Profitable Painter Podcast

By Daniel Honan, CPABusiness Entrepreneurship

Profitable Painter Podcast episodes

November 10 Give Me 12 minutes and I’ll Save Your Painting Business $200K in Tax
Send us Fan Mail
Learn how to save your painting business thousands in tax with the same moves that got one painting contractor $202K back from the IRS.

Know Your Numbers & Save Big in Taxes,
Daniel Honan, CPA

Every episode is made for painting business owners. Follow the show so the next one downloads automatically.

WANT ME TO LOOK AT YOUR NUMBERS?
Join 600+ painting contractors who know exactly where their money goes, keep more of what they earn, and scale without tax surprises.
Book a free Profit Checkup here → profitablepaintercpa.com/vsl
FREE BOOK FOR PAINTING CONTRACTORS
FREE! Just cover shipping.
Get your copy here → profitablepaintercpa.com/book

Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube

📌 What We Discuss:
00:00 How a Painting Business Saved $202K in Tax
00:55 Knowing Your Real Profit Before Tax Planning
01:05 When an S Corp Election Makes Sense
03:00 Setting Your Salary and Using an Accountable Plan
04:40 Removing IRS Penalties
05:08 Using Section 179 on Business Vehicles
05:55 Retirement Plans That Lower Your Taxes
07:43 Using a Short-Term Rental to Lower Taxes
09:17 Owning the Building Your Painting Business Uses
10:08 The Grouping Provision and SBA 504 Financing
About us - Profitable Painter CPA:
We helping painting business owners understand their numbers, reduce taxes, and build sustainable wealth. Check us out → profitablepaintercpa.com
This episode was originally recorded as a video for YouTube.
If you hear me say things like “in this video” or reference visuals, don’t worry —
the content still works perfectly in audio form.
And if you ever want to watch the video version, you can find it on the
Profitable Painter YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/@BookkeepingForPainters
13 min
November 06 The 4 Hires to a $10 Million Painting Business
Send us Fan Mail
What are the 4 hires that build a $10M painting business without building yourself a bigger job? In this episode, I break down the four leadership seats I build toward: sales, marketing, operations, and finance. I explain why owners between about $1.5M and $4M end up managing everyone themselves, then walk through an example base pay and bonus plan for a sales manager, marketing manager, operations manager, and controller. I show how to tie each bonus to results so goals aren't hit by cutting prices or rushing jobs, add up what the full team costs at $10M in revenue, and explain why CEO pay and ownership profit are two different paychecks.

Know Your Numbers & Save Big in Taxes,
Daniel Honan, CPA

Every episode is made for painting business owners. Follow the show so the next one downloads automatically.

WANT ME TO LOOK AT YOUR NUMBERS?
Join 600+ painting contractors who know exactly where their money goes, keep more of what they earn, and scale without tax surprises.
Book a free Profit Checkup here → profitablepaintercpa.com/vsl
FREE BOOK FOR PAINTING CONTRACTORS
FREE! Just cover shipping.
Get your copy here → profitablepaintercpa.com/book

Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube

📌 What We Discuss:
00:00 4 hires to stop managing everyone
01:31 Pay plan: leaders, CEO pay, and net profit
02:34 Hire 1: Sales manager
03:42 Hire 2: Marketing manager
04:41 Hire 3: Operations manager
05:45 Hire 4: Controller
06:33 What the leadership team costs
08:16 CEO pay vs. ownership profit
About us - Profitable Painter CPA:
We helping painting business owners understand their numbers, reduce taxes, and build sustainable wealth. Check us out → profitablepaintercpa.com
This episode was originally recorded as a video for YouTube.
If you hear me say things like “in this video” or reference visuals, don’t worry —
the content still works perfectly in audio form.
And if you ever want to watch the video version, you can find it on the
Profitable Painter YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/@BookkeepingForPainters
11 min
November 03 How to Grow a Painting Business From $500K to $1.5M
Send us Fan Mail
Going from $500K to $1.5M usually means going from referrals to paid leads. Those leads are colder, cost more, and are harder to close.
New episode with Brandon Pierpont from Painter Marketing Pros: Stage 2 of growing a painting business.
Know Your Numbers & Save Big in Taxes,
Daniel Honan, CPA

Every episode is made for painting business owners. Follow the show so the next one downloads automatically.

