Painting Business - 13 Point Checklist of Essential Tools Needed to Start a Painting Business

Painting Business - 13 Point Checklist of Essential Tools Needed to Start a Painting Business
If you are considering starting a commercial or residential
painting business you will only need some basic low-cost
tools to start with. You can buy other tools as more jobs
come along and with your down payments. Here is a list of
the most essential painting business tools needed to get
you started.

1.) Quality Cage Frame - Also called a paint roller.
Wooster and Purdy both have strong, commercial-use cage
frames sold at most professional paint stores.

2.) Extension Pole - Get yourself a good medium-size
fiberglass extension pole for rolling out walls and
ceilings.

3.) Wall-Sander - I always sand walls and ceilings before I
roll them out. It cleans up cobwebs and anything else that
needs to be knocked down to make the walls and ceilings
smooth.

4.) Roller Bucket - I use Wooster's roller bucket. It is
tall, square and has a lid. It is made out of durable
plastic and balances a lot better than a paint tray and
washes out easy. It's a must have.

5.) Cut-in Bucket - I like to put some paint in a small
plastic bucket for cutting in. There are small 1-gallon
buckets of drywall compound that when empty make a great
cut-bucket plus they have a lid. They will last for years.

6.) Step Ladder - A nice wooden 5-foot step ladder works
great in most homes. If I need a 6-foot ladder I have an
aluminum one for that. Most of the time all I need is my
5-footer and I am only 5'6" so there you go.

7.) 16' Extension Ladder - Great for stairwells or
ranch-style exterior jobs. I use my 16-footer more than any
other size. I also have 20' and a 24' extension ladders,
but i couldn't get by without my little 16-footer.8.) Drop
Cloths - I like using the runner type the most. They are
inexpensive, light to carry and can be moved around the
room easily. I also have 9 x 12's on hand.

9.) Fluorescent Light - Interior painting without a
fluorescent light is nearly impossible, especially on a
cloudy day. Fluorescent light is a nice white light that is
great for painting and shows up the colors in their true
form.

10.) Tool Bucket - An empty 5-gallon bucket makes a great
tool bucket. I keep my pliers, a hammer, razor-blade
knives, a caulk gun, etc., in my tool bucket.

11.) Small Fan - I bought a $30 blower type fan made by
Stanley Tools from Walmart. It dries out walls and ceilings
quickly so you can get back to work cutting in and moving
around the room without it being wet.

12.) Drywall compound - I hate spackle. It flashes under
paint jobs. I get the Sheetrock brand of 90-minute
quick-dry drywall compound at Lowes or some other hardware
store for around $11. It will last me all year long. It is
in powder form and is simple to mix up on the job with
water in a small cut bucket. This way you don't have to
carry a heavey 5-gallon pale around with you that can also
freeze during the wintertime and can get lots of chunks in
it over time.

13.) Caulk Gun - I use painters caulk all the time to fill
gaps between woodwork and walls. Most paint stores have it
on hand. I use the 35-year interior/exterior type.

So there you have it. If you are considering starting your
own painting business and want to know how much it will
cost to get started this list will help you. I would guess
off hand that everything on the list totals around $300. If
you already have a step ladder and even a small extension
ladder, this will cut the cost down some.

----------------------------------------------------
Lee Cusano has owned and operated his own successful
painting business since 1991. He has also helped many
others to start their own painting business with his Paint
Like a Pro Estimating and Advertising CD-ROM.
Lee also offers a free report titled "How To Gain a High
Success Rate For Getting Painting Jobs". To get it go to
http://www.painting-business.com

Share Your Wisdom

Share Your Wisdom
Stop for one moment. I have something important to tell
you. You, my friend, are a star. You have so much to
offer this world. So much wisdom to share. So many gifts
to give others.

So what's stopping you? Maybe you just haven't found a
good outlet for giving back to the world. Or maybe you
think you don't have the time. But isn't finding the time
to do good in the world really, really worth the effort?
Of course!

One way of sharing your gifts, and doing good things in the
world is becoming a mentor. A mentor-mentee relationship
allows you to have a very positive impact on someone else's
life.

