House Painting in Malaysia – How to Start and Run the Business Successfully
House Painting in Malaysia is a business idea with great potential for growth and profits. It has plus points everywhere. Starting a house painting business costs very less. You can start this business with little to no experience. The only thing you need is to have is the aptitude and the zeal to work hard.
Many people want their homes to look nice. A coat of paint on the walls looks nice and makes the house look presentable. But most people dislike doing it themselves. Painting takes time and some skill. Clothes and hair get covered by paint. Some people are allergic to paint, too. The painting also involves climbing ladders or scaffolding. It is not everyone’s cup of tea.
In short, painting is messy, time-consuming and needs energy. So many people prefer outsourcing house painting to professionals.
Here’s where you come into the picture. You can have your own business of House Painting in Malaysia and all you have to do is pitch your business to potential customers.
We will tell you all about how to set up a painting business in Malaysia.
Here’s how you can start a business of House Painting in Malaysia:
Register Your Business
Whether you are the sole proprietor or you choose to employ someone, we would recommend you to register your business. Well, you can also work in partnership with a friend. The type of registration varies from one jurisdiction to another. Check on the government website or other helpful trade websites that help you with the details of registering your business. Registering your business is a good way to draw clients to you. A registered business is more credible and trustworthy than an unregistered one. Once you have done this, you could also consider getting a domain name and hosting for your business website.
Get Appropriate Equipment
As mentioned above, House Painting in Malaysia requires very less capital. You need to buy the basic stuff – brushes, rollers, ladders, sprayers, markers, pliers and sandpaper – and you are all set to start your business. If you are interested in expanding more, you could consider buying a vehicle to transport you from one job to another. You could also get it painted with your company name or logo. Business cards are another great way of creating a solid client base.
Partner Up with Other Similar Businesses
Finding your target customers can become much easier if you partner with other businesses in your area working in the field. Look for real estate agents, builders, commercial property managers and other structural service providers like roofers, plumbers, electricians and flooring installers. Contact them on a regular basis. This is a good way of getting recommendations for new work without having to run around everywhere yourself.
Prepare a Sales Pitch
Why should a new customer select your services over someone else’s? This is what consists of your sales pitch. You should be able to convince a new client that you are the best out of all the other options available in the market. Previous client reviews, work quality, warranty, guarantee and how you go about the process of painting should all go into convincing your client. Make the client understand that hiring you could reduce their risk and they will get more value for money. However, do not be too pushy. While confidence is looked upon favourably, overconfidence is not likely to land you jobs. Also remember to never compromise on your standards or pricing, just to acquire a contract.
Create a Portfolio
As your experience grows, you could consider creating a portfolio. This portfolio will contain photographs of your painting works along with testimonials from customers. Such a portfolio is a good way to pitch your business. You could show it to your new customers to let them know how much work you have done, the reviews of your satisfied customers and also the quality of your work.
Follow Up with Potential Customers
Once you have explained your work and other details to a new customer, follow up consistently to see if they have decided to hire you. House Painting in Malaysia is a costly affair, and many customers take quite a while to zero in on one painter.
Set a Rate Card
There are three types of rates: Production rates, Pay rates and Charge rates. Production rates are how long it would take you to paint a surface. Pay rates are how much you pay your employees. Charges rates are your hourly wages. When a customer approaches you for a job, you have to actually visit the place and measure the surfaces to be painted. Then you can give the customer an estimate of how much your charges will be. Never guesstimate a figure. Use the rates on your rate card to arrive at a final number.
Keep in Touch with Customers
The most common mistake of many painters is that, once the job is completed, they do not contact the customer again. Calling or emailing them periodically and asking about the quality of the work you have done makes them remember you when they are in need of another painting job or even after some damage caused by rains or other natural calamities.
Market Your Business
Invest in online marketing like newsletters or ads. You can also consider newspaper advertising or distributing pamphlets to attract both old and new customers. How you market depends on how much you are prepared to spend. However, an effective branding strategy will land you more jobs.
Get through these steps and you can set up your own business of House Painting in Malaysia in no time!
