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What is a Surety Bond and How it Differs from Insurance?

Small business owners have several ways to protect their financial position from loss, some of which are better understood than others. Insurance coverage, often in the form of liability insurance, and surety bonds are two of the most common types of protection small businesses may implement. While these terms are often used interchangeably, there are distinct differences that make them stand apart from one another. This brief guide provides insight into how surety bonds work, how that differs from insurance coverage, and when either is needed to safeguard a business and its customers.

The Ins and Outs of Surety Bonds

Being bonded and insured is not the same thing. Surety bonds – the first part of that phrase – provide protection to the customers and clients of businesses owners, licensed contractors, and other professionals. Bonds are provided by surety agencies as a way to reduce financial losses or damages incurred by the bondholder’s customer should the contract agreed upon not be completed. In some cases, surety bonds are required as part of the licensing process. However, regardless of the type of surety bond in place, each agreement works similarly for the surety agency, the bondholder, and the customer.

When a contractor or business acquires a surety bond, there are three parties involved in the transaction. First, the surety agency that provides the bond evaluates the business owner or contractor to determine if a bond can be put in place. If so, the individual requesting the bond receives a certificate of bonding after paying for the coverage. The third party is the job owner, or the customer, that requires a bond to be in play for a new project to begin. For instance, a construction contractor may have the job site owner as the third party, as that individual or company is at risk if the contractor does not perform as agreed.

When a claim is made against the bond because work is not done in-line with regulations or is not completed per the original agreement, the surety agency pays legitimate claims on behalf of the bondholder. In this sense, a surety bond is like insurance. However, the bondholder is then required to repay the claim amount back to the surety agency.   

Breaking Down Insurance Coverage

Insurance coverage for a business or an individual contractor differs from surety bonds in several ways. First, business insurance is offered by an insurance company or agency, not a surety agency, and it is not always a requirement for licensing as a professional. Insurance coverage works to protect the business owner or contractor from financial losses. These losses may be the result of damage to the business or inventory, employee theft or other theft, fire, flood, or liability issues that arise with a customer or worker. There are only two parties involved in insurance: the insured and the insurer.

When a claim is made against an insurance policy, the insurance company pays out a benefit up to the limits of the policy for damages incurred, directly to the business or the contractor. This helps protect the individual or entity from financial ruin for circumstances beyond their control. There is no obligation to repay insurance benefits received, which differs from surety bonds for contractors.

Other Notable Differences

In addition to the organizations that offer surety bonds and insurance, and the fundamental ways each type of instrument works, there are other subtle differences between surety bonds and insurance coverage. First, surety bond pricing is based on the financial history and claims track record of the business or contractor. Because surety bond claims are paid by the surety agency and then repaid by the bondholder, individuals with surety bonds are extended a form of credit when getting a new bond. For this reason, surety agencies look closely at the financials of the individual and the business, including credit history and score. The cost of a surety bond is calculated as a percentage of the total bond amount put in place.

Insurance, on the other hand, is priced based on other risk factors. For instance, if a business owner has faced liability issues in the past where an insurance claim was paid, the cost of new insurance coverage may be high. However, most insurance companies do not review credit history or score when determining if a new policy can be issued. They focus more on the risks of the business, based on the type of insurance policy the individual is trying to secure. The cost of insurance is a monthly or annual premium that is paid based on these factors, not a percentage of the insurance policy taken out.

Both surety bonds and insurance coverage are valuable protection strategies for businesses and contractors. However, there are differences bondholders and insured individuals should be aware of before selecting the type of coverage necessary. Understanding these differences is beneficial in protecting your business, your customers, or both.

Eric Weisbrot is the Chief Marketing Officer of JW Surety Bonds. With years of experience in the surety industry under several different roles within the company, he is also a contributing author to the surety bond blog.

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7 Ways to Keep Your Commercial Painting Project on Time and on Budget

There is nothing worse than a commercial painting project going sideways. Typically commercial projects are on the larger scale, so the money can be good but these jobs can go south if you’re not attentive and thorough.

Here are 7 tips to make a commercial project successful and be profitable:

1. Bid the job with correct amount of hours. I know this sounds obvious, but contractors have been know to send out bids without checking their work twice. Multiple visits to the job site and double checking your work is key to  correctly bidding the job.

2. Accepting the job. Now this ties in with number one. Let’s say you go out, bid the job, win the job, and you didn’t double check your work and you realize that you missed some key parts of the job. You don’t have to take the job, in fact it might be wise to not take it if you know you’re going to lose money. What I would recommend is to go back and tell the customer or contractor about your mistake and hope they will let you resubmit with the correct bid. If they hold you to it, you don’t have to accept.

3. Walk the job with your employees. Always go out with your field manager, foreman, or lead painter to walk the job. It gets everyone on the same page. You can also put your heads together and come up with the best game plan. We’ve had some clients say, “doors are included” when they were not and the job lead believed the client and did some free work. By walking the job with your team, you’ll save time and help avoid any confusion.

4. Planning, planning, planning. Just like number three, get everyone on the same page and formulate a game plan for the project. Sometimes an employee will have one particular plan but might not see the big picture. Realize that sometimes it takes a week or two on a big commercial job to get in a good groove.

5. Good management. This is important because jobs can get away from us. If it gets too away, we will lose money and time. If you have jobs broken down by task, by building, or sections, you can job cost throughout the job to make sure that you are still doing well for the customer and by the company. If we have a HOA painting project with multiple buildings, we job cost every building. We see the lowest profits on the first building, and like I said before, when the crew gets into a groove, and we’re working more efficiently we’ll save more time 

6. Watch your material cost. Materials should be 15-20% of each job and commercial projects are no different. We have materials included in our price and how much will be used. It’s up to the management team to always keep track of how much is ordered and how much money is being spent on the job. If you meet within those material cost and labor hours, everyone will be happy.

7. Keep track and sign off change orders and always communicate! We don’t have a lot of change orders and love to stay away from them. We pride ourselves on bidding the job correctly the first time. But, if you power wash, and find dry rot, stop the job, show the customer a change order, replace the wood, and move on.