Wondering what a mentor does? A mentor acts as an advisor
on a variety of issues. For the purposes of this
discussion, let's assume that you might mentor someone in
the area of your business expertise. You may offer
specific business advice, act as a sounding board and teach
your mentee your secrets to success.

It's an ongoing, personal relationship that can span any
amount of time you like. Typically mentor-mentee
relationships evolve naturally. It's not like you walk up
to someone and say "I am looking for someone to mentor."
Although I guess you could. But usually, your mentor just
appears somehow.

Perhaps you've been mentored in the past and know how much
you gained from the experienced and you'd like to "Pay it
Forward." Great! If you'd like to find someone to mentor,
set your intention now. Simply tell the Universe that you
wish to do this and you'll be surprised how quickly that
person shows up in your life.

Keep your eyes and ears open for clues that you might have
just met your mentee. Your intuition will play a valuable
role in this process, so follow the lead. If you meet
someone you instinctively click with, this might be a good
person to consider as your mentee.

You could look for your mentee through your local trade or
professional association. Attending monthly meetings are a
great way to meet other people in your field.

If you meet someone you think might be a good match, simply
offer to act as a sounding board for them on a particular
topic. And see where that conversation leads. Your
continued offer of support will let them know that you are
willing and able to help them. And if the offer is acted
upon over time, the mentor-mentee relationship starts to
develop.

So share your wisdom. You have so much to give. Giving
back to the world is a wonderful use of your time. And who
knows how the world might repay you for your kindness.

----------------------------------------------------
Kelly L. LeFevre, MSM, and Molly A. Luffy, MBA, authors of
the upcoming book Unleash Your Marketing Karma: How to
Build Your Business by Giving It Away, are Co-Founders of
the Business Building Roundtable. This free virtual
community helps service-based solo/micropreneurs create
powerful strategies and implement innovative techniques to
achieve their ultimate success and satisfaction. To learn
more visit http://www.BusinessBuildingRoundtable.com

6 Things To Be Cautious Of To Avoid Work At Home Scams

6 Things To Be Cautious Of To Avoid Work At Home Scams
The internet is filled with a plethora of business
opportunities, but there is an equal amount of work at home
scams to be cautious of. If not careful, you can quickly
fall for a scam that will have you wasting a lot of time
and even more money. Here are 6 things to be cautious of
when getting into a work at home business.

1. Who are you dealing with?

It is vital that you take the time to research up on the
company you will be dealing with prior to joining. By
knowing how successful they have been in the past and what
kind of success people have had within the company, you can
get a better judgment of how you will fare.

2. Know the details

It is a classic scam to get people to pay before they know
the whole story. You will find many companies giving
potential prospects just enough information to get them to
join. From there, they leave you high and dry because they
got your money. Know the details of what the company is
about and what you will be doing prior to joining anything.

3. Easy money

Perhaps the most popular work at home scam on the internet
is the myth of making money quick and easy. There are so
many MLM programs that claim you can make thousands of
dollars in your first couple of weeks. After two weeks and
little to show for it, most people end up quitting. Be
cautious because there are very few, if any, businesses
that you can make money easily in.

4. Assembly work

This work at home scam involves you investing in money for
equipment and supplies for the business. What you have to
be careful about is getting paid. What happens is you buy
the supplies and do the work only to be fraudulently denied
of your check for the work.

5. Multi-level marketing

Out of all of the work at home scams on the internet, this
is the most perplexing one. The reason for this is because
you can actually have success with MLM businesses if you do
it correctly. It is important that you get involved with a
company that will truly help you recruit others; otherwise
you are stuck on the bottom with no way to make money.

The internet is a giant source of opportunities and the
potential for failure. It is vital that you are cautious
of what you join because of the many work at home scams
that are spread across the internet. Take the tips listed
above seriously and you will be able to better identify a
scam when you see one.

----------------------------------------------------
Westly Lager is a success mentor and coach helping teach
people how to work online. With Westly's experience and
expertise you can't go wrong. See how Westly can help you
today by visiting http://myabunza.org also checkout
http://cruisetocash.org for more tips.

Control Your Print and Copy Costs: A New Idea

Control Your Print and Copy Costs: A New Idea
Have you ever replaced your photocopying equipment before
the end of it's lease agreement and had to include the
settlement figure in your new agreement?

