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Issue
1
Giving 110%
Everyone now has started up their production for the season so you
have tasted the joys and frustrations of dealing with the public.
In addition you have started to now get rid of the beginner nervousness
and can now focus on how to make your own business bigger and better.
One way to make certain your season is successful is to make customer
satisfaction a top priority. Here are some suggestions on how to
encourage your painters to go that extra mile for the customers.
The first rule of thumb is to establish good communication. Miscommunication
is usually the root to customer complaints. You always want to keep
the customer informed and updated. It is also a good idea for you
and your foreman to do a walk around with the customer at the beginning,
during and at the end of the job. That way they will feel very involved
and will know they are getting a quality job.
Do little things for the customers that are sure to please them.
Over servicing always results in a happy customer. For example,
while your guys are up in the ladder, have them wash the windows.
It will take them about ten minutes and will make the customer love
your crew.
Your painters should become conscientious about where they are and
what is below them. Hold painters responsible for their actions
but always keep in mind that accidents do happen. Figure out what
the solution is and share it with them so it doesn’t happen
again. In the same respect recognize and praise their good work.
Look to say something good about them and tell them that you’re
happy they’re on your team. Remember, even the slightest compliment
will boost your painters self-
esteem, and a happy painter is a productive
painter.
Inform your painters that they need to have positive customer service
skills as well. You want the customer to like the whole crew. Also,
appearance makes a difference on the job-site as well. Make sure
your crew as a relatively clean shirt on and is not smoking on the
site. These things may not seem important, but they are completely
important to the customer.
Giving 110% will lead to happy customers, happy painters and most
importantly a happy you! Good luck with the rest of the season!
Top 10 in Production
| 1.
Jeremy Barton $28,564 |
6.
Dan DePrisco $ 13,365 |
| 2.
Matt Scranton $24,372 |
7.
Elan Babchuck $11,970 |
| 3.
John Vergato $18,890 |
8.
Mary Truell $10,338 |
| 4.
Chris Sullivan $18,692 |
9.
Wil Lewis $10,275 |
| 5.
James Beadle $ 13,633 |
10.
Brandon Cates $10,059 |
Top 10 in Sales
| 1.
Angie Olivier $53,015 |
6.
Chad Grover $38,171 |
| 2.
James Beadle $52,835 |
7.
Jeremy Barton $34,199 |
| 3.
Wil Lewis $43,763 |
8.
Greg Daniels $ 30,500 |
| 4.
Chris Sullivan $43,262 |
9.
John Vergato $26,185 |
| 5.
Mike Beaudette $43,150 |
10.
Brandon Cates $ 22,761 |
Tax Deductible Expenses
One thing that will help you make the most money this summer is to
receive tax-free checks! The way this works is the manager submits
receipts into the office along with their mileage log.
Which receipts can I turn in??
You can turn in any expense that incurred by you due to running of
your business. That means filing systems, pens, paper, copies of your
flyer, phone and cell phone bills, newspaper ads, hotel costs, etc.
You also want to keep a log of all the miles that you put on your
car for business purposes. What is most important is that you ensure
that the office can easily determine what the receipt is for. If you
submit your receipts (abiding the guidelines in your payroll packet)
you will receive tax-free checks up to the amount that you submit
to the office. As an entrepreneur, you want to get the most for your
money!!
Wet Weather Doesn't Mean Washed Up Profits!
Rain is an inevitable part of your summer. Unfortunately, it can cost
you hundreds of dollars a day. Think of it like this: 6 painters X
8 hours X $35/ hr retail rate X 20% profit margin = $336.00 per day.
There are many alternatives to doing nothing on rainy days. Try a
few of the following ideas next time the forecast calls for showers.
1. Plan to work the first 8 days of each period. Working 10 hours
a day will allow you to get painters to 80 hours by the 8th day. If
you have no rain you can give your painters 6 days off. This allows
you to spend focused time on marketing and sales.
2. Listen to the weather report everyday, but don’t always believe
it. Weather forecasters are wrong 80% of the time. (Don’t quit
early because you heard it was going to rain).
3. Save interior work for rainy days. Whenever possible, leave the
interior jobs or the inside portions of the jobs until the last moment.
That way if it rains, your crew remains productive.
4. Opt for covered work when rain is falling. Many outdoor jobs include
protected spaces such as soffits, ceilings, windows and storms that
overhang. Also, the rain does not always inhibit scraping and some
kinds of sanding, glazing and caulking.
5. Juggle start and end dates when rain is inevitable. If you’re
positive it’s going to rain in the afternoon, then start at 6am
and shutdown at 2pm before the showers. If it rains in the morning
schedule your crews from 1-8pm.
6. Keep the decision power in your control. Don’t let the crew
chief decide when to pack up and go home because “it looks like
rain”. You may have something else in mind for the crew if rain
is on the way. Stay close communication on “iffy” days.
