Grow your Dough
My name is Terry Begue and I hail from the Akron/Canton area of Ohio. I’ve owned and operated a painting business since I was a teenager. That was thirty-five plus years ago, and, I love painting just as much now as I did when I started. It’s hard to find the words to express how honored I am to be sharing my knowledge with you today after learning so much on this journey. I’m excited about having the opportunity to share my thoughts and experiences with you, the reader.
In this article, I’ll reveal how I got my start. I’ll also discuss how I built up my business to eventually become the author of a book designed to help business owners in the Home Service Industry enjoy more success in their business.
In the beginning, finding work was tough. People were afraid to take a chance on hiring a “punk kid” like me to handle their painting needs. Some homeowners even asked, “Is this your business or your Dad’s?” when I showed up at their door for a sales call. I’m extremely independent and even back then I was determined to figure things out on my own.
When I look back on those difficult days it reminds me of a quote by Nietzsche, the 18th-century German philosopher who said, “That which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”
After many challenging years of trial and error and asking endless questions, I discovered what consumers are truly looking for when choosing a painter for their home. As a result of what I learned, I forced myself to get out of my comfort zone. I became very good at the part of contracting that’s vital to success – getting hired. Once I made that shift, I started getting hired a lot! Next, I developed a unique system for turning jobs over quickly. The rest was gravy!
Everyone’s entitled to at least one “do-over.” After ten years of struggling and screwing up in my business, I took my own “do-over.”
Fired up with a fresh attitude I quadrupled my income over the course of my painting season (seven months here in Ohio) compared to any of my previous years! That was twenty-three years ago. I still run my business the same way today.
Even with the country slowly limping back after the economic freefall of the last couple of years I’m posting record numbers and having my best years yet!
Why should this matter to you? Because I have “in the trenches” knowledge of what it takes to be successful as a residential painting contractor. I’ve been on a mission the past five years. A mission to help painting contractors around the nation enjoy greater success and be seen as respected, legitimate business owners in their communities.
Although I wasn’t a great student back in my school days – I overcame my lack of writing skills and started writing anyway. With the help of a professional writer, editor, and mentor I wrote my book titled, “Attract and Keep Customers for Life” where I share my secrets of being wealthy in life and business.
You’re probably thinking, “Who does this guy think he is, calling himself a ‘wealthy house painter?’” Allow me to explain; to me, wealth is not just about money. Oh, money solves a lot of problems and I’ve done very well. However, an old saying goes, “One is rich not according to what he has but wealthy according to who he is.”
You can’t fix a price on true wealth. It’s a state of mind and a way of life. To me, being wealthy from a financial standpoint means nothing more than not being shackled to a budget while still putting my two kids through college. Wealth means having the ability to acquire anything you need. It also means providing your family with an enjoyable, stress-free life. That’s it! I may not be rich by the standard of the Forbes 100 List. But I’m doing what I love and I’m not worried about money. That makes me wealthy beyond my imagination.
During the last five years, I’ve documented everything I’ve learned to live the life of my dreams. In the upcoming edited and revised version of my book as well as my signature course that is launching in April 2021, I’ll share with you some of my secrets so you can “have it all,” too.
That’s all for this article. Talk with ya soon,
Terry Begue
P.S. Would you already like to start growing your business today, WITHOUT spending a dime? Download my FREE resource to learn how.