Five Star Painting Franchise

Cleaning

When using oil or epoxy paints, it sometimes becomes a hassle to clean out your brush or roller at the end of the day if you are going to use it again in the morning. A good suggestion and a time saver is to wrap the roller or brush in tin foil or plastic and then put it into the freezer, or in a place where the temperature is below 40 °F or 5 °C. In the morning you can then pull the items out, bring them back to room temperature, and start using them again. This suggestion is only for oil or epoxy paints however. Please do not do this if you are using latex based paints. Depending on the grade of the latex paint, the paint might ‘get’ around the brush or roller making them completely useless. You would have to throw them away because at that point you wouldn’t even be able to clean them. The best practice for latex paints is just to clean the brush or roller at the end of the day. It is possible to store catalyzed epoxy if it is sealed and left in an area that is less than 40 °F or 5 °C; it will not harden, but must be brought back to room temperature before using it again.

Synthetic vs. Natural

Do I have your attention? Good because this will help you save your brushes from disasters. Natural bristled brushes should only be used in oil or epoxy based paints. If you try and use them with latex based paints, the natural bristles will absorb the water. This will make the brush’s bristles swell and become useless as it will not hold the shape of a proper brush anymore. On the other hand, synthetic brushes can be used for latex or oil paints. They can either be cleaned with water or with mineral spirits. One thing that will destroy a synthetic brush is leaving it standing up on their bristles. It will cause the tips of the bristles to curl, which will ruin the brush and render it useless.

Orange Peel Effect on Smooth Walls

Smooth walls can often suffer from the orange peel effect. This is caused by too many coats of paint on a wall. When this happens and the wall is patched and sanded smooth, the smooth part is very visible when looking at the wall. You will have to make the surface of the patch look like there was no patch there. This means adding a little texture to the wall where the patch is. This can be done by either dabbing your almost dry brush over the surface, or rolling over it a few times with an almost dry roller. This will give the effect of having a little stipple on that part of the wall. Sometimes, depending on the severity of the orange peel, you might have to do it again and again.

As sustainable lifestyle trends continue to gain predominance, home improvement projects are no exclusion from the movement. While we all know that paint is a great way to update and personalize your dwelling, it is also a great opportunity to begin a holistic approach to improving the air quality in your home.

One acronym that should perk up your ears when discussing air quality is “VOC,” which stands for volatile organic compound. Simply put, VOCs are present in vapors that develop as the paint is drying. Most latex paints are lower in VOCs, but some are specially-formulated, like Sherwin-Williams GreenSure designated products. These products are low in VOCs; provide exceptional durability and stain resistance; and many are low-odor too.

“Taking steps to improve indoor air quality can be as simple as using a zero-VOC product like Harmony Interior Latex,” said Steve Revnew, director of product development for Sherwin-Williams. “This paint is low in odor and offers great coverage. Using less paint and painting less frequently are also important when you’re thinking ‘green’.”

Quality can’t be overlooked when using low-VOC paint products. Duration Home Interior Latex is a low-VOC offering that provides outstanding durability and wash-ability, making it a good choice for high-traffic areas like kitchens, baths, hallways and children’s rooms.

Paints that are low in VOCs aren’t just meant to freshen up the indoors – such paints are also available in exterior coatings, such as Resilience Premium Exterior Latex. As an added bonus, there’s no need to worry about rain in the forecast with this product, which allows freshly painted surfaces to develop resistance to moisture in about two hours.

Remember that choosing a sustainable paint means more than just what is on the inside of the can. Sherwin-Williams offers several of its products in containers made up of 100 percent post-consumer recycled material. Additionally, the specialty paint retailer is investing in operational efficiencies, waste reduction and natural resource conservation at its facilities throughout the world.

For help with improving the air quality in your home during the painting process, or any other painting questions that you may have, call an expert at Five Star Painting 1-888-5STAR99. For more information, visit Sherwin-Williams or your neighborhood Sherwin-Williams paint store.

Sherwin-Williams is one of the main products Five Star Painting uses. They provide us with great quality and service. Jackie Jordan, Director of Color Marketing for Sherwin-Williams, has  accommodated Five Star with impressive material regarding a few colormix collections that will bring your home to life.

As consumers continue to navigate today’s uncertain times, they are finding comfort in the memories and traditions that provide them with a sense of solid ground. Color plays a key role in triggering that nostalgia, and for that reason, the Sherwin-Williams color forecast for 2010 takes its cue from hues of the past to paint the way to the future.

