CertaPro Painters is looking for veterans to become leaders and owners of their own painting franchise. As the largest residential and commercial painting franchise in North America, CertaPro has been ranked first in its category by Entrepreneur magazine as well as number one in franchisee satisfaction. CertaPro Painters is the frontrunner of an industry that is estimated at $40 billion and needs individuals experienced in leadership to take the reins.

Military veterans make fantastic franchise owners once they have been trained. The support systems and training offered by CertaPro are the primary reasons that military veterans make such great candidates. CertaPro isn’t looking for painters, the seek people who will be running the business while crews of their choice are completing painting projects. If you are someone who can provide leadership and motivation for a team of employees and contractors while maintaining the first-class service that CertaPro has provided for over two decades, then perhaps its time for you to start your own CertaPro franchise.

CertaPro has built up its own position in the home improvement market and continues to show profitability even in times of recession. Join a franchise family that has been a proven success for military veterans and put your skills to work. If you are ready to take control of your future and lead your own team onto the path of success visit CertaPro’s Franchise Opportunities to learn more about this exciting opportunity.

About CertaPro Painters: CertaPro Painters, the largest North American residential painting company, was founded in 1992. Specializing in servicing both high-end residential and commercial customers, its success is based on exceeding customer expectations by delivering certainty at every juncture of a painting job from start to finish. CertPro Painters now operates across America and internationally. For further information, contact 1-800-462-3782 or visit http://www.certapro.com/.

As a veteran who served the country for almost 27 years and now as a CertaPro Painters franchise owner, Command Sergeant Major (Ret.) Byron Barron knows all about what it takes to be a leader. He recently shared his success story on CivilianJobs.com to encourage other current and soon-to-be veterans in their transition from military to civilian life.

The Airborne Ranger retired from the military in 2007 and began the process of making a new life for himself and his family. It was a decision-making technique he learned in the military that led him to become a CertaPro franchise owner. After listing out the things he wanted and didn’t want for this next part of his career, he decided franchise ownership was the way to go.

Byron did his homework, weighed his options and talked to other business owners before making his decision to be a franchise owner. CertaPro Painters had what he was looking for: a comprehensive training program, ongoing support and customer-centered values. And his leadership qualities fit in perfectly with the kinds of people CertaPro partners with.

Today, Byron employs 25 in his CertaPro Painters franchise in Northeast Georgia, and it’s a responsibility he takes seriously. As he states in the article, “As a business owner, you have to understand how all things work, because those you employ and their families are counting on it.” One of his employees is his daughter, Valery, who serves as an officer of the company and does a variety of jobs for the franchise.

Thanks to the opportunities that CertaPro Painters ownership has provided and his training in the service, Byron’s transition from military career to civilian in an uncertain economic environment has been everything he wanted and more. The leadership and technical skills he attained as an Airborne Ranger have proven valuable in his development of a successful small business.

Is your home starting to look tired and worn? Don’t make any rash decisions like moving into a new house! When you get tired of your old clothes, then you go shopping for new ones right? It’s the same with your home. Applying a fresh coat of paint will give your house an all new feel to it and will do wonders to make it look almost brand new.

CertaPro Painters has provided tips to help homeowners who are planning to spruce up their home’s appearance do it with a look of professionalism. Choosing the right type of paint is half the battle, so be sure you are armed with all of the knowledge you need to make an educated decision.

The first types of paint are the glosses, high gloss paint and semi gloss paint.  High gloss paint is the shiniest, most durable, and also the most easily washable paint. CertaPro Painters usually use this for accents and trims. Semi gloss paint is less shiny than the high gloss but is still very washable and very durable indeed, most often this paint is used in bathrooms.

Another good type of bathroom paint is pearl paint or satin paint. These paints are easily washable and have a pleasant gleam to them. Just like with the semi gloss the pearl and satin paints are great for painting bathrooms because they are easily washable and can put up with constant moisture that clings to bathroom walls.

The last two types of paint you will come across are eggshell and flat paints. These two varieties have no sheen to them and CertaPro recommends that they be used in rooms free of moisture. Eggshell paints are durable and washable, whereas flat paints are neither durable nor washable. These two paints are best used in bedrooms or living room areas.

