Sharper Impressions Painting

Sharper Impressions Painting donates paint and labor to rejuvenate a local non-profit day camp. “This local non-profit has been helping members of our community for over 100 years,” says Sharper Impressions Painting owner Geoff Sharp. “I thought it was about time we gave something back to help them and the kids.”

Sharper Impressions Painting made sure to use only safe and environmentally friendly paints to give the camp a makeover before the warm weather arrives with excited new kid campers. Community involvement and being eco-friendly are two things that the Sharper team takes very seriously; the employees prove the importance of these by their responsible actions.

The camp services local children and schools, providing a fun and friendly environment to enjoy nice weather and build teamwork amongst peers. It is a staple in the local community and with efforts like those of Sharper Impressions Painting; this organization can continue to affect the lives of those who need it most.

Sharper Impressions Painting presented a check and over 50 gallons of new, environmentally friendly paint, totaling $2000, to the United Way of New Orleans. The United Way, a non-profit organization, works to deliver programs and services that target community needs and provide building blocks for the Katrina rebuilding effort.

Employees spent nearly a full week in the city and were given a guided tour of areas devastated by the hurricane. “We chose to do this now, so many years after Katrina, because we feel that many people may have forgotten that it takes a long time to rebuild after such devastation.” Hurricane Katrina was one of the United States’ most destructive natural disasters, and Sharper Impressions Painting wanted to show their continued support for the New Orleans community.

Sharper Impressions Painting named New Orleans as the site for their annual “Paint the Brain” conference. “Ever since Hurricane Katrina hit, we’ve all been concerned about the successful rebuilding of New Orleans,” says company founder, Geoff Sharp. “This is just a small way to show our support for local businesses and help out some area families with paint supplies.”

Sharper Impressions has joined Facebook!

We are now part of the social media network, click HERE to become a fan of Sharper Impressions Painting on Facebook. We will post updates and helpful tips throughout the season to keep your house looking beautiful. We work hard throughout the community and will share all our efforts with you.

We look forward to connecting with you. Become a fan today, just click HERE!!!

Sharper Impressions Painting is extremely proud of our expansion plans to offer residential and commercial painting services in another great U.S. city – Portland, OR!

Progress is underway and we’ll have more exciting details to share with you throughout the month of February.

Stay tuned!

We’re counting the days!

This February, the Sharper Impressions Painting team will gather in the great city of New Orleans for our annual meeting, affectionately known as “Paint-the-Brain.”

We’re all very excited to spend almost a full week there, enjoying the sites, music and great food. We’ve also made it a priority to show our concern for the city’s rebuilding efforts by taking a tour of the devastated areas. And, thanks to our strong connections with area paint suppliers, we’re able to make a substantial donation of Sharper time, money and paint to support the Rebuilding Effort.

If there’s one thing the Sharper Impressions Painting team knows about, it’s the value of a home – a safe home that you can share with your family and be proud of. We hope our donation will help some families continue to heal as they rebuild their homes and their lives.

It’s always a valuable time for us to get together to review the past year and plan for the future. This year is especially exciting for us as we celebrate continued growth in sales and quality with some amazing advances in technology.

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This past holiday season was extra special for all of us here at Sharper Impressions Painting. We found out about a wonderful family in our area who was faced with some very tough times. Christmas would not be full of joy for them. Both parents had lost their jobs and things were looking pretty grim. In spite of their troubles, they remained thankful for each other and their health. They put on as happy a face as they could.

We decided we could make it better.

(Check out all photos & view the family’s “thank-you” video)

Everyone at Sharper Impressions Painting—from support staff to District Managers, even some of our awesome suppliers—pitched in to donate enough money to buy gifts for this family of five. Even better, they took time out of their busy holiday schedules to focus on the needs of others. In doing so, I think we all stumbled upon the true meaning of Christmas.

As the saying goes: ‘Tis better to give than to receive.

