The Online Resource for the Painting Industry
This month my blog culminated a Blog Shootout for contractors. It was a month long event that was well sponsored by four manufacturers and attracted a small but pleasing variety of writers, from new blogs to some extremely polished and well promoted blogs. The event was interesting and exciting, as it was nice to see […]
I am sure you heard the saying, “To the Cloud!”? The Cloud just refers to the new way of computing. Instead of having your spreadsheets on your desktop computer, your phone numbers in your cell phone, your pictures on a storage card, notes on a legal pad and your contacts in a rolodex and […]
A little play on words, but it got your attention. Like many things in life, size matters. However, when it comes to lead based paint (LBP) hazards … a smaller size is more impressive and more damaging. To illustrate this point, take a 1/16 ounce small lead fishing weight. Pop it in your mouth and […]
There is a lot of talk in the industry lately about “going green” and what it really means. If I offer a customer the option of using a Low VOC paint does that mean I am a “Green” painting company? I think not! I believe it is more of an overall philosophy and mindset. A […]
For thousands of years, lead has been known not to be people friendly. Even as far back as the Roman Empire, they knew that lead could cause health problems, cognitive problems and even death. Yet, lead had so many advantages that they down played the disadvantages. Lead leached from their plates, goblets and containers into […]
One of the perks of being a “social butterfly” is the wide variety of people you meet online. Yesterday we had a rainstorm move through the area, a Facebook friend (who, although I have purchased her homemade cupcakes, have never met her in person!) posted on my wall asking if I knew a roofer. Early […]
Many people wrongly assume that if a home was painted with lead based paint (LBP), it can be found throughout the house. Surprisingly, this is a wrong assumption. LBP was considered a premium paint that came with a higher cost. It was used on surfaces that needed the durability that can be found by […]
There is no doubt the way we communicate has changed over the past decades due to the internet. When was the last time you hand wrote a letter? Email has allowed to respond immediately or fire off a heated rant, not always a good thing! Thanks to email and Smartphones, we can be in constant […]
The first observance of Father’s Day actually took place in Fairmont, West Virginia on July 5, 1908. It was organized by Mrs. Grace Golden Clayton, who wanted to celebrate the lives of the 210 fathers who had been lost in the Monongah Mining disaster several months earlier in Monongah, West Virginia, on December 6, 1907. From […]
Rob and I recently attended a seminar sponsored by Sherwin Williams in Las Vegas. Rob and I both agreed that this was one of the best seminars we have attended in years, especially for a husband/wife team. It had a balance of product, business and marketing topics that kept us both interested. The seminar opened […]
How often do you get a chance to use your skills to be a little more creative than usual? I love this blog by iPaintokc. This is also a great example of a good project blog, the steps are clearly laid out, without giving away all the author’s secrets! The pictures are very clear and […]
How do you help your customers choose colors? Do you just send them to the paint store? Bring in a designer? Spend hours looking through the fan decks and then applying samples? Color is such a personal choice and I think many of us are hesitant to guide customers, especially if we have no formal […]
Today’s pick is a blog by Heidi Nyline of Warline Painting. Recently Heidi took a lot of flack on an online painter’s forum for a recent blog, “Sending customers to the competition”. The opinions on both sides were pretty strong, the majority of those who responded agreed that we can’t always be everything to everybody. […]
Blogging about tools and products (reviews) are one of the more interesting and popular topics for contractors who blog, for obvious reasons. Here are some tips for writing effective product reviews for your blog: 1. Post Title: Be sure to include the name/model of the tool in the blog post title so that it can […]
As a painter for over thirty years, I have used just about every type of brush and roller out there. I have always felt an experienced painter can do a job well with just about any tool. The difference is how much easier, enjoyable and productive a particular tool can make a given task. So […]