Reflecting the rediscovery of the sights, sounds, smells ― and colors ― of the past, the 24 shades selected by Sherwin-Williams color experts for colormix 2010 are grouped into four collections: Rooted, Treasured, Simplified and Refreshed.

Rooted

The journey of color rediscovery begins by drawing inspiration from the world’s oldest, most enduring civilizations, including the rich, dynamic colors of aboriginal, African and Native American cultures.

As today’s economy continues to shift the consumer’s sense of stability and control, we see more and more people turning to reliable and trusted elements of life, such as family and close circles of friends. The Rooted collection represents this trend, with colors that stem from tribal influences and evoke feelings of comfort, strength and security.

Infused with inspiration from cultural artifacts such as animal print fabrics and wooden musical instruments, the Rooted palette mixes the natural with the bold and vibrant. Colors that are brought to life are the neutral tones that include the earthy colors such as, Nomadic Desert (SW 6107) , Rockwood Amber (SW 2817), Foothills (SW 7514), as well as the saturated tones of spicy Red Tomato (SW 6607) and deep-blue Oceanside (SW 6496). The palette is rounded out with Darkroom (SW 7083), a blackened purple reflecting the mystery and mystique of the cultures at the heart of this collection.

Treasured

Beyond reconnecting to their roots, today’s financial strains are leading consumers to rediscover the treasures of yesteryear.

By making more resourceful use of what they already have, many are uncovering a rich collection of historical items to surround themselves with as they update their spaces. In that rediscovery, they are often surprised and energized to find a beautiful palette of colors inspired by their heirlooms.

The time-tested shades of the Treasured collection evoke the warm, comforting memories of times past. Many of the colors are muted shades of brighter tones. Caribbean Coral (SW 2854), for example, is a softer, retro alternative to the vibrant hue that maintains its popularity in design. Interactive Cream (SW 6113) provides a neutral without too much flash, and yellowed Sequin (SW 6394) adds a serene glow to the mix.

The darker side of this palette begins with Smoky Blue (SW 7604), layered with shades of gray and indigo that mirror the deep stories of our past. Sturdy Brown (SW 6097) brings in the beauty of old, handmade artisan crafts, and the faded verdigris of Gallery Green (SW 0015) adds a touch of antiquity with its emerald tone.

Simplified

This collection stays true to its name with colors that, when combined, create a sophisticated style that embodies a “less is the new more” spirit.

The colors in this collection appear simple on the surface, but are complex when given a closer look. The palette reflects the current trend to pare down the extravagancies in our lives, but the hues still allow for intricate and elegant designs.

Translucency connects the colors in this collection, providing versatility to any space with shades that change and shift in the light. Paired with transparent fabrics and finishes, clarity, subtlety and serenity are apparent in every hue.

The Simplified collection offers a palette for a discerning eye with just a small dash of color. The neutral tones of Whitetail (SW 7103), Butter Up (SW 6681) and Moderate White (SW 6140) make up the foundation, and gray also plays an important role, with the mid-tone Magnetic Gray (SW 7058) and darker Serious Gray (SW 6256). The muted lilac shade of Enigma (SW 6018) offers an intriguing accent well-suited for this sophisticated palette.

Refreshed

The Refreshed collection features vibrant and forward colors to evoke a sense of optimism for the future.

The exuberant shades of Refreshed enliven the spirit and turn the focus to more carefree days. While not as saturated as some accent colors of collections past, these hues still reflect the optimism that can always be found within us, even as we navigate challenging times.

Fresh florals, sunny days and tropical blooms are the inspiration behind this collection. Get lost in the botanical garden of Sapphire (SW 6963) and Verve Violet (SW 6979), and indulge in the sunshine of Fun Yellow (SW 6908). Pickle (SW 6725), along with the grapefruit and tangerine tones of Animated Coral (SW 6878) and Summer Day (SW 6662), also add fun flavor to this palette.

Together, the vivid hues of the Refreshed collection create a lively, harmonious palette to offset the darker realities of today’s uncertain times. What’s more, when added individually to another collection, these colors can offer a bright reminder of better days to come.

I recently read a quote from a judge in a local entrepreneurship contest (Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year – Utah) that mentioned how he was looking at contestants based on not necessarily how much money their business made, or how high their sales were, but rather how innovative their idea was. If it was at least moderately successful in both sales and profits, and it was a new idea, then that was the entrepreneur that would get the quoted judges vote. I thought about his viewpoint for a minute and realized that I will probably never win the entrepreneur of the year award…and I am okay with that. At least I won’t win one where his criteria are used.

