Your Home. Your Neighbourhood. Your Style.
I don’t just quote this saying because I live in Vancouver, no I specifically mean regarding work. January was pretty slow, and depressing month as far as business is concerned, but as soon as February starts, busy again. Not like summer busy, but nothing to daily work is something!
Eventually, I want the recognition and business clout so that I am busy EVERYDAY, but that just isn’t likely for a company less than a year old.
For the most part I have focused on residential repaints, with my marketing and experience indicating this. Both interior and exterior, the systems involved in working on a repaint have been what I have developed the most. Repaint, for those wondering, is the opposite of a previously unpainted surface; that is to say it is a previously painted surface requiring prep and repainting. Painting in occupied homes, or occupied yards, and dealing with the prep required for aging residences demands a certain kind of system. More on my repaint systems later…
In the past, and now currently again, I have been called by general contractors wishing to have me estimate for New Construction: that is a house that is currently constructed or under construction. Often one has to provide estimates from a set of plans, and the only visuals are the framing of the house. You can see room layout, but not the actual surface to be painted. You can see dimensions, but not the finished carpentry you have to prep and paint. This is much different than a repaint, where everything is in front of you, and suprises arise from failing to see or catch certain details that were already there. Or failing to include in your bid the necessary amount for “unforeseen possibilities.”
New construction is different in many ways. First, every surface must be prepped prior to painting. All the drywall and interior surfaces must be sealed, and exterior stucco/trim/soffits/windows as well. Further, all trim will have nail holes and require filling and sanding and priming. Every window, baseboard, crown molding etc will require caulking. Basically there are no surfaces that will not require prep prior to painting. As well, most surfaces could require 3 coats of paint to satisfy industry standards. The one benefit is the house is usually not occupied, so you can spray interiors, however you will be tripping over other trades and other trades will be damaging you work.
The real kicker: new construction simply can not be priced like repaints. The market for new construction painting contractors is extremely competitive for the lowest price. Further, General contractors are trying to keep costs down, since they have already likely gone over budget, and will usually go for a lower price. Further, if they are marking up your work, the cheaper you are, the more they make. When all is said and done, the use of new construction is more in keeping your employees busy, advertising, and training. The General Contractors will require perfect finishes, and below normal operating costs.
So will I bid on new construction? I am not sure… I truly hope there are some general contractors who are willing to pay for quality.
For someone who did not go to business school or really have any involvement with business prior to starting my own, networking is not something I really ever thought of as important. My view on this is changing, not that networking is a magical button for success, but there are many positive things about it.
First and foremost, regardless of any monetary gain one can get from networking, it is a positive experience to get the opportunity to meet and talk with someone about your business, and hear about theirs. Just the process of summing up your business mandate, operating procedures, ideal customers etc is something good to get in the habit of, and will ultimately make you more confident and charismatic when you approach potential clients. Similarly, hearing from other entrepreneurs about their business, and seeing their methodologies for advertising, client relationships and the like, can give you insight on how you could add, modify your approach, or even solidify your reasons for doing things a certain way.
Secondly, networking is essential to get your name out. There is mass market networking, as I would call it, something like twitter or facebook fan pages. You can update, but with everyone also getting another 100 updates per minute from all the people they follow, chances of them reading your “sale” of the minute is unlikely. I truly like the more personal networking options better. In the last week, due to some slowness in work unfortunately, I have met with 3 individuals that I think could help me, and I could help them. I met with a designer/home stager, a real estate agent, and a general contractor. Each of these meetings were productive and enjoyable in their own way. Although where they will go from that is uncertain, the fact of the matter is, having not had them would be worse!
Finally, referrals are the strongest ways to get jobs. If I get a call from someone who saw my truck logo, and a call from someone who was told I was the company to hire by someone they trusted, the likelihood of the latter being an easier to sign job is higher. That is not to say the former could not be a sealed deal as well, but it does require a more substantial selling point. I wouldn’t just be selling my service and my price, but myself. A direct referral pushes past the “self” as you are already seen as trustworthy in the eyes of the potential client. Maybe this was a too complicated way of just saying, referrals are good, so keep networking!
