The Online Resource for the Painting Industry
Articles on the business side.
Interesting article by another of my favorite authors, Ivan Misner is the founder of BNI. Business networking is leveraging your business and personal connections to bring you a regular supply of new business. The concept sounds simple, doesn’t it? Don’t let that fool you, though. Because it involves relationship building, it can be a deceptively […]
It’s official! Blogging is here to stay! But we knew that already, didn’t we? Some of the most common complaints/excuses not to blog I hear is “I don’t have the time” followed by “I don’t know what to write about”. Well, if you are new to blogging, or have been muddling along on your own, […]
Another great post by BNI Founder Ivan Misner on maximizing your Linkedin profile. Read the whole article, but I wanted to highlight #5 5. Building and Enhancing Credibility LinkedIn may well become the first place everyone will look to determine the business profile of an individual. LinkedIn allows a professional to showcase […]
In a previous post, I touched on using Google, GMail and Places. If you did sign up and want to know more, here is a recent article I wrote for The Paint Contractor last month. I have been using these for a while now and love the way I can sync multiple accounts, calendars, photos and more! […]
Is the market place talking about you? While reading the great book, The Referral Engine by John Jantsch, also author of Duct Tape Marketing, John talks about putting yourself out there. He told a great story about Scott Ginsberg and his name tag. Scott’s story was a game changer for me. Then I heard Seth Godin’s quote he shared from […]
Selling Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule projects can be a daunting task, especially if you’re competing against non-certified contractors. The non-certified firm can easily under cut your prices, since they have no additional compliance cost. On top of this, while you should be wooing your potential customer with your expertise, fantastic reputation and expressing […]
I just love learning and sharing, especially when it comes to Social Media. Most of you may know, but I am also a Media Specialist in a small rural elementary school. I teach kids how to use technology, the best job in the world! School started last week and so far I have helped two […]
In the last few articles, I stressed developing your vision of the future, leadership skills, choosing the correct employees, and attracting and keeping customers. In this article, I will focus on being the type of person and leader others want to follow. Some businesses I have visited have retained the same employees for twenty years […]
I learned a valuable lesson this week. It turns out my web designer knows what he is talking about. So does Darren Slaughter. Both of them have the same opinion that driving traffic to my company Facebook page isn’t doing me any favours. Up until last week, I disagreed. Here’s what happened. I had some […]
One of my favorite bloggers is Heidi Nyline of Warline Painting, she has a great writing style and is very knowledgable when it comes to color (or as my Canadian friends say, “colour”). She recently completed some color training in order to assist her customers better, maybe she’ll share some of her insights here in […]
Editors Note: Part One of the series can be found here. In the last article, I stressed the need for decisive leadership in any organization, establishing the vision of the company and rallying the troops to own the company goals. That all sounds fairly lofty, doesn’t it? Perhaps company vision and rallying the troops to rise up and […]
My favorite thing about Social Media is the sharing of great content. Being active in carefully crafted G+ circles, Facebook feeds, Linkedin groups and Twitter lists means I get streams of information tailored to my own needs. Here is a great example from a find on Google + this morning from Kari, a UX Developer […]
Great article on some easy tips to market your company online! I talk to a lot of contractors who get overwhelmed with the amount of Social Media tips out there. Should I Facebook? Be a Tweeter? Join Linkedin? There is no right answer, you need to do what is right for you and your company, […]
Are you suffering from burn-out? Do you have the contractor blues?In a recent conversation with a painting contractor the discussion turned to the lack of enthusiasm he was feeling about his business, his chosen profession, and life in general. It’s easy to get in this place, I have been there many times myself as I […]
Small Business Leadership (or Chickens, military intelligence and you)( During a recent meeting I had with a buyer from a large national chain, he asked, “Are there any of them (small independent stores) left?” I thought it was a fairly bold and dismissive attitude; but, I’ve never known buyers in any business to be a […]