How true! Our dear friends sent us a heartfelt thank-you video. It brought this group of strong, professional paint contractors to tears. Mostly because, we are the ones who feel thankful… for the opportunity to know the true meaning of Christmas.

Happy New Year!

The next six weeks are an ideal time to give your entertaining spaces an affordable makeover – to update your home in anticipation of a joyous holiday season.  A professional paint job is one of the easiest ways to freshen up your home for family and friends and, you are guaranteed to get the best price of the year from your paint contractor.

Often, if you find the right painting contractor, December pricing can save you 20-30% on all types of interior paint jobs. Late November through mid-December is a transitional time for most painters who find themselves booking only interior painting projects. As they finish up exterior jobs, this is a perfect time for you to take advantage of their schedule and get some much needed sprucing up done in time for the holidays.

Here are some important tips:

Have you ever considered giving a fresh paint job to a spouse or loved one for the Holidays? Most paint contractors can give you a quote secretly, you can sign the painting agreement and then either have the area painted before or after the holiday. A fun and unique gift and you don’t have to spend your winter weekends painting rooms!

For paint contractors who are busy finishing exteriors, they have open spaces to fill on rainy days. If you can be flexible and allow your contractor to work with you on bad-weather days, you’ll probably see an even greater discount. We have seen HALF OFF when customers are flexible.

Allow at least a week for the color selection process. Good paint contractors can help you select colors and will allow FREE color try-ons to make your decision easier.  Remember, once the color is selected it will be there for a long time, so enjoy your color selection process.

Never give a paint contractor a deposit, especially around the holidays!  Save your money for presents and be wary if any contractor asks for any type of deposit. Good paint contractors will only request payment when the job is completed to your satisfaction. The last thing you need is to be out of cash with an incomplete painting project.

On that note, be sure the contract states a completion date for all work to be done, including clean-up.  Holidays are busy enough, you don’t want any last minute painting touch ups.

Good paint contractors will help you move and replace furniture. Although most should have a disclaimer on their contract, removing them from that damage liability, they can be extremely helpful during the supervised heavy-lifting needed to prepare a room for painting.

Have cabinets and trim painted for a fresh, glossy finish. A fresh, white paint on ceilings will make rooms feel brighter and larger. New colors on walls will be so inviting to your holiday guests and family.  Enjoy life, get some COLOR! J

A fresh, professional paint job gives your holiday rooms greater depth and a vibrant glow. The most relatively inexpensive by comparison to other home projects, a professional paint job leaves you with plenty of money left over for presents under the tree. Give your family and friends – and yourself! – the gift of a beautiful holiday environment.

Happy holidays from the Sharper Impressions Painting Family!

Things just got a little greener here at Sharper Impressions Painting… and I’m not talking about a new color of paint. The new skylights installed in our 3,000 square foot office and warehouse are another step we’ve taken to operate our business in a more environmentally friendly way.

In the past year, we’ve implemented several other green initiatives that have had a huge, positive impact on the environment.

• • We erased our carbon footprint by joining Carbonfund.org
• • We are a nearly paperless office thanks to our Intranet database
• • All Sharper Impressions Painting products continue to be Low or No VOC
• • Our bee boxes support the local honey bee population’s struggling pollination efforts
• • Newly installed insulation increases energy efficiency and reduces costs
• • All possible office waste is recycled
• • Finally, our new skylights are installed!

With the skylights, we’re saving money by harnessing solar energy, replacing over 800 kilowatts of office and warehouse lighting used each year. Not only was our old lighting system costly, with warehouse lights on the same circuits as other office lighting, but many times they were left on without need, especially when only one late-night worker was in another part of the building. A big waste!

We anticipated saving the use of only four large high bay lights. However, after installation, we are surprisingly proud to announce, that NO lighting needs to be turned on in the office during the regular work day. The skylights have been a great addition to our green efforts.

