Category Archives: ONLINE EXTRAS

ONLINE EXTRAS

Why Culture Counts

Hire and retain more employees by building a company they like working for

Your company’s culture is the DNA of your business. It affects everything from your values to your employees’ behavior on the job site. Instilling the right culture can help your business recruit and retain more employees and set your team up for long-term success. On the other hand, a poor culture could be the reason why you’re struggling to find good help or keep your best painters.

In the PRO+ Training Series webinar “Recruiting and Building Culture,” Torlando Hakes, CEO of Craftsman Painters, and Michal Cheney, owner of No Drip Painting in Columbus, Ohio, offer these best practices for building company culture. Continue reading Why Culture Counts →

ONLINE EXTRAS

Eliminating Mold and Mildew

Keep the dark patches away for good with these expert tips

Mold and mildew can be a real source of frustration for homeowners. It not only ruins paint jobs with ugly, discolored spots but can also cause severe respiratory issues for many people and pets. Come to the rescue for these homeowners by eliminating their mold and mildew problem. Continue reading Eliminating Mold and Mildew →

BUSINESS BUILDERS, ONLINE EXTRAS

Find the Right Pro for the Job

How to register and post job listings on the new Job Board

Sherwin-Williams recently launched the Job Board to help painting contractors find and hire talented painters to their teams. The free platform comes in response to the labor market shortage, one of the biggest hurdles facing many painting businesses today. Continue reading Find the Right Pro for the Job →

ONLINE EXTRAS

The Next Generation

Retain talented painters by investing in their careers

Two of the biggest challenges facing painting business owners are how to recruit talented young painters and how to keep them once you do. But both problems can be solved by developing a strong culture of mentorship within your organization. Continue reading The Next Generation →

ONLINE EXTRAS

3 Steps to Perfect Caulking

Maximize caulk efficiency and performance with these tips.

“It’s just caulk.”

It’s a common expression among many painters and their crews, but that doesn’t make it accurate. There’s a reason there are so many varieties of caulk on the shelves.

Continue reading 3 Steps to Perfect Caulking →

ONLINE EXTRAS

Building a Bid That Wins

Hone your process to land more jobs

Building and winning bids is one of the most important parts of growing your painting business. After all, you’re not the only painter out there. According to a 2021 survey, 46 percent of homeowners received quotes from at least two different painters for their home. Standing out from the crowd means your bids need to impress potential customers with their preparation, their professionalism, and, yes, their price point.

Chris Moore, founder of Elite Business Advisors, and Shane Fast, owner of Renew Painting of the Carolinas, share their best practices for job estimates in the Sherwin-Williams PRO+ Training Series webinar “Estimating Like a PRO.” While crafting the perfect bid is more of an art than a science, the advice they offer can help you hone your bids and land more jobs. Continue reading Building a Bid That Wins →

ONLINE EXTRAS

Finding the Right Roller Cover for the Job

Boost your team’s productivity by considering these three factors

Though many painters are looking to make their teams more productive, few are aware that choosing the right roller cover can also make a big difference for their bottom line. Connie McKinney, Senior Product Manager at Sherwin-Williams, says she’s seen how much of a difference roller selection can make. Continue reading Finding the Right Roller Cover for the Job →

ONLINE EXTRAS, PRODUCTS

Understanding Gloss and Sheen: A Guide for Paint Professionals

In this article, we explore the importance of sheen and gloss, and how those qualities impact both the longevity and appearance of the paint finish. Continue reading Understanding Gloss and Sheen: A Guide for Paint Professionals →

ONLINE EXTRAS

How to Properly Pressure Wash a Deck

An expert with Mi-T-M shares seven tips for stunning results

With rising temperatures, many homeowners will be looking to get their decks ready for summer. In addition to general wear, tear, and traffic, decks are also exposed to harsh outdoor elements. Rain, sun, snow, and ice can wreak havoc on horizontal outdoor wood surfaces—and such exposure requires consistent and proper care. That’s where you and your crew can come to the rescue for homeowners.

Of course, there are a few special considerations to make when dealing with decks. In this article, Don Holdridge—National Paint Division Manager for Mi-T-M—shares seven of his best practices for pressure washing decks.

Continue reading How to Properly Pressure Wash a Deck →

ONLINE EXTRAS

What Online Reviews Can Do for You

Turn positive word-of-mouth into booming business with these best practices.

To have a healthy business today, you need to have a healthy online presence. And one of the most important parts of your business’ online presence are your online reviews. A good review can help you reach new customers you would have never run into in real life—and a bad review can turn someone away from your business before you’ve ever said a word to them.

Megan Hinz, marketing community manager at Sherwin-Williams, and her team read and reply to every review for every Sherwin-Williams store across Google, Yelp, Facebook, and sherwin-williams.com. They read hundreds of reviews every day. For this article, she talked to us about her team’s best practices for garnering good reviews, responding professionally, and creating a positive impression for potential online customers. 

