The Seeds of Marketing a Painting Business

Every year, my Paw Paw Meyers would plant a two-acre garden – guess who got to till it for 50¢? Truth be told, I LOVED being given the responsibility of running that huge, rumbling tiller and would have probably paid the man in blue coveralls and John Deere hat 50¢ to run it!

That’s why I never pick a vegetable without having Sylvia by my side. I want her to have the same memories I had and it’s a great opportunity to teach her a few lessons about life and hard work.

Even Proverbs uses gardening and farming parables to enlighten us on how to live our lives. I submit to you there’s a lot to be learned that’s relevant to running your painting business as well…

Good Soil – The mind of an owner is like the soil of a garden. If it is unyielding, rocky, and hard, new seeds cannot be planted and new growth becomes an impossibility. Granted, old and deeply-rooted ideas may remain undisturbed, but if those ideas prevent or hinder a larger harvest, the old soil must be renewed or replaced. How’s your soil?

Good Seeds – The knowledge and concepts that an owner puts into his mind are like seeds. If the same old concepts are continually planted, the same old fruits (results) will be harvested. You cannot plant an onion and get a watermelon! You cannot plant slow-growth seeds and get high-growth results. What are you planting?

The Weeds – The anxieties, fears, negative people, and harmful habits that an owner indulges in are like weeds. They kill the chance of a good harvest and choke-out new opportunities before they are firmly rooted. In some cases, they prevent the seeds from ever being planted. What weeds are you letting take over your garden?

The Right Tools – The strategies, tactics, and business systems an owner uses are like excellent gardening tools. They make the job of preparing for a large harvest easier and simpler. They reduce or eliminate the back-breaking work of doing things the hard way. Do you have the right tools in your toolbox?

Intentional & Persistent Effort – The steady, focused effort of an owner are like the ever-vigilant ways of a Master Gardner. Soil, without effort cannot be turned. Seeds without effort cannot be planted. Weeds, without effort will choke-off the sun and rain. The right tools, in the hands of a sluggard, will rust and ruin from neglect.

You see, the right mindset, ideas, strategies, and tools are of no use if not applied to a well-defined goal. However, here is the good news…

It takes a lot of mental effort to get started in changing your painting business. It’s hard to open your mind, challenging to embrace new ideas, difficult to shut-up self-doubt, and perplexing to learn how to use new tools.

But, once you get started and produce a little success, once your garden is planted and growing, you need not slave away all day in the sun. No, instead, a little time and tending in the morning or set aside with discipline in the evening each day can yield a bountiful harvest indeed!

But, as Proverbs says, “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.” How’s your harvest?

Brandon Lewis, MBA
Director of the Marketing Department
p. 423-800-0520 (department)
f. 800-410-3595
THE ACADEMY for PROFESSIONAL PAINTING CONTRACTORS
1523 E 27th Street
Chattanooga, TN 37404