How to start a painting business with no experience

14 minute read

You have decided to start a business and are thinking a painting business might be the way to go. However, you don't have the first clue where to get started! Look no further- How to start a painting business with no experience is a comprehensive article that will give you all the information needed to get started on your business straight away. This detailed article gives you 14 essential steps that will help set your painting business up for success, no experience required. You will be glad you followed these steps, both in the short term and in the long run.

1. Learn The Trade Basics

I am not saying you should go and attend a technical school and get a painting certificate but some sort of experience will make your life a lot easier. If you are thinking of owning your own painting business, why not be an apprentice for a little while?

Find a painting contractor near you and apply for a position. Be honest from the start about what you are hoping to get out of this (experience & skills) and be willing to work for a reduced fee or even for free in return.

This doesn't have to take you years. Agree to a 6-month apprenticeship position, show up, work hard, and ask as many questions as you can. Guaranteed that after this time you will walk away with a wealth of knowledge you can immediately apply to your business.

Oh, and this doesn't mean you have to delay the start of your own business. In the evening you can get all the next steps sorted.

2. Get your Business Name Registered

Before you can register your business you will need an Employer Identification Number (EIN). This 9-digit number is required for all businesses wanting to register as an LLC or Corporation. You can complete this process online and free of charge on the IRS website.

All companies that operate from within the US need to register their business with the Secretary of State Office. Depending on the location of your business, this may or may not incur a fee of up to $300. After submission, the office will verify all the information which can take a couple of business days.

3. Secure your Domain Name

BEFORE you register your business name, have a look at a domain registrar such as GoDaddy or Bluehost if the name you have in mind for your business is still available. Ideally, you would just want yourbusinessname.com or something closely related to this. Try and avoid long URLs or a name that no one can pronounce.

If it turns out your business name is already taken make sure you check if the name is Trademarked as you won't be able to use it if it is. Consider coming up with a different name as having your domain name be the same as your business name will be so worth it.

Something else to consider when deciding on names- Is there a possibility that you might want to sell your business in the future? Having your own name incorporated in your business name might seem like a great idea, but this will come back and bite you when trying to sell your business.

4. Get Your Insurance And Business License Sorted

You really do not want to skim passed this, I know, boring section. You will not be the first business to get sued for some ludicrous reason as that you crushed the owner's favorite flower when you rolled into the flowerbed, trying not to break your neck as you fell off the extended ladder.

Make sure you are covered from all fronts so you can operate your business with confidence. Having a valid insurance policy also gives the homeowners peace of mind that you are covered in case something goes wrong.

What licenses and permits you require will solely depend on your location. The U.S. Small Business Administration will be able to provide you will all the up-to-date information and requirements for your area.

Why do you need business insurance?

Not having a comprehensive insurance plan can be a major headache and a potential reason for customers not to hire you. As part of the marketing approach at Begue Painting, we give potential customers the "Customer Awareness Guide" that shows customers what to look for when shopping for a contractor. Terry says the following about the Awareness Guide:

I give my customers a copy of my liability coverage and include a copy of my workers’ compensation certificate along with my proposal. It amazes me that most of my clients don’t even ask for proof until I bring it up. That’s a mistake you cannot afford to make. Most contractors will tell you they’re insured, but be sure you insist to see up-to-date documentation from the insurance company.

Ask to see a copy of their General Liability Insurance. A policy of well over one-million dollars is now considered standard. Ask to see their Workers Compensation Certificate and check the expiration date. The certificate must be renewed every six months. Without workers comp, a contractor or any of his employees who might get injured on your property can bill you for medical costs.

Having this in place means you can be confident toward your potential customers when you show them your Power Sixpack Templates (see step 14) and will give you an advantage over the competition when explaining the importance of such policies to the homeowner.

5. Differentiate yourself from the start

This is where many business owners go wrong. They think if they keep their offering as broad as possible they will get a lot of jobs booked. A big net catches many things, right? Wrong. Yes, it might catch a lot of things but they will mainly be the things you don’t want- Low paying jobs with minimum profit margins.

Let’s face it painting isn’t really all that hard to learn, and purchasing the basic equipment needed to get started doesn’t require one to win the lottery. It’s no wonder that the residential painting industry is so competitive.

If you are running the same ads in the same places, making the same promises, and offering the same services, guess what? You become one of them- just another house painter in an already flooded marketplace. And as a result, you will be fighting for every job, battling it out in low-price wars. 

Here are a few simple questions you can ask yourself that will help you stand out and get noticed.

• What are the most important benefits or results your customers will achieve by using my services?

  Is your reputation above reproach? Do you provide the fastest service, the strongest guarantee, or the best follow-up process? Be sure your prospects understand all the benefits they’ll receive by hiring your company.