Do you want to break the endless cycle of having to replace
equipment who's useful life for producing the quality and
reliability of output required has expired before the end
of its' finance agreement?

Is this dilemma hampering your ability to rationalise your
expensive desktop colour and black print output to new cost
effective multifunctional devices?

A Progressive Solution: Total Volume Rental Plan

Total Volume Rental Plan (TVRP) is an agreement that
enables easier management of the copying and printing
function of your business and solves the problems outlined
above. What is TVRP? TVRP allows your entire printing and
copying facility to be managed through one agreement.

The agreement is set-up in such a way that it can end when
the machine has achieved its optimum volume rather than the
chronological term of the finance agreement. In other words
match the agreement to your changing requirements not to a
long inflexible lease term!

How does it work?

Your vendor will agree with you the estimated minimum
number of prints/copies you will typically produce on a
quarterly basis. This figure is then used calculate a cost
per print including all equipment and running costs. Any
excess copies produced at the end of a quarter have the
effect of reducing the time left on the agreement. This
allows you to match your equipment life to the demands
placed upon it, and you now have an agreement which can end
earlier than the term over-which the agreement was set.

What are the benefits?

Photocopiers and printers are designed to produce a certain
volume of prints over their commercial lifetime, a TVRP
allows a finance agreement to end when the machine has
achieved that volume, thereby preventing a situation where
a machine that is effectively worn-out has a number of
months or years to run on a leasing agreement. It is a well
known fact that most leasing agreements involving copying
and printing equipment are upgraded before the term of the
finance agreement ends (largely because volumes increase
beyond levels anticipated at the outset). Such upgrades
have the additional cost of re-financing the settlement of
an original leasing agreement, because TVRP can be based on
print volume rather than time, and the agreement can end
when a certain volume of prints has been achieved, the
costs involved in settling leasing agreements can be
reduced or eliminated. Additionally this facility removes
the need for capital outlay or purchase budgets as this
system operates on a matched revenue to usage, particularly
useful for departmental recharging. This facility allows
for easy cost effective replacement of equipment as the
original machine nears the end of its useful life.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What happens if my print volumes suddenly and
consistently fall below or above that agreed?

A: The terms and conditions of a TVRP agreement allow
regular reviews of print volumes and any correction
required can be easily accommodated.

Q: What happens if for some reason I don't achieve my
agreed volume by the end of the term of hire?

A: The contract will enable you to keep the equipment for a
maximum of one year after the end of the minimum period,
thereby allowing you the time required to complete the
number of copies included within the original contract.

Q: Will my copy costs increase during the term of the
agreement?

A: Because TVRP includes the provision of service, some
increase in cost during the term of a contract might be
required. However any such change is limited to a maximum
increase of 5% per annum in your cost per copy.

----------------------------------------------------
Jimi St. Pierre writes for several Office Equipment
suppliers in the UK, including office systems supplier
Principal Corporation. The Principal Corporation trades
under the slogan "Delivering Genuine Business Benefits" and
their range of office equipment, software and document
management services can be found at =>
http://www.principalcorp.co.uk/

The Greatest Bottleneck in Your MLM Business (and How to Avoid It)

The Greatest Bottleneck in Your MLM Business (and How to Avoid It)
Let's face it. In the traditional prospecting equation
there's always one major bottle neck...YOU.

No matter how good you are at prospecting and recruiting
for your business or how bad you are at it (and I've been
there before), your personal results are always tied to how
many prospects you speak with and how many people you sign
up and how many times you made an exposure that day.

Unfortunately, most companies only teach you the
"traditional" way which relies on still, to some degree,
trading time for results.

True, you have duplication in your team — and that's
always something to be put in place — but you should
not be relying on your team to provide all of your profits.
It's always dangerous to put your income 100% in the hands
of someone else, regardless of what industry or business
you're in.

That's why for years, I've been teaching direct
response-based prospecting strategies that put you in the
driver's seat. Strategies that allow you to truly leverage
and profit from the work that you do just one time (read:
autopilot).

With solid marketing techniques like sales letters and good
copywriting, you remove yourself from the equation. You can
ratchet up your leads, prospects, recruits and sales
practically anytime you want.