Now that you know which paints are best used on which walls, it’s time to prepare your walls. If you want an average paint job, then feel free to just buy the paint and start rolling it onto your walls. If you want beautifully painted walls that look like they were painted by CertaPro, then understand that the project’s final beauty lies in the preparation. Wall preparations include removing all nails from your walls and filling in all those holes with spackle, wash down and completely dry your walls to save yourself an extra coat of paint. The rest of the room needs to be prepared as well, so cover the ground with a cloth or something to prevent paint from spilling onto your floors, lastly, remove all of the light switches and door knobs.

About CertaPro Painters: CertaPro Painters, the largest North American residential painting company, was founded in 1991. Specializing in servicing both high-end residential and commercial customers, its success is based on exceeding customer expectations by delivering certainty at every juncture of a painting job from start to finish. CertaPro Painters now operates across America and internationally. For further information, contact 1-800-462-3782 or visit http://www.certapro.com.

Once upon a time, people built houses. They built small houses with wood floors and walls and wood-framed windows, and when they were finished, they grabbed a bucket of white wash and painted everything—including the family windmill—white. Fast forward a few hundred years and people were still building houses, slightly bigger with indoor plumbing, carpet and vinyl windows, and using true paint instead of white wash, but it was still white.

Then, somewhere at sometime—according to the CertaPro Painters timeline–someone got the idea to take a few drops of white and mix it with a drop of red, and pink was born: hot pink and petal pink, diamond pink and valentine pink; the combinations promised to be endless. Blue mixed with a few extra drops of white became slate and steel blue, sky blue and cerulean—great name, cerulean. All thanks to our old friend, white—and aren’t we glad. Now the colors we choose for our homes are only limited by our imaginations.

Today, painting the interior of your house is more a form of visual artistry than the utilitarian function it was for our forefathers. Modern CertaPro painting colors are so intensely sharp and immediately personal, since we are now free to mix colors to create our own palettes, who wouldn’t want to play? What we create not only drenches a room with color and beauty, but with emotion as well.

However you choose to mix our old friend white with colors, remember you are only limited by your dreams and a sense of adventure, and CertaPro is there to help you, every step of the way.

There’s no question about it, in this tough economy, it is quite a bit tougher for people, and businesses as a whole, to contribute monetary donations to non-profit charitable organizations. Surveys done by these organizations have shown that in the last two years, giving trends are down or have not changed. This is due in large part, to the idea that companies are making less money, and the costs they have to cut were from the money that was previously set aside for charitable donations.

The co-owner of CertaPro Painters of Westchester, New York, Peter Buttenwieser, recently noticed that the giving percentages were down at his child’s school, which got him thinking about how he could give back to the community. Then, at an event he attended, Buttenwieser heard a speech from Jerry Greenfield of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, in which he discussed all of the positives of corporate social responsibility, including enhancing your brand image.

Buttenwieser was so inspired by Greenfield’s speech that it pushed him to create a charitable giving program on his own, unique to CertaPro Painters. Now, CertaPro Painters of Westchester, NY donates one percent of their gross sales to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS).

“I decided that a charitable giving program just made good business sense for my business, Buttenwieser said. “I believe small business owners can make financial gains through this type of program while assisting charitable organizations.”

The idea was born when one of Buttenwieser’s employees, Anthony Chillemi, wanted Buttenwieser to sponsor him in the San Diego Marathon and The Swim Across the Hudson, events that supported the LLS.

Buttenwieser is hoping that in the giving program’s first year, its overall donations will total between $10,000 to $20,000 to the LLS. The co-owner said he has learned a lot and hopes to teach other small corporations to be more socially aware.

Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares, a popular British reality series, was recently in Baltimore and contacted Lorena Streb’s CertaPro about doing a wee bit of painting for the show. For those who don’t know, Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares revamps struggling restaurants, inside and out, to help get them back on the map again. New menus, new furnishings, and yes, lots of new paint.

