Interior Painting Service

Eye catching Interiors LLC

1510 Battery Way
Charleston, SC 29417

Eric Patrick McMahon

The mission of Eyecatching Interiors is to offer high–quality interior commercial and residential painting services. The company will accomplish this by using the highest quality materials and apply them in the most professional manner. Every customer will be dealt with in a personal and friendly manner and every project will be viewed as a personal reflection of the company.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Eyecatching Interiors' Objectives

Eyecatching Interiors is an interior painting contractor with combined experience of over thirty years in the industry. The company is located at 1510 Battery Way in Charleston, South Carolina. The company emphasizes the highest quality of work for all of its jobs, regardless of size. The foundation of the company is Brett Taylor. Originally trained as a union painter, Brett brings experience and knowledge to every job. The company had previously been a sole proprietorship, with Brett Taylor being the only employee. Currently the company has contracts with nine builders with several others interested. One man can not meet the demand thus the company must grow to add the additional customers. The company intends to add an additional employee, Joe Taylor, who will be on site and paint four days a week and do office work one day a week. His addition will allow the company to meet its growing demand as well as lighten the workload for Brett Taylor. The purpose of this plan is to guide the company through this expansion and evolution. It will be a guide for the company as it adds an employee and modernizing its operations. The company currently has no intention on becoming a huge painting contractor and wishes to stay at two employees for a while.

The main objective of the company is to become a family owned and operated business. Joe Taylor will join as a minority owner and become the director of operations. He has a degree in entrepreneurship from the College of Charleston along with six years of experience in the industry. He often worked part–time and in the summers for the company. Brett and Joe's background makes them the perfect team to expand the company. It is very important to keep the family atmosphere in the company so as to make every customer feel like a member of the family.

The company currently does mainly new residential home painting and does work for nine builders. Karl Brown Construction is becoming the company's largest customer, with over one hundred homes planned in one sub–division. The company started out building three to four homes a year and has grown to twenty homes a year, and has plans for continued growth. Eyecatching Interiors must grow with this client to meets its growing demand. The company hopes to continue to grow its residential new construction segment and add a few new contractors to its customer list. The company also plans to expand its commercial segment with small specialized projects. Eyecatching Interiors is a quality driven company, thus it is not in the interest of the company to perform jobs that do not require a quality finish.

Eyecatching Interiors has been successful for fifteen years and has developed a fine reputation. The company will count on reputation and customer referrals to reach its goals.

The objectives for Eyecatching Interiors over the next three years are:

• Transition into a family–owned and operated business
• Continue to profitably offer the highest quality interior finishes and service
• Modernize and update business practices

Mission

The mission of Eyecatching Interiors is to offer high quality interior commercial and residential painting services. The company will accomplish this by using the highest quality materials and apply them in the most professional manner. Every customer will be dealt with in a personal and friendly manner and every project will be viewed as a personal reflection of the company.

Keys to Success

Keys to success for the company will include:

1. Maintaining a reputation of high quality, professional service
2. Professional appearance of all employees
3. Not sacrificing quality for profit

COMPANY SUMMARY

Eyecatching Interiors is a limited liability company based in Charleston, South Carolina that provides commercial and residential interior painting. The company has been in existence for twenty five years and is based on over thirty years experience by its founder, Brett Taylor. The company will be a family–owned and operated business consisting of Brett Taylor and Joe Taylor. Joe Taylor will function as the director of operations for the company, dealing with the business end of the company. Joe will also offer his service in the field three to four days a week depending on the needs of the company. Brett Taylor will be the primary painter and estimator; he will be concerned with bidding on new jobs as well as managing existing projects. Currently the company is about 85% residential and 15% commercial. The majority of the work is residential new construction, mainly focused in the Charleston County area. This area is experiencing rapid growth, especially in new construction. Eyecatching Interiors has formed strong relationships with several builders in the area and looks to strengthen these existing relationships as well as develop new relationships. The company also has well established relationships with several interior designers, this work is usually high end and very time consuming. Currently the company is owned and operated by Brett Taylor; he is also the sole employee. The company lacks formal book-keeping and invoicing practices and lacks modernization. The work is currently performed with a pencil and an adding machine. For the company to continue to be successful it is important for it to modernize.

