Tag Archives: painting contractors

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

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

Stronger Together

Why pro painters should join the PCA

Running a painting business may sometimes leave you feeling alone, like you’re on a remote island figuring out how to survive on your own—but it doesn’t have to be that way. There’s a community of painters ready to connect with you and elevate your business. If you’re not part of the Painting Contractors Association (PCA), you may be missing out on cost-saving resources and a network of fellow painters who want to support you.

PCA has come a long way from its 1884 origins as a negotiating arm of the painters’ unions and, later, as a kind of social club for professional painters. Today PCA is focused on equipping painting businesses with the resources, training, and personal support necessary to succeed.

Continue reading Stronger Together →

ONLINE EXTRAS

Haste Makes Waste

Slowing down will help your team do more

One of Benjamin Franklin’s most notable quotes reads: “Take time for all things: great haste makes great waste.”

Not surprisingly, those words ring as true today as they did back in the early 1700s of colonial America. In fact, our own Navy SEALS have incorporated a similar attitude when training new members: “Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.”

In the painting profession, there’s a big difference between doing a job quickly and rushing a job. Hurry often leads to sloppy work, which can result in costly callbacks and tarnish your reputation for delivering quality work.

Continue reading Haste Makes Waste →

BUSINESS BUILDERS, ONLINE EXTRAS

Social Media 101 for Painting Contractors

Sherwin-Williams offers step-by-step instructions on how to set up pages and start advertising

Stumped by social media and how it might help grow your business?

Many painting contractors are growing a successful social media presence. And your Sherwin-Williams rep can direct you to a new guide from Sherwin-Williams that will show you how, featuring specific sections on using Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other platforms, as well as an extended section on creating Facebook ads. Continue reading Social Media 101 for Painting Contractors →

ONLINE EXTRAS, PRODUCTS

Improve Productivity by 55% with the 14-inch Roller System*

Purdy® innovation helps you get more done

What if your team could do more projects—without working any extra hours, hiring any extra employees, or cutting any corners?

With demand for work higher than ever, painting contractors are looking for any edge to make their crews more productive. That’s where the Purdy 14-inch Roller System comes in. Continue reading Improve Productivity by 55% with the 14-inch Roller System* →

ONLINE EXTRAS

One Contractor’s Path to Commercial Success

Transition from res-repaint focus to commercial requires effective networking, planning, and patience, contractor says

Commercial painting projects continue to keep contractors busy to the point that demand for services often exceeds the working capacity of available contractors. Continue reading One Contractor’s Path to Commercial Success →

ONLINE EXTRAS

Think Programs, Not Projects

More than three decades ago, The Kaloutas Company of Peabody, Mass., was busy building a distinguished name for itself with a record of successful and efficient painting projects for commercial and industrial customers throughout New England. Continue reading Think Programs, Not Projects →

ONLINE EXTRAS

Working in the Education Market Segment

Prepare now for the short—but busy— school painting window

 The Education market segment can provide nearly non-stop earning opportunities for you and your crews, but only if you’re taking this window of time to understand the nuances and requirements of the market. Continue reading Working in the Education Market Segment →

ONLINE EXTRAS

6 Tips Your Spray Source Technician Wants You to Know

Sherwin-Williams has everything in equipment covered, from new equipment to parts, accessories, maintenance, repairs and rental programs. Our over 100 Spray Source™ spray equipment service centers across the United States and Puerto Rico offer quick turnaround, on-site demonstrations, training, and more. Factory-trained technicians provide quality service for leading paint spray manufacturers, such as Graco, Titan, Mi-T-M, Champion, and Finishing Brands — Binks/DeVilbiss. Continue reading 6 Tips Your Spray Source Technician Wants You to Know →