# to say hello



## tania (Jan 13, 2004)

Hello, 
I am new in this forum, also in this country. I`m from germany lived there all my live. I went to school in germany to become a painter 9 years ago and have been painting ever since, well not ALL the time. Anyways we moved to the states last year and i decidet to go back to work. I had a baby 3 years ago , so I have not been working for a while. 
I found a painter to work with (for), and now I would like to start my own thing. I have far to much experience in this to be working for 10 dollars an hour  ... Plus I have been doing ALL the work anyways  . Well I would like to get some advise from you guys, if you don`t mind having a girl in your round  . 
I got all kinds of questions, and been trying to get some answers in the internet, so far have not been very successfull. I don`t know a whole lot about having a buisness in the states, everything is a lot different. Hope finding this site will help me a bit :cheesygri .


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## Grumpy (Oct 8, 2003)

Welcome to the Boards and to the country (USA I presume?). Trust us, we like having girls around. My girl friend will kill me if she reads this post  Feel free to ask us anything, while I don't know painting, I know Nathan does. Most of us are always happy to help with any questions we can answer.


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## Nathan (Jul 21, 2003)

tania said:


> Hello,
> I am new in this forum, also in this country. I`m from germany lived there all my live. I went to school in germany to become a painter 9 years ago and have been painting ever since, well not ALL the time. Anyways we moved to the states last year and i decidet to go back to work. I had a baby 3 years ago , so I have not been working for a while.
> I found a painter to work with (for), and now I would like to start my own thing. I have far to much experience in this to be working for 10 dollars an hour  ... Plus I have been doing ALL the work anyways  . Well I would like to get some advise from you guys, if you don`t mind having a girl in your round  .
> I got all kinds of questions, and been trying to get some answers in the internet, so far have not been very successfull. I don`t know a whole lot about having a buisness in the states, everything is a lot different. Hope finding this site will help me a bit :cheesygri .


Welcome to the board Tania!

Sounds like you have most of the trade knowledge for starting a painting business. I guess the first questions would be do you know how to estimate jobs and do you know what rates to charge?

If you know how to estimate and what to charge it sounds like you only need to focus on your business skills. Will you be hiring employees?

If you have some specific questions for us post them and well try and get some answers for you.


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## sumpen (Oct 19, 2003)

I love girls! Welcome to the USA and the Contractors Chatroom! 

Maybe you could teach us a thing or two? Feel free to talk.


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## ProWallGuy (Oct 17, 2003)

Welcome. Ask away. :cheesygri


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## sumpen (Oct 19, 2003)

Well, where did Tania go? Did one of you guys say something wrong?


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## Grumpy (Oct 8, 2003)

Probably me. I am always scaring peoplea way.


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## Nathan (Jul 21, 2003)

Grumpy said:


> Probably me. I am always scaring peoplea way.


LOL, you wish.

I sent her an email to see if she wants to finish her question.


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## tania (Jan 13, 2004)

*hello*

Well thank you for the warm welcome :cheesygri
Sorry I have not respondet yet I but I have tendonitis in my thumb ouch. I have spent most of my time in the ER. 
I guess my biggest question is, how do you charge??? I know it depends on the size, prep., and changing of colors. Well for example I may have a school to paint wich has about 5 rooms upstairs, good size hallway, bathroom, stairway, and one very big room downstairs and two more rooms and one kitchen. The sizes of the rooms are about well 30m3  , sorry I only know meters.... and there would be some fixing of the walls and some have dark decorations on them, also ceilings normal high. 
Do you have about an idea how much I should charge????? 
I would paint with one other person, though not much action from that side to be expected  
I just hope my hand will function soon otherwise it would take me 10 years to finish that...
how much do you charge for a door, oh and one more tyhing if you paint a door you paint both sides right? Including the frame? We do in Germany here I was told different. A white door, both sides same color, both sides dirty, I paint it all right? including the needy same color frame.
Thank you for reading all this. Hope my questions ar not to dumb...
danke, 
Tania


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## Grumpy (Oct 8, 2003)

1 meter is roughly a yard. 1 yard is 3'. ' = feet.