Company Ownership

Eyecatching Interiors is a limited liability company with two partners: Joe Taylor and Brett Taylor. Joe Taylor will become president of the company and will primarily function as head of operations. He will work in the business side about two days a week and paint the remainder of the week. Brett Taylor will be the head foreman and function as site supervisor and estimator. The company will be owned as follows:

• 70% owned by Brett Taylor
• 30% owned by Joe Taylor

Company History

Eyecatching Interiors was founded as a sole proprietorship by Brett Taylor and has been in business for 15 years. The company's founder has 30 years experience in the painting industry and was trained as a union painter. He had worked at a union shop for 15 years when he decided to start his own company. Currently Eyecatching Interiors has a broad customer base that includes: residential builders, private homeowners, interior designers, and real estate management companies. The majority of revenues come from residential new construction primarily in the Charleston County area. Eyecatching Interiors currently does work for 4 builders in the area and has been approached by additional builders. The company also has a mix of residential clients that act as fillers when work slows down. Many of these customers are willing to wait for our service. If construction on a new home slows, we can call a client in waiting and complete the job. This helps offset some of the seasonal slow downs that affect the new construction industry. The company averages about one major commercial project a year and a hand full of smaller office repaints.

Some of Eyecatching Interiors' previous projects include:

• Several custom homes in St. Albans
• Club house at Deer Creek Golf Course
• Kohler City Plaza, a 20,000 square foot commercial space comprised of a restaurant, hardware store, and office space
• Glaze Creek sewer treatment facility in Barnhart, Missouri
• 10,000 square foot home in Town and Country
• 3 story medical office building in Creve Coeur, Missouri

Eyecatching Interiors' clients include:

Residential Builders:

• A Grade Construction
• Eric Loberg Contracting
• Eagle Eye Construction
• Karl Brown Construction
• Pinnacle Homes
• Smith Construction
• Sturdy Custom Homes
• True Homes

Interior Designers:

• Painters R Us
• Unique Design

Real Estate Managers/Developers:

• Bill Quinn
• Hayden Smith
• Steve Holcomb

Services

Eyecatching Interiors provides complete interior painting for the residential and commercial markets. The emphasized service for the company is woodwork. Eyecatching Interiors prides itself in the finest quality woodwork and takes pride in all of its projects. The company uses the highest quality products from Benjamin Moore Paints and insists on using oil enamel for all woodwork. This method of finishing is all but lost with the advent of latex paint and the spray gun, but it is what sets Eyecatching Interiors apart from its competitors. All enamel woodwork is first prepped, which involves spackling, caulking, and sanding. A first coat of enamel is then brushed on followed by a light sanding. After the additional sanding a final coat is applied. (For higher–end work this may involve an additional one to two coats.) This method of finishing woodwork is labor intensive and leads to higher costs but the overall product is well worth the added cost to our clients.

Eyecatching Interiors also provides finishes for walls and can apply these coatings by either rolling or spraying. On new spec homes in large subdivisions the preferred method of application is spraying, primarily because of its low cost to the builder. Again, quality plays a role as a PVA drywall primer is sprayed on all surfaces first. After allowing time for the primer to dry a finish coat is sprayed on. This can be accomplished in less than 8 hours for a house of about 2,500 square feet. The company can accomplish this task with one spray man and one apprentice. Due to the experience of its painters, the company can spray a house without backrolling, which is when you go over the sprayed surface with a roller to get rid of any runs. This is a common practice among less experienced, less skilled painters. Eyecatching Interiors has the skills and experience to spray a surface without having runs or heavy spots. Experience, skill, and quality are all characteristics of the service the company provides to all its customers.

