Let’s Talk…TRICKS OF THE TRADE

#1 TRICK

Expo Markers (whiteboard markers)

Some of you may already be using this marker to trace out your window painting displays, good for you!

If you are doing things a different way…you are probably using either a black marker, or a white wax pencil. Both products will produce an effective display. In the beginning we used a black sharpie marker. I liked it because it produced a very clean, crisp outline for graphics and fonts. However, a couple challenges came to light. First of all when we made a mistake, it wasn’t easy to erase the marker. After trying several cleaners, we found that using an SOS pad did the trick. This also came in handy when it came time to take the display off the window. You have to test a small area first before using SOS pads as you certainly do not want to scratch anyone’s window! We have never had a problem with that though. Another challenge with the Sharpie markers were they did not last very long so we had to find refill ink for them. Both the markers and the ink are fairly pricey. One day, someone watching us work suggested we use a dryboard marker and let me tell you that little piece of information cut our production time down substantially. Once we had our display traced out, we still used the Sharpie markers to get the crisp outline simply by tracing over the Expo marker lines. Great idea!

#2 TRICK

FOOD COLORING

Have you noticed that some paint colors just do not have the kick that other colors do? Add food coloring to your paint. Depending upon how much you add, this will brighten up your colors substantially! Be careful though because this will not only stain your clothes but also the clients floor should you accidentally spill. It is wise to premix this to your paints off-site. You can also purchase food coloring in bulk from your local grocery store. Ask and you shall receive!

#3 TRICK

CORN STARCH

There are times when your paint will not flow as nicely as you want it to. Add alittle cornstarch to the paint (about 1 teaspoon for every 4 Liters of paint). You will find that this addition will make the paint glide on easier to the window. Careful not to add to much and to mix it up well. Remember lumpy gravy? Premix the cornstarch with water before adding to paint.

#4 TRICK

DISHSOAP

When window painting displays have been on a window baking in the sun for quite some time, removal may be challenging. Add alittle dishsoap to the paint before hand and you will find that when the paint is made wet during the removal process, it will come off alittle easier. Removing window painting displays is not the most enjoyable job on the planet, so every little bit helps!

CAR DEALERSHIP:
Storefront Windows: By far car dealerships are the most profitable and
efficient displays to implement. Why? Simply because of their size and
volumne. Displays must be built big in order for drive by traffic to
effectively read the message. Building big ads is actually easier than
smaller ones that contain more detail and usually more color choices.
I charged $300 for the first photo of the truck shown below. The work was
projected then traced and in total took me 3.5 hrs to implement. Now that’s
what I’m talking about!
The next photo ( Feb 18 2003) I also charged $300. I free handed the work
and it took me 2.5 hours to implement. All the client wanted were these
exact words, no graphics, no frills…plain, simple and to the point.
Windshields: Another area of opportunity in working for car dealerships is
painting on windshields. $10 per vehicle seems to be the accepted price.
There is always opportunity to generate income this way as this industry in
very competitive and places considerable effort on advertising. In the city I
live in (and I would suspect the same for your town) they are constantly
running auto shows where several dealerships get together under one roof
and promote their products. Land a couple of these accounts and you will
be well on your way. A couple years ago I (along with some supportive
friends) painted displays on 300 windshields for an airport promotion. All
we had to do was secure 1 account. Once we got started and the other
dealerships saw the excitement we were generating, they wanted us too. It
was a very rewarding weekend for all concerned!
Repeat Business: If you make a good presentation the first time, chances
are you will be called back for more business. As previously mentioned,
allot of money is delegated to advertising and the exposure window ads
produce is like no other. This industry likes this kind of work and is very
receptive to creative ideas.
Word of Mouth: This is by far the best form of marketing that you can
generate for yourself. Due to the size of dealership windows, your company
name will be seen by all those driving by. Not only will you be making the
dealership recognizable, you will also be doing that for yourself. Of course
you shouldn’t make your company name and phone number as big as the
rest of the display, but you can make it large. A rule of thumb I always
follow is to make my name big until someone tells me to make it smaller.
Simple. In the 5 years I have been painting my name and number large, no
one has ever asked me to make it smaller.

Challenge yourself and go after the most profitable canvas…car dealerships

Selling your business focusing on the seasons is a great way to maintain the demand for your
product. It is also a relatively easy sell-in as most retailers are familiar with window advertising. If you play your cards right, market yourself properly; selling during the seasons may be all you need to generate your desired sales. However, as you will notice, there are some gaps between the seasons and you do not want your community to forget about you. Gearing your advertising campaigns towards non-seasonal advertising is a smart move, as it will help maintain the longevity of your business. If you are just entering the industry, you will find that most potential clients are not even aware that they can advertise on their storefront. Making a big splash celebrating their instore promotion in order to drive traffic their way, is exactly what they want to hear. It would be wise to do some research before entering into any account. Finding out what stores are promoting is a relatively simple process. Turn on your radio or open up your newspaper and look for the big ads. There you will find potential clients that are willing to pay for advertising. (you will also notice that most of the major ads are from the car dealerships – yes big business opportunity there!) Clip the ad, recreate similar aspects of it in your design and present a window layout to the client. Something
that I learned very early on in my career as a window painter, is that people respond well to visual presentations. Taking the time to draw up a simple layout will prove beneficial when it comes time to make the sale. Another area of opportunity lies in realestate. People are always
buying/selling homes and relators are constantly looking for unique ways to sell in such an aggressive market. A window display with their name, company logo and home details is certainly out of the ordinary. You may also want to call your City Hall and get a community events listing. This is a terrific source of promotional ideas to assist you during off seasons. Be creative, stay informed and go get the business. It really is just waiting for you.

