy
The Best Coatings for Your Exterior Painting Projects
To ensure a quality, long-lasting paint job, you need to choose the right topcoat. For best performance, proper preparation is critical. Here are our recommendations for the best exterior coatings to use based on your project and environmental conditions.
Continue reading The Best Coatings for Your Exterior Painting Projects
Solution Selling vs. Insight Selling: What’s Right for Your Painting Business?
As a contractor, an effective sales approach is as important in your arsenal of tools as a paint brush. Too often, however, contractors think of it as a pitch, and not much more. The fact of the matter is that identifying and employing the best sales approach can result in higher profitability and improved customer satisfaction. Continue reading Solution Selling vs. Insight Selling: What’s Right for Your Painting Business?
5 Easy Ways for Contractors to Improve their Bottom Line
Too often, business owners focus on their top line as the most important measure of their success. However, maintaining a healthy bottom line is essential to your prosperity. Here are five easy ways painting contractors can save money, cut costs and improve profitability. Continue reading 5 Easy Ways for Contractors to Improve their Bottom Line
Sprayer Strategies: When to Buy, When to Upgrade
Increasing productivity drives higher profits, and equipment plays a key role. Is it time to purchase or upgrade your spray equipment? In this article, Graco’s Dan Johnson offers expert advice and shares the latest advances in spray technology. Continue reading Sprayer Strategies: When to Buy, When to Upgrade
Upgrade Alert: Tuff Surface™ Premium Texture Finish Hides Imperfections for Lasting Results
The next generation Tuff Surface™ Premium Texture Finish from Sherwin-Williams delivers an even more appealing knockdown, splatter or orange peel texture finish to hide imperfections, helping to create inviting spaces and save professionals time. Continue reading Upgrade Alert: Tuff Surface™ Premium Texture Finish Hides Imperfections for Lasting Results