5 Painting Business Success Stories [2024]
If you are looking for a self-employment opportunity that gives you a chance to define your working schedule, consider starting a painting business. Painting is one of the low startup costs craft businesses with a high-profit margin. However, only some have the patience or the skill to do painting tasks.
To start a painting business, craft a business plan and register your business. Then, get insurance cover for your business and apply for licenses. Finally, get the right painting equipment and focus on marketing your business.
In this list, you'll find real-world painting business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a painting business that makes money.
1. 1-800-STRIPER ($739K/year)
Luke's interest in parking lot striping was sparked when he started working for a seal coating company at the age of 19. After realizing the potential in this niche industry, he quickly bought striping equipment and launched his own business with the support of his wife, Heather. Through hard work, door-to-door sales, and word of mouth, they built 1-800-STRIPER from the ground up, becoming known as the go-to parking lot striping company in their area.
How much money it makes: $739K/year
How much did it cost to start: $125K
How many people on the team: 8
Husband and wife team Luke and Heather Menear grew their parking lot striping business to almost $750k in annual sales after starting in 1999, and are now sharing their franchise opportunities across the east coast.
2. Hometown Painting LLC ($330K/year)
Matt and his wife started Hometown Painting LLC, a local painting company in Oklahoma City, after recognizing the need for high-quality and efficient painting services in their area. Despite facing challenges and not making any sales in their first year of operation, they grew the business to the point where it now generates over $100,000 in net profit. Through business coaching and implementing effective systems, they were able to overcome obstacles and create a successful painting company.
How much money it makes: $330K/year
How much did it cost to start: $3K
How many people on the team: 2
Hometown Painting LLC, an exterior residential painting company founded by a husband-wife duo, went from no sales in their first year to over $100,000 net profit the next year, and is projected to reach half a million in annual sales with a 30-35% net margin with continued growth and adding more crew in the next year.
3. COOLERSbyU ($300K/year)
Garrett Barretta came up with the idea for COOLERSbyU after witnessing the laborious process of preparing coolers for painting during his college years. He saw the need for an easier way to paint coolers and after conducting research and receiving support from the CEO of Jansy Packaging, he launched his business. In just four years, COOLERSbyU has grown from earning a few thousand dollars per month to an impressive average of over $25k per month.
How much money it makes: $300K/year
How much did it cost to start: $40K
How many people on the team: 0
How a recent college graduate started COOLERSbyU, a paintable cooler and accessories business geared towards Greek life and DIY crafting, growing from a few thousand dollars to an average of over $25k per month in just four years through mostly organic growth and a focus on SEO.
4. The Flooring Girl ($240K/year)
Debbie started her blog as a marketing tool for her flooring store.
How much money it makes: $240K/year
How many people on the team: 0
A home décor blogger turned her website into a $20,000/month business thanks to SEO, which drives 400k pageviews/month, as well as Pinterest, with over 300k pageviews/month, and through diversifying her income streams and traffic sources.
5. MyPaintedShoes ($48K/year)
Smieon Mo combined his e-commerce background with a passion for painting to launch MyPaintedShoes in 2013, quickly attracting organic traffic and securing his first orders within a month. By 2020, the site reached 10-20 daily orders, transforming his hand-painted shoes into a sustainable business.
How much money it makes: $48K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 3
This case study follows the journey of Smieon Mo, the founder of Mypaintedshoes, one of the first online platforms for selling hand-painted shoes, who shares insights into building a successful custom shoe painting business, attracting customers, and transitioning from canvas to leather shoes.
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