• What can I do better than anyone else? Do I possess hard-to-find or specialized expertise?

  Your prospects are rarely looking for a jack of all trades. They want someone who has the knowledge and experience to provide the solution to their specific problem. If most of your competition bills themselves as generalists while you’re a specialist, guess who will be remembered more often? 

• What makes your services more outstanding, more unique, and more desirable than your competitors?

  Do you work only with the highest quality products in the industry? Do you offer a free color consultation, impeccable references, or outstanding customer service? Do you use a new technology that makes painting more environmentally friendly?

You can also differentiate based on the services you offer. The added benefit of really narrowing down your market is that you can gain expertise in this particular field of painting and become the industry expert in your area. These are some examples of niches:

• Interior painting

• Office buildings

• Exterior painting

• Construction painting

• Repaints

• Staining

• Metal door painting

• Outdoor decking

• Cedar home spraying

• Historical sites

6. Set Up A Website

What is the first thing you do when thinking about buying a product or a service? Right, you jump online and search for the name. If the product or service has no online presence you are immediately weary. Is this a scam? Why aren't they showing up on Google?

Having an online presence from the get-go will make a huge difference in the number of leads that reach out to you and how hard it will be to convert these into sales. A professional-looking website might just do the sale for you.

What are some basic elements that should be present on your website?

Contact information: This should include your physical address (if you are operating from a business premises. DO NOT show your home address here. If you are just working from your van, leave this out.

Your phone number and emails should be visible as well. Don't try and be fancy with a contact form. This will slow down the speed of your website and attracts bots to send you bogus emails.

Here you can also include your opening hours if for example you only work Monday - Wednesday or if you are closed during the winter months.

Testimonials: Now, these can be a bit tricky to come by when you start a painting business with no experience. In our course Unnoticed to Unforgettable we teach you a step-by-step system on how to get high-quality testimonials even if you are just starting out. For now, you could try asking for endorsements from your previous employer, do free jobs in return for a testimonial or ask friends and previous colleagues to vouch for your character.

Services: This should include all the services you offer and if possible a price indication. We want to be as upfront as possible with our leads so they only contact us if they are the perfect fit. Another don't… DO NOT state a price per hour here. This is the worst way to charge and will set your business up for failure. Instead explain the different jobs that are included in the service (e.g. masking, pressure washing, clean-up, etc.) and state the value for each of the blocks.

About: As much as people are needing your service, in the end, what they actually buy is YOU. Your about page should reflect why you and your business are perfect for the job, the unique selling point you offer, and any relevant experience.

Portfolio: This is another part of your website that might not have much content when you are just starting out. Try and do a pro-bono job or two to get some before and after photos. Make sure you document the process in detail! I am sure you are familiar with the saying— a picture says more than a thousand words. This rings especially true in this line of work. Having these images on your site will make the world of difference in winning bids.

Above all, your website should look professional and load quickly. If any of these things overwhelm you or have you scratching your head in confusion, book a free website support call with our team today to help you get started.

Great website example: All basic elements are present and easy to navigate for visitors; Services, Portfolio, Testimonials, Contact, and About.

7. Get a business email address

Once you set up a website you will be able to get a Gsuite email address. This will be linked to your website so after the @ it will read yourbusinessname.com. So for example, if my domain name is qualitypaintersohio.com, my email address will be ….@qualitypaintersohio.com.

Again, if you are considering selling, avoid using your own name in the email address. Rather have it say—Enquiries, info, hello, contact @yourbusinessname.com

Having a business email address makes you look much more professional than when it ends with @yahoo or @gmail.com. It gives your potential customers confidence that they are dealing with a legitimate business. An added benefit is that you can keep work and personal emails and logins separate at all times.

8. Get a business phone number

This isn't a crucial step but I would highly recommend it for your own peace of mind. Having a business phone number that you can turn off at 5 pm allows you to not bring work home with you and spend quality time with your family.

It will also make it easier when people are directed to your voicemail and instead of it just saying "This is Nick, leave a message”, the message can be solely for your business. Make sure the message tells them you and your business’ name, what the message should include, and the timeframe you will get back to them.

Stick to that timeframe! Nothing is more off-putting to a potential customer than you not doing what you say you will do. If your message tells them you will get back to them within 24 hours, make sure you do just that!

9. Spend a few bucks on merchandise

Again, not a must-do but I would highly recommend this step as people remember what they see often. If you are walking around their home giving an estimate or on-site for two weeks carrying out the job, they will notice what you are wearing.

Once you know your logo, get it printed on some caps and shirts and/or hoodies for you and your crew to wear. You can get this done at your local print shop or if you are looking to save a buck, go to Aliexpress, Fiverr and get it done through them.