1) female
2) 40
3) mother of 3
4) 2 -girls 1-boy
5) single
6) spiritual
7) blonde
hazel eyes
9) fit
10) live in northern Alberta, Canada
11) drive a Chevy truck
12) love to skate
13) love to 2-step
14) seeker of the truth
15) numerology
16) read alot
17) laugh at my own jokes
18) love mexican food
19) fit for life
20) stay at home mom
21) self employed
22) computer work
23) fighter
24) survivor
25) divorced
26) fearless
27) persistent
28) clean freak
29) organized
30) analytical
31) life coach
32) friend
33) artist
34) graphic designer
35) creative
36) entrepeneur
37) serious
38) unique
39) sexy
40) my age
41) love conversation
42) need to be challenged intellectually
43) lover
44) kind
45) loving
46) honest
47) military brat
48) 2 sisters
49) parents divorced
50) mother is best friend
51) polish
52) surrounded by color
53) backyard is high maintenance
54) new home
55) shared custody with my 2 oldest girls
56) son lives with me full time
57) hate no one
58) love everyone (kind of)
59) mother has 15 siblings
60) father is a gentle man
61) mother is wild and crazy
62) sister works out of my home
63) other sister is a millionaire
64) closest friend is single too
65) waiting for my life partner
66) will write a novel
67) manifesting millions
68) learning
69) love Wentworth Miller
70) watched CSI for the first time at Christmas
71) believe in Santa Clause
72) never been fired
73) marketing background
74) will be on Oprah
75) know myself
76) drink red wine
77) sometimes too much
78) was on Popcorn Playhouse
79) good at public speaking
80) motivator
81) have my own website
82) at the top
83) intuitive
84) hopeful
85) shoe size = 7
86) missing diamonds
87) invloved
88) soft
89) gentle
90) inspiring
91) love Gary Zukav
92) love Tom Cruise
93) will meet Tom one day
94) learning to blog
95) can’t stand complainers
96) no tolerance for violence
97) do not watch the news
98) love Elton John
99) met Wayne Gretsky
100) in the Earth School

Are you someone who enjoys working at your own pace, or are you someone you needs the structure and control inherent in the corporate world? Both have their attributes. Working for a corporation offers stability as well as consistency. Most people know what is expected of them everyday they go into the office. Unless you have aspirations of climbing the corporate latter, sometimes it is not so bad following a routine. It sort of elliminates the surprises. I come from the land of opportunity and surprises though, and my experiences have taught me that working at my own pace offers more freedom and flexibility. I like that.
I am all about searching for creative business ideas. Since I have successfully completed one, I feel I know alittle something about what it takes to enjoy it, flourish from it, and move forward with it. If you have worked as an entrepreneur in a home based business of your own creation, and are searching for ways to expand your knowledge, why not do what I did. Write a book about how to do what you do from home. Create a website (which really isn’t as difficult as it sounds as there are a trillion sites offering this service for a reasonable price), then do alittle creative marketing.
There are also serveral website marketers out there, just do alittle research. Sell your idea on the Net in the form of a downloadable e-book. Brilliant!

For those of you who are window painting this Christmas, congratulations on your ability to capture a percentage of the advertising budgets retailers have for this season. Of all the times to advertise on storefronts, this seems to be the easiest market to capture. Retailers feel a strong urgency to reduce their inventory; therefore are willing to pay to receive strong visual exposure. Window ads tend to create not only excitment but also motivation. They are like a magnet that draws people inside. If it looks exciting outside, it must be inside! Although, as window painters, we can only do our share!
Starting a window advertising company at this time of year is ideal for the above mentioned reasons. It is an extremely easy sell at Christmas as most everyone has a clear vision of the product. Getting in the door and enticing a shop owner to buy your product is a fairly easy process. If, however, you are searching for the ideal time to start a company such as this, there is no time like the present. Seasonal advertising is only one avenue of expression for window ads. Retailers advertise all year long, and are constantly under the gun to sell their products. You don’t neccessarily have to be an artist or graphic designer to do well at this either, there are ways of implementing ads with no art experience. When I began, I was completely unaware of my artist talents, and I managed to make a pretty good living at it. It was the perfect job for a single parent and a great home based business idea for moms! Try your own windows at home and get the feel for creating something exciting!