WANT ME TO LOOK AT YOUR NUMBERS?
Join 600+ painting contractors who know exactly where their money goes, keep more of what they earn, and scale without tax surprises.
Book a free Profit Checkup here → profitablepaintercpa.com/vsl
FREE BOOK FOR PAINTING CONTRACTORS
FREE! Just cover shipping.
Get your copy here → profitablepaintercpa.com/book

Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube

📌 What We Discuss:
0:00 - What changes between $500K and $1.5M
1:23 - Build a financial plan for your next hires
2:58 - Don't skip estimated tax payments
3:37 - Moving from inbound to outbound marketing
6:06 - Why cold leads need a tighter sales process
9:12 - Why 50% gross profit may not be enough
10:07 - Meta ads and Google Local Service Ads
12:00 - The pay-per-lead trap (Angi, Thumbtack)
14:19 - Hold off on Google pay-per-click
15:37 - Gross profit vs. cost to win a customer
18:43 - Add one outbound channel at a time
20:46 - Get your cash flow ready to scale
24:51 - First key hires: admin and project manager
27:33 - Build marketing assets: website and SEO
30:45 - How one painter grew to $4M on SEO
32:40 - Optimize your Google Business Profile
34:22 - ChatGPT, AI search, and painting companies
37:32 - Recap
About us - Profitable Painter CPA:
We helping painting business owners understand their numbers, reduce taxes, and build sustainable wealth. Check us out → profitablepaintercpa.com
This episode was originally recorded as a video for YouTube.
If you hear me say things like “in this video” or reference visuals, don’t worry —
the content still works perfectly in audio form.
And if you ever want to watch the video version, you can find it on the
Profitable Painter YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/@BookkeepingForPainters

For being a loyal listener, I want to send you a copy of my new book Profitable Painter. Inside, I’ll show you the exact frameworks that have helped painting businesses save big on taxes, increase profits, and scale with confidence
Head over to profitablepaintercpa.com/book and grab your copy today. Don’t wait — this is my gift to you for being part of the Profitable Painter community.
41 min
November 03 I've Coached 600+ Painting Business Owners. Here's What I Learned
Send us Fan Mail
After my first year running a painting business, I was worse off than when I started. Over the last 10 years, I’ve worked with more than 600 painting businesses, and I keep seeing owners make the same mistakes I made. In this episode, I share 7 lessons I’d want you to know before you spend another year growing, from pricing and taxes to hiring, cash flow, and building your team.
Know Your Numbers & Save Big in Taxes,
Daniel Honan, CPA

Every episode is made for painting business owners. Follow the show so the next one downloads automatically.

WANT ME TO LOOK AT YOUR NUMBERS?
Join 600+ painting contractors who know exactly where their money goes, keep more of what they earn, and scale without tax surprises.
Book a free Profit Checkup here → profitablepaintercpa.com/vsl
FREE BOOK FOR PAINTING CONTRACTORS
FREE! Just cover shipping.
Get your copy here → profitablepaintercpa.com/book

Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube

📌 What We Discuss:
00:00 Seven Lessons for Building a More Profitable Painting Business
00:48 Pricing Labor and Materials for 50% Gross Profit
03:39 Keeping Up With Taxes, Payroll, and Records
05:16 Making Sure You Can Afford Your Next Hire
07:15 Hiring and Paying Salespeople Based on Profitable Work
08:48 Managing Cash Flow and Getting Paid on Time
10:37 Building a Two-Month Cash Reserve
11:10 Measuring Gross Profit Against Customer Acquisition Costs
13:02 Knowing When to Increase or Cut Marketing Spend
14:09 Building a Team That Can Take Ownership
16:13 Budgeting for Recruiting and Finding Better Employees
17:38 Planning Taxes Before the Year Ends
19:04 When to Consider an S Corp Election
About us - Profitable Painter CPA:
We helping painting business owners understand their numbers, reduce taxes, and build sustainable wealth. Check us out → profitablepaintercpa.com
This episode was originally recorded as a video for YouTube.
If you hear me say things like “in this video” or reference visuals, don’t worry —
the content still works perfectly in audio form.
And if you ever want to watch the video version, you can find it on the
Profitable Painter YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/@BookkeepingForPainters
21 min
November 02 How I Would Scale a $10M Painting Business (If I Had to Start Over)
Send us Fan Mail
Learn how I would scale a $10M painting business if I had to start over. It starts with profitable jobs, enough cash, and a customer acquisition cost that supports growth before you hire.
Know Your Numbers & Save Big in Taxes,
Daniel Honan, CPA

Every episode is made for painting business owners. Follow the show so the next one downloads automatically.

