Painter
Description:
I was in charge of painting houses and supervising the other two painters that were under me. Depending on what the home owner wanted, we would paint outside of the house, or rooms inside of the house as well. I was to make sure that any job that I was given the painting was to be professional, which means taking precautions to prevent spills and splatter, and to make sure that the paint is going where it is supposed to. I was also responsible for the cleaning and storage of the painting materials, such as making sure all the paint is washed out of the buckets and brushes. Especially the brushes so that the brush did not become hardened with dried paint. The best advise that I can give to working in the painting business is patience. When you start out, you do not know the tricks of the trade, the simple things that prevent you from making mistakes. The best way to make it as a painter is learn from a good painter and learn the ways that he does his work, and apply it. Since in paint, mistakes are more visible and lasting, learn to paint with patience, it takes more time trying to correct a mistake than the time it takes to prevent a mistake.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
My dad actually in Hawaii used to be a contractor and he is licensed in all forms of building. He is a journeyman in plumbing, roofing, framing, electricity, concrete work, and any other form that I can not think of. He has always said that I could save thousands of dollars by just learning how to fix or build something myself. He would always quote to me that a plumber or an electrician will charge 60 to 65 dollars an hour for fixing a leaky sink, or repairing a light fixture. My father has always taken pride in the thought of how much money he has saved by not needing to hire someone to fix household things.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
My one and only challenge that I didn't like about painting was that I was not good at it at first. I would make many mistakes and it would take me so much longer to paint a room or a house than I thought it would. I started to learn that painting is a process and that the time can be reduced significantly by preparation. This preparation includes cutting (painting a small border on all edges in a room) which allows you to roll on the paint faster and not worry about getting too close to the problem areas. By doing these things I was able to cut the time that it takes to finish the paint jobs that I received.
What I learned:
I learned that when you start working, you will not be the best right from the start. Yet by learning the tricks of the trade and being patient, you will be able to become better at your job. So by applying this to any employment position and you will be able to be the best in a shorter time.
Painting House Numbers of Curbs
Description:
I went door to door in affluent neighborhoods to offer my service of painting house numbers on the curbs in front of people’s homes. The only materials I needed were cans of spray paint and number stencils and I charged $20. With no employees and such a short time involved with labor, I was able to be very profitable.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
A friend of mine in another state was doing the same thing and gave me the idea.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
The hardest part was finding neighborhoods that would be interested in having their house numbers market, but once a few houses on a street had numbers on the curb, the rest of them soon followed. I overcame this by working harder and longer!
What I learned:
I learned that simple, easily-performed services can be very profitable. However, in order to make it worth my while I had to become very efficient with my time and had to become a very convincing salesman at the door.
Sidewalk Address Painter
Description:
My dad told me that he used to go to neighborhoods that did not have resident addresses painted on the sidewalks. He would then offer to paint the address on the sidewalk for 10 dollars. While he admitted this job was simple and boring, he added that it was easy and it paid well.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
As I stated above, I learned about this job through my dad. I remember asking him if he had “any business ideas” when I was in high school. Since I had such a good job in high school and am on scholarship, I have no need to work. I would probably do this job myself if I needed money.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
One challenge of starting any business is the need to obtain a business license. This should not be too expensive, however. Another challenge to starting this business is purchasing painting supplies; again, this should be very cheap. More major challenges include making sure that you are in accordance with neighborhood guidelines when painting on the sidewalks.
What I learned:
There were relatively few surprises in carrying out this business. The main lesson learned was that earning money does not take an incredibly complicated idea. A simple idea and hard work can be a great recipe for making money.