We had a job a few years ago where we were painting an exterior of a grocery store and the white wasn’t covering the old color in two coats. We showed the customer, called out the paint rep., kept everyone in the loop, and the paint company covered the cost of material for an additional coat and the customer paid for the labor.

Sometimes these big jobs can look daunting but if you follow these steps I will almost guarantee success.

The post 7 Ways to Keep Your Commercial Painting Project on Time and on Budget appeared first on The Blogging Painters.

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Slurry Solution

Outpak  Slurry Solution is specifically designed to help you save time, money and labor at your job site.

Our innovative product makes your slurry waste cleanup easier to manage and much more efficient. Just mix Outpak Slurry Solution into the slurry waste, wait a few short minutes for it to solidify and then you will easily be able to throw it away in any standard waste container.

The material becomes EPA compliant and landfill ready. It’s a win for our environment, and with all the time and effort you will save it is definitely a win for your business as well. Our Slurry Solution comes in the following packages: Four, 7 lb. bottles per box / Four, 7 lb. bottles per box, 18 boxes per pallet / 50 lb. bag in case.

Source

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2019 Painting Profits Summit!

Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore and other industry GIANTS invite you to attend the 3rd Annual Painting Profits Summit!

This year’s event takes place in Chattanooga, TN.

January 24-26th 2019!

Room discounts expire on December 29th, 2018, so act fast!

Learn more by visiting www.paintersacademy.com/2019summit or call the offices of the Academy for Professional Painting Contractors at 423-800-0520!

Hear from that nation’s most successful painting contractors, present your toughest challenges during your personalized “Hot Seat,” and rub elbows with painting elites in amazing after-hours events!

Here is summary of the agenda!

Thursday, January 24:

1pm-5pm: Pre-Day Sales Training: Unleashing the PowerPaint Presentation Process – How to Raise Closing Rates and Prices Simultaneously (Add Pre-Day at Checkout as Option!)

7pm: Welcome Reception at Songbird’s Guitar Museum (Venue Info Here) Sponsored By Sherwin Williams

Friday, January 25:

8am-12pm: Expo Hours and General Session

Rediscovering Your Pioneering Spirit! Brandon Lewis, APPC

Fundamental Systems for Indefinite Year-Over-Year Growth! Garrett Martell, Two Day Painting

True Story: How a Start-Up Makes More Money in Month Four Than Most Painters After Four Years!   Trent Huskey, Smoky Mountain Painting

Cultivating the Labor Force In an Unforgiving Landscape! Archie Bartel, Sherwin Williams

From Established Painting Business to Father-Son-Team: Navigating the Transformation! Mike & Zach Ausherman, Ausherman Painting

12 -1pm: Working Lunch, Sponsored by PEP Estimating!

1pm-5pm: Personalized Owner “Hot Seats” Present your biggest break-through, largest challenge, and get written solutions and suggestions from your peer group!

7pm: Academy Awards Dinner Sponsored By Benjamin Moore

Saturday, January 26:

8am-12pm: Expo Hours and General Session  

Out-Ranking Local Competitors in the Wild-West World of Websites + SEO! Brandon Lewis, APPC

Overhauling a $3 Million Painting Business for Greater Profitability! Tim & Christie Perryman, Perryman Painting

Leveraging Sales Technology to Beat Low-Priced Competitors! Fred Yarur, PEP Estimating

Scaling Your Business in Commercial Repaints… Without Sacrificing Margins or Momentum!    Mike Balding & Greg Collins, Absolute Painting Dominating Rural + Suburban Markets for Maximum Growth! Mica & Stacie Little, Little’s Painting

12 -1pm: Working Lunch

1pm-5pm: Personalized Owner “Hot Seats” Present your biggest break-through, largest challenge, and get written solutions and suggestions from your peer group!

5pm: Closing Ceremonies

**Hours are subject to change. Please check back for updates.

Learn more by visiting www.paintersacademy.com/2019summit or call the offices of the Academy for Professional Painting Contractors at 423-800-0520!

The post 2019 Painting Profits Summit! appeared first on The Blogging Painters.

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2019 Painting Profits Summit!

Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore and other industry GIANTS invite you to attend the 3rd Annual Painting Profits Summit!

This year’s event takes place in Chattanooga, TN.

January 24-26th 2019!

Room discounts expire on December 29th, 2018, so act fast!

Learn more by visiting www.paintersacademy.com/2019summit or call the offices of the Academy for Professional Painting Contractors at 423-800-0520!

Hear from that nation’s most successful painting contractors, present your toughest challenges during your personalized “Hot Seat,” and rub elbows with painting elites in amazing after-hours events!

Here is summary of the agenda!

Thursday, January 24:

1pm-5pm: Pre-Day Sales Training: Unleashing the PowerPaint Presentation Process – How to Raise Closing Rates and Prices Simultaneously (Add Pre-Day at Checkout as Option!)

7pm: Welcome Reception at Songbird’s Guitar Museum (Venue Info Here) Sponsored By Sherwin Williams

Friday, January 25:

8am-12pm: Expo Hours and General Session

Rediscovering Your Pioneering Spirit! Brandon Lewis, APPC

Fundamental Systems for Indefinite Year-Over-Year Growth! Garrett Martell, Two Day Painting

True Story: How a Start-Up Makes More Money in Month Four Than Most Painters After Four Years!   Trent Huskey, Smoky Mountain Painting

Cultivating the Labor Force In an Unforgiving Landscape! Archie Bartel, Sherwin Williams

From Established Painting Business to Father-Son-Team: Navigating the Transformation! Mike & Zach Ausherman, Ausherman Painting

12 -1pm: Working Lunch, Sponsored by PEP Estimating!

1pm-5pm: Personalized Owner “Hot Seats” Present your biggest break-through, largest challenge, and get written solutions and suggestions from your peer group!

