You might be able to grow a successful professional painting service by asking yourself two important questions.
- “What do clients really want?”
- “Which business relationships are most important?”
We’re totally serious. Exploring these two questions might result in a booming business.
Most pro painters are more familiar with the questions, how much? How fast? Day after day, your residential and industrial clients are wondering what you’ll charge and when the job will be complete. Yet many business owners never stop and ask their own questions. Today is the day to begin asking yourself questions about your business as a painter and discovering unique ways to make it better.
#1 – Is My Business Protected?
Have you ever asked yourself the what if questions?
These are questions about how you would deal with adverse situations that could setback your business significantly. For example, what if a customer is unhappy with how your painting crew acted and accuses your business of damaging their property? Would you have the funds available to settle the customer’s claim? Would you be able to withstand the dent in your business reputation? How would you handle this matter on your own?
By making sure your painting business has all the right insurance to protect your interests, no matter what happens. You may not want to spend money on insurance premium, but it will end up saving you a ton of money later. Get started in your business insurance portfolio with a painters public liability insurance plan.This coverage is easy to get and budget friendly. A quality painters public liability policy will protect you, your employees, and your painting business. This type of insurance will help your company from absorbing financial damages and legal fees associated with negligence, including property damages and personal injuries.
#2 – What Do Clients Really Want?
For the most part, customers don’t expect their painters to be Picasso or Michelangelo. They just want to hire a pro painter that will:
- Provide a thorough scope of business with accurate pricing
- Be honest and be professional
- Design a good work plan and solid work schedule
- Complete work on time and on budget
- Offer a guarantee
- Communicate well and be responsive throughout the job
All these bullet points probably seem obvious. Can you easily say, “Yes, I do this” to each bullet point? If not, then ask yourself why that is and how you can make improvements. These are areas you should explore on a regular basis. Don’t just think about them when you start your business or when you’re running into financial hardships. Constantly evaluate your own performance and discover new ways to deliver quality work to your customers.
Ask your customers for honest feedback after completing each job. Taking their thoughts into consideration can lead your professional painting business to the next level. Even negative feedback can lead to amazing business breakthroughs.
#3 – Which Business Relationships Are Most Important?
Some business owners may assume the only relationship that matters are the one they have with clients. Of course, maintaining good relationships with your customers is obviously critical to staying in business. However, you can’t overlook the importance of working well with suppliers and employees as well.
Employees
The employees you dispatch to a client’s home or office is critical. Your employees represent your business and are basically a stand-in for yourself. So, you must be sure that your employees present themselves professionally and do their absolute best work every time they show up at a job site. If your customers aren’t comfortable with your employees, then don’t expect to get repeat customers. You also may lose out on referrals from that client too. Recruiting, hiring, training and supervising your paint crew is a key management skill that can’t be overlooked.
If you’re too busy to closely monitor your painters, then you’ll need to find a supervisor that will be able to oversee the painters. You’ll also want to regularly invest in each employee’s ongoing training and development. For example, teaching employees about new painting techniques will help make your business that much better.
Suppliers
Quality materials at affordable prices will go a long way to making your painting service reputable, as well as profitable. That’s why you need to develop amazing relationships with your regular suppliers. If you are loyal to a supplier, then you may be rewarded with better pricing and better service. Do your research and find a supplier that can meet your business needs. If they also have a field representative that is easy to reach and happy to help, it will be that much easier to create a strong working relationship.
Customers
As we mentioned earlier in this article, it’s important to have a good relationship with your clients. If you do have a strong business relationship, your customers can result in repeat business and referrals too. Loyalty is something that develops from consistent work. It’s important not to sell simply on price but also on value. You’ll find most people are willing to pay a reasonable price as long as they get good quality work that’s completed on time.
Keep Asking Yourself the Hard Questions
It’s good for professional painters to revisit the hard questions from time to time. Make sure you can answer the questions honestly and commit to continually improving your business. Of course, you’re mostly focused on hustling business and earning money but we’re certain you have a few moments to evaluate your company.
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