Lorena Streb, a local CertaPro owner, was thrilled with the opportunity. They had from 10 p.m. on Sunday until 6 a.m. on Monday to complete the job—just in time for the morning breakfast service. A challenge, yes. One she and her crew took on gladly. Professionals, they were accustomed to meeting short deadlines, while producing high-quality work.

This just goes to show how well word-of-mouth operates.  Lorena Streb and her co-owner husband, Dave, had worked hard to build up their business. So it was no real surprise when the show’s production manager contacted the company and said CertaPro had been recommended to them by a friend of a friend. Also not surprising, the couple admitted, because about 60 percent of their business comes from referrals.

Working on the “set”—the show’s term for the restaurant—was doubly satisfying for Lorena Streb. First, she got to show off her CertaPro business: her crew’s expertise, her company’s quality products. Second, she was able to support friend and fellow entrepreneur Denise Whiting, owner of Café Hon, the restaurant in question.

Because she and her crew had to work through the night and be done in time for the Monday breakfast service, Lorena Streb was unable to meet celebrity chef and host of Kitchen Nightmares, Gordon Ramsey. Still, she is certain to ask him for a recommendation on a job well done, because word-of-mouth advertising is everything.

Score a one for Lorena and Dave Streb, their amazing crew, and CertaPro.

So you finally decided to do it.  You finally convinced whoever it was that needed to be talked into it. You’re going to paint your home. You have free reign to express yourself and your creativity.  How fun! Since you got the “go ahead” you’ve begun to let your creativity flow, dreaming of the transformation you’ll create in your home. You imagine the lush, velvety colors that will soon blanket each wall, and the way you’ll feel every time you enter the rejuvenated room; but your fantasies are rudely interrupted when you realize you haven’t a clue what work like this is going to cost.

The next logical step would be to call CertaPro and schedule an estimate appointment. But didn’t you know? These days we do everything online. CertaPro has created an online estimator that eliminates the need for an appointment. But don’t get click happy yet—you need some information first.

In order for CertaPro to generate an accurate interior house painting estimate you’ll need to provide some details about the area you want painted. There are many elements of your home to be considered in preparation for an estimate; there also may be elements of your home beyond walls and doors that deserve some brush love. Take a stroll around the house with this guide in hand.  Answering the following questions beforehand will save you some time:

• What type of room would you like to have painted? (Estimate rooms individually if you’d like more than one room painted)
• How high is your ceiling in feet?
• Do you want your ceiling painted?
• Do you have ceiling molding?
• Do you want your walls painted?
• Will a chair rail be painted?
• Will a baseboard be painted?
• Will any wainscoting be painted?
• How many closets will be painted?
• How many of each type of window are in the room? (single pane, multiple pain, bay)
• How many of each type of door are in the room? (flat, bi-fold, louvered or paneled, paneled with window, French door)
• Do you have kitchen cupboards, staircases, built-in wall units, or fireplaces you’d like painted? If so, you’ll want to get an on-site evaluation, as these items are harder to ballpark price. You can schedule a free interior house painting estimate with a CertaPro Professional at http://www.certapro.com/schedule-house-painting-appointment.aspx or by calling Call (800) 689-7271.

Now that you’re crystal clear on the work you want done, that beautifully painted room of your fantasies isn’t so far. In fact, it’s just a few clicks away. You’re ready for that interior house painting estimate. So what are you waiting for? Visit http://www.certapro.com/interior-house-paint-estimator.aspx, and insert the information you just discovered. Once submitted, you’ll receive the personalized estimate. Next step: go ahead. Dream away.

Times are hard for everyone in this economy and one way that we all decide to save is by contributing less or not contributing at all to charities. Trends of giving to charities are down or are unchanged in the last two years and many Americans have their minds busy with something else. But let’s take some time to discover the positive ways that CertaPro found to make sure that they give back to the community.

Peter Buttenweiser, a co owner of CertaPro Painters of Jefferson Valley, has found a way to give back. Buttenweiser and partner Mitch Berlinger have decided to give one percent of their CertaPro Painter’s gross sales to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

They made this decision after hearing an encouraging speech from Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream. “I decided that a charitable giving program just made good business sense for my business. I believe small business owners can make financial gains through this type of program while assisting charitable organizations,” says Peter Buttenweiser.