MARKET ANALYSIS

Eyecatching Interiors will focus on two broad categories in the industry: the commercial market and the residential market. The commercial market will not be a major emphasis but it is an area with planned growth for the company. The emphasis in this sector will primarily be high end offices and commercial spaces. The company can not compete in the cookie cutter office market. The company would hurt its brand image by doing this kind of work. Eyecatching Interiors could definitely make a name for itself in the restaurant industry. Fine restaurants place an emphasis on interior finishes, since they create the overall atmosphere. Restaurants also provide highly visible displays of the company's work. Eyecatching Interiors has previous experience in the restaurant industry, with such projects as Hilfinger's, The Shrimp House, and Joseph's. The company can exploit these past accomplishments to gain new work in the market. Eyecatching Interiors also plans on expanding into the commercial office loft market, which is a market that is experiencing tremendous growth. The company is currently forming a relationship with an emerging real estate developer, Office Spaces LLC, that specializes in these kinds of projects in the Charleston region. Eyecatching Interiors is currently in preliminary discussions on a renovation of a 46,000 square foot building on Morris in Charleston. This project would entail twelve to fifteen residential lofts and possibly three to four restaurants and possible retail space. Office Spaces LLC already has thirty five buildings planned for redevelopment in the next five years. This relationship could prove to be very valuable as redevelopment of the city continues to grow in popularity.

Another area of emphasis is the residential new construction market, which has been the company's main emphasis for the past fifteen years. Eyecatching Interiors currently has contracts with six builders for all of their projects. This segment is attractive because a relationship is developed between the sub– contractor and the builder; the relationship is such that you are guaranteed all of that builders work. The only way you will lose the work is if you make a huge mistake or do not take care of the builder. This means barring a major mistake you have a steady stream of work guaranteed. This is advantageous to the company because it doesn't have to spend a lot of time and effort seeking out new work. Currently the company focuses on the Charleston County area for new construction. The company does all the work for six builders in this region and has another builder interested in acquiring its services. One of the builders, A Grade Construction, has recently broke ground on a development of one hundred homes in the Mt. Pleasant area. Each home equals about $4,500 in revenue for the company. Eyecatching Interiors has also reached an agreement with Pinnacle Homes for twenty eight homes in the Summerville, South Carolina area.

Reasons new home construction market should be pursued:

• The 45–64 age bracket is expected to have the greatest population gains in the U.S from 2003–2010, with an expected increase of 18%
• This age bracket is likely to be at its peak earnings and looking to move into bigger, more luxurious homes
• Strong relationships with existing builders
• Twenty years experience in the new home construction market

Reasons Charleston County should be an emphasized region:

• The company has developed a name for itself in the region with around 200 homes completed
• Charleston County has experienced rapid growth in population
• 14.9% increase in population from 1990–2000
• Number three in population growth in the state from 1990–2000 and has recently moved to number two
• From 1991–2001 gross income rose 81.2%
• A rise in income means more new homes and bigger new homes
• Lots are priced considerably less than lots found in western counties
• Absence of union builders means lower construction costs
• Continued urban sprawl

Eyecatching Interiors will also focus on "active adult housing" and retirement complexes. This is a market that could provide substantial dividends for the company as the country's population grows older. The 65+ age bracket is expected to increase 29% between the 2003 and 2015, which means an increased need for "active adult housing". This age group has tremendous equity buildup and will be able to afford homes/centers of their choice. Eyecatching Interiors needs to work with the builders it already does work for to begin to exploit the rising demand for older adult housing. This would be a fairly easy transition for Eyecatching Interiors because the building methods are very similar. The company is already entering the market, with a new ten unit retirement condominium complex on the horizon.

The company will also emphasize adding more interior designers as clients. Currently the company does work for two designers, including Unique Design. Interior designers provide a source of work that is frequently very detailed and high–end, something that Eyecatching Interiors excels at. Interior designers also provide a steady source of work, like builders. These projects are usually such that bring pride to the company and could be added to the portfolio of work. Interior designers could also provide the high end commercial work that Eyecatching Interiors desires.

Eyecatching Interiors also does work for property management firms. Currently the company does work for two major property managers and usually does about five to six projects a year for these clients. This is a great segment because it offers work when new construction may slow down. In the winter when most new construction slows, the company can jump over and complete projects for the property management firms. These projects are usually small enough to be fillers between jobs; this segment is essential to maintaining incoming cash flow.

