If you have always wanted to start your own painting business and have it run smoothly and profitably right from the start..., if you would like to go home at night and relax in your easy chair with a smile on your face and the sweet feeling of having your entrepreneurial desires accomplished, below are 6 tips that can get you there fast.

1.) Use the best paint available for residential painting - I use Benjamin Moore paint in people's homes. The new latex version of their famous Satin Impervo for woodwork and trim is outstanding. Their Regal wall paint in the Matt finish is very good also, especially when it comes to wash ability that doesn't leave burnishing marks like with cheaper paints.

You just can go wrong using a high quality name like Benjamin Moore - especially when the products are excellent and user-friendly. This brand name is always welcomed in the finest of homes (million dollar homes) as well as everywhere else!

2.) I recommend having a painting business partner - this is so critical in business. There are so many reasons why it makes sense not to go it alone as a painter. You can turn your jobs faster, the work becomes easier, two people can come up with good ideas, techniques, etc.

3.) Diversify your services - some painters like to offer more than just painting. There are natural add-on services like power washing, window washing, light carpentry, drywall/plaster repair, driveway sealing, etc. These extra services can help keep you consistently busy and more profitable.

4.) Strive for repeat business - many businesses prosper just from repeat business alone. An example would be window washing. Having painting business contracts set up that are repeating on a monthly or seasonal cycle could be a strong backbone for your company's profits. This can work in commercial painting where you and the customer agree on a monthly or seasonal maintenance or touch-up painting schedule.

5.) Use referrals and other free painting business getting secrets - Word of mouth or getting referrals is the strongest form of advertising. If your company does good work you will get a lot of referrals. These referrals are people that are pre-sold on you and your company by their friends and acquaintances.

So if you go do an estimate from a referral consider the fact that most of the time it will be a sure yes. Also having good references on demand for new potential customers who are cold contacts is important and works well also.

6.) Learn how to estimate - next to getting a lot of free advertising, nothing beats having a good estimating system in place for maximum painting business profits. New painters struggle and many times eat their jobs in the beginning. Or they will give their work away just to get the job because they are so afraid the customer will reject their bid.

When you know how to estimate correctly you will not be afraid of your company prices because you know they are fair. Plus if the customer says no, you can always offer to go a bit lower or just move on to the next estimate.

7.) Bonus tip: I like to work comfortable hours. I usually work 9 am - 4 pm Monday through Friday. I like my weekends off. Once in a while there are exceptions when I will work a half-day on Saturday or a commercial job that requires you to work nights.

But I never work Sundays. I wouldn't make an animal work on Sunday let alone a human. Sunday is your God-given day off to relax and enjoy spending it with your loved ones. Give yourself some class.