Copywriting is hands-down the most critical marketing skill
you'll ever learn. It's a powerful, powerful skill.

And once you master it, you can literally write your own
ticket. (Personally, I've sold well over a million dollars
in just the last few years alone with sales copy.)

Another reason copy is important for you and your business
is because 99% of the companies out there provide crappy
copy and marketing pieces. All of their tools focus on
pretty, flashy presentations. Their websites have 17
different things on it that aren't focused and confuse your
prospects. And the tools are just all over the place
because they're not focused on *good* copywriting, which is
essentially good salesmanship.

So what's the most important thing copywriting gives you?

In a word, leverage.

Now let's think about it. A sales letter is the most
powerful master prospector you could ever hire. For about
the price of a cup of coffee (or really just the cost of
turning on your computer if you're using email and doing it
online), it will relentlessly go out and deliver your
message perfectly every time.

It's never going to call in sick. It's never going to
complain. It will never quit on you or go into the witness
protection program like a lot of people in downlines like
to do.

Simply put, a powerful sales letter is like having a little
automatic money-making robot working for you tirelessly,
day and night, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Plus, there's no rejection. You don't ever have to feel
silly or dumb because sales letters will go out and
recruit, sell and do all the talking for you 24 hours a day.

And a good piece of copy is specifically designed to
uncover the exact people that are interested in your
prospects, your services, your opportunity. You're never
going to have to talk to anyone who's not interested again.

In fact, when someone says "no" to your copywriting, you
don't have to ever know that; they didn't say "no" to your
face. You weren't even talking to them because the sales
copy was doing the work! (Wouldn't you rather talk to hot
interested prospects who all called you and raised their
hands, instead of dealing with time-wasters?)

Plus, using copy puts you back in the driver's seat.

It's important for everybody to know that you don't own
anything in network marketing. You're basically still
working for another company, just on your own terms and
schedule...

You don't own the company, you don't own the downline, you
don't own the marketing materials, you don't own the
products, you don't own the services, you don't own the
websites, you don't have any assets at the end of the day,
so if something happens, you don't have any wealth building
assets under your control.

So it's important that you have marketing pieces and
marketing systems to deliver prospects to you that are
under your control (like copywriting does) because that's
when your wealth and your income become stable.

If your company disappears tomorrow or the FCC doesn't like
their marketing or God forbid some Jack Bauer 24-style
moment happens to you and you can't go out and prospect
anymore...if you have systems like this in place, then
you're going to be in a position that's much more powerful
and much more stable.

Now if you're skeptical about this working in your
business, here's your answer: You would not be here right
now reading this if sales copy did not work. Truth be told,
everything that you saw to get you to this point right now
was all good copywriting online.

And when you start using this tool in your network
marketing business, prospects will literally start raising
their hands, wanting what you have...without you even being
there!

----------------------------------------------------
Chris Zavadowski, 2007's Network Marketing Coach of the
Year, has gained top recognition online for his unique ways
of growing businesses with the Internet! He's taught
thousands his successful ways of working online and
leveraging their efforts. Chris creates breakthrough online
network marketing tools, and more details (including a
totally FREE "how to" training course) can by found at:
http://www.InstantMLMSalesLetters.com

The Many Uses Of A Red Poly Tarpaulin

The Many Uses Of A Red Poly Tarpaulin
If you are looking for a protective tool that is versatile
and reasonably priced, you may want to consider purchasing
a tarp. Tarps are wonderful tools to have around for
protecting belongings, gardens, and even homes. There are a
variety of great uses that tarps can be used for, including
for home improvement, outdoor protection, and landscaping
needs as well. You will find that tarps come in a variety
of different colors; however, one of the most popular
colored tarps are the red tarps.

Many Great Colors Available When it comes to tarps, there
are a variety of different colors available that you can
choose from. You can choose from blue tarps, white tarps,
tarps that are clear, yellow tarps, camouflage tarps, brown
tarps, orange tarps, green tarps, and even red tarps. Many
of the different colored tarps come in different grades as
well. Heavy duty tarps come in the colors of red, green,
yellow, and orange, for those special heavy duty needs that
you may have.