Market Segmentation

Eyecatching Interiors will focus on three market segments:

1. Residential Builders—This segment is comprised of home builders and represents the main focus of the company. This segment provides a steady stream of work for the company and currently accounts for about sixty percent of total revenue. This segment is crucial because of the intense loyalty of the builder to the sub–contractor. Most of the builders the company currently does work for have been working with the company for ten plus years. After ten years of working together a bond is formed, a bond that is so strong that it becomes nearly impossible to break. The key to maintaining the bond is taking care of the customer; we provide a one year warranty for all new homes free of charge and do not charge for additional touch ups. Offering small services free of charge go a long way in keeping the builder happy and committed to the company. A high quality paint job really helps sell a house and it is why many builders turn to Eyecatching Interiors. Currently the company is not large enough to handle the growing number of builders interested in acquiring our services. The demand is definitely there, the company needs to expand to meet the heightened demand. The current trend in the new home segment, especially custom homes is enameled woodwork and dark colors. This trend requires better quality finishes and better quality applications. This growing trend is very advantageous to Eyecatching Interiors because of the high quality finishes it provides.
2. Commercial—The commercial segment the company is pursuing is high end commercial space; such as restaurants and office lofts. Due to the type of service Eyecatching Interiors provides, the costs are too high for the typical cookie cutter office space. Eyecatching Interiors needs to attach its name to projects that will bring prestige to the overall brand image of the company. These clients will frequently require detailed paint schemes with many techniques required. Often faux finishes will be requested, and Eyecatching Interiors is fully capable of providing these services. Eyecatching Interiors uses Painters R Us for all of its decorative finish work; including faux finishing and specialized murals. Painters R Us is hired as a sub–contractor, which allows the customer to deal with one company: Eyecatching Interiors. These clients will also request wallpaper, which again Eyecatching Interiors can provide. The company has a paper hanger that does all of work as a sub–contractor. Commercial projects are desired because they are large projects that can add to the overall portfolio of the company.
3. Other—This segment is composed of several smaller market segments Eyecatching Interiors will pursue. A major aspect of this segment is interior designers. Interior designers often require much tailored service and often require very intricate and time–consuming finishes. Again Eyecatching Interiors– alliance with Painters R Us and a quality paper hanger allows the company to apply nearly any interior finish. Interior designers provide a steady stream of work for the company but also require a lot of time, as many projects are quite drawn out. This is why Eyecatching Interiors wants to limit the number of designers to about four or five. Another aspect of this segment is real estate management firms. These are companies and individuals that the company has longstanding relations with. This segment requires repaints of properties that range from apartment complexes to doctors' offices. This segment is great for providing a steady stream of work, especially when the building season slows. The company does not wish to pursue this segment too dramatically as it doesn't fit with the overall scheme of the company. The company does wish to maintain existing clients because of the longstanding relationships and to keep the steady stream of work. The final aspect of this segment is miscellaneous jobs; these are often jobs the company picks up off referrals. These jobs are usually small but provide good filler work for when things are slow.

Target Market Segment Strategy

Eyecatching Interiors recognizes that its quality and skills capabilities position it in a higher end customer segment. Each segment was chosen because of its relationship to quality and skill required. The new home construction segment was chosen because it is increasingly requiring higher quality painting. A quality paint job is often what distinguishes one new home from another, especially in a time when new homes are increasingly looking alike. Builders are often willing to pay more for a paint job if they know it will help sell the home faster. Custom home builders also want a quality finish because it makes their work look better and it pleases the discerning homeowner. A quality paint job accentuates the woodwork and often makes or breaks the trim carpenter's work. Trim carpenters want the assurance of a skilled painter following them because the painter can hide errors and emphasize the trim. The high end commercial segment again needs quality above cost. If a restaurant requires detailed finishes, they will be willing to pay more for it to look right. The finish is often what sets the mood for any restaurant. Interior designers often require the most detailed and exotic finishes and thus look for the best painting companies, with little concern for cost. Their clients are usually very affluent and thus capable and willing to pay more for a unique finish. Each segment is meant to mirror image the high quality service Eyecatching Interiors provides.

