Creating a Brand:

Authored by Chris Berry & Tyler Maynard

I receive a lot of questions through my social media outlets about people starting or running their own painting businesses which leads me to reflect on my nearly 2 decades of owning my own painting business and what made it successful.  Therefore I may be able to share some insight that may help you here. I wish I could just tell people that if you just do quality work and are professional while you do that’s all you need to make your business successful, but unfortunately that’s only one part of the recipe. A large part of every business, whether it be painting or selling socks on the side of a highway, is how you market yourself. It’s important to think of your company as not only yourself and your work but a brand as well that you are trying to sell. Here are a few tips that I think every business should keep in mind when trying to expand their market and increase brand awareness.

Having an online presence, and one that looks professional is absolutely key. In today’s age of social media it’s recommended that you have a website when starting out it but have a simple as having a Facebook page could be a quick start. You just want to have a place that people can go to see your company when they search your name, you want them to be able to find you easily which gives them peace you have an established business. A lot of people ask me what should you have on your website or Facebook page besides an “about me” and contact information, and really there’s a lot more you can add. I think having pictures of previous jobs that you’ve done that exemplify your work is incredibly important, and lets people see your work in the same way they would if they passed one of the houses you painted with your sign in their yard but on a much larger scale. But I understand that at the end of the day most of us are simply painters and making and maintaining a website can have a steep learning curve.  Some people make entire careers out of just building websites after all, but it’s not as hard as it seems to at least get something started.