From the first call, to the first meeting and onwards, gauging your customers needs is paramount. When you reach a job site there is always the excitement to begin your quoting procedure, but one of the first failures you can have is not listening to what your customer wants to begin with. I would be lying if I said I have always done this or perfected it, but the more quotes I did, the more I realized the importance of understanding how I could specifically address the needs of my client. What I mean by “needs” is not just what rooms need to be painted, but specific concerns, considerations, expectations, etc. With the right questions to prompt them, customers will tell you almost everything you need to know to quote the job. They will in form you about quality expectations, product expectations, which ultimately will reflect upon pricing expectations. No one expects you to use high quality products and fine craftsmanship for a cheap price, that is absurd. However, sometimes people really do want “1 coat” freshen up of the same colour. As much as it pains any craftsman to not get to do all the proper prep, and paint 2 coats, listening to exactly what a customer wants will gain you more credit in the end.
Just a quick reminder you can,
follow me on twitter: DunbarPainting
find me on facebook: Dunbar Painting fan page
view my webpage: Dunbar Painting
Quoting, selling, prepping, painting: these all have their difficulties, their excitements and their possible failures; however, none of it is even possible without first getting the lead. Marketing is, without a doubt, where most companies succeed or fail. Word of mouth referrals are fantastic, but they can’t keep a company afloat forever. So, how do you market a new company with very little presence and allow it to have any success against big names and highly referred companies in existence. Well, unfortunately I did not go to business school, I have a Bachelors of Arts, and it surely did not teach me this. What I did is by no means the road to success, but it was my attempt at creating some recognition.
As soon as I developed the name “Dunbar Painting” and incorporated, I set out to create some brand identity. With little starting capital to pay someone to create a professional identity, I turned to one of my best friends Joseph Liau. Not only did he create my logo, my web page, and my business card, but he created my tag line, something I would not have even thought of. The creation of these items were integral in the starting of my business. From the creation of my logo, I had yard signs made, graphics for my truck, and fliers. Having already spent quite a bit, the calls were only slowly trickling in, so I sent out thousands of fliers, tried door to door marketing, cold calling, networking groups. In the end, most of my business came from direct referrals, which was disheartening for me considering the thousands of dollars I spent on marketing. That being said, I do not think it was a waste, because ultimately all the people who received my flier and see my truck will eventually recognize it. Over the next few years, my marketing endeavors will eventually show which were most successful.
My latest marketing graphics were for my trailer:
This has been one of the most difficult aspects of running a painting company. Actually I probably say that about everything, but this is another difficult decision. Ultimately you can only get a good discount at so many stores, since if you split up your paint purchases between competitors you will be buying lower quantities from each and receive a smaller discount. There are a number of companies to choose from in the Great Vancouver area, and even on the West side. I have accounts at three stores, and as far as I know, am receiving good contractor pricing. However, it was a battle with each.
As a contractor, and a client of the paint store, much like my customers, I am subjected to what the sales rep tell me. Their sales pitch is what I have to try and sell to my customers, or often my customers already have a paint they want and try to sell its use to me. I can see minor differences in applications and results in terms of different paints, and qualities, but to be able to apply a price to performance ratio on paints is hard. For example Benjamin Moore touts its top of the line paint, Aura, as above all other paints. Not only does its price tag, 25% more expensive than other companies leading paints, but their extreme marketing suggest this. In my experience Aura is just another paint, an expensive one albeit, but it perform as well as other high end paints, with its own benefits and difficulties in application. Ultimately, most home owners I deal with at this time are unwilling to spend that money. As well, I would gladly be selling Aura to my clients, if my experiences with Benjamin Moore sales rep had been positive. Because it was fraught with dishonesty and blame, I am tainted to get paint there unless I have to.
With Benjamin Moore a request only paint supplier for me, I am left with my other two accounts: General Paint and Sherwin Williams. I have been a loyal General Paint client for a long time, and my first account was with them. Their Sales rep Dino Pastore is knowledgeable and extremely helpful. However, what made this paint store so great for me was the relationship I had with Dino and the staff at the store I frequented. Although their paint is priced well for my needs, and it performs as well as required to warranty my work, what really made this store appeal to me were a few select employees. Unfortunately, for me, they have moved to locations where they can no longer help me. This is truly sad because my confidence in General Paint was largely linked to my relationship with those staff. Much like my issues with Benjamin Moore are also related to some of their staff.