Why?

Because the vast majority of my experience and ownership is and has been in businesses that are franchise concepts. They aren’t new and exciting compared to say some new web 2.0 software startup in Silicon Valley with 13 ex-Microsoft engineers and a bunch of VC money backing the business. Of course you could also sell bean-bags that are cool looking and expensive – as long as you sell a lot of them, and fast- and win a bunch of awards (including entrepreneur of the year) just prior to going bankrupt. I am not interested in winning awards; I am interested in making money. I don’t really care if what I do isn’t new – in fact, I kind of like the old proven stuff (thus increasing my chances for success). I think most entrepreneurs who are getting started would do themselves quite a service if they owned and operated a franchise before going out and starting their internet based web 2.0 buzzword of the moment business. Why? Because whether or not you are running a Taco Bell or Bell Labs, there are some common business principles that apply to all companies – old and new. I just don’t understand why you wouldn’t want to walk and then jog and then run – particularly if you are a younger entrepreneur and don’t have a ton of work experience. If you haven’t seen it done before, why not learn it yourself in a structured environment with a much higher degree of success? I am most certainly not saying that franchise businesses are what you should base your entrepreneurial career around. In fact, I am saying you shouldn’t. Go out there and start a company that really is new and different…but consider owning and operating a franchise business first. There are a lot of great skills and concepts you can take into your new startup from day one if you do. Namely:

• Learn how to hire, fire and deal with employees. What, you haven’t had employees before and you want to start Yahoo! in your dorm room? Hey, go for it. I am telling you though, even if you only had two kids working at your auction-Ebay-stuff-for-other-people-in-a-strip-mall business before it went under (and all of those places eventually will), you will learn a lot about employee management. Payroll taxes, insurance, workers comp, schedules, vacation tracking, bonuses and pay rates – these things are not unique to franchise employee management. You will use them in the billion dollar technology start-up that you take public in a few years! Just don’t forget to give me some pre-IPO shares.
• Customers are another unifying trait amongst all things business. Although customers come in all shapes and sizes, dealing with them can be very similar despite their idiosyncrasies. They all want to get your product on time, for a fair price, and have it work the way it is supposed to. Pizza, software, bicycles, consulting hours – you name it, customers use the measurements I just described to value your product or service. Learning how to deal with customer complaints is a unique skill in its own that is universally valuable.
• Money management, regardless of how big or small the numbers get, is always easier to get a handle on when you are doing it yourself. Receivables, payables, and learning QuickBooks are all skills that will help any startup. How does the money move in and out of your business? It is easy to play spreadsheet bingo when you are doing your startup business plan stuff, but having some real world experience with actual dollars will help your financial projections get more accurate in a hurry. It will also make you more frugal. Running a franchise business can often be about nickels and dimes. Your startup probably doesn’t have a lot of nickels and dimes in excel forecasts you created. It is important that you acquaint yourself with these smaller denominations because they can be great contributors (or detractors) to net income!
• Negotiation is another universal tactic that you cannot learn in a classroom or as some grunt in a giant corporation. Negotiation is learned on the front lines. It is a battle tested skill and you have to have some wounds before you can be good at it. Why not get into a fight with some gloves first instead of going straight to bare knuckle? A small franchise business will allow you to work with Landlord’s and vendors. You can make a few mistakes – i.e. get taken to the cleaners – and not have your company go down in flames. Also, you can learn a thing or two from your franchisor and how they negotiate their “national” deals that you will piggy back off of. Take these skills learned in the trenches with you as you start to talk to lawyers, venture capitalists and potential partners. Although the negotiations are at a higher level and use larger numbers, the tactics and styles of negotiations you learned in your small franchise business will help!
• You can develop relationships with accountants and lawyers (both worthwhile investments of money when given to the right professionals) in advance of your big money raise for company XYZ. My bet is that you will hire and fire a few different accountants and lawyers for different reasons as you wade thru your franchise business. Why not have this process done and your team of professional service providers ready and tested for when the time comes to really utilize their skills? Nothing is worse than spending a bunch of time and money on lawyers and accountants and then being less then pleased with their work product. Let their interview take place on a smaller scale and using smaller dollar amounts.
• When you decide to move on to another company, maybe your super-startup, you will inevitably learn how to sell a business or at least learn how to turn over the management of it to someone else. While you will need the skills of your accountants and lawyers in this area (as well as your negotiation skills), the process of selling a business – any business – is one that can only be learned by doing. You can also learn a lot about buying a business as well (even though you are the seller) because the process has an innate transparency in that at the end of it, you know exactly what the buyer and seller were thinking and doing. If you don’t sell your franchise and instead keep it open as you move on, you learn a lot as well. Namely, how to pick great people, how to delegate and how to incentivize others to perform at the level you are accustomed to doing yourself.