Competition

Eyecatching Interiors falls in the painting and paper hanging industry: SIC 172 and NAICS 23521. The painting and paper hanging industry is very diverse and fragmented. In 1997 there were 37,480 industry establishments in the United States that employed 195,331 people. The industry produced $13 billion in income in 1997. Most of the contractors in the industry are small independent contractors; these small contractors usually have between one and ten employees and account for 47% of all painters and paperhangers. Most of Eyecatching Interiors' competitors are small to mid–size, with the average number of employees being around five. In the residential new construction segment there are several competitors trying to gain access to the lucrative builder. The strategy employed by most competitors is low cost provider. These companies claim to provide high quality service but don't charge enough to actually provide the quality service. Eyecatching Interiors can not and will not become the low cost painter and thus distinguishes itself from the numerous low cost painting companies. Many of these shops do not higher trained painters but rather laborers who happen to paint. They pay their employees eight dollars and hour and give about an eight dollar an hour quality job. These contractors spray anything and everything and emphasize speed over quality. Eyecatching Interiors is a quality painting company and thus has its own niche which distinguishes itself from the multitude of painting companies.

In this industry, the service and professionalism in which the service is provided is also a distinguishing factor. Eyecatching Interiors prides itself in being a company that emphasizes personal relations. The company goes out of its way to provide the best service possible for every client. Every employee is issued 5 white t–shirts with the company name, which they are required to wear everyday. Employees are expected to wear clean whites and are required to wear boots. All shirts are to be tucked in and a belt is to be worn. This professional appearance presents a positive image of the company; very few painting companies have such strict rules on uniform. In fact many do not have a uniform, which makes the company look bad and the trade itself bad. Eyecatching Interiors considers its employees to be craftsmen, not merely painters.

Competition in the painting industry is very intense, especially among the small to mid–size contractors. Companies are competing for a multitude of work and must look for innovative ways to distinguish themselves. The main tactic used by companies is lowering their cost. Price wars are quite common in the painting industry, especially when contractors are fighting to gain access to a builder or subdivision. Most of the work is acquired by word of mouth; nothing can replace having a satisfied customer tell a friend. This is especially true with painting contractors who specialize in residential repaints. You may do a house for a family in a sub–division and they will tell all their friends in that sub–division, suddenly you have ten homes in one sub–division. A key is building a good relationship and reputation with your paint supplier, frequently people will turn to those who supply the paint for the best painter. In new construction aligning with builders with good reputations serve to bolster your reputation and may lead to additional work. Contractors often post yard signs in front of new projects as a form of advertisement. If you provide quality service the customers will find you.

Competition and Buying Patterns by Segment

• Residential New Construction—This segment has a definite barrier to entry that makes obtaining new contracts very difficult. In this segment builders create strong relationships with their subcontractors and often stick with one contractor for each trade. What this means is that in order to gain additional work you have to get the builder to break the relationship. This is not easy because a friendship has been formed and it is a very big hassle to switch contractors. The plus side to this barrier is that once you get in, you have that barrier protecting you. As long as you provide quality finishes and service you keep the barrier protecting you. The competitors in this market include: Colonial Painting and Exterior Painting and Drywall, as well as numerous other small contractors who employ two to four people. These competitors all claim to provide quality service, thus just saying you provide quality is not enough. Painting is very visible, thus you have to prove that you provide quality. There are however customers who do not recognize quality and look at the bottom line. These are customers Eyecatching Interiors has no desire to pursue, first because we will probably be too high and second our work will not be appreciated. Therefore the company wishes to pursue clients who appreciate quality and understand that quality comes at a price. There are painting contractors who provide quality work at a price comparable to Eyecatching Interiors. One way Eyecatching Interiors distinguishes itself from comparable competitors is the added service it offers. There are no additional charges for touch up and change orders will often be performed without a surcharge. This may seem to cut in on profits but in the long run it creates a greater relationship with the builder. It's the little things you do free of charge that really set you apart from competitors. Two major competitors, Ernest Painting and Perfection Painting, charge $150 per change order. These additional costs can add up quickly, especially on larger projects. Builders appreciate the break and become even more loyal to you when you show that you are looking out for them.
• Commercial—The commercial segment has a loyalty that is similar, but not as strong as the residential new construction. In the commercial repaint segment you often get jobs by word of mouth. People will often ask friends and colleagues who does their painting; this is how we get a majority of the work. Once you get the job you are most likely going to be repainting the office again in three to five years, especially if you do a good job. The competition in this segment is however very competitive and many jobs are won through bidding. An edge that Eyecatching Interiors has is the thirty plus years of experience of Brett Taylor. He has done almost everything and understands what is involved in a particular job. The commercial new construction/renovation is a segment the company is beginning to pursue. This is a highly competitive segment, where every job is bid on. There is rarely an instance where you are guaranteed the work. The competitors range from smaller painting contractors with three or more employees to large union shops with twenty or more employees. The union shops often charge more than a nonunion shop, but on many projects a nonunion contractor will not be permitted to bid. This is the reason Eyecatching Interiors plans on pursuing smaller scale projects with contractors who do not use one hundred percent union subs.
• Other—This segment is composed primarily of two smaller segments: interior designers and property managers. The interior designer segment is a great source of work, especially work that can add prestige to the company. This segment is marked by a barrier to entry, much the same as the residential new construction segment. Interior designers tend to stick with a single painting contractor because they know and trust your work. In addition, the contractor has a better understanding of the style and look the designer is after because they have worked together before. It is very rare that an interior designer will bounce between several painting contractors. The competitors in this segment tend to be much smaller, usually with no more than three employees. They also tend be older painters who have been around for a long time and understand the business. This is a real specialty niche with very few actual competitors. It is really difficult to target interior designers because they frequently already have a painter. This is the reason why Eyecatching Interiors does not wish to actively pursue the interior designer segment, but rather maintain the existing relationships and possibly pick up additional clients along the way. The other segment is the property manager segment. This is a small segment for Eyecatching Interiors and is composed mostly of longtime clients, many of whom are also builders/developers. In the segment as a whole the competition is brutal, as price is the main factor for most clients. Contractors such as Schaffer Painting and Berkner Painting are some of the bigger nonunion contractors that pursue this segment. Eyecatching Interiors does not plan on pursuing this segment primarily because it is so price driven. There are very few property managers who care about quality when it comes to apartment and office complexes. The clients the company already has in this segment have been clients for over ten years and continue to use us because of the existing relationship. It is in the interest to maintain these relationships because as previously stated many of these clients are also builders. If you take care of them they will take care of you.