7. Try to squeeze in a few hours even in poor weather. Showers rarely
last more than half a day. In most cases, you can paint a well-sealed
vertical surface about an hour after the rain has stopped. The water
runs off vertical surfaces allowing them to dry quickly. Hopefully
these tips will help you keep your crew busy and help keep the money
rolling in!!!
Customer Comments:
Angie Olivier
“Neat, thorough work. Angela was there when she said she’d
be. The painting crew was pleasant and obviously hard working. Well
Done and Thanks!”
Ed and Fran Keller, Nashua, NH
Jeff Doyle
We were so impressed with the level of professionalism of these energetic
young men. Most certainly we will have them back and will recommend
them to friends.”
Christine and Gary Kleinerman, Lee, MA
Rob Zielonka
Very good work! Great work ethic and very considerate. Thanks A Lot!”
Craig Agricola Molden, MA
Tristan Whitman
Very good crew. Polite, diligent and reliable. Pricing is very fair.
They are a determined group and I would hire them back again.”
John Chase, Holderness, NH
Attitude is Everything!!
An important ingredient to a strong finish this summer is your attitude.
In fact, a great attitude comes in pretty handy in all aspects of
life. Collegiate Entrepreneurs publishes the following paragraph in
their newsletter each year. It might just help you turn an ordinary,
predictable day into an extraordinary one-not only this summer, but
any day of the year.
“Attitude is more important that the facts. It is more important
than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than
failures, than success, than what other people think or say, or do.
It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will
make or break a business… a home...a friendship...an organization.
The remarkable thing is, you have a choice every day of what your
attitude will be. We cannot change the actions of others. We cannot
change the inevitable. The only thing we can change is our attitude.
Life is 10% of what happens to us and 90% of how we react to it”
Having the right attitude about your job will make a huge difference
in your performance and how you work with the rest of your team. Make
it a positive one!
Issue 2
Keep Your Painters Happy!
Any experienced businessperson is aware of the old adage, “a
happy painter is a productive painter”. This simple saying is
easier said than done. How do you keep your employees happy so they
will enable you to be a successful manager? Certainly you can agree
that the success of your summer hinges upon the quality of your production.
Employees can’t be happy unless they feel a kinship to the company
for which they work and you as their manager. It’s your duty
to create an atmosphere that will generate loyalty within them.
The first step in creating loyalty and productive crews is to encourage
them to adopt the goal-crushing attitude that defines Collegiate Entrepreneurs.
We are a community of highly motivated people who refuse to accept
defeat. It is up to you to teach your employees to set proud goals
and work as hard as it takes to reach them.
One of the most important ways to keep your painters happy is to work
with them. If you have an hour or two of downtime, don’t go home
and turn on the tube. Arrive at the jobsite and ask your production
manager (or crew chief) what you can do to help beat the budget. If
you occasionally give your workers your time for free, they will know
you are committed to making them successful.
Second, be certain your managers are working at least 30 hours per
week so their paychecks will not disappoint them. This must become
a major priority or you stand the chance of losing your painters.
It is also imperative that your workers understand and keep track
of how they are doing according to the piecework system. If they are
constantly going over budget, they will become discouraged and may
seek employment elsewhere.
Finally, it is important to do little things for your crews to demonstrate
your appreciation for the excellent work they are producing. Have
contests such as: the person with the most hours in the pay period
wins $25, or the first time a crew has absolutely no touch-ups gets
a case of soda or beer, or on days when your crew is working really
hard you can bring them all lunch. It need not be expensive-just some
BBQ chicken, potato chips and lemonade. Your crew will really appreciate
it!
Remember, if you genuinely like or are at least concerned about the
welfare of the people who work for you, and you treat them with the
respect they deserve, they will work hard for you-not only because
they respect your position but because they respect who you are a
person.
Top 10 in Production
| 1.
Matt Scranton $ 36,378 |
6.
James Beadle $20,146 |
| 2.
Chris Sullivan $ 34,769 |
7.
John Poulos $19,978 |
| 3.
Jeremy Barton $ 31,854 |
8. Mike Beaudette $19,600
|
| 4.
John Vergato $ 29,030 |
9.
Angie Olivier $19,077 |
| 5.
Babchuck/ Elterman $24,420 |
10.
Brandon Cates $18,921.12 |
Top 10 in Sales
| 1.
Chris Sullivan $ 67,573 |
6.
Matt Scranton $ 46,500 |
| 2.
Babchuck/Elterman $ 57,553 |
7.
John Vergato $ 45,855 |
| 3.
Angie Olivier $ 53,725 |
8.
Chad Grover $ 42,351 |
| 4.
Jeremy Barton $ 52,839 |
9.
Wil Lewis $ 42,300 |
| 5.
