Skip to content
POWER100
Join Free
Content

Brush Busters 32: From Solo Painter to CEO: Hiring the Right People to Grow Your Painting Company

⏱️ 31:18 🎤 Mike Gore-Hickman, Andrew
AUDIO EPISODE
Brush Busters 32: From Solo Painter to CEO: Hiring the Right People to Grow Your Painting Company
0:00
0:00

Chapters

Click to jump to section

  • 0:00
    Scaling & Hiring First Crew
    Mike introduces the topic of scaling a business and preparing to hire a first crew by optimizing personal schedules for marketing and sales.
  • 2:01
    Hiring Office Help & PM
    Daniel from Toronto asks when to hire office help or a project manager and how to remain profitable, leading to a discussion on systems and delegation.
  • 11:03
    Pricing Strategies
    Kevin from Sacramento seeks advice on pricing, whether per square foot or hour, and how to avoid charging too much or too little.
  • 18:25
    Avoiding Client Ghosting
    Eli from Tampa asks for advice on following up with leads that ghost after receiving a quote and how to improve the sales process.
  • 31:16
    Building a Legit Team
    Chris from Vancouver, a solo painter for four years, asks for guidance on hiring a full-time crew and avoiding burnout or bad hires.
  • 44:24
    Client Success Stories
    The hosts share success stories from Painter Growth clients, Mike Johnson and Andrew Krick, highlighting their growth and adoption of new strategies.

Speakers

M
Mike Gore-Hickman
Host
A
Andrew
Host

Key Takeaways

✦

Implement robust systems for job open/close checklists and work orders before hiring admin staff to ensure a solid operational foundation.

✦

Aim to close 40-50% of estimates; closing too many (70%+) might indicate underpricing, while too few (20%-) suggests issues with pricing or sales process.

✦

Charge 2.5X your labor cost (including burden) as a baseline for sustainable pricing, differentiating your services through value rather than competing on low prices.

✦

Always present quotes in person and ask clients, "When's a reasonable amount of time to follow up?" to increase commitment and reduce ghosting.

✦

Build trust with clients through competence (showing you know your craft), character (professional branding), and caring (asking thoughtful questions about their needs and past experiences).

✦

Before hiring your first crew, dedicate time daily (2 hours) for lead generation and estimates to build a several-week pipeline of work.

✦

Adopt a 'hire slow, fire fast' philosophy for recruiting; develop a structured hiring process beyond phone calls to find A-players aligned with your company goals.

Want the full experience?

Join Power100 for full access to every episode, AI-powered insights, personalized coaching, and a network of industry leaders.

Join Power100 →