How to find painting work and maximise your income

As a painter, your greatest asset is giving life to spaces – whether it’s the interior or exterior of houses, offices, or buildings. However, finding actual painting work is a bit trickier. Painters looking for work struggle with this part of the job. After all, branching out and connecting with clients is harder than it seems. 

We’ve listed some tips to help you find more painting work.

Things to consider before promoting your painting services 

Assess your painting skills and what to work on before you look for painting work. You can consider the following aspects. 

Your current painting skills

Knowing your skill level will help you set appropriate goals and next steps. Lean into your existing painting skills; Are you good at painting walls? You can specialise in this service while you start out. As for your development areas, you can start with small jobs to improve your skills. Also, consider taking painting courses online.

Type of painting work

Painting jobs span countless styles and techniques. Specialisations range from painting houses to restoring old furniture. Identify what kind of painting service you want to specialise in.

Your target market

Know where to promote your painting services and your ideal type of customer. 

How to get painting work

“Marketing” isn’t exactly a word you think of when it comes to painting, right? But to get painting projects, you need to learn how to put yourself out there. Here are some things you can do to spread the word about your painting business.

1. Go door-to-door

It’s not exactly the most efficient way of going about it, but this does get results. Use this time to go door to door and actively market your painting services. A simple knock on the door, a friendly greeting, and a flyer might just do the trick. 

2. Get referrals

Satisfied clients can be your best advocates. Consider asking your clients for referrals if it comes up. You can even incentivise referrals by giving discounts to people who help you get new projects. 

3. Promote your painting services online

An online presence can expand your reach and get more clients. Through social media and marketplace platforms, you can find clients with less effort than going door to door. 

With a plethora of online platforms, finding the right channel for your painting business is crucial. 

• Airtasker - Browse painting tasks near you and send offers easily. Simply sign up as a Tasker to get started. 

• Social media - This is a great platform to build your clientele. Set up a business page on Facebook for local customers to easily find you. Instagram is excellent for visually sharing your painting work, including before-and-after photos.  You can also showcase your painting skills through YouTube tutorials and timelapse videos.  

4. Partner with other businesses 

Reach out to businesses that might need your painting services; You can position yourself as their go-to person when their clients need painting work done. Here are some businesses you can connect with. 

Construction companies 

New homes and establishments are being built all the time. This is a big market if you’re able to tie up with a construction company. 

Interior designers 

Like painters, interior designers work on sprucing up a space. Establish connections with interior designers so you become top of mind when they need a skilled painter. 

Real estate agents 

Some people want to repaint the interiors before moving into a new house, and real estate agents may help arrange these requests. This is where you come in. Check out these wall painting techniques you can brush up on, so you can take on any project. 

How to get commercial painting jobs 

Landing a commercial contract is a big milestone for any business. Attending conferences, networking events, and trade shows is an effective way to find commercial clients. This is your chance to interact face to face with tradespeople and contractors. 

• Set up a booth. Once you have enough resources to set up an exhibit, you’ll showcase your work and speciality. This can be an opportunity to collect contacts and get leads for commercial jobs.

• Give out your business contact details. Prepare flyers or business cards and hand them out to prospects. This way, customers can have your contact details on hand when they need a painting job done. 

• Make genuine connections. Don’t forget to have sincere conversations with event attendees. More than just making a business pitch, feel free to talk about your expertise and hear out your customers’ needs.  

Aside from attending events, you can also spot some commercial painting jobs on Airtasker from time to time. 

How to bid on a painting job

Correctly quoting your services is crucial when bidding on a painting job, be it a small job or commercial project. When bidding for paint jobs, consider all the factors like material costs, working time, and your actual profit. 

Other ways to make money painting 

If you’re aiming to branch out your painting work, here are some types of painting work that can help you earn extra.

1. Teach painting to others 

2. Sell paint supplies 

3. Rent out painting equipment 

4. Be a mural artist

5. Branch out to painting furniture 

Easily find painting work on Airtasker. 

We hope these tips help you find painting work more efficiently and consistently. Keep honing your painting skills, and remember that people skills and networking can go a long way. Connect with potential customers now by signing up on Airtasker. By being a Tasker, you can keep doing what you enjoy while making money for your skills.