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Painting a pub: $50 per hour
…Having an ice cold schooner at the freshly painted bar: Priceless. When there’s a pub that needs painting, you’d think the beer economy would kick...
With a background in public health and calligraphy, it’s not every day you come across a painter like Dillon from Apex1 Painting and Decorating. Wanting a break from counselling, Dillon started out as a painter 14 years ago and has managed his own business in Sydney’s north shore since 2011. Providing all kinds […]
With a background in public health and calligraphy, it’s not every day you come across a painter like Dillon from Apex1 Painting and Decorating. Wanting a break from counselling, Dillon started out as a painter 14 years ago and has managed his own business on Sydney’s north shore since 2011. Providing all kinds of residential and commercial painting services, Dillon’s team comprises around 3-5 painters. During busier periods, he says it’s not uncommon to have up to 10-15 painters working for him.
What’s to love about being a painter?
“The first thing is freedom. I’m my own boss, I don’t have any other boss except myself. I also get a great feeling giving work to other people keeping them busy throughout the year. And, if I’ve got time personally, I do enjoy painting.”
As business has picked up over the last few years, Dillon hasn’t picked up the brush as much as he used to.
“Mainly, I’m driving at the moment. Usually, 3-4 hours driving, meeting new clients, signing contracts and doing paperwork in the office. But the freedom is the most important part.”
A business approach that works
“Customer satisfaction is the main important part of my business. Sometimes if I ever have fussy clients, I say, ” Pay just a deposit, and if you’re happy at the end of the job pay the remaining, and if not, we don’t expect payment”.
Dillon is a self-proclaimed perfectionist and says that everything has to be done the appropriate way.
“If you do your job properly, the money will come through”.
What a 14-hour day looks like
“I always wake up at 5 am and start around 5:30 am to do my paperwork and organise my boys over the phone. It varies day to day but we usually book clients in from 7 am till 5 pm. If I’ve got a client to see in the morning, I’m on the road; in the afternoon, I’m in the office, checking my boys and providing the paints and materials. All kinds of activities, from 5 am up until 6 pm or sometimes 7 pm.”
Dillon’s tips for hiring an A+ painter
“I believe that painting doesn’t compare with other tradie jobs. With carpentry, for example, installing a door frame is quite imaginable, and with workmanship, it may take 1,2,3 a maximum of 4 hours. Therefore, if a tradie quotes you for 5 hours, you know you’re getting ripped off. In the painting industry, however, we are producing the result, not making anything, so keep that in mind”.
“Unfortunately I’ve seen it with my own eyes many times – some tradies don’t care. I always put myself in my client's shoes. If I’m charging my client this much, I need to be precise in order to get a perfect and long-lasting result. I’ve got one client who never asks me about the price, they just ask me to do the job and send a bill to their address. When you build up that kind of trust, you can’t ruin your business reputation”.