We’ve said it so many times before: decorating is a fast-paced world where you’re either keeping up and using the latest technology and techniques, or you’re standing still and having to cut your prices more and more to try and stay relevant and busy. Decorating, like many other trades, requires keeping your eye forward, identifying and capitalising on trends that can boost your business and profitability. If you’re not seeing that, if you’re still thinking a brush will be the only tool a decorator will ever need, read on. It’s time we broke down the need to follow decorating trends. Understan ..read more

You’re in the trades sector and want to grow your business. You’ve seen dozens, if not hundreds, of people do it with what looked like ease. Great! We’re with you. Everyone needs to do it; we all should be trying to grow our businesses because in the ever-evolving landscape of the trades sector, there is no such thing as standing still. With more and more competitors coming into the market every year, you’re either moving forwards and growing, or going backwards and will soon be back employed. I know it sounds harsh, but let’s not skip over the difficult conversations. It’s your business and y ..read more

You might be new to the trade sector as a decorator, plasterer, or something similar; or you’ve been around for some time, a bit of a veteran. Either way, as a business owner, you need to know that there is always room for continuous learning. We know that skills such as spraying, wallpapering, and project management are pivotal, and really, they should be refreshed every few years. Ahh, shocking. Yes, every few years. Because imagine if you didn’t; that the only thing you now know was what you learned when you first started. How much have or would you have missed out on? In reality, the conce ..read more

Did you know that Santa was originally green? For much of the Victorian era, Father Christmas was depicted wearing a green suit. However, along came Coca-Cola with a Christmas campaign showing him in a red suit, and there you go – we now have the Santa we all know and love from our childhoods, dressed in a bright red suit. One company, one Christmas, one person’s idea changed a global icon, they discovered the importance of making money and how to use people’s needs to do so, and not many people know any different. So why is it important to know this? Why does Coca-Cola turning Santa red matte ..read more

In our previous blog, we discussed five of the most common mistakes when spraying. We covered overspray, being too close, arching the gun, incorrect pressure settings, and moving the gun – five crucial aspects to master for achieving the best results in spraying and avoiding the traditional mistakes often made by untrained decorators or those who think they can replicate skills after watching a single YouTube video. Currently, you have one of the greatest opportunities at your fingertips. Spraying is a thriving skill in the UK, with more people recognising its advantages. It’s not just decorat ..read more

Do you know where you want to take your decorating business in 2024? What do you want to do? Are you stuck doing the same thing over and over and need something to change or is it exactly where you want it to be?  Even if 2023 was awesome, there are always nuggets of information in these blogs to switch things up a bit – keep the good stuff and ditch the not-so-good stuff. And if 2023 wasn’t your best year, that’s ok too. Let’s look at three simple things you can do right now to make your decorating business better in 2024.   Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and e ..read more

It’s 2024, and we’re all now back to work and trying to get up to speed quickly after the festive break. While some will be thriving at the new challenges and opportunities being thrown at them, others will be getting that unwelcome feeling of dread being back in the grind, suffering from the same problems and negatives as they did last year.  Look, we realise it’s hard. You would have heard the stories from Ian about when he first started – that overwhelming feeling that made him throw his sprayer in the skip and go back to a roller. But then that wasn’t any more helpful, hence turning t ..read more

And here we are, writing the final blog of 2023 on the last day of work before Christmas. As I said in our previous blog, 2023 has been a blast. We’ve gone through some massive highs, such as winning the ‘Trades Education Specialist of the Year, by the Innovation & Excellence Awards’, once again cementing us as the leading academy for trades within the UK; to the lows, which, as a business owner you’ll know only too well the issues we all have to face and deal with in everyday business life. We had a plan. I mention highs and lows, but it’s worth remembering that because we had a plan, bec ..read more

Did you catch up with us this week at the Painting And Decorating Show 2023 in Coventry? Did you come to the stand and get to speak to us about the new funding opportunities from CITB? Maybe you got the time to try the new VR spray painting simulator we have developed? Or heard Pete and Ian present at the show’s scheduled talks on Tuesday or Wednesday? Honestly, there was a lot to do on our stand. We brought a lot of information, tools and some VR fun, but more than that, for us, it was just a pleasure to speak to all of those who came and visited our stand or listened to us talk. For those wh ..read more

Once you decide to start exploring the world of spraying you become aware that there are costs involved. No more spending a fiver on a roller, some of this stuff is quite expensive. The first thing that you will look at is the sprayer. Oh wow, it’s a mine field, there are loads of sprayers out there, big ones, small ones, airless, HVLP, conventional. Three stage, four stage and five stage turbines, whatever that means. There are sprayers for £200 and sprayers for £2000. Which is best? Then there is the advice that is out there. Conflicting and confusing. Some people will tell you to get a che ..read more