Great Uses for Red Tarps There are a variety of different
reasons that red tarps are so popular today. If you are
considering red tarps, the following are a few great uses
that these tarps can be used for.

- Heavy Duty Jobs - One great use for red tarps is for
heavy duty jobs. If you need a tarp that will keep the wind
and rain from getting to your supplies, red heavy duty
tarps can definitely do the job for you. They can help you
support heavy loads, and they can help to shield materials,
tools, as well as equipment as well. When you go with the
heavy duty red tarps, you'll find that they have special
corner reinforcement as well as grommets that are spaced
only 18 inches apart.

- Great for Christmas - Red tarps are very popular around
the Christmas season as well, especially because of the
bright and festive color. If you need a tarp around the
Christmas season that will portray the feeling and
festivity of the season, a red tarp is an excellent idea.
They are great to put down in your yard when you are
decorating to keep your decorations off the ground.

- Mark Areas for Safety - Another excellent use for red
tarps is to help mark areas for safety. There may be some
important areas that need to be marked off for safety
reasons, and a red tarp can help you do this. Red really
stands out so it is sure to catch your eye and keep you
from danger.

As you can see, there are a variety of excellent uses for
red tarps, and no doubt you can come up with even more uses
on your own. If you need a tarp for the Christmas season,
something to mark areas for safety, or something that will
do a heavy duty job for you, then a red tarp will be an
excellent choice.

There are a variety of places that you can find red tarps,
and one of the best places to get a deal on a tarp that is
red is online. You'll find that online stores can provide
you with the red tarps you are looking for and they will
offer you a price that is affordable as well. So, for all
your tarp needs, consider going with red tarps.

----------------------------------------------------
Tarp expert Robert Page has worked in the Tarps industry
for over twenty years and has therefore built up a
considerable amount of experience in the tarpaulin
industry.Robert can be contacted on 239 643 0877 or email
bob@tarpaflex.com http://www.tarpaflex,com

Communication

Communication
One of the rather siginificant issues in efficiency is
business communication. In particular I am interested in
360-Degree feedback, speak-out programs and improvement
contests.

360-degree feedback refers to the process of collecting
information and evaluation from all relevant parties
concerning a particular individuals' performance, which may
include superiors, coworkers, and team members. Personally,
I have a serious problem with this kind of feedback. In my
experience and opinion, it is a great mistake to ask equals
or coworkers for feedback: such feedback is naturally
biased. In either case, the feedback can hardly be neutral
due to factors such as consequences or rivalry. I believe
that feedback should be obtained by neutral superiors which
are only interested in objective evaluation that may lead
to improvement. Otherwise, it may create a hostile work
environment.

Speak out program is referred to the process of collection
and evaluation of employee input in decision making. This
particular process will enable the employees to contribute
to the firms' decision making by taking advantage of the
knowledge of front line workers. I certainly have a
positive experience with this sort of input: mid and upper
management are usually far away from day to day process and
flaws of daily tasks. The most reliable input is from those
that actually have to deal with customers and clients.
Thus, their input is more accurate and can be invaluable to
streamlining and higher profits. Naturally the information
and input has to be evaluated for neutrality: this can be
easily achieved by cross referencing several employees'
information.

Improvement contest refers to competitive evaluation of
implemented improvement actions, whereby internal
assessment mechanisms decide on the validity and value of
each contestant group. Personally I have not yet witnessed
a successful implementation of such process. I believe that
such contest would be contradictory to clan culture of team
work and success: since by definition, improvement contests
are the evaluation of team efforts, it is contradictory to
recognition of individual efforts. I realize that team work
and team efforts are invaluable to success of most
companies, however, since the basic building block of a
team, is its individual members, I would suggest that
personal and individual efforts should be recognized first.
Thus, I believe that a successful improvement contest has
to recognize the individual efforts as well as group
efforts.

Ultimately, all three of these concepts are tools of
communication which are meant to increase the efficiency
and effectiveness of corporate productivity. It is vital to
analyze all of them in context of individual setting and
individual corporate culture. Any selected process or
combination of procedures has to be chosen and optimized
based on predictive advantages within particular industry,
and clan culture.

----------------------------------------------------
Communication
http://www.totalqualityassuranceservice.com/