Alternatively, if you have a sliver of design skills, get yourself a free Canva account, design your merchandise yourself, and get it shipped to you at a great price.

10. Purchase Essential Painting Materials

Starting a painting business with no experience will probably also mean you don't have any materials yet. Depending on the niche you have decided on in step 5, you can now decide what materials are ESSENTIAL for your business. I highlighted the word “essential” because oftentimes we get completely carried away when we step into the hardware store. Our eyes want it all and we end up with a bill running well into the thousands of dollars when all we went in for were a few rollers and some stirring sticks.

Google the items needed for your particular niche, but in general these are some of your essentials:

• Variety sized Brushes

• Rollers

• Paint tray

• Drop cloths

• Sandpaper

• Painter’s tape

• Scrapers

• Ladder

• Caulking gun

• Primer

• Tape measure

• Masking tape

• Stir sticks

• Pressure Washer (outside jobs only)

Everything else, including a pressure washer in some cases, can be rented from your local stores until you have built up the capital to purchase them. Make sure you include the rental cost in your bid under the header Materials.

DO NOT ask your customers if you can borrow their supplies and/or tools. This comes across as extremely unprofessional and it is highly unlikely that you will be awarded the job or get a return customer.

Once you notice you need to hire a tool over and over again, eke some fat into your next two or three bids to give yourself the capital to purchase the tool.

How much does it cost to start a painting business?

As you've just read, you only need a few basic tools to get started so starting a painting business doesn't have to be expensive. In a recent poll, painting contractors got to vote on how much money they spent on starting their business. Even though some spent upwards of 50,000 dollars, the vast majority of voters got started with as little as $500.

11. Set Up a Business Bank Account

Separating your business and private expenses from the beginning will be a huge advantage when tax season comes. I can tell you from personal experience that trying to distinguish private from business expenses twelve months after the transaction occurred is almost impossible. And it takes way longer than when you know all expenses on that account are for business purposes.

Most banks nowadays will offer free extra accounts that can be managed from one profile. If not free, they will incur a minimal cost that is definitely worth it. Spend the extra $20 or so, and you and your accountant will be forever grateful come to the end of the financial year.

12. Outsource As Soon As You Can

Outsourcing is something that most entrepreneurs find extremely difficult as we all believe that things are only done right when we do it ourselves. True? I would say it all depends on how clear your instructions are, what your hiring process looked like, and the work environment you are creating.

The fact remains that you can't really scale your business when you are working in it, not on it. In order for you to have the time to create more profitable operating procedures and find quality leads, you need to be willing to delegate the day-to-day tasks.

Make a list of the easier parts of the job; Masking, spraying, prepping, set-up, clean-up, all these are jobs that can be outsourced when clear instructions are given.

Once you have a quality team around you, your business will start growing before you know it.

TIP: When your business is just starting out, income might be erratic and workload unpredictable. Instead of overwhelming your monthly expenditure with full-time employees, work on a zero-hour basis first or higher freelancers when you need them. Once your business is more established you can convert these to FTE's.

13. Start Marketing Your Business

A business soars or sinks depending on the marketing efforts carried out. There are hundreds, if not thousands of different ways how to Get Customers for a Painting Business. Not all are suitable for a start-up company. These are some I recommend for new businesses:

• Referral incentives- Offering existing customers a discount, pay-back, or other incentives when referring new business to you.

• Testimonials- Capture the sentiment of your customers at the peak of their satisfaction and then circulate these words through various channels such as your website, social media, and flyers.

• Google My Business- Getting your business on Google is free and a great way for people to find you. Once you have a profile, Google usually offers a startup ad spend of $50 which you can use to get your first leads through the door.

• Networking- Attend local meetings such as Council meetings, Toastmasters, PTA, and other events where you might find your potential customers.

• Local Trade shows & conventions - You don't have to buy a stall here when you are just starting out. Just go as a visitor, bring your business cards, and put yourself out there. Start having conversations, ask lots of questions, and the rest will follow. Have a 30-second pitch ready that briefly explains what it is you do and what makes you unique.

In the course Unnoticed to Unforgettable we actually show you how to double your business income in 6 months, without advertising, working harder, or charging less!

Other things you will learn:

• How to position yourself as “The Expert”

• What customers want and will pay premium to have

• Ways to quickly establish trust

• Why keeping the pipeline full changes everything

• The power of using other people’s words

• How to generate word-of-mouth referrals without asking

• And much, MUCH more!

14. Download The Power Sixpack Templates

These templates are what set Beguepainting.com up for success. After struggling to make ends meet and fighting it out in low-price wars, Terry knew something had to change. He stopped working on his painting skills and instead start working on his people skills. Learning all the reasons why people buy, and equally important, why they don't buy.