James Beadle $52,835 |
10.
Mike Beaudette $34,190 |
Lets Shape up!!
First of all we cannot stress any more that every one needs to turn
in their missing yellow and green sheets. Also, please try not to
forget to have your customers fill out the customer report cards.
We take pride in your customer service so those customer report
cards are very important to us and should be to you as well. If
you are missing any report cards, green or yellow sheets send them
in ASAP.
Second, all of us here at the office would greatly appreciate it
if you could be a bit more thorough with your credit card payments.
It is obligatory to have the customer write the c.c. # on the correct
line with expiration date, sign on the final payment signature line
and write the amount they want charged to their card.
Third, recently we have had quite a few customer complaints regarding
lack of respect and courtesy. Please remember when your working
on the job sites that is your customer’s home. Please treat
it as if it’s your own home with the same respect and courtesy.
Here are some tips to help you out:
* Designate a place for trash. Put a trash bag next to your crew
kit and make sure that your painters use it.
* Try not to play your music loud. We know that you’re outside
all day and music helps the time pass but keeping it at a respectable
volume will keep your customers and their neighbors happy. Also,
find music that is free from profanities. You are an example of
the company-lets keep it a positive one.
* Don’t smoke cigarettes on the job site. If you feel the need
to have a cigarette please go somewhere the customer can not see
you or smell the smoke such as the end of the driveway, the woods,
down the street, etc. Please bring a bottle or something to put
the butt in too.
Remember: A little bit goes a far way. Customers notice everything-good
and bad. So lets try to make the best name for ourselves and shape
up!
Customer Comments:
John Poulos
“The crew of 4 did an excellent job. They worked great together
and could not have done better. They were quiet and responsible
and I would highly recommend them to my friends- Great job Jon!”
Patty Mazure, Burlington, MA
Chad Grover
“Loved the crew! They were very attentive to detail and not
in the least offended when I made suggestions. They were very eager
to please and did a neat, fast, good job. I’ll miss them. I’m
deciding on another job just to get them back again. ALOHA!”
Barabra Garneau, Belmont, NH
Matt Bryant
“I am extremely happy with the job Matt and his crew did. Every
one worked hard, were friendly and courteous. I would definitely
recommend this crew for any job!”
Nancy Schultz , Salem, NH
Peter Sechoka
“The young men were very courteous, friendly and helpful. Peter
was excellent and very conscientious. We were very pleased with
all the staff who worked here.”
Alan Lambert, Plymouth, MA
Tips for a Smoother Running:
* Be tough on tying up all loose ends, especially collecting partial
payments. Don’t go back to school with a couple hundred dollars
outstanding just because it wasn’t collected.
* Be confident when selling work! Don’t walk out a prospective
customer’s home without a yes, no or call back within 24 hours!
* Have good customer relations and communication. If you speak to
your customers everyday to find out if the jobs are running along
smoothly from the customer point of view, th
en you can handle any
problems right away and you’ll have less trouble collecting
the check.
* Tell your painters the benefits of doing all of their work in
the first week of the pay period. If they get all their hours in
early, they can take off the last couple days of the period.
*Work hard and stay motivated! You’ve come too far to let any
of it go now. Let your adrenaline fuel you!
Tips for Successful Flyer Dropping
1. Make time- Set aside 7-14 hours a week just for flyer dropping.
It is a lot of time so space it out by dropping flyers for about
2 hours a day or so.
2. Grab a buddy- Grab a friend who you wouldn't mind sitting in
a car with for a few hours. If your friend doesn’t want to
dedicate their time to help you-offer to pay them. You could also
pay two of your painters to drop flyers for you on their off days.
(doing it yourself is obviously cheaper)
3. Bring some beverages and snacks with you so you won’t be
tempted to stop or go home.
4. Don’t always aim to hit the nice ritzy neighborhoods. Sure,
those houses are nice to look at but those people don’t always
want college students painting their expensive homes. From experience
we have learned that the middle class neighborhoods are your best
bet. The middle class people will tend to lean towards a college
painting company because of price. Don’t quit the nice neighborhoods-just
don’t focus on them.
5. Where to put the flyers- If they have a newspaper box then that
where the flyer goes. If they have more than one newspaper box than
put the flyer in the box that has a newspaper in it so the homeowner
will be sure to grab it.
If there is no newspaper box than use masking tape and stick it
to the post of the mailbox. It is completely illegal to put anything
in or on the actual mailbox. Plus, we have gotten some complaints
recently from homeowners saying the tape from the flyer on their
mailbox has peeled the paint off. So, to avoid being charged for
someone's mailbox, stick it to the post!
*Flyer dropping can actually be quite enjoyable! Think of it as
riding around on a nice day, looking at other people’s homes
with a good friend. So grab some snacks and hit the road!
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