While deciding how to go about creating this charitable program, an employee asked Peter and Mitch to sponsor him in The Swim Across the Hudson and The San Diego Marathon, both of which support The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

In exchange for the sponsorships, CertaPro Painters employees were asked to mention the sponsorship during sales calls. Why? To improve business! Clients love to hear the positive contributions that their local businesses are giving; it makes the business seem less like a business and more like a community member. Ida Milhorat, a CertaPro customer said that she’s “been using CertaPro Painters for years, and of course knowing about this new charitable giving program makes a difference; it is even more of a reason to keep using them.”

In the past year this CertaPro franchisee has donated $6,500 and hopes to contribute between $10,000 and $20,000 to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in this next year. Peter and Mitch are excited to help others give back and are more than willing to offer help to guide others looking to do the same.

With these positive efforts CertaPro Painters can only hope that more members of our communities can jump on the band wagon. So the question is: how are you going to give back this next year?

The customer is always right; we all know that.  But in today’s market it’s not just about letting the customer have their way but about creating a relationship with that customer that is built to last.  Customer service has always been considered a cornerstone to any successful business but it is often the most neglected at times because it requires patience, purpose, and a sense of lightheartedness.  When a customer is upset over an issue small or large, it is up to the business to turn it around.  Here are some tips from CertaPro on providing great customer service.

1) Always acknowledge the frustration of the customer and communicate that you understand.  Customers hate to feel like they are whiners even when they are.

2) Always apologize sincerely.  Even if the complaint is ridiculous, apologize to them with the thought in mind that they must really be having a tough time to get set off so easily.  Empathize on a human level.

3) Always repeat the complaint back to them using language that is professional, unemotional, and true.  This helps to let the customer know that you are listening and simultaneously can deactivate the charged tension that they have most likely been carrying around with them.

4) Always fix it, follow up, and then follow up again.  CertaPro is known for certainty and customers already expect you to fix it.  They notice a follow up, too but it’s the additional follow up that makes them know you cared about what they went through.

Customer service can require a lot of time, patience, and energy.  However CertaPro customer service representatives and managers can make or break a company.  Remember these tips the next time someone calls you screaming.  And don’t forget to keep a pleasant tone as you take on the issue in CertaPro customer service style.

CertaPro has many house painting color palettes to choose from. Why not take the leap and explore our new fad colors? Check out what’s hot at http://www.certapro.com/certapro-fad-palette-paint-colors.aspx

And what’s hotter than a tropical vacation? Your new paint color of course! Check out our collections inspired by the joys of summer like Surf’s Up!,Tropical Fare, and Poolside. You can select one color for your walls from the set and use the others as inspiration for accent pieces like rugs, window treatments and artwork.

Fashion colors will often be inspired by TV, movies, magazines, culture and shopping. These colors will always be fun, fresh and represent current trends. Think of your room like your favorite outfit–one that makes you feel good every time you slip into it, and one you’ll want to wear over and over again. Just like clothes, your wall color functions as an avenue of self-expression. Don’t let white walls depress you anymore!

Sometimes our house painting colors are even inspired by our favorite drinks! Check out our “colors for cocktail lovers” and choose from a mix of sweet and savory martini creations.  http://www.certapro.com/Cocktail-Inspired-Colors-Blog.aspx

Here’s a CertaPro Painters tip to keep your next house painting job looking current:
Paint your ceiling a lighter shade of your wall color instead of just white, and go for a darker shade on the trim. This contrast will create a bolder look and create a modern feel.

Remember different rooms call for different trends. Some rooms you might want to be adventurous with, while others will look better with a classic color scheme. To make a room, like your kitchen for example, feel more vibrant and active, use bright colors for the islands, backsplashes and accessories. Or use a vibrant color for the walls to contrast with dark or light cabinets.

Follow these CertaPro tips and soon your house painting job will be so fashion forward, your guests will be inspired to catch up!