Perhaps the most important thing you can take from franchise ownership is simply the title of “owner”. If you are a new entrepreneur and want to be your own boss then this is the chance to try it out. While investors and VC types want the huge home runs, you really only need a solid double your first time out. Don’t get caught trying to swing for the fences the first time out. The chance that you can hit a major league fastball after having skipped the minor leagues is slim. Keep in mind that often time’s people who are investing or backing a business will push you to go for the fence early. They are out very little if you fail, but they get a huge return if you don’t. They are playing the numbers – many will fail, a select few won’t. It’s the few that pay off all of their other failures. If you want to do what is best for YOU and not THEM then get some experience – real experience – in a franchise business before you run out and try and do a start-up. My bet is you will learn a lot, make some money and put yourself in a position to succeed when you move onto your Entrepreneur of the Year award acceptance speech.

How to Know the Difference

Most of the people I know think that I am a heavy risk taker. My friends who don’t really know exactly what it is that I do for a living think I am a HUGE risk taker. My business associates and fellow entrepreneurs have a better understanding of what I do, so the risk associated with my work is not as foreign to them. With that being said, I think that generally speaking I am not a big risk taker. The vast majority of the decisions I make that have a reasonable to large downside have some serious thought and homework put into them. I also rely heavily on my “gut instinct” which has been right more than it has been wrong during my career. Having said that, at the end of the day, how do you know if you are afraid of risk or if you are just smart and good at avoiding bad risks? The answer is simple and doesn’t require a long post. If you haven’t taken a reasonable to serious financial risk on behalf of a business or investment idea before the age of 40 years old, then you probably don’t have what it takes to be an entrepreneur as your full-time career.

Yeah, that’s right – I just called out any of you that are older than 40 that read this. Prove me wrong and post it! I am not saying you have to be some wildly successful entrepreneur before your 40th birthday. I am not even saying you have to invest your life savings in a start-up prior to the big four-oh. I am saying that if you haven’t bought a rental property or put $20K into a Subway sandwich shop by now (or better yet, bought a Five Star franchise) that you probably won’t ever do anything terribly entrepreneurial. There are always exceptions to the rule of course. But as I love to say, if you are reading this blog, you are probably Joe or Jane Normal like me and that means you are likely not the exception I am referring to.

So am I right or wrong? I would love to hear your impressions of my stance on risk. Let me know what you have experienced and seen in others. I want to know if my view of the world is the same as yours – what have you noticed, read or been through that would agree or disagree with my assertion?

I enjoyed a lunch a few weeks ago with some successful entrepreneur and business owner friends of mine. These guys are all “movers and shakers”. The grass doesn’t grow under their feet and they have the track record to prove it. One is a serial entrepreneur with successes in multiple areas, the other has a vast financial background in NY and is now a real estate developer, and the third is a very highly educated individual who is also a real estate developer.

The luncheon made me ponder the subject of what makes these different types of entrepreneurs successful. I think part of the reason they are successful is because they share a common trait. They don’t sit still well, they make educated decisions quickly and they embrace the theory of risk = reward. I rarely hear people who will admit they hope that things stay the same for them forever. People always seem to aspire to be and do more. When was the last time your co-worker or partner said “hey, this is good right now – let’s just ride it out and stay where we are at”? Probably not too often. Most people talk about growing, achieving and building. Very few talk about settling, average and rigidity. Although few talk about it, many are secretly hoping that things stay as-is since their salary, sales, and/or profit margins seem to be enough for them to manage the life they like. I believe that most people have an inner goal that differs from their outward one. Most people are content and happy with a certain level of performance and if they achieve it, would be more than happy to stay at that level forever.