7pm: Academy Awards Dinner Sponsored By Benjamin Moore

Saturday, January 26:

8am-12pm: Expo Hours and General Session  

Out-Ranking Local Competitors in the Wild-West World of Websites + SEO! Brandon Lewis, APPC

Overhauling a $3 Million Painting Business for Greater Profitability! Tim & Christie Perryman, Perryman Painting

Leveraging Sales Technology to Beat Low-Priced Competitors! Fred Yarur, PEP Estimating

Scaling Your Business in Commercial Repaints… Without Sacrificing Margins or Momentum!    Mike Balding & Greg Collins, Absolute Painting Dominating Rural + Suburban Markets for Maximum Growth! Mica & Stacie Little, Little’s Painting

12 -1pm: Working Lunch

1pm-5pm: Personalized Owner “Hot Seats” Present your biggest break-through, largest challenge, and get written solutions and suggestions from your peer group!

5pm: Closing Ceremonies

**Hours are subject to change. Please check back for updates.

Learn more by visiting www.paintersacademy.com/2019summit or call the offices of the Academy for Professional Painting Contractors at 423-800-0520!

The post 2019 Painting Profits Summit! appeared first on The Blogging Painters.

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What can Online Reviews do for you?

When it comes to sales growth, the online presence and reputation of your business is tremendously important.

Positive online reviews are nothing short of essential to your success as a business in today’s market.

For the skeptics out there, the ten statistics listed below show just how significant online reviews can be:

A business’s Star Rating is the #1 factor used by consumers to judge a business.

92% of consumers now read online reviews (vs. 88% in 2014).

68% of consumers report that positive online reviews boost their trust in a local business.

Only 14% of consumers would consider using a business with a 1-2 star rating.

57% of consumers would use a business with a three star rating.

94% of consumers would use a business with a four star rating.

Online reviews influence up to 10% of the ranking for search engine optimization.

40% of consumers form an opinion after 1-3 online reviews (vs. 29% in 2014).

73% of consumers form an opinion after reading six online reviews.

88% of consumers will form an opinion after reading ten online reviews.

48% will visit a company’s website after reading positive reviews.

88% trust reviews as much as personal recommendations (vs. 83% in 2014)

Source

Online reviews are crucial to the growth of your business – increasingly so with the passing of time (the internet isn’t going anywhere, folks). How can you begin or improve your business’s online reputation now? Painter’s Marketing Pro offers solutions that will enable your business to maximize on this invaluable marketing tool.

Painter’s Marketing Pro has a couple different solutions to offer you.

Warm Up Campaign This campaign is based on appointment confirmation emails. It is a three-fold campaign. We offer a pre-formatted appointment confirmation email that automatically adds the client to your email newsletter list. The campaign consists of three emails, the first containing a link to your online reviews. By exposing your customers to your online reviews, you build trust with these potentials clients. Directing your customers to your online reviews can be enormously influential in establishing customer trust.

Reviews Booster This campaign focuses on getting online reviews from your past clients. It is a two-fold campaign. We have found this particular campaign to be remarkably successful. We have seen up to 30 online Google reviews from a single campaign. By collecting online reviews, you boost your online presence and increase the traffic to your company. The second component is a pre-formatted email to your newly-completed projects encouraging them to write online reviews.

Online reviews are must haves for any company that wants to stay relevant online. A positive online reputation can provide you with a steady stream of quality sales leads. When you begin to flood your online presence with favorable customer reviews, you will see your sales begin to sky rocket.

Mike Beaulieu has been in the painting industry for over 17 years and has taken his experience and love of helping other painters to start “done-for-you” marketing programs for painting contractors.  He started Painter’s Marketing Pro in early 2018 and is focused on Monthly E-Mail Newsletters and more for painters.

The post What can Online Reviews do for you? appeared first on The Blogging Painters.

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This Seasonality of Our Trade: Thoughts, Reflections, and Advice

  Seasons Greetings!

My wife Deborah (perhaps the world’s most patient and forgiving woman) perceives fall to be the slow reveal of winter, so she has come to dread what I find beautiful – the softening light, the cooler air, the darker mornings. I know that winter awaits and with it the challenge of snow, ice, chapped lips and hat head; but while this slide into winter depresses my wife,  I personally love the seasonal changes here in New England – it’s the main reason we moved here from San Francisco back in 1994, a lifetime ago. For me, winter is the culmination of the year, as well as the promise of a new one.

  If summer represents positive cash flow, paying down long-term loans, investment in new equipment, vehicles, and training, (making hay while the sun shines), winter is the perfect season to reflect and to plan. If summer offers infinite possibility with its lazy 4-6 month exterior schedule, with the overwhelm of opportunities, the confidence lent by a high close ratio and the perception, real or imagined, that our busyness means we know what we are doing, that our share of the market is secure and growing, then fall and winter is the harsh reminder that the market place punishes the complacent, the arrogant and the presumptuous.  

The season of plenty is slowly replaced by the hustle of working to find enough interior work to avoid layoffs, the churn of staffing smaller projects, the sharpening of pencils as we feel the imperative to close the deal; welcome back to the real world.

This seasonality of business is sobering but healthy, and this transition into winter is one I embrace.

Reflection

A friend likes to reference ‘project autopsies’ – his macabre but realistic assessment of a project. We apply a similar but kinder exercise on a monthly basis as we look back on the metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) that illustrate the fiscal health of our company month to month. Taken in isolation, this information can be both exhilarating and alarming as billing cycles and timing can punish one month’s performance to the benefit of another. Reviewed quarterly, this information offers greater accuracy and a more sober assessment; reviewed annually, we start to see trends.  

Has our average wage increased this year?

Is our hourly rate sufficient to guarantee profit?

Which projects and foremen are generating the most profit?

Are we spending within our budget or did we blow past it with too many new Festool vacuums?

Why are we spending more than budgeted on vehicle repairs?

What is our close ratio?

Did we hit out gross profit and net profit targets?

Can I give myself a raise?

