Upgrade to Mutually Beneficial Product Solutions - 3 min readSuccessful painting contractors agree that a customer-focused sales approach typically results not only in improved customer satisfaction but the opportunity to upgrade to products that can improve project profitability.
Art of the Sale: Product Upgrades, Estimating, and Project Bids - 4 min readIn this second installment of a series on achieving sales success for PRO painting contractors, Archie Bartel offers sales tips and guidelines for contractors trying to improve their sales performance. Bartel, Sherwin-Williams Director of Sales Force Effectiveness, is the former Marketing Director for Residential Repaint at Sherwin-Williams. This article will examine the continued importance of … Continue reading Art of the Sale: Product Upgrades, Estimating, and Project Bids 
NOW is the Time to Maximize Efficiency with a New Sprayer - 4 min read“Spring wasn’t good. Half what we billed last spring, probably less. Now? We’re busy, and my crew is working long days. But I’m trying to make up what we lost in spring and maybe get work that is a little bigger than what we normally take on. We need to increase our revenue by year’s … Continue reading NOW is the Time to Maximize Efficiency with a New Sprayer 
What is the Best Paint for an Exterior Fiberglass Door? - 2 min readPPC and Sherwin-Williams want to help pros work smarter. We recently gave painters a chance to ask product and application questions on the SWPaintPros Facebook. In this article, Rick Watson, Sherwin-Williams Director of Product Information & Technical Services, answers one pro’s question about exterior doors.
Pro-to-Pro Contractor Podcast - 22 min readFour painting contractors discuss current realities in the painting world and the challenges of moving their business forward in an exclusive pro-to-pro contractor forum hosted by Professional Painting Contractor Magazine.
Ready to Meet the Demand? Five Tips for Better Recruitment and Retention in a COVID-19 World - 4 min readThe COVID-19 pandemic has impacted painting businesses in many different ways. “One thing is true across the board, though,” says the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “Every business will face tremendous challenges as our nation begins the path to recovery, while still facing the public health threat of the virus.” For many painting companies, one of … Continue reading Ready to Meet the Demand? Five Tips for Better Recruitment and Retention in a COVID-19 World 
Extend Your Painting Season with FlexTemp™ Exterior Acrylic Latex - < 1 min readWorking in a hot climate? Now you can beat the heat as well as the cold with new FlexTemp™ Exterior Latex with Extreme Temp Technology® that allows you to paint in temperature extremes from 35°F to 120°F without changing application techniques or adding extenders.
How One Paint Pro Uses His Sherwin-Williams® PRO Account to Save Time, Improve Efficiency - 3 min readAs a professional painting contractor, you’re looking for any way you can find to make your day easier and give you a leg up on the competition.
Equipment to Optimize Your Sanitizing Capabilities - < 1 min readFrequent and thorough disinfection has become a must in public spaces. This no longer applies to just high-touch areas, but often includes almost every exposed surface. Managing sanitization protocols on such a large scale can be a strain on time and resources. Plus, this spotlight on sanitizing won’t necessarily disappear once the COVID-19 crisis is … Continue reading Equipment to Optimize Your Sanitizing Capabilities 
Cash Is King: Ideas to Help Generate and Manage Your Cash Flow - 3 min readDiffering realities remain depending on your particular geography, but if you’re like many North American painting contractors, the light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel appears to be brighter, at least in terms of how it has affected your business.
Smart, Practical Marketing Ideas to Generate More Business Right Now - 5 min readWhat kind of marketing should pro painters be doing now? PPC sat down with Al Pirozzoli, a marketing consultant who has helped numerous painting companies and other trades grow their business through good times and bad. Here is Al’s advice, along with some ideas designed to get you more business now.
‘You Are Not Alone’: PCA Offers Education and Support for Paint Pros During COVID-19 - 2 min read“You are not alone.” That is the message members say they’re getting from the Painting Contractors Association (PCA) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Keep Your Business Moving With a Focus on Exteriors - 4 min readExterior 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.
Need to Decompress? These Stress Relievers Can Help - 3 min readStress 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 … 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 - 4 min readDave 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 … Continue reading What We’re Doing to Stay Safe and Productive During COVID-19, with Colorado Painter Dave Barry 
Bigger’n Texas: BLS Painting Tackles an Austin Mansion - 3 min readAt 14,680 square feet, this home in Austin, Texas was definitely not your typical residential painting project. Plus, with a multitude of wood paneling, custom trim work, and other custom painting details, it would take the right company to do the job right.
PPP Loan Window Extended to August 8 - 2 min readThe loan application deadline for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that was created to help small businesses survive the economic downturn due to COVID-19 has been extended until August 8, 2020. The extension was signed into law over the July 4th weekend.
7 Things to Do Right Now to Fuel Future Growth - 4 min readThe 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 … Continue reading 7 Things to Do Right Now to Fuel Future Growth 
New Coatings Advances for Pro Painters for 2020 - 3 min readFeedback from professional painting contractors like you fuels coatings innovation. New advances like self-cleaning and temperature-adaptive paint technologies continue to raise the performance bar and make it easier than ever for you to help solve your customers’ coatings challenges. Here’s a look at the new coatings you’ll find this year at your Sherwin-Williams store.
The Next Generation: These Contractor Favorites Are Now Better Than Ever - 2 min readIf 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” … Continue reading The Next Generation: These Contractor Favorites Are Now Better Than Ever 
Out of the Fire: Illinois Resort Back in Business with Help from Precision Painting - 2 min readPrecision Painting & Decorating (PPD) is a full-service commercial and residential painting company based in Bellwood, Illinois. Over the past 17 years, they have tackled some of the most challenging coating jobs in the Chicagoland area. One good example is their work at Grizzly Jack’s Grand Bear Resort in Utica, Illinois.
Secrets of Painting Textured Ceilings - 2 min readAnswers to paint pros’ most pressing questions by Rick Watson
5 Keys to Making Great Hires for Your Painting Company - 3 min readPoor hires can have a negative impact on your company’s reputation, and high turnover rates can be a time-consuming financial drain. What’s the solution?
CPIA: A New Trade Group for Commercial Painters - 2 min read“Connecting doers, not talkers!” That’s the most important point the founders of a new paint industry trade association want you to remember.
Pro to Pro with Jason McCool: Strive for Balance - 2 min readFor more than 30 years, PPC magazine has been on job sites throughout the U.S. and Canada asking residential and commercial paint pros to share their stories. In our Pro to Pro column, we recap some of the best advice contractors have received and passed on over the last three decades. THIS TIME: Jason McCool, … Continue reading Pro to Pro with Jason McCool: Strive for Balance 
Better Than Ever: Introducing Next Generation ProClassic® - < 1 min readFor 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 … Continue reading Better Than Ever: Introducing Next Generation ProClassic® 
When Leadership Matters Most: Tough Times Require Strong, Courageous Leaders - 3 min readIt’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.
Game Changers: New Airless Handhelds Bring Maximum Efficiency to the Job Site - 2 min readAirless 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 … Continue reading Game Changers: New Airless Handhelds Bring Maximum Efficiency to the Job Site 
Lessons from the Past: How Contractors Handled the 2008 Downturn - 3 min read“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.
A Four-Point Plan to Wow Your Customers and Pull Your Company through the COVID Crisis - 4 min readWhat 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 … 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 - 4 min readThe 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.
The Best Coatings for Your Exterior Painting Projects - 3 min readTo 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.
5 Ways to Run a Better Painting Business in 2020 - 2 min readWant to make 2020 a banner year for you and your painting business? Here are five ways to help ensure your company meets and exceeds the goals you’ve set for it.