The Fast Track To Becoming A Professional Decorator

1. Reputation Management

1.1. look like a decorator - wear your whites

1.2. be easily contactable

1.3. be presentable

1.4. be tidy

1.5. being helpful and going out of your way will go a long way to keeping customers coming back and recommending you to their friends

1.6. collect testimonials

2. Experience

2.1. be patient, you'll find that one day everything will click into place.

2.2. work with experienced decorators but find your own style.

2.3. Start off slow as you learn, thinking about everything you do. then when you are confident move your conscious to the side and trust in your abilities. (I almost doubled the quality and speed of my work in one day by doing this)

3. Use the Best tools for the Job! Good tools will save you money. They will last longer and you'll work faster and neater.

4. Advertising

4.1. Online

4.1.1. search Google for painting and decorating using localization and experiment with different keywords and consider adding your self to the directories on the 1st page

4.1.2. join groups for your town on social media sites. For example flickr.com may have a group for your town

4.1.3. Nothing is as powerful as owning a website.

4.2. don't be hasselled into paying for inclusion into online directories or any other advertising

4.3. Offline

4.3.1. local papers

4.3.2. cards in shops

4.3.3. leaflet dropping

4.3.4. banners on your job

4.3.5. give out cards

5. Knowledge

5.1. read the tins!

5.2. phone the advice line on the tins

5.3. read the book: Painting and Decorating: An Information Manual

5.4. ask your local decorating store

6. Pricing and Quoting

6.1. quote fast

6.2. ask the customer about best times for access

6.3. remember to quote for:

6.3.1. daily tidying up

6.3.2. moving furniture

6.3.3. people in the way

6.3.4. parking costs

6.4. always offer to remove your shoes before entering a house

6.5. be honest and price based on your experience

6.6. set limits on what you can do and can't do

6.7. if you have a bad feeling about a job don't do it.

6.8. comman tricks customers use to get the price down:

6.8.1. "I'll have a lot more work for you after this"

6.8.2. "I'll pay you cash"

6.8.3. "I know a lot of people"

6.9. make the quotes easy to read, transparent and stylish

7. Attitude

7.1. alway look for new opportunity to learn new skills

7.2. when working in private homes remember it's their home.

8. Finding work

8.1. set up a google alert for 'yourtown decorators wanted' and other related terms

8.2. contact building firms and ask them to consider you when they need a decorator

8.3. contact letting agency and landlords ask them if they a decorator. (just a couple of landlords can keep you in full time work)

8.4. read the jobs pages even if you don't need work. Is good to see whats about.