It’s important to track KPIs on an annual basis, and to compare them to both past performance as well as budgeted or projected performance.  This early warning radar reveals issues or problems that might otherwise be lost to the noise of the tactical demands of the business. Truth be told, this like subjecting your business to an MRI – the results can be both affirming and terrifying. But we’re in business to stay in business so we might as well uncover and face the truth.

Planning – Strategic

We’ve all been exposed to countless homilies and adages that remind us of the importance of planning, but most of us avoid this like the plague.

“Failing to plan is planning to fail”

“If you’re not growing, you’re dying”

“Start with the end in mind”

I resisted planning and its evil twin, budgeting, for years, to avoid accountability and because I felt there was no value to the exercise. I now embrace and value the exercise of planning.

Planning is not limiting the future, nor is it the avoidance of opportunity and spontaneity. If we plan for 10% growth and achieve 15%, this feels great – we don’t limit our growth based on our projection – we simply use the budget and plan as a map of what we hope to achieve.  

Planning – Tactical

There are less grandiose components to planning of course – the tactical demands of equipment maintenance, proper storage and winterization of exterior season equipment, reorganizing and repainting the shop and office to keep painters working during gaps in the schedule. We also use winter to train existing and new staff – we refresh and reset technical training using the excellent PDCA Craftsmanship Training Tips, the COPs (Craftsmen Operating Procedures), we invite in manufacturer reps to train on new products and tools.

This fall we’ve invited Nick Slavik (does he need more introduction than his name? I think not … ) to present on new construction and kitchen cabinetry painting – we limit attendance to foremen but then invite them to become the trainers as they push what they learn onto their teams in the field as well as in the shop. We’ll also refresh on RRP protocols and general safety; we’ll identify any painters whose blood lead level has increased during the exterior season and bring them in for additional training.

Finally, but most significantly, we’ll all take a breath and relax as we head into the winter. Sure, in some ways churn increases because winter projects tend to be smaller and so require more sales, more transitions and back end support. But somehow this easing into winter is also a time to slow down, reflect, rest and then re-engage in time for spring, strengthened and inspired by another busy season’s accumulated experience.

We’ll even throw in some paintball, a Thanksgiving lunch and we all look forward to taking the week of Christmas to New Year off, fully compensated of course – one of our many employee benefits.

Nigel Costolloe is the president of Catchlight Painting, a full-service residential painting company serving the Greater Boston Metropolitan Area. He is active regionally and nationally in the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America (PDCA) as a leader, speaker, and mentor.

The post This Seasonality of Our Trade: Thoughts, Reflections, and Advice appeared first on The Blogging Painters.

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10 Different Applications Of Sandblasting Everyone Should Know

Sandblasting, or oftentimes called as abrasive grit blasting, is an effective way to clean and prepare surfaces. Skilled workers such as craftsmen, machinists, auto mechanics, and etc. use this process in their jobs. While the method is termed sandblasting, the abrasive material used is not only limited to sand.

Depending on the surface requiring treatment, the standard abrasives that can be used are steel grit, dry ice, corn cob, copper slag, walnut, and coconut shell. Though considered an expedient process, it does come with a potential health risk. Thus, it is highly advisable to always wear adequate safety equipment.

Where Can You Use Sandblasting?

Before starting the process, the type of abrasive to be used is determined. As mentioned earlier, there are several media or abrasives used for sandblasting. For utmost performance, sand, concrete, and metal are frequently utilized.

In addition to that, a sandblasting cabinet secures the abrasives to ensure that it will not scatter all over the place or damage the surrounding area.

While you will see others doing the process by themselves, it is highly suggested to spend on professional sandblasting services to avoid the risks.  Once everything is ready, the process can now start.  An air compressor is handled by the worker in facilitating the cleaning process.

Here are several useful applications of sandblasting:

Strips off paint and corrosion

This is the primary task of sandblasting. It is a common knowledge that paint and corrosion marks are hard to get rid if you just rely on conventional cleaning techniques.

The reliable sandblasters can eliminate stubborn paint and rust plus other contaminants from cars, houses, machines, and other surfaces. With regards to removing paint from cars, the process is mild enough to strip off the paint without harming the metal underneath.

Cleans smaller tools

You may be surprised, but sandblast cleaning is not confined to enormous machines and buildings. This vital process can also be relied on to clean smaller instruments like automobile and metal tools. Examples of these are rusty screwdrivers and wrenches which can be quickly cleaned by sandblasting.

Meanwhile, you can sandblast machinery clogged with oil, dirt, and grease to ensure efficient functioning. Besides that, the cleaning process prevents machine breakdown and wear and tear.

Smooths and polishes devices

While cleaning is the main function of sandblasting, the process also leaves surfaces shiny and polished. In some occasions, you will find small mechanical parts made out of metal and plastic featuring rough burrs or other irregularities which make it impossible to assemble.

Not only does sandblasting polishes surfaces but it also removes burrs, tags, and excess material to guarantee productive assembly. Moreover, it smooths edges to attain the intended shape of the surface.

Creates impressive art

  Yet, another surprising application of sandblasting is to create impressive art and designs. Talented artisans use the technique to carve remarkable patterns on different surfaces such as wood, metal, glass, and other materials.  

Aside from this, other artists use the method to improve the aesthetic value of lackluster commercial properties.  

Cleans concrete surfaces

More than its industrial and mechanical purpose, the sandblasting process is a viable method to clean streets, walkways, pavements, and other concrete surfaces. With these areas ordinarily neglected, routinely cleaning and maintaining them extend their lives and minimize the possibility of accidents.

Without wasting water, you can effectively and quickly scrub clean concretes and pavements with sandblasting by using high-speed abrasives.

Prepares surface for coating activity

After sandblast cleaning, your surface is now prepared for painting, bonding, or some other coating activity. Substandard surface preparation will eventually lead to a failed coating system. Achieving a marginal level of cleanliness that leaves behind contaminants in the area will subsequently reduce the coating service life.

Having said that, sandblasting is an effective process for surface preparation. Inability to sufficiently prepare your surface for coating will only result to waste of money. Incidentally, fragile surfaces like wood may be cleaned with gentler media such as walnut shells or glass beads.

