Should I Start A Painting Business On My Own Or Invest In A Painting Franchise?

It’s no secret, the home improvement and home services industry are booming. Looking to start a home improvement business then seems like a pretty good place to start if looking to start your own business. Some are calling the next 10 years the golden age for home improvement and home services. How often have you called a contractor who’s never called back? The industry is underserved and ripe for professionalism. When looking at any top home-improvement lists, painting is always in the top 3 (and usually number 1). That checks off the first box of whether to decide if starting a painting business makes sense. There’s definitely a huge market for it! $17.8B to precise and expected to almost double in the next 10 years; not bad! (source: Global House Painting Services Market Is Expected to Reach (globenewswire.com))

What makes a painting business even more attractive is that learning to paint is relatively simple. We all know someone who’s painted their own home and the investment to do so is pretty small. A pan, a brush, a roller and maybe some drop cloths to avoid a mess. A little research on choosing the right paint and you’re off to the races. When hiring a painting contractor, you’re essentially buying time. Nothing too complicated there.

So, if people can easily do it themselves, does it make sense to start a painting business? Is a painting franchise a better idea? Why would you pay more for a franchise? Well, that depends…

Just because painting may seem easy (it’s not always), starting a business is definitely not easy. This is a common misconception around most things. Running a business and doing the actual service are very different skillsets and why most trades businesses fail to grow and remain a “chuck in a truck” type of business. Nobody dreams of owning a painting business to paint for the rest of their lives; that’s just an over glorified job.

So, if you have an entrepreneurial itch, should you start from scratch or get a franchise? Deciding whether to start your own painting business or invest in a painting franchise depends on several factors such as your experience, budget, goals, and risk tolerance. Here are some pros and cons of each option to consider:

Pros to starting your own painting business from scratch:

• You have complete control over your business, including branding, marketing, pricing, and operations.
• You can tailor your services to offer whatever you want to offer. This can also be a double-edged sword however in a world where consumers trust specialists.

Cons to starting your own painting business from scratch:

• You have to figure out how to create a brand, a marketing plan, a website, pricing, and operations. This can be a pro or a con depending on how you look at it.
• Starting a business from scratch can be challenging and requires a significant amount of time, effort, and money to establish. This is often takes much longer than we imagine.
• You’re on your own and will need to build your reputation and customer base from scratch.

Pros to investing in a painting franchise:

• You can benefit from an established brand and proven business model.
• You have access to training, support, and resources provided by the franchisor.
• You may have access to lower prices on supplies and equipment due to the franchisor’s purchasing power.
• You often have access to a call center who will pick up the phone for you.
• You’re not on your own and can discuss challenges with other franchise owners doing the exact same thing!

Cons to investing in a painting franchise:

• You may have less control over your business since you will have to follow the franchisor’s guidelines and procedures.

Ultimately, the decision between starting your own painting business or investing in a painting franchise depends on your personal goals, preferences, and resources. If you have experience in the painting industry, a strong entrepreneurial spirit, and the financial resources to start your own business, then starting your own painting business may be the best option for you. On the other hand, if you are looking for a proven business model and access to support and resources, then investing in a painting franchise may be the way to go.

Now if you’ve gotten this far and still not sure, starting any franchise is about choosing the right one for you. At the end of the day, it’s about resonating with the company culture and trusting in the support you will receive from the franchisor. At the end of the day, they’re all selling the same service with a different logo and competing against one another. If that’s what still makes you unsure, you’re not alone. Our franchise owners chose Spray-Net because of our uniqueness in the market. By carving out our own niche, we’re poised to take a nice bite out of the eventual $30B annual size of the painting industry in coming years.

With our proprietary chemistries and patented processes, we offer all the benefits of replacing kitchen cabinets, stucco, brick, siding and doors & windows with the convenience and affordability of painting; the best of both worlds. It’s what makes choosing us a no-brainer for homeowners and for our franchisees as we provide tremendous value for both that they just can’t get anywhere else; everyone wins! Starting a painting business is a good idea, starting a Spray-Net franchise is a better one!