Continue reading What Online Reviews Can Do for You →

ONLINE EXTRAS

Dealing With Difficult Customers

Turn micromanaging, indecisive, and demanding clients into glowing recommendations

Difficult customers can come in all shapes and sizes; spend any time as a painting contractor and you’ll run into one eventually. Every contractor can probably recall a customer who made their work so difficult that they started to regret taking the job.

Unfortunately, these situations aren’t only frustrating, but can potentially hurt your business’ reputation if not handled correctly. As such, you need to be prepared for these customers in order to stay successful. And in a competitive marketplace where word-of-mouth is king, retaining customers and generating repeat business can grow your bottom line. In this article, we offer suggestions for how to professionally respond to three of the most common types of difficult customers. 

Continue reading Dealing With Difficult Customers →

ONLINE EXTRAS

Four Simple Strategies for Choosing Extraordinary Exterior Colors

Help homeowners beat color decision paralysis and start jobs faster

First impressions are important, and for homeowners, their guests’ first impression of their home will be its exterior. It’s no wonder so many homeowners want to freshen up their exterior with a fresh coat of paint—and why many of your potential customers want your opinion on their color selection.

Though you may not feel like the right person to ask about this, successfully helping a homeowner decide on a color can help you to close more leads, get jobs scheduled and started on-time, and position yourself as a color hero to your clients. Sue Wadden, Director of Color Marketing at Sherwin-Williams, offers strategies you can use to help your clients select the perfect exterior look. Continue reading Four Simple Strategies for Choosing Extraordinary Exterior Colors →

ONLINE EXTRAS

Are You Ready for Exterior Season?

11 products that can maximize your productivity on the job site

Depending on where you live, exterior season is either just around the corner or already here. While that’s great news for your business, exterior painting comes with its own distinct needs and challenges.

Thankfully, we’ve done the prep work for you. Check out our checklist of 11 products you and your crews should keep stocked this season to maximize your quality and productivity.

Continue reading Are You Ready for Exterior Season? →

ONLINE EXTRAS

Anatomy of a Sprayer

What sets a quality airless sprayer apart from the field?

A paint sprayer is a professional painter’s best friend on the job site, allowing them to do high-quality work quickly. And when a sprayer breaks down, that same painter can find their productivity severely diminished. No one wants to deal with equipment issues in the middle of a project.

“When contractors trust their business to equipment that is going to drive their productivity, it’s important that they buy a high-quality product that their teams can rely on, day in and day out,” says Dan Johnson, Global Total Markets Manager at Graco. “I was just at a job site yesterday where a painter was using an Ultimate 695—a 30-year old model that was still getting it done.”

Knowing your equipment inside and out can be the key to getting the most out of it. In this article, Johnson explains the major components of an airless paint sprayer, explaining both how each part works and how to choose the right sprayer for your team. Continue reading Anatomy of a Sprayer →

ONLINE EXTRAS

Easily Navigate the Color Conversation with Homeowners

Use FREE Virtual Color Consultations to differentiate your business from the competition

Did you know choosing color is homeowners’ biggest pain point when it comes to painting their home? And when a potential customer can’t decide on color, it can quickly become your biggest paint point too.

Indecisive homeowners can drag their feet when it comes to closing a sale or starting a job, causing unnecessary delays and frustration. But what if you could help homeowners find or match their perfect color without choosing the actual color for them? Instead, you can become an invaluable resource to your customers by connecting them with a trusted and trained color expert—someone who can build their confidence and guide them to quicker decision making.

Continue reading Easily Navigate the Color Conversation with Homeowners →

ONLINE EXTRAS

Save Time on Sanding

How to get a better finish faster

It was a disaster. The contractor and his crew had been contracted to paint a $4 million house for a new homeowner. But while power sanding to eliminate overspray from a knockdown ceiling, the painting crew hit a snag. The temporary heat wasn’t fully keeping the March moisture and condensation at bay, and the recycled drywall paper on the sheet rock was getting damp. Add to it that the 2000 RPM power sanders had raised the paper on the sheet rock, and the resulting texture of the walls could only be described as “furry.” For efficiency’s sake, the contractor decided to paint the prime coat over it with sprayer. He succeeded at making the texture no longer furry—except now it felt like 80-grit sandpaper. When the homeowner walked in, he could see every butt joint, flat, and nail spot in the wall under natural light. The homeowner was livid.

At this point, the contractor asked Kent Annis, president and owner of Full Circle International, for help. Kent took in the scene, told the crew to pause what they were doing, and asked the painting contractor to follow him into the basement. The contractor brought a roller and a fan, and Kent brought Full Circle’s Radius 360.

Continue reading Save Time on Sanding →

ONLINE EXTRAS

Advice for a Young Painter

What experienced painting contractors wish they’d known when they started

The painting industry may be constantly changing thanks to new trends, products, and technology, but experience never goes out of style. With new painters joining the market every day, we invited veteran painting contractors to share their wisdom with the next generation. Here’s what they said they’d tell someone getting into the trade.

Continue reading Advice for a Young Painter →