Armed with this knowledge he created what is now known as the Power Sixpack to help people like himself who are starting a painting business with no experience. This set of templates made converting leads into clients easy and most of the time did the selling for him. Now, he actually turns away more business than he accepts and gets booked up a season in advance.

Top Reasons to Start a Painting Business

You don't need a fancy degree to get started: Becoming a painting contractor takes an entrepreneurial spirit and some basic skills. If you have followed step 1 in this article and finished an apprenticeship program or have previous experience painting, you are off to a good start. The business and people skills required to make your business successful can be learned in our practical, easy-to-follow course Unnoticed to Unforgettable.

Ever-expanding market: If anything, the number of houses in each location across the United States is always growing. With an increasing population, people need somewhere to live. As long as people keep building and renovating homes, there will be a need for painting contractors to do what the homeowner can't or won't.

Is a painting business profitable?

This one is as variable as the number of painting contractors. Your profit margins can be sizeable when you do smart business, are always looking for innovative ways to save money, leave room for contingencies, and are willing to get your hands dirty when needed.

But overall, the answer is yes. You can run a painting business with low overheads and healthy returns.

Where do painters make the most money?

A painting contractor can make good money pretty much anywhere in the US. Currently, the highest average painting income is in New Jersey: $56,7582 Other states with high averages are Massachusetts: $55,7613 and California $54,5154.

How much can you make owning a painting company?

The sky is the limit. Depending on if you are a lone ranger, only employing yourself, or if you have multiple crews out every day painting homes while you run the business side of things. There are contractors making over two million dollars each year but on the flip side, there are also other painters struggling to get by, making as little as sixty thousand dollars.

The only way to make sure you don't fall in that last category is to learn, not just how to paint well but how to run a successful business. Try Unnoticed to Unforgettable Risk-Free for 30 days and let us help you build, establish, and scale your painting business.

The Pros and Cons of Starting a Painting Business

Pros of Starting a Painting Business

• Relatively inexpensive to start

• Takes days to start up instead of weeks or months

• Only a few essential items are needed to get started

• Easy to spot potential customers in your area to target (if you are an exterior painter)

Cons of Starting a Painting Business

• Hard work and long hours in the beginning

• Can be difficult to find good employees who are willing to work

• Inflation is pushing prices of materials which might cut into your profit margin

• High competition if you don't niche down

Read Terry's blog Five Ways to Sharpen Your Competitive Edge to not get bogged down in the trenches of high competition.

What mistakes to avoid when starting a painting business?

Charging by the hour: This is a sure-fire way to never scale your business. Every person, whether you are the president or working in the soup kitchen, has 24 hours in their day. Sure you can increase what you charge per hour but there will always be a cap on how many hours per day you can work.

When sending people estimates you want to price the different tasks within the job, not the time it takes to complete them. Showing all the tasks that are included in getting the job done also makes it more likely for people to accept a higher bid as they can see all the work that goes into a quality job.

Doing it all yourself: Working as a one-man-show might be easier as you don't have to deal with employees, worker insurance, etc. but it limits the number of jobs you can take on, and as a result, your potential revenue in a calendar year.

Start with finding great freelancers and once you are clear about the skills they need to have and what people you enjoy working with, advertise your job positions on a platform like Indeed to find the right fit. Be clear in your description about what the job entails and who you want to work with to avoid disappointments from both sides.

Once you have a couple of employees you can trust to do a quality job, you can focus your attention on growing the business instead of working in it.

Get so consumed by working in the business you forget to work on your business: This goes hand-in-hand with the point above but is especially relevant for contractors. They love getting our hands dirty and are convinced that if they want a job done well we need to do it ourselves. The majority are actually addicted to the hard work of the business and as a result, no one actually runs the business.

Even though the desk jobs may sound like a drag and will instantly give you a feeling of claustrophobia, without them, all you will ever be is a glorified employee who runs his own schedule. You can take the drag out of them by doing the work on your laptop and cellphone someplace you feel inspired. Sit at a coffee shop, in your car by the beach, or if you can't resist, at the job site.

Summary: Is starting a house painting business a good idea?

From personal experience and looking at the market we would say it is a great idea to start a painting business, even if you do not have any experience. Especially today, with new innovations making painting quicker and easier than ever, owning a painting business can be extremely rewarding. Compared to other businesses, starting a painting business is inexpensive and relatively straightforward.

When you decide that this is the business for you, make sure you set it up the right way. Don't skip on any of the 14 steps as you will come to regret it down the line. And here is the best tip yet— Don't try and do it all yourself! Get someone with experience to help you. If you don't know of any successful painting contractors that can give you advice, consider enrolling in our course Unnoticed to Unforgettable.