WANT ME TO LOOK AT YOUR NUMBERS?
Join 600+ painting contractors who know exactly where their money goes, keep more of what they earn, and scale without tax surprises.
Book a free Profit Checkup here → profitablepaintercpa.com/vsl
FREE BOOK FOR PAINTING CONTRACTORS
FREE! Just cover shipping.
Get your copy here → profitablepaintercpa.com/book

Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube

📌 What We Discuss:
00:00 How I Would Scale a $10M Painting Business
01:13 Getting Your Books and Taxes Right
01:46 Paying Employees vs Subcontractors
02:48 Pricing for a 50% Gross Profit Margin
03:58 Markup vs Margin and Pricing Materials
05:37 Checking Job Costs Every Week
07:20 When an S Corp Election Makes Sense
08:08 Building a Cash Buffer Before You Hire
10:41 Paying Yourself With Discretionary Earnings
13:37 Making Customer Acquisition Profitable
15:02 Using Your Close Rate to Raise Prices
17:28 How One Client Went From $2 to $4 of Gross Profit
18:25 Hiring Managers Who Take Ownership
20:20 Budgeting for a Production Director
21:49 Making the Business Less Dependent on You
23:45 What It Takes to Reach $10M
About us - Profitable Painter CPA:
We helping painting business owners understand their numbers, reduce taxes, and build sustainable wealth. Check us out → profitablepaintercpa.com
This episode was originally recorded as a video for YouTube.
If you hear me say things like “in this video” or reference visuals, don’t worry —
the content still works perfectly in audio form.
And if you ever want to watch the video version, you can find it on the
Profitable Painter YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/@BookkeepingForPainters

For being a loyal listener, I want to send you a copy of my new book Profitable Painter. Inside, I’ll show you the exact frameworks that have helped painting businesses save big on taxes, increase profits, and scale with confidence
Head over to profitablepaintercpa.com/book and grab your copy today. Don’t wait — this is my gift to you for being part of the Profitable Painter community.
26 min
October 27 Alex Hormozi's Advice for Painting Businesses
Send us Fan Mail
Learn how to apply Alex Hormozi’s growth strategies to a painting business by evaluating gross profit, customer acquisition costs, and service profitability before scaling.
Know Your Numbers & Save Big in Taxes,
Daniel Honan, CPA

Every episode is made for painting business owners. Follow the show so the next one downloads automatically.

WANT ME TO LOOK AT YOUR NUMBERS?
Join 600+ painting contractors who know exactly where their money goes, keep more of what they earn, and scale without tax surprises.
Book a free Profit Checkup here → profitablepaintercpa.com/vsl
FREE BOOK FOR PAINTING CONTRACTORS
FREE! Just cover shipping.
Get your copy here → profitablepaintercpa.com/book

Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube

📌 What We Discuss:
00:00 Alex Hormozi’s Growth Advice for Contractors
01:04 Measuring Marketing Returns and GP-to-CAC Ratios
02:54 Finding Opportunities in Specialized Services
03:38 Using Job Costing to Identify Profitable Services
05:15 Evaluating Smaller Jobs and Customer Acquisition Costs
06:30 Scaling Door-to-Door Sales
07:09 Calculating Sales Commissions and Gross Profit Margins
08:47 Increasing Customer Lifetime Value and Repeat Business
09:50 Reactivating Past Customers and Generating Repeat Revenue
10:59 Building Recurring Revenue With Maintenance Plans
12:21 Increasing Ticket Size and Repair Volume
13:09 Charging More for Faster Service and Priority Scheduling
14:31 Specializing Your Offer and Scaling Salespeople
15:43 Building a Repeatable Sales Process Before Hiring
About us - Profitable Painter CPA:
We helping painting business owners understand their numbers, reduce taxes, and build sustainable wealth. Check us out → profitablepaintercpa.com
This episode was originally recorded as a video for YouTube.
If you hear me say things like “in this video” or reference visuals, don’t worry —
the content still works perfectly in audio form.
And if you ever want to watch the video version, you can find it on the
Profitable Painter YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/@BookkeepingForPainters
22 min
October 23 If I Started a Painting Business in 2026, I’d Do This First
Send us Fan Mail
If I had to grow a painting business to $500K from scratch today, here's what I'd do. Brandon Pierpont from Painter Marketing Pros and I walk through the money side and the marketing side of that first stage.