Restores authentic image of bricks and stones

Bricks, stones, and concrete are ordinary raw materials used for residential and commercial properties. While painting is an option to improve the appearance of a deteriorating building or structure, sandblasting is a smarter solution to remove unnecessary mortar, cement, paint, and other substances.

Not only does it restore the original condition of the material but it also increases the longevity of the property.

Enables mold remediation

Mold is a prevalent problem found in homes. Lots of health issues caused by mold are already documented if it is not properly addressed. Concerns including itchy eyes, coughing, sneezing, asthma attacks, severe allergic reactions are some of the consequences of this problem. Take note though, implications can also be dangerous such as permanent lung damage.

Nowadays sandblasting is a new technique to eliminate mold. Medium used for the process is either baking soda or dry-ice. One of the benefits of this method is that the places which are usually tough to access like attics and crawl spaces are now easy to clean. Aside from that, sandblasting provides for the quick and effective elimination of mold with minimal damage and clean-up.

Creating etched signs

As mentioned earlier, sandblasting can be used for smaller projects. This handy process can also be utilized for spectacular signs from wood, glass, or stone. Memorials are a practical sample of this nifty sandblasting technique.

The advantage of using this method is that it has more depth than laser engraving. Having more depth means you can add color to your project to highlight your design. A lot of businesses use this technique to artistically showcase their logo or business name.    

Removes oil stains from driveways

Normally, driveways can become stained with grease and oil over time. One way of effectively cleansing your driveway is thru wet blasting. This process blows hot water, soap, and a blasting agent all at the same time. During wet blasting, the water and cleansers break down the tough stains while the blasting agents blow them away.

If your driveway has seen better days and has old concrete grimes, wet blasting is a smart choice than power washing. The blasting process allows deeper penetration and at the same time removes a small thin layer of the surface. Afterward, it is highly recommended to seal your driveway to safeguard the blasting effects.

Alanis Juvelle Henry formerly worked as a human resource personnel at a construction site. Due to her young family, she decided to leave the job and has been working at home as an online writer.

The post 10 Different Applications Of Sandblasting Everyone Should Know appeared first on The Blogging Painters.

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Research Shows Contractor Expectations For Distributors Are Changing

The way building products manufacturers traditionally engaged with distributors and contractors has changed, and yesterday’s marketing strategies to connect with these audiences fails to work as well as it used to. In-person sales calls, lunch-and-learns, phone calls and routine training seminars were the primary ways manufacturers engaged with the distributor sector, built loyalty, shared new product information and helped boost business with contractors.

Today, those methods and outreach efforts may be losing ground, according to research by building products demand generation agency Point To Point.

The study asked 499 building products distributors what contractors expect of them in two areas: product information and sales/marketing assistance. It was clear from the data that contractors know what they want from distributors, and that distributors are looking to brands to help them meet expectations—their own, as well as those of their contractors.

Product Information Expectations

What do contractors look for most from distributors in regards to product information? When distributors were asked what customers expected them to provide, 46% of respondents listed warranty information first, followed by product updates, preferred pricing, and technical product information and literature.

Distributors’ best bet for receiving the information contractors need most is via the brands that build them. That’s because preferred pricing, sales support, product updates and technical information is exactly the information distributors themselves expect from manufacturers.

Brands that accelerate and enhance their communications with and support of distributors for product information—particularly in the areas of updates and technical information—will also serve contractors, giving distributors the ability to meet contractor expectations.

Sales/Marketing Assistance Expectations

The distributors surveyed believe contractors also look to them to provide sales and marketing assistance, in the form of direct support, installation and in-person training, as well as videos.

How will distributors plan to meet these needs? Again, with the help of brands. Brands can meet the sales and marketing expectations of both distributors and contractors by:

Creating push-pull promotions that incentivize distributors and contractors

Offering contractor-relevant content—including videos—for distributors to upload to their websites

Producing “train the trainer” programs for distributors to help them provide installation and in-person application training to contractors

Providing in-depth training videos and online courses for contractors, uploadable to distributor website

Distributors believe contractors are looking to them for product information and sales/marketing assistance. But distributors are looking to brands for the very same things—both for themselves and for those they serve. The responsibility is on building products brands to step up the challenge to help channel partners at all levels. Manufacturers must take a leadership role that will build loyalty, increase productivity and boost sales for all involved. When it comes to meeting contractor and distributor expectations, it all starts with the brand.

 Mark Goren, Founder & CEO of Point To Point

Marketing executive Mark Goren, who leads the full-service agency Point To Point, brings an entrepreneurial edge and insights-driven approach to engineering demand for B2B clients. His deep experience in the building materials sector combined with a passion for marketing is evident in the agency’s work for clients including Sherwin-Williams, Louisiana-Pacific, OSI, and Loctite. Whether designing a new product launch or building a brand story, Mark and his team specialize in linking creative with technology to engage, nurture and compel target audiences. Mark can be reached at mgoren@pointtopoint.com.

Twitter: @PointToPointInc

FB: https://www.facebook.com/PointToPointInc/

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pointtopointinc/

  The post Research Shows Contractor Expectations For Distributors Are Changing appeared first on The Blogging Painters.

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Best Ways to Monitor a Business Website’s Performance

A website serves as a hallmark of business’s success and offerings. It requires intensive efforts, time, money, and more resources to make a website perform well. You might hire a team of qualified developers, designers, analysts and even the greatest content writers who could create a fantastic site for your business. However, you will still require the essential metrics to monitor, track, and assess performance of a site.

In this article, we have revealed the top ways to monitor performance of a site. It will help you improve ROI, allowing you to focus on core activities and processes of your business. Read along to discover everything:

Website Uptime

Measuring uptime is the most vital performance indicator for a website. Today, a large number of businesses rely on a website for making sales. If a site faces downtime, it would lose on conversions. Not only this, an unavailable website can become a perfect recipe of disaster for a small business firm, placing its reputation at stake.

