Mike’s Solo – Staying CALM During Spring Production

Delegate low-value tasks like paint and supply runs immediately; your crew lead should manage material acquisition.

Utilize a Google Calendar to proactively plan your week, scheduling all tasks and preparing mentally for upcoming days to reduce tactical firefighting.

Critically assess all your activities; if someone else can successfully do a task for $50/hour, delegate it to free up your time for high-leverage growth activities.

Implement checklists for all recurring processes (e.g., job opening, payment collection, Google review requests) to systematize operations and reduce anxiety.

Hire crew leads, not just helpers, as your first painters to enable you to step off the tools and focus on business growth, ensuring they are better than you at key aspects.

Onboard painters thoroughly by setting clear expectations for their responsibilities, including job opening/closing, customer communication, and payment collection, to avoid misunderstandings.

Use a production schedule spreadsheet to gain a high-level view of your business, forecast job flow, and strategically plan for adding new crews.