Aside from the economic and financial positives, the skylights improve our office atmosphere. There’s an outdoors-y feel and a calming view of clouds passing by. Employees who work on the second floor no longer have to contend with the bright, glaring electric light and all of us have noticed the absence of that annoying “buzz” from rows of fixtures. Overall there’s a cozier, more natural feeling to our workspace. Stop by to see us, anytime!

While the profit from electrical cost-savings won’t be seen for about 8 years, we feel pretty good about doing our part to help operate an eco-friendly business and… getting closer to nature at the same time.

To learn more about Sharper Impressions Painting’s commitment to environmental health and community awareness, go to www.sharperimpressionspainting.org.

Another busy summer comes to a close but before we pack away the bathing suits, I wanted to take a moment to thank some folks for one of the greatest experiences Sharper Impressions Painting had this summer – or any season for that matter.

There’s a place across town called New Horizons Transitional Housing. This collection of two-story apartment buildings is home to about 40 men and women who have spent the majority of their lives fighting an uphill battle, either chronically homeless or mentally ill. They’ve traveled a road most of us will never see. And through grace and hard work, they’ve come out on the other side, with hope for a different path.

New Horizons Housing offers a new start, a new outlook on life. But, the buildings aren’t in the best of shape – inside or out. So some great folks from the Community Shelter Board and our local chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) pooled their resources and created a 3-year long initiative to update the structural décor. To date, labor and materials for refurbishment of all 9 apartments have been donated by this group of lovely people.

Through Ruthanne Hanlon, our awesome local color consultant, Sharper Impressions Painting was invited to join the project. We spent 4 full days prepping and painting, donating roughly 150 hours of labor. As with any job, our painters worked with pride and precision, delivering a top-quality paint job that any homeowner would be pleased with.

But this was a bit different. When we packed up our gear to leave, we watched as many of the residents gazed at the work with tears in their eyes. “It’s too good to be true… This is a blessing… This has never happened to me in my whole, entire life,” was one resident’s response. I can’t tell you how moved we were to witness such gratitude for our work. In nearly 18 years of painting, this was by far, the biggest paycheck we’ve ever received.

For the grateful people who live in the New Horizons apartments, a fresh coat of paint and some beautiful new furnishings means a lot. And, although most will be moving on in a matter of months, this is a much-needed oasis; a clean, safe place for them to gain strength to move forward with their lives.

So, thanks to all our friends at ASID, especially committee leaders Connie Lane Christy and Karen James. And a big “Thank you” to the outstanding Sharper Impressions Painting crew who – once again – went above and “beyond the brush.”

To learn more about Sharper Impressions Painting’s commitment to environmental health and community awareness, go to www.sharperimpressionspainting.org.

For some homeowners, hiring a painting contractor feels like stepping up to the roulette wheel; it’s a gamble with unknown odds. Most give up early on the hope of finding a GREAT painter and a GREAT price. Eliminate the risk by learning the secrets to finding a GREAT painting contractor. Just follow these ten simple guidelines and you’ll hit the jackpot!

1. A GREAT Paint Contractor Presents Proof of Insurance

While a good paint contractor may tell you he’s insured, a GREAT contractor presents a copy of his policy, proving the amount of coverage he carries for both property damage and bodily injury that may result from the contractor’s work. By nature, paint materials are highly flammable and, should a tragedy occur, you need to know your contractor is sufficiently insured.

2. A GREAT Paint Contractor NEVER Asks for a Deposit

While some paint contractors may request a deposit before beginning the work, well-established, successful painting professionals have sufficient operating income and can easily afford to purchase materials and make payroll. BE WARY of a contractor who asks for a deposit! If he is unable to purchase materials, he’s probably unable to pay his staff. Every year, too many homeowners fall victim to contractors who walk off the job – and out of town – with the deposit in their pockets.

If you agree to advance payment of any kind, be sure materials have been purchased and are on your property, leaving you some kind of leverage should the contractor default on the work. Bottom Line: GREAT painting contractors NEVER request a deposit.