Having said, website uptime is measured in percent. Businesses tend to achieve a five-digit website uptime i.e. 99.999%. In addition, businesses can check if key landing pages have optimum uptime. Keeping in view importance of website uptime, Paessler announced April 10th as the World Uptime Day.

Measuring Traffic

Measuring audience on a website is essential for almost every business. Traffic received on a website can be analyzed through tracking number of visitors using tools like Google Analytics. It allows business owners to identify the number of new and returning visitors on their site.

Through monitoring visitors on a website, a business can discover if it is growing or not. Not to mention, returning visitors represent how good a website is.

Traffic Sources

Besides identifying the number of visitors on a website, it’s essential to discover their source. It allows users to find out from where the visitors are coming i.e. Google, social media campaign, business listing, email marketing, PPC campaign, or any other source.

Google Analytics segments visitors according to their demographic, interest, and geographic aspects. Segmenting visitors helps in discovering potential of various digital marketing practices. Through this way, a business can improve their website traffic and to have more conversions.

Bounce Rate & Avg. Session Duration – Traffic Recipe

As per rule of thumb, more a user stays on a website; more are the chances of conversion. On another hand, if a user bounces back immediately after landing on a page, it means that he/she found something interested and proceeded or didn’t find anything useful at all. Measuring bounce rate and avg. stay duration of site can help small businesses make their site more user-friendly and engaging.

Though the visitors may not make a purchase on a site immediately, but more they stay on a website, they are more likely to make a purchase. Many times, small businesses make mistake when building online reputation by overlooking upon technical factors of a website. Lower bounce rate and increased avg. stay duration improves ranking of a website on search engines including Google, improving online visibility of a business.

Conversion Rates

Now that you know about how to discover source of the visitors and how to keep the bounce rate lower while increasing the avg. stay duration of a website, you should know if they are taking an action that you want.

A visitor might download a file, request a quotation, send query, or make a purchase. To make a visitor take one of the actions mentioned above or even more, you can place a well-defined CTA such as Download, Get Started, or Learn More. Google Analytics can tell how many users click on a specific CTA assigned with a goal.

Conclusion

Businesses can measure a website’s performance through ways mentioned in this article. The above-mentioned ways help a business identify if a website is performing up to the mark or not. With the right set of tools, monitoring a website’s performance becomes easier and effective.

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7 Questions about Paint Colors with The Voice of Color: PPG Paints

We recently reached out to PPG Paints, to see if they had any tips they could give us on selecting paint colors for your home and the process on how they selected their most recent Color of the Year, Black Flame.

Dee Schlotter, Senior Color Marketing Manager, was kind enough to answer our questions.

Now, we realize selecting something as big as the Color of the Year as a pretty daunting task. We asked Dee to describe a little bit about what is involved in the process.

 In February 2017, PPG had more than 20 of their global color stylists gather together, this one being the eighth consecutive PPG Global Color Forecast workshop. During the three-day meeting, this group discussed societal and regional trends, as well as overarching consumer insights to determine the following year’s color trends forecast, as well as the 2018 Color of the Year. Because of its ability to represent a variety of different events, consumer personalities and feelings, Black Flame was chosen as the PPG PAINTS® 2018 Color of the Year on the final day of the event. Dee went on to say that they forecast this color to resonate with their customers across multiple industries because of its versatility and relatability to current consumer cravings. Black Flame represents new beginnings, comfort, solace and strength.

Dee Schlotter, Senior Color Marketing Manager

  There most certainly had to be other colors in the running for this prestigious title, so we asked what they were. Dee gave nothing away though, saying:

“Determining one single color is difficult, and sometimes the final color choice is heavily debated. We did have another color bubble to the surface that was popular in home décor, but it didn’t resonate with our other themes and trending materials as much as Black Flame.”

Still curious about the process, we asked if the workshop used recent analytical data trends in actual purchases or if it was more of a “feel” for the direction they see color and design trends headed in their selection process. Dee made sure to point out that PPG knows that they influence trends as much as trends influence them, and their forecasts represent and connect to consumer feelings and preferences.

They use a wide variety of sources and societal influences to gather their information.

“PPG also knows that it’s not simply about one color, but rather a combination of trending colors to create an overarching, and all-encompassing color story that resonates with our broad range of customers” 

Having named Black Flame their Color of the Year right before 2018, we asked how it’s been received by customers so far. We wanted to know if naming a color showed a spike in purchases or if it was already a pretty popular color.

“Bringing a color to the surface from the more than 2,000 colors in the PPG Paints palette always generates interest and favorability. In 2017, tinting of the Color of the Year increased by 300 percent from the previous year” 

She also went on to explain that the most interesting place that they have seen this color used is on interior doors. From closets, to room doors, to interior doors that lead to the exterior, Black Flame provides notice and weight. Because it’s a super modern, yet classic color, this color can also be seen on the exterior of many homes as well.

Not only does the workshop pick the color of the year, but they also work on the color trends and themes of the year as well. The 2018 PPG Global Color Trends palettes has 4 themes to it, to which they’ve given them their own names – The Retreater, The Dream Weaver, The Commoner, and The Brave. The PPG brand develops this palette each year to help inform design and color choices for professional customers, from professional painters to designers and architects.

If you’re any bit as curious as we are, we had to know how colors got their names and what the process looked like. We imagine it had to be pretty fun. Dee agreed that it was a fun process for them! She went on to explain that their best inspiration often comes from the input of others. They’ve had a few interactive social media threads, where they’ve posted colors that sparked conversations, which gave some interesting responses and some new ideas. Dee even went to her son’s elementary school a few years ago to get some ideas from the kids there, as they often have no filters and sometimes come up with the most unique names. PPG even holds internal naming contests for its employees. Another resource Dee sighted was nature books and magazines as they usually include color references.

