The Painting & Decorating Fix: A Business Guide to Pricing, Marketing, Clients & Cash Flow

This book is a practical business playbook for freelance painters and decorators who are great at the trade but tired of undercharging, awkward clients, and constant cash‑flow stress. It shows you how to turn a busy decorating job into a stable, profitable business using simple systems for pricing, communication, marketing, and money.

• You’ll learn how to fix the six core business problems that repeatedly drain profit in the trade: underpricing, scope creep, payment delays, price disputes, difficult communication, and inconsistent leads. The book explains why these issues keep happening, how they compound into burnout, and how to stop them with clear processes instead of “working harder.”
• A step‑by‑step five‑layer pricing model helps you quote with confidence by properly covering labour time, materials, overheads, contingency, and target profit margin. You’ll see how to structure professional quotes, separate and mark up materials, build in minimum charges, and track every job so your estimates get sharper and your margins more consistent.
• You also get a complete client communication system, from the first enquiry and site visit through written quotes, job confirmation, daily updates, and final handover. Practical scripts show you how to handle extras, colour changes, late payments, and complaints while protecting your time and keeping relationships positive.
• On the marketing side, the book shows you how to move beyond word‑of‑mouth alone with a strong Google Business Profile, simple before‑and‑after social media posts, referral systems, trade partnerships, and light‑touch quote follow‑ups. The focus is on attracting better clients who value quality and reliability, not just the cheapest price.
• Finally, you’ll learn the financial habits that keep your business steady: using deposits and staged payments, separating business and personal money, planning for tax, and smoothing out seasonal dips. Templates and checklists throughout make it easy to implement what you learn on your very next job and steadily build a decorating business that pays you properly for the work you do.