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How to Grow a Painting Business

Alison K Plaut
By Alison K Plaut
Published on 28 Dec 2023 Updated on 27 Dec 2024 5 min read Updated on 27 Dec 2024
How to Grow a Painting Business

A painting business with a good reputation should never be out of work. But how do you scale the business from a small company with a few painters to a large-scale operation? Or, if you’re an artist, how do you effectively market your services to expand your client base and sales? 

Companies also use painting services or professional artists to increase their visual appeal or create a beautiful business setting. If you’re ready to build your business, learn how to grow a painting business with key tips for scaling growth.  

12 Ways to Scale Your Painting Business Effectively

Scaling a painting company can seem overwhelming, but it’s possible to expand your client base and maintain a work-life balance. While side hustles for creatives can be fulfilling, creating a full-time income and hiring additional employees for your painting business to expand growth is even more essential. 

Discussed below are key tips to scale your painting business:

Prioritize Collaborations and Partnerships

Partnerships and collaborations can be a way to build an effective network for company growth. For example, you can partner with:

  • Local interior designers
  • Local businesses such as furniture shops, home goods stores, or even stationery shops
  • Real estate agents for house stagings 
  • Local art galleries or museums to display and sell your work

Depending on the type of painting you do, you can also collaborate with other artists and local architects, and even create murals for other businesses to generate new painting jobs. 

Host Workshops or Painting Classes 

Workshops or painting classes can be a fun way to build a community and generate extra income. Consider creating online workshops or courses that can become passive revenue-generating options. 

Create a Website and Social Media Profiles

Building your website and online presence can help market your artwork and showcase your paintings. With SEO and a clear, optimized website, you make it easier for potential customers to find you. 

Consider adding a blog that shares your experience, process, or painting tips. This can help increase domain authority over time. You can also share discounts, promotions, or other information. Learn more about how to start a website for your business here

Attend Local Art Fairs or Community Events 

Art fairs and community events can help spread the word about your work while you sell paintings or painting services directly. If you offer classes, workshops, or other educational opportunities as part of the events, you can build connections and new income, as well as support your local community.  

Advertise in Local Newspapers or Magazines 

Whether you paint walls, murals, paintings, or all of the above, local advertising or national advertising in specialized painting or art magazines is a good option. To maximize returns, you can test various marketing strategies to gauge interest and ROI. 

Host a Charity Event or Fundraiser and Donate a Portion of Your Profits 

If you want to increase the reach of your business while giving back to society, consider contacting local nonprofits or charities whose causes you want to support and offer to donate part of your services for their events.  

Offer Specialty Painting Services

If you have the skills or interest, consider offering specialized services like faux finishes, murals, furniture painting, as well as residential painting. Offering unique services can be an additional income stream. You can leverage this further via social media by documenting the process and transformation to build interest. 

Offer Virtual Consultations or Online Painting Classes 

In addition to workshops and courses, offering private painting classes, group painting classes, or virtual consultations can be an opportunity to train other artists while making additional income. Highlight these offerings on your website and promote them across social media, as well as advertise locally. 

Attend Industry Conferences or Trade Shows 

Industry conferences and trade shows can be an opportunity to learn new techniques and network with other professionals. You may be able to find new strategic partnerships and showcase your service offerings. 

Depending on the event, you may be able to request opportunities to speak or present to increase your painting business exposure. This could even be an initial step to market your services as you transition to self-employment or scale your company. 

Utilize Search Engine Optimization Techniques 

SEO is important for any business, but it becomes even more important for painting businesses that rely on professional reputation. You can work with an SEO specialist or learn SEO techniques yourself and apply them to your website, social media, and even email marketing. 

Offer Maintenance or Touch-Up Services to Existing Clients 

Maintenance or touch-up services can be an effective way for painting businesses to increase revenue and customer retention. You can offer existing customers a discounted touch-up service while also marketing these services to new customers for business growth. 

Create a Referral Network 

A referral program can incentivize existing clients to refer new customers and increase loyalty. Steps to consider in your referral program:

  • Set referral program goals and key performance indicators of effectiveness 
  • Decide on referral program rewards
  • Create a landing page and customer referral system, codes, or links
  • Setup referral tracking from a simple hand-written system to software programming
  • Promote the customer referral program

Let doola Help Build Your Painting Business 

Painting businesses require attention to detail, and a personal touch to deliver an exceptional finished product. Painting business owners can improve store efficiency by automating systems to save time and reduce costs. For bookkeeping services, doola can help. doola’s bookkeeping services are designed for busy founders like you, so you can focus on creating painting work that stands out. Get doola Books for stress-free bookkeeping here

FAQs

What are some pricing strategies to ensure profitability while remaining competitive?

When pricing to remain competitive, consider competitor pricing, past sales, and total expected sales volume. You can also consider pricing strategies like cost-plus pricing, value pricing, penetration pricing, price skimming, or bundle pricing.

What are some ways to differentiate my painting business from competitors?

To differentiate your painting business from competitors, consider utilizing distribution channels, collaborating with other artists, and highlighting your unique process on your website and social media. As a painter, you can also consider different avenues to showcase your paintings, such as through murals, furniture painting or decoration, or other painted objects. 

How can I effectively network and form partnerships within the painting industry?

To effectively network and form partnerships within the painting industry, you can use social media and online platforms and leverage existing connections. Consider connecting with artists in parallel fields or professionals in related industries, like interior designers, to build partnerships.  

What are some ways to effectively manage and grow my team of painters?

As you expand your painting business, carefully consider the skillset of each painter on the team to leverage the most effective results. You can also hire a manager or utilize project coordination software so everyone knows their daily responsibilities. 

How can I effectively manage my painting projects and ensure customer satisfaction?

To effectively manage your painting projects and ensure customer satisfaction, start with a realistic timeline so you’re not left rushed trying to finish a piece. Communicate clearly with customers to ensure clear expectations and understanding of your process and the results they can expect. 

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How to Grow a Painting Business