3 meters is 9.84 feet. Here is a ncie web site for you: http://www.teaching-english-in-japan.net/conversion/meters

Ok how to price I am not a painter but I find myself giving this advice daily  Take the cost of materials. Add the materials to the projected cost for labor. This is your job cost. Take your job cost and add it to yoru over head. Overhead is any cost that can't be directly related to a job cost like cell phones, advertising, office rental etc...

We will call this number your actual cost. Now take your actual cost and add some profit. This is your estimate 

Here is another nice tool for guesstimating appropriate cost: http://servicemagic.com/rfs/toolbox/staticEstimator.jsp


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## ProWallGuy (Oct 17, 2003)

Real basic way to figure prices. Decide what you are worth per hour. Figure how long it will take to do a specific area. Add cost of materials for the area. Then add 15% for overhead/profit/etc.

Do each area seperately. Then add them all together for a final cost.

Like I said, this is a real basic formula.


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## Grumpy (Oct 8, 2003)

Yeah 15% is a guide line but can be way high or way low depending on your specific situation.


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## tania (Jan 13, 2004)

thank you for your response. ok, so once i figured out how to price things. my first step would be to get my license right? then insurance, what kind would you suggest? i have got some information ofthe internet but not that great...  i also have to do tax things  , i think all that is less complicatet in germany... but i think we pay more taxes uhm on everything... 
i would like to hire one person, just if that one can`t get the things done right for me :evil: . i like to do things myself, then i know it is done right, know what i mean? i hate others to get good credit for work i have done, and the other way around. so since there is just one `me` how do i find someone good ??? newspapers? ask around? i do not have really any friends here yet, so that would be difficult. trust, that would be the mayor thing for me, but anyways one step after the other.....


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## Grumpy (Oct 8, 2003)

Painters license? Wild concept. What state do you live in? You might not need one. Insurance is a must for a reputable company. I'd never consider hiring anyone without it.

Not sure where you stand now. Did you register your company name, either incorporated, LLC, or assumed? I would do that first before any insurane or tax stuff.

I don't care who takes the credit as long as I take the paycheck and it's done right.


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## ProWallGuy (Oct 17, 2003)

Yeah, set up your company, as a sole proprietorship (sp?), corporation, LLC, etc.
Register the name, get a 'federal tax ID number'.
Get some good contracts, business cards, signs, flyers etc. Think about a good logo to 'brand' your company.
Get 'liability insurance', 'workers compensation insurance' is needed in some states and for most commercial work. Some states don't require it unless you have 5 or more employees.

To find good help, ask at local paint stores if they know of any good painters looking for work. I have never had much good luck using an ad in the paper, I prefer to be referred to someone.

Thats all I can think of right now


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## tania (Jan 13, 2004)

I live in Virginia, I think it is required to have a buisnesslicense here. Plus I think it sounds better to have a license for something even it don`t change about the work but for other people things like that is important. 
A name is not that easy... guess I just go with my last name... 
Thanks for the help guys


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## Grumpy (Oct 8, 2003)

Business license is a simple procedure, but a state professional license is usually not. In IL you have to take a 2-4 hour exam for the roofers license, depending upon what type of license you are applying for. I am going for my unlimited roofing license in April. Currently I work under my bosses license number. THis is a 4 hour test with 150 questions.


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## tania (Jan 13, 2004)

Hmm, I did`nt know they give you a test  . What kind of questions do they ask, I mean is it workrelated? About paint and such? Or buisness generall? I think I need a Statelicense because I do work in two different Towns. 
Can you practice online somehow? For your test I mean. 
Next to the house I paint in are people fixing the roof, that is a tough job, don`t your legs hurt from that ladder all day? Pretty risky too, bet you got good insurance...


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## Grumpy (Oct 8, 2003)

Well for the roofing test it is all work and saftey related. I've no idea what the painters test consists of, or if there even is a test. If they have one it will be on your state's web site. 

THe roofers exam for IL has about 10 practice questions and a list of study materials.


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## tania (Jan 13, 2004)

I don`t think there is a test, could not find anything about it. 
How did you do in that test? just curious


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## Grumpy (Oct 8, 2003)

Well actually I'm waiting to take it. I currently work under someone elses license. My test is April 24th. I'm sure I'll ace it.


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## tania (Jan 13, 2004)

I`m sure we all wish you luck on that even though you`ll `ace` it


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