Lastly, we asked what advice they would give to a homeowner trying to find the color they will love for their upcoming paint project. Dee knows that colors are personal for each homeowner, but had some basic suggestions to help make the process easier. The first thing she recommended is to consider the flooring, fabrics and window treatments, as well as if they plan to change any of them. Then, selecting a complementary tone can be chosen from the other colors in the room or the home. They should choose several paint swatches that will coordinate or complement the colors within decor items. Dee recommends holding swatches next to furniture, flooring, and window treatments for a better visual of how the paint will appear against these items, instead of up against the wall, for a better understanding of how it will look in the space. Once they’ve picked a few colors, they should paint a swatch on the wall, so the homeowner can see the color against different lighting throughout the day and evening.

Textbook Painting is based out of Lakewood, OH. They service the greater Cleveland area for all interior and exterior painting, power washing, and deck staining. If you’d like to read the complete interview with Dee Schlotter, head over to their blog at https://www.textbookpainting.com/.

    Editors note:Photos provided by PPG

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NEW AUGMENTED REALITY FEATURE FROM SHERWIN-WILLIAMS

VISUALIZE PAINT COLORS ON ANY WALL IN REAL TIME WITH NEW AUGMENTED REALITY FEATURE FROM SHERWIN-WILLIAMS

Instant PaintTM experience now available for free in Sherwin-Williams ColorSnap® Visualizer app CLEVELAND (April 25, 2018)

The most innovative update yet to Sherwin-Williams powerful ColorSnap

Visualizer app allows customers to easily use cutting-edge augmented reality to make faster and more confident color selections. The Instant Paint feature of the app is available now for iPhone and Android.

“Using emerging AR technology, this new feature virtually transforms a space before picking up a brush,” said Meghan Vickers, Sherwin-Williams e-business marketing director. “Instant Paint provides a fast, seamless way for homeowners and professionals to build confidence during color selection.”

With Instant Paint, smartphone cameras instantly recognize walls in a three-dimensional space. Customers simply tap on any wall in their camera view to “try on and see” any of Sherwin-Williams 1,500 colors on walls in real time.

Users can easily try different color options, create custom palettes and share results in a variety of ways. As one of the first apps in the paint category to use Apple and Google’s latest AR platforms, ColorSnap Visualizer continues to lead the way in helping customers get the right color on walls quickly, smoothly and accurately.

Instant Paint is part of the English version of the ColorSnap Visualizer mobile app. It is available for North American customers with an iPhone 6s or newer running iOS 11, or Android users with AR-compatible smartphones. Customers with earlier devices can still quickly see how a color will look in their space by uploading a photo of the space and digitally painting the walls.

The ColorSnap Visualizer app is available now from the Apple and Google App Stores. For more information about Instant Paint and the ColorSnap® Visualizer app, visit Sherwin-Williams.com/ColorSnap.

Ask Sherwin-WilliamsTM

For more than 150 years, Sherwin-Williams has been an industry leader in the development of technologically advanced paint and coatings. As the nation’s largest specialty retailer of paint and painting supplies, Sherwin- Williams is dedicated to supporting both do-it-yourselfers and painting professionals with exceptional and exclusive products, resources to make confident color selections and expert, personalized service at its more than 4,200 neighborhood stores across North America. For more information, visit sherwin-williams.com. Join Sherwin-Williams on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

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Loxon® Self-Cleaning Acrylic Coating

NEW SELF-CLEANING EXTERIOR COATING FROM SHERWIN-WILLIAMS EASILY SHEDS DIRT TO KEEP PROPERTIES LOOKING FRESH

CLEVELAND (April 2, 2018) — Sherwin-Williams is announcing the launch of Loxon® Self-Cleaning Acrylic Coating, a product specifically engineered for exterior, above-grade masonry to provide a clean and attractive look with high-performance protection. The self-cleaning formula easily sheds dirt with rain or water contact and provides advanced durability, water shedding, wind driven rain and dirt pickup resistance.

“This new masonry coating is great for pros getting ready for the upcoming construction season, when updating or creating new outdoor spaces are top of mind,” said Steve Revnew, senior vice president of product innovation, Sherwin-Williams. “Sherwin-Williams developed Loxon Self-Cleaning Acrylic Coating to help contractors and property managers avoid costly repaints and extensive cleaning, resulting in improved efficiencies and high satisfaction levels.” 

In addition to stucco, masonry and cement board, Loxon Self-Cleaning Acrylic Coating can be applied directly to bare or previously coated concrete that is at least seven days old, has a pH of 6-13 and in temperatures down to 35 degrees Fahrenheit. Meeting the most stringent VOC regulations, the new product will be available in a flat sheen in a wide range of colors at Sherwin-Williams stores nationwide this spring.

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COLORSNAP MATCH FROM SHERWIN-WILLIAMS

TAKE THE GUESSWORK OUT OF COLOR MATCHING WITH COLORSNAP MATCH FROM SHERWIN-WILLIAMS

New portable matching tool connects to app, streamlines color-matching experience

CLEVELAND (Jan. 29, 2018) — Sherwin-Williams unveiled ColorsSnap Match, its new handheld color-matching tool aimed at helping everyone from painting contractors to designers, remodelers and homeowners with quick and confident color-matching. The new device connects to Sherwin-Williams free ColorSnap Match app via Bluetooth® to deliver a streamlined experience and make it effortless to scan any surface or fabric to find corresponding Sherwin-Williams colors.

“We’re excited to get this product in the hands of professionals and consumers to give them an easy and affordable color-matching experience. This tool is lightweight and portable, making it convenient for on-the-go color matching,”  Jeff Winter, vice president of residential marketing at Sherwin-Williams

The new device enables users to scan colors from any item or texture, including paint, textiles, carpet, tile, apparel, accessories and more, then instantly find the closest Sherwin-Williams paint color. ColorSnap Match will also save scans, and match and show Sherwin-Williams color palettes, making color selection portable and convenient.

The ColorSnap Match paint-scanning device is available in Sherwin-Williams stores nationwide for $69.99, and the ColorSnap Match app is available for both iOS and Android devices. For more information, please visit colorsnap.com/match or speak to your local Sherwin-Williams store representative.