Know Your Numbers & Save Big in Taxes,
Daniel Honan, CPA

Every episode is made for painting business owners. Follow the show so the next one downloads automatically.

WANT ME TO LOOK AT YOUR NUMBERS?
Join 600+ painting contractors who know exactly where their money goes, keep more of what they earn, and scale without tax surprises.
Book a free Profit Checkup here → profitablepaintercpa.com/vsl
FREE BOOK FOR PAINTING CONTRACTORS
FREE! Just cover shipping.
Get your copy here → profitablepaintercpa.com/book

Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube

📌 What We Discuss:
0:00 - If I Started a Painting Business Today
1:25 - The Marketing You Should Always Be Doing
4:25 - Fix Your Sales Process Before You Chase More Leads
8:28 - Production Rates: How Long Each Surface Takes to Paint
10:17 - Marking Up Labor and Materials
11:56 - Checking Your Job Numbers Every Week + Pricing for Risk
16:00 - Where to Get Leads When You're Starting Out
20:54 - When It Makes Sense to Pay for Leads
22:35 - Why the Same Lead Is Worth More to Some Painters
24:07 - Staying Compliant + Two Months of Cash in the Bank
26:20 - How Much You Should Be Paying Yourself
27:47 - What We'd Do Differently Starting Over
31:00 - The Numbers to Hit Before You Scale
About us - Profitable Painter CPA:
We helping painting business owners understand their numbers, reduce taxes, and build sustainable wealth. Check us out → profitablepaintercpa.com
This episode was originally recorded as a video for YouTube.
If you hear me say things like “in this video” or reference visuals, don’t worry —
the content still works perfectly in audio form.
And if you ever want to watch the video version, you can find it on the
Profitable Painter YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/@BookkeepingForPainters

For being a loyal listener, I want to send you a copy of my new book Profitable Painter. Inside, I’ll show you the exact frameworks that have helped painting businesses save big on taxes, increase profits, and scale with confidence
Head over to profitablepaintercpa.com/book and grab your copy today. Don’t wait — this is my gift to you for being part of the Profitable Painter community.
35 min
October 21 How to Raise Painting Prices (And Still Win Jobs)
Send us Fan Mail
Want to raise your painting prices but worried you'll lose money if you lose a few jobs? In this episode, I break down how to raise painting prices without losing money. We test an increase that adds more dollars to the average job, see what it does to your close rate, and find how many jobs you can afford to lose before it stops paying off.

Know Your Numbers & Save Big in Taxes,
Daniel Honan, CPA

Every episode is made for painting business owners. Follow the show so the next one downloads automatically.

FREE BOOK FOR PAINTING CONTRACTORS
FREE! Just cover shipping.
Get your copy here → profitablepaintercpa.com/book

WANT ME TO LOOK AT YOUR NUMBERS?
Join 600+ painting contractors who know exactly where their money goes, keep more of what they earn, and scale without tax surprises.
Book a free Profit Checkup here → profitablepaintercpa.com/vsl

Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube

📌 What We Discuss:
0:00 - Raise Prices Without Making Less Money
0:46 - What a High Close Rate Is Telling You
1:17 - The Close Rate Target for Residential Repaints
1:41 - Check Your Sales Process Before You Raise Prices
2:42 - Testing a 10% Price Increase
4:25 - Was the Price Increase Worth It?
5:12 - The Minimum Close Rate You Can Afford
5:58 - 5 Steps to Raise Your Prices
About us - Profitable Painter CPA:
We helping painting business owners understand their numbers, reduce taxes, and build sustainable wealth. Check us out → profitablepaintercpa.com
This episode was originally recorded as a video for YouTube.
If you hear me say things like “in this video” or reference visuals, don’t worry —
the content still works perfectly in audio form.
And if you ever want to watch the video version, you can find it on the
Profitable Painter YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/@BookkeepingForPainters
7 min
October 19 How To Scale a Painting Business (Complete Guide)
Send us Fan Mail
Learn the 4 stages of a Painting Business, from startup to $3M+, and the financial tests to pass before scaling, hiring, increasing marketing spend, or building a company that can run without you.

Know Your Numbers & Save Big in Taxes,
Daniel Honan, CPA

Every episode is made for painting business owners. Follow the show so the next one downloads automatically.