So where am I now? Sherwin Williams. At first I was caught off guard when their sales rep contact me via a forum I frequent: www.painttalk.com. I wasn’t sure if it was a “bot” or some kind of virus that goes online to be honest. Anyway,after much discussion, meetings, free products and trials, as well as excellent pricing, I am now looking to be a loyal Sherwin Williams customer. Their staff at the location I frequent are knowledgeable and friendly, and they truly make me feel like my “small time” company is worth their time. I have sampled some of their products, and their BM “Aura” competition paint SW: “Duration” is more affordable and nice to work with. As I enter exterior season, I am excited to try all their products. General Paint will always have a place in my heart, and I will continue to use them for certain paints, such as Exterior Breeze, which is a fantastic paint for stucco.
As an end note, if I have offended any loyal customers, employees, or sales reps of any stores, that is my apology. I am just calling it like I see it, these are my experiences and how I have felt. Please contact me if you need me to remove anything from my post.
I received the Dunbar Life magazine to my door, and upon looking through it I decided this may be a valuable marketing avenue. I have had numerous calls from companies who want me to put an advertisement in their flier; however, for the most part those have been small advertisements going to large amount of people. Basically, I was worried that no one would ever see. Dunbar Life, on the other hand, sticks to about 12,000 residents, and in the area I predominantly work. So I decided to have an ad created and run in the Feb 2011 issue. Hopefully this will be more practical than previous flier campaigns I have undergone, which cost a lot and produced very few results, due to limited target recipients and cost of product. Here is a picture of my flier that will be in the Feb issue:
Starting a business is not easy by any standards. I could go into detail about all the trials and tribulations of business ventures, but I will save that for a future post. What I wanted to discuss here is my first job. When I started my business I had no idea how to price jobs, find clients, present myself, suggest products etc. I knew how to do standard operations in surface prep and painting, but beyond that, I was a newbie. 2 years ago when I was just starting, I was fortunate enough to find a young professional couple with a house on the West side who needed a painter for their entire exterior and interior. In a strange way, I was the perfect fit. I had no employees at the time, I had my equipment and enthusiasm, but not much else. These lovely clients were not interested in hiring an entire crew, as they had their family there and were helping with parts of the job they could. I realize, this is not an ideal situation for a business that is currently in operation, but for my first client this was perfect!
Without this foray into the world of being a painting contractor, with understanding and supportive customers, I probably would have tried to find another job. It was because this family gave me the time and space to create systems I still use today, and because they were accommodating, understanding and ultimately extremely happy with my work, that made me feel positive when I entered the world of running a business.
After all was said and done, this is what they wrote:
“Dunbar Painting gets our highest recommendations for exterior and interior painting. The exterior of our house was in need of serious prep work and painting. Coby tackled the power washing and over-head sanding etc with admirable endurance benefiting from his high level of fitness. He only proceeded to the painting after making sure our expectations were fully met. The spray-painting was done quickly and thoroughly to the highest standard leaving only minimal touching up that only he, not we, could spot. As he moved on to the interior, he was careful around our carpets and floors and got the work done swiftly. Throughout the whole process of quotation, purchase of supplies and at intermediate work steps he kept us fully informed of the process leaving no doubt of the progress. Overall, we were highly impressed by his open and honest attitude that should be, but rarely is these days, the hallmark of a good trades person. We can highly recommend him and will trust him again with our painting.”
- Stefan Reinsberg, UBC Physics Professor
This is a blog for Dunbar Painting, a West side of Vancouver BC Canada painting contractor specializing in restoration and repaints for your home or business. I will use this blog to demonstrate both past projects, and the lessons I learned from them, as well as current and future projects. I will test and review products such as various paints, other finishes, equipment etc. This is my plan anyway, and hopefully some people will follow it!
February 3, 2011
dunbarpainting
