Category Archives: ONLINE EXTRAS

The Benefits of Spray Training

How your team can master spraying techniques in no time

Talk to almost any painting contractor, and you’ll hear a familiar story: It’s hard to find good painters. Recruiting new painters remains one of the toughest challenges for painting business owners.

“It’s more difficult than ever to find tradespeople,” says Mike Collins, senior marketing channel manager at Titan. “Owners are now looking into new markets for hires. For example, hiring cooks because they’re detail-oriented, or former waiters or waitresses, because they’re personable and great at connecting with people. However, these are workers who have never painted before. They require training.”

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On-Trend Color Choices

Propose these stylish designs for homeowners

Have you been in this situation before? A potential client is asking for input on which colors to choose for their new home or repainting their existing home, and you don’t have any idea what to tell them. You’re not alone. Many painting contractors say they’re more comfortable recommending products than colors. And even if you’ve brushed up on your color theory, you may still feel uninformed about current design trends.

For contractors seeking resources to help their customers in the color selection process, the 2023 Commercial Colormix from Sherwin-Williams makes an excellent starting point. It offers distinct color palettes for contractors working in the commercial, education, hospitality, new residential, multi-family, and healthcare markets.

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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.

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4 Keys to Choosing the Right Ladder

Make your jobsite safer and more productive

Selecting the right ladder is an important decision for painting contractors. It’s also an investment in ensuring crew member safety and productivity.

Remember, not all ladders are the same. There are important differences that contractors should consider. The experts at Werner recommend paying attention to four key elements when choosing a ladder: height, duty rating, material, and style.

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Smarter Sanding Made Easy

Choosing the right abrasives saves time and money

When you first became a painter, you probably didn’t realize how much time you would spend sanding. However, you quickly discovered that it’s a critical component to getting a beautiful final product.

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Rely On The Expert

Your Sherwin-Williams rep can help your property thrive

When you own or manage a multifamily property, you wear a lot of hats. A day’s work might involve managing leases and rental agreements, meeting with new and existing residents, and handling payments and maintenance requests—not to mention staffing, payroll, and marketing. It’s no wonder many owners wish they had a duplicate of themselves to help shoulder the load.

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Maximize Your Property’s Color Potential

Let Sherwin-Williams Color Marketing & Design Services Improve Your Curb Appeal

For many multi-family property managers, decisions about color are outside their comfort zone. However, a team of color experts at Sherwin-Williams can show you how color can help attract and retain residents. And if you lack color confidence, they have the necessary tools and resources you need to get color working for you and your properties.

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Making It in Miami

A contractor and her rep collaborate to help multi-family properties stand out

For most start-up painting contractors, the thought of doing door-to-door cold call prospecting doesn’t sound very appealing. As if that weren’t difficult enough, imagine that the segment you want to serve is the highly competitive, price sensitive multi-family market. Oh, and you’re a woman in a male dominated space.

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Embrace the Changing Seasons

Meet maintenance needs with innovations like LatitudeTM Exterior Acrylic Latex

Fall is a time when temperatures are shifting, the weather is changing, and environmental conditions can be unpredictable. For many property managers and their maintenance teams, this may make Fall seem like a less than ideal time for new painting jobs. But thanks to products that perform in variable weather, Sherwin-Williams can turn that Fall weather into a season of productivity.

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Power Breakfasts Forge Strong Contractor/Sales Rep Bond

Sherwin-Williams Sales Rep Becomes Coach, Teammate and Friend

Many contractors view Sherwin-Williams’ sales reps as valuable assets to their business. But not many contractors can say that it was a sales rep who inspired them to start their business.

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5 Tips for Better, Faster and More Productive Pressure Washing

The experts at Mi-T-M share advice on getting the most out of your pressure washer

Pressure washing season is upon us and, as with any task, painting contractors are looking to maximize their equipment’s efficiency and productivity. Here are five tips to make the most of your pressure washing operations from Mi-T-M, which manufactures a complete line of pressure washers for industrial and residential use. Continue reading 5 Tips for Better, Faster and More Productive Pressure Washing

PRO+ductive Solutions Launched to Help Ease Contractor Challenges

Have you heard yourself say any of the following?

  • “I need to be more productive.”
  • “I spend more time on paperwork than painting or growing my business.”
  • “Most of my jobs require my crews to be efficient – get in, get out, but do a quality job.”
  • “Demand for work is higher than ever, I need my crews to do more jobs to keep up with demand.”

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Do You Have a Business Lynchpin?

Lynchpin
noun

  1. a person or thing vital to an enterprise

When Jason Phillips, President and CEO of Allen, Texas-based Phillips Home Improvements, talks about Rudy Chacon, his Sherwin-Williams sales representative, he starts with a one-word answer: “Lynchpin.” Continue reading Do You Have a Business Lynchpin?

Beating Workplace Fatigue

Sleep Well, Stay Hydrated – and Practice the Amish Hour

Painting can be hard physical labor, and many crews are putting in extra hours. However, a fatigued team can lead to reduced productivity, sloppy work and safety concerns. Here are some considerations for helping your crew stay sharp and energized throughout the day. Continue reading Beating Workplace Fatigue