FREE BOOK FOR PAINTING CONTRACTORS
Free, just cover shipping.
Get your copy here: profitablepaintercpa.com/book

WANT DANIEL TO LOOK AT YOUR NUMBERS?
Join 529+ painting contractors who know exactly where their money goes, keep more of what they earn, and scale without tax surprises.
Book a free Profit Checkup here: profitablepaintercpa.com/vsl

Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube

What We Discuss:
00:00 Why revenue growth doesn't always mean profitability
00:36 The 4 stages of a painting business
01:02 Startup: Proving your business model
01:46 Markup and gross profit targets
02:41 Job costing and building a cash buffer
04:00 Build stage: Managing cash flow as you grow
05:16 Hiring an admin or project manager
06:14 GP to CAC: Measuring marketing profitability
08:19 The $1M–$3M stage: Strengthening profitability
09:54 Sales compensation and improving gross profit
11:12 The $3M+ stage: Building a business that runs without you

Profitable Painter CPA – accounting and financial strategy for painting contractors. Visit us profitablepaintercpa.com
This episode was originally recorded as a video for YouTube.
If you hear me say things like “in this video” or reference visuals, don’t worry —
the content still works perfectly in audio form.
And if you ever want to watch the video version, you can find it on the
Profitable Painter YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/@BookkeepingForPainters
14 min
October 16 I Compared Painting Businesses at 4 Stages (When Growth Pays Off)
Send us Fan Mail
When does growth pay off in a Painting Business? Daniel Honan, CPA, and Cody Hall break down the 4 stages of a painting business and what to focus on with your money at each one. In the startup stage ($0–$350K), pricing with production rates and a 50% gross profit target on residential repaints is what gets you to the next level, along with staying compliant on taxes and knowing when to consider an S corp. In the build stage ($350K–$1M), they cover hiring your first admin and production manager, what to pay each one, and when to start tax planning and getting help with your numbers. In the swamp ($1M–$3M), they get into how to pay a salesperson and why you need to track the GP to CAC ratio by marketing channel, and Daniel shares client data on profit at each stage. In the sellable asset stage ($3M+), they talk about removing key man risk, knowing what your business is worth, diversifying your net worth, and setting up a revocable living trust.

Know Your Numbers & Save Big in Taxes,
Daniel Honan, CPA

Every episode is made for painting business owners. Follow the show so the next one downloads automatically.

FREE BOOK FOR PAINTING CONTRACTORS
Free, just cover shipping.
Get your copy here: profitablepaintercpa.com/book

WANT DANIEL TO LOOK AT YOUR NUMBERS?
Join 529+ painting contractors who know exactly where their money goes, keep more of what they earn, and scale without tax surprises.
Book a free Profit Checkup here: profitablepaintercpa.com/vsl

Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube

What We Discuss:
01:35 The 4 stages of a Painting Business
03:11 Startup ($0–$350K): Daniel's first year
06:57 Production rate estimating
08:00 Markup: pricing for 50% gross profit
10:00 Staying compliant and the S corp election
11:35 Build ($350K–$1M): hiring an admin
13:34 Hiring and paying a production manager
16:34 Tax planning and help with your numbers
20:52 The swamp ($1M–$3M)
22:49 Profit by stage from our client data
25:33 Paying a salesperson
26:00 Gross profit and the GP to CAC ratio
29:52 Sellable asset ($3M+) and key man risk
32:45 Business value and diversifying
35:57 Estate planning: revocable living trusts

Profitable Painter CPA – accounting and financial strategy for painting contractors. Visit us profitablepaintercpa.com
This episode was originally recorded as a video for YouTube.
If you hear me say things like “in this video” or reference visuals, don’t worry —
the content still works perfectly in audio form.
And if you ever want to watch the video version, you can find it on the
Profitable Painter YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/@BookkeepingForPainters

For being a loyal listener, I want to send you a copy of my new book Profitable Painter. Inside, I’ll show you the exact frameworks that have helped painting businesses save big on taxes, increase profits, and scale with confidence
Head over to profitablepaintercpa.com/book and grab your copy today. Don’t wait — this is my gift to you for being part of the Profitable Painter community.
38 min

About Profitable Painter Podcast

From the publisher's feed

Profitable Painter Podcast is a rich resource for anyone interested in starting, running, and scaling a professional painting business, offering valuable insights, strategies, and interviews with…