Unfortunately, the exact opposite happens to those that simply stand still and watch the world go by. You are either moving forward or backward. It may be inches, feet or miles, but you are moving in one direction or the other. The scariest movement is the smallest one. If we only move an inch backwards, it may be months or years before we realize just how far behind we have gotten. By then it may be too late. While I don’t suggest leaping off a cliff or running blindly thru a dark forest, I do think that it is critical to react quickly and jump on good opportunities. Those that I know that have done this have found varying degrees of success – meaning they all are generally successful entrepreneurs. Some are better at assessing opportunity then others, thus the higher degree of success, but generally speaking those that act quickly, keep in motion, make educated decisions and are willing to take calculated risk are going to be in motion enough to keep ahead of the game.

Are you stuck in the mud doing the same-old, same-old? Is your salary and benefits enough? Or do you want more, do you keep moving – sometimes backward, but then further forward – so that you end up getting somewhere? You are never standing still – other entrepreneurs and businesses are going past you slowly, and in time, they will move across the horizon and out of sight. Choose to be the one who is moving away in the distance, not the one watching it. Trust me; the view is better out front.

I realize this is completely off topic, but please bare with me as I have to get it off my chest.

I have a pet peeve. I wonder if I am the only one with this pet peeve, as it is somewhat unique. I understand that what bothers me probably bothers others. However, to truly qualify as a “pet peeve” it has to be something that really drives you mad. Care to join the bandwagon? Then tell me, when someone emails you anything, and I mean anything, that is an obvious email forwarding hoax, what do you do? I hit “reply all” and commence with the linkage to the various websites that explain email hoaxes. I know, I am a jerk, but I just cannot help myself. I don’t want to embarrass anyone. I am certainly not trying to take an elitist stance; I simply cannot stand by and watch the IQ of my friends and family drop before my very eyes.

This is what prompted this post. Within the last week, two of my very best friends (if you read this, I am not sorry because you should have known better then to send me those emails) sent me two of the oldest email chain letter hoaxes in the world. The first one was about how “Touched By An Angel” was kicked off TV for being too spiritual and how they were now trying to remove the word “God” from TV altogether. “If you are a Christian or of any faith, save us from the madness that TV execs are trying to rain down on society!”. Seriously folks, do you really think a chain email would get God back on TV anyway?

The second email I received just tonight is an oldy but a goody. “Bill Gates is giving away his money! Just forward this email and you will get $240 for every email you send out. He and Intel and AOL have joined forces as Kings of the Internet to bring large checks to you and your family.” The first clue that this email is a hoax is the fact that they still include AOL as a big player in the payoff. At least update your hoax with Google, Yahoo or something more believable. An additional clue the email is a hoax is the somewhat obligatory “my cousin is a lawyer and she showed me her check stamped PAID IN FULL”. Who stamps checks that say “paid in full”? I can’t remember seeing one in awhile (or ever). I have seen bills with that stamp on them, but not checks.

I am sorry I sound like a know-it-all. I realize that there are a lot of great email chain letter hoaxes that probably save lives and more. In spite of those, a word to the wise about any email you get that asks you to forward it to anyone you know:

1. Go to Google, type in the main subject of your email that you received and add “hoax” to it and see what comes up.
2. If it is about saving something so sad (like someone’s life, or a basic religious right), then don’t waste your time on #1. It is a fake.
3. Don’t forward it to anyone. In fact, join the club and hit “reply all” and type away as the elitist jerk who just has to speak up. It is kind of fun.
4. If it involves making money by any means of mass communication, it is a fake.

Join me in stomping out email hoaxes, embarrass others and hit “reply all” when you see the chance!

***UPDATE*** Since I started typing this blog I received a mass email from a friend listing the companies that buy and sell oil that isn’t from the Middle East and to PLEASE forward it on so that we all could buy gas from the companies that didn’t support the Middle Eastern oil Monopoly. AHHHHHH!!!!!

I saw this short list on a franchise rating website and I thought it was right on the money in terms of the 10 things to look for in a potential franchise. I personally think some of the things on the list are in the wrong order, but all ten items are great ones. The only other I can think of that is missing is the use/availability of technology since I believe that all franchise businesses should be leveraging the advantages technology provides. Without further adieu, here are their top 10 things to look for in a potential franchise:

1. Responsiveness during the investigation process
2. Direct operational training
3. Other training
4. Marketing programs
5. Real estate and construction assistance (if applicable)
6. Financing assistance
7. Litigation history
8. Financial strength of the franchise company
9. Financial strength of the unit operations
10. The attitude of the existing franchisees