Ask Sherwin-WilliamsTM

For more than 150 years, Sherwin-Williams has been an industry leader in the development of technologically advanced paint and coatings. As the nation’s largest specialty retailer of paint and painting supplies, Sherwin-Williams is dedicated to supporting both do-it-yourselfers and painting professionals with exceptional and exclusive products, resources to make confident color selections and expert, personalized service at its more than 4,200 neighborhood stores across North America. For more information, visit sherwin-williams.com. Join Sherwin-Williams on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

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The Revolver

  McCauley Tools had modest beginnings. In 2005, while painting their house for the market, Garth and Kim Getchell were pulled into an intriguing conversation with seasoned painting contractor Pat McCauley who demonstrated a rough prototype of a unique painting tool that, at first, simply sparked the interest of the Getchell’s: then, their excitement.

Veterans of 25 years of commercial contracting with their own 30 member painting crew, Garth and Kim immediately recognized the potential of this creative device and acquired the company. After an exhaustive research and development period, this exciting time culminated in the first patented flexible extension arm painting tools – The Brush Flex and Mini Roller Flex.

Over the years Garth and Kim Getchell have worked hard to make McCauley Tools a solid, reliable, cutting edge company. Dedicated to their work, they put the needs of professional and DIY painters first and foremost.

Thanks to Garth for providing the Revolver to our Product Feedback Team. The have been using them out in the field and will report back soon. If you have used the revolver, feel free to fill out the review form below and let us know what you think!

If you would like to learn more or oder, head over to their site, McCauley Tools

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Zipper Rollers

  McCauley Tools had modest beginnings. In 2005, while painting their house for the market, Garth and Kim Getchell were pulled into an intriguing conversation with seasoned painting contractor Pat McCauley who demonstrated a rough prototype of a unique painting tool that, at first, simply sparked the interest of the Getchell’s: then, their excitement.

Veterans of 25 years of commercial contracting with their own 30 member painting crew, Garth and Kim immediately recognized the potential of this creative device and acquired the company. After an exhaustive research and development period, this exciting time culminated in the first patented flexible extension arm painting tools – The Brush Flex and Mini Roller Flex.

Over the years Garth and Kim Getchell have worked hard to make McCauley Tools a solid, reliable, cutting edge company. Dedicated to their work, they put the needs of professional and DIY painters first and foremost.

Thanks to Garth for providing the Zipper Rollers to our Product Feedback Team. The have been using them out in the field and will report back soon. If you have used the revolver, feel free to fill out the review form below and let us know what you think!

If you would like to learn more or oder, head over to their site, McCauley Tools

zipper Overall rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ 0 based on 0 reviews

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Marketing 101: Ideas for Promotions in the Painting Industry

Every business needs marketing in order to get well-known and effectively stand out in the crowd. Without eye-catching marketing strategies and campaigns, there’s no chance that any business will reach success anytime soon. The same goes for the painting industry. The fact of the matter is that every house or condo owner will need an exterior or interior paint job sooner or later. Sure, young people and new couples may try to do it themselves, but when their DIY paint job doesn’t turn out like they wanted it, they’ll call for professionals to fix the mess they’ve made.

That’s why you need to market your painting business and let people know that you have the best services available at their disposal. Mix a bit of traditional and digital marketing to let people know you’re the leading business in the painting industry. Here are a few promotion ideas that will boost your marketing efforts.

Good Old Advertising

Traditional advertisements are still a powerful way of promoting your business, especially for less digital industries, such as painting businesses. In addition, you don’t have a niche-specific target audience. Instead, every homeowner is your desired customer and that’s why local advertisements can prove much more effective in promoting your business than other marketing strategies. Based on your budget, you can advertise in the local newspaper, billboards, TV stations, radio and Yellow Pages.

You can also print out leaflets and brochures that you’ll hand out to people on the street. It’s a good idea to target neighborhoods with older building and homes – 10 years old or older, because they’re most likely in need of a new paint job. Improving awareness and visibility in your local area will give your painting business the necessary push to help it grow and expand further.

Use Direct Mail

Direct mail is another traditional marketing method where you design and tailor your message specifically for your potential customers. The main reason this marketing method is so effective is because it avoids all the noise in the digital world and goes straight to the consumers. However, this method is a bit costly, since you need to print out and mail material, but once it hits the mark, your business will get the desired attention. There is the risk of people oftentimes throwing direct mail into the garbage because they consider it spam.

Still, it won’t hurt to try out direct mail, especially since it holds great potential. You can design a catalogue of your previous work and include discounts and personalized offers. Also, make sure you create a message that will describe your work and your offer in the best and most convincing way possible, so that it has better chances of getting people interested.

Check out SendOut Cards here for follow up ideas!

Try Partnering with other Businesses

There are plenty of other businesses in the vicinity that are trying to stay on top of their game. These non-competitive businesses may be the key to mutual growth and prosperity. You can partner up with other business and combine resources, as well as marketing efforts to promote each other more effectively. For instance, local carpet cleaners, plumbers and electricians can add you to their advertisements and word-of mouth recommendations, and in return you can do the same for them.

Maintain an Online Presence

As beneficial as traditional marketing can be for less digital industries, there’s also a benefit in taking a digital approach. Creating an online presence can help expand your reach, as well as your influence. A good way to do so is to leverage social media platforms and build your presence on networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

That way you can showcase your work and promote your business to online audiences. This will help grow your customer base and may even help grow your business outside the local area you’re currently operating in.

  The painting industry requires good marketing like any other industry. Without good marketing, there’s no valid way to promote your business or to attract customers. However, if you’re creative and innovative, you’ll be able to develop an effective promotional campaign that will not just make your painting business well-known, but successful and profitable as well.

My name is Alex Williams, born and raised in beautiful Sydney. I am a journalism graduate, and a rookie blogger trying to find my luck. Blogs are the perfect opportunity for presenting yourself to wider audience, getting the chance to showcase my expertise and receiving recognition. I am a regular contributor at BizzMark Blog.

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