How to Become a Professional Painter

If you’re a creative person who dreams of running your own business, why not become a painter? A painting professional in the world of franchising enjoys steady demand, strong profits and all the franchisor support that they could ask for. Here’s how you can become a commercial painter today.

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Painting and decorating is one of the cornerstones of the home improvement industry, with 48% of homeowners redecorating and repainting in 2018 [Mintel]. For this reason, it’s a great area to make a franchise investment in, and will provide a strong financial return.

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What does a professional painter do?

A professional painter prepares and paints interior and exterior surfaces, working in one or both of the commercial and domestic sectors. In an average day, it will be your responsibility as a painting professional to complete the following tasks:

• Estimating the amount of paint a job will require
• Costing work
• Advising, communicating and negotiating with clients
• Laying down dust sheets and preparing painting materials
• Preparing surfaces to be painted (stripping old wallpaper or paint, filling holes and cracks, so on)
• Painting to a professional standard
• Cleaning up
• Invoicing for work completed

There are many different reasons why hiring a painter to help with home improvements is such a popular option among UK households. Often, hiring a professional painter means that the work is completed to a consistently high standard and with proper preparation.

There is also security in the fact that if anything goes wrong, it’s the responsibility of the painter to fix their error. Plus, the work can be completed more quickly, and customers don’t have to sacrifice any of their own time to get it done.

How to become a professional painter with a painting franchise

Knowing what a professional painter is responsible for, it’s time to figure out how to make a career change with a painting franchise successfully. When you’re preparing to invest in a painting franchise, there are three crucial questions that you’ll need to ask. Here’s each question, along with its answer...

1. What training does a painter need?

Though most franchise opportunities won’t require you to have painting training or experience before you invest, a qualification could set you up for certain success (or be something to look into achieving alongside a franchise investment). Relevant qualifications include a Level 2 Painter Decorator Apprenticeship and a Painting and Decorating Diploma.

Beyond the training, however, there are certain skills and traits that you’ll need to succeed as a commercial painter. Consider your skills before you get close to investing and determine whether or not you’ve got the following transferable skills and abilities:

• Precision and attention to detail
• Teamwork
• Manual dexterity
• Physical fitness
• Business acumen
• Managerial ability
• Flexibility
• Communication and negotiation
• Coolness under pressure
• Mathematical proficiency
• Technological proficiency

Increasingly, painters and decorators use computer software or digital colour charts to complete tasks like finding the correct paint mix, so you’ll benefit from basic computer skills. You’ll also need some maths in order to work out how much of each material you need. - Josh Hall, Simply Business

2. What industry research should I conduct?

When you enter into a new role as a franchisee - especially without previous industry experience - you need to be prepared for what you’ll find. That’s where research comes in. Research helps you to make sense of both the industry and the range of opportunities available to you within said industry. Industry wise, gett to know the latest painting trends across commercial and residential clients will help you to stay ahead of the competition.

Opportunity wise, start assessing the investment options you discover based on your own set of crucial criteria. Make sure this includes the key considerations, like cost of investment and available territories in which to operate. If an opportunity is perfect, but over your budget, you could also do your research on available avenues of funding, both traditional and non-traditional. Knowledge is power, so gather plenty of it.

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3. What do I need to do before signing the franchise agreement?

Short answer: Your due diligence. Long answer: You should do your due diligence and ensure that you know everything you can about the franchise you’re about to invest in, from its financial situation all the way to its current reputation.

When you feel you’ve asked (and gotten an answer to) every question you have, only then will it be time to sign the franchise agreement and head into business with your new franchisor.

Due diligence is a crucial part of the process, because if you don’t do it properly, you could shoot yourself in the foot. Think about it like this: Would you buy a home without visiting it first? Without confidence that it was structurally sound? Without consulting a professional for support navigating the process? Probably not. If you wouldn’t skip steps in that scenario, you shouldn’t with your franchise investment.

Franchise opportunities in the painting industry

There are many different franchise investment opportunities in both painting and the wider home improvement industry. One franchise that completes certain painting jobs alongside other improvement and preservation work is Prokil. Prokil is a damp proofing, timber preservation (including painted treatments) and basement waterproofing business with over 50 years of experience providing quality service to its customers.

• Becoming a Prokil franchisee: You don’t need industry experience, but you should be self-motivated, driven, energetic, hard working and positive.
• How much you need to invest: You'll need to make a minimum initial investment of £30,000, with franchise fees of £37,000 and a total investment cost of £60,000.
• What you get for your investment: You’ll be fully supported with an initial training programme via Head Office for three months, followed by continuous support and access to relevant qualifications and accreditations. A dedicated franchise manager will assist your growing business at every stage.

Paint the future of your dreams with the brush of running an interior decorating franchise

You should now be fully equipped to invest in a painting franchise successfully, but it’s also worth considering the wider world of interior decorating, as the perfect opportunity might be waiting for you in this sector. Discover the eight advantages of running an interior decorating franchise and browse the available investment options in interior decoration before you make your final decision.