3. A GREAT Paint Contractor Offers Great Warranties

You can tell a lot about a paint contractor by his warranty. Well-known contractors with established reputations have are respected by paint suppliers who, in turn, pass on extended – even lifetime – warranties on their paints because they know the product will be applied right. For any number of reasons, less experienced contractors may not have valuable relationships with suppliers. On the labor side, a GREAT contractor works with solid, experienced painters whose work he knows he can stand behind with an extended labor warranty.

4. GREAT Paint Contractors Go the Extra Mile

Because GREAT contractors have learned the value of a satisfied customer, they’re able to focus on service and offer extras that show the customer how important your business is to them. Check to see if your contractor offers the following:

• Professional color consulting
• FREE color try-ons
• FREE power washing
• Two coats of paint – as a standard offering!

5. GREAT Paint Contractors Give Professional, Detailed Quotes

A GREAT painting quote includes a detailed list of ALL aspects of work to be done:

• FREE Power washing
• Caulking, sanding and priming
• Trim repair – GREAT contractors will know what needs to be done
• Details of products and application – GREAT contractors know the right products for every job
• Touch-ups and clean-up

In addition to the quote’s content and accuracy, is it presented professionally?

• Is the quote printed on company letterhead?
• Does the sheet show the contractor’s license number?
• Does he use a local land line phone number? (beware if only a cell phone number is listed)
• TAX I.D. number?
• Work guarantee and product warranties?

Inexperienced contractors, using standard business forms purchased at office supply stores suggests they haven’t invested much in their business and may not be properly licensed. Also, they may not be paying income tax.

6. GREAT Paint Contractors Have an A or A+ Better Business Bureau Rating

The The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is a trusted consumer rating body that grades businesses based on collective criteria. In addition to finding their grade, be sure to check how long the paint contractor has been a member. Also confirm that any complaints have been resolved. BBB will still afford a good rating if a business has addressed issues in a timely manner. Questionable painting contractors will have either no BBB affiliation at all or a grade of B or below.Better Business Bureau (BBB) is a trusted consumer rating body that grades businesses based on collective criteria. In addition to finding their grade, be sure to check how long the paint contractor has been a member. Also confirm that any complaints have been resolved. BBB will still afford a good rating if a business has addressed issues in a timely manner. Questionable painting contractors will have either no BBB affiliation at all or a grade of B or below.

7. GREAT Paint Contractors Care about Their Communities and Industry Associations

Being active in local Chambers of Commerce, committed to area charities and represented in the Painting and Decorating Contractors Association (PDCA) shows that GREAT paint contractors have professional integrity and care about their communities. Fly-by-night contractors avoid connections to civic or professional organizations.

8. GREAT Paint Contractors Provide References in Your Area – Both Old and New

Good paint contractors may have references from local work that was completed in the past few weeks. GREAT Paint Contractors will provide multiple references from both recent and past work. References from a year ago or longer show the paint job’s durability and confirm that any necessary follow-up or billing issues were handled correctly.

9. GREAT Paint Contractors Invite You to See a Job in Progress

If a contractor is confident about the way they work, they’ll prove it by asking you to judge for yourself. Things to look for:

• Work vehicles – are they clean, organized and professional?
• The painters – are they neatly dressed and groomed?
• Materials – are ladders, scaffolding, drop cloths and electrical equipment in good condition?
• Is work being done carefully so as not to damage landscaping or property?

GREAT Paint Contractors treat a home – and its homeowner – with respect at all times.

10. GREAT Paint Contractors Have a Professional Website

While it is certainly possible to be a good paint contactor and not own a Website, GREAT contractors are also successful business people who understand that today’s consumer is looking for instant information. A GREAT contractor’s Website will include all the details homeowners are looking for – references, before & after photos, details of services, contact information and history of the company and its owner and staff.