GROWTH STRATEGY

The strategy of Eyecatching Interiors is quite simple; to continue to provide the highest quality finishes to its clients. The company wishes to maintain its course while adding a few additional contractors; one being Subdivision Development LLC. A strategy for sudden and rapid growth would jeopardize the quality and service that has been a trademark of the company for so many years. In fact, the small size of the company gives a more personal feel to all projects, as the clients deal directly with the owners of the company. In order to add the additional contractors, Joe Taylor will have to work three to four days a week and spend the remaining time doing paperwork and setting up new work. This will free time up for Brett Taylor and allow him to do what he does best–paint. Currently Brett is overworked, often working seven days a week to keep up with the demand. The additional help of Joe will reduce his workload and lead to better efficiency overall. The company is currently in the dark ages; everything is done on paper and there is no computerized invoicing system in place. Joe intends on improving the operating efficiency of the company by having a more automated invoicing system, most likely QuickBooks Online that will track sales and expenses of the company. Brett looked at books as a sidebar to painting and thus did not spend a great deal of time and effort getting them done. The plan is to modernize the bookkeeping system so that it is not such a big task and to where it benefits the entire company. Joe's education will allow him to do the bookwork in a more efficient and timely manner than Brett.

Competition

The company has a competitive edge over its competition in the quality of work provided. Eyecatching Interiors emphasizes quality on all jobs, regardless of size and the company will do whatever it takes to do the job right. The site supervisor, Brett Taylor, provides a competitive advantage because of his thirty plus years of experience. He has seen everything in his career and is thus able to overcome most obstacles. The sheer professionalism of Eyecatching Interiors keeps its customers happy and it is a true trademark of the company's work.

Marketing & Sales

The marketing strategy is focused around generating more new home contracts and adding new commercial contracts. The emphasis of Eyecatching Interiors has and will continue to be residential new construction. Currently the company has no existing marketing plan; in fact the company is not even listed in the phone book. The reason being is that the company doesn't want to do work for people it doesn't know. The company has grown simply because of reputation and word of mouth. The plan then is to continue to rely on reputation and word of mouth to continue to grow, but with some added marketing efforts. The company will for the first time have a listed number; a simple listing will be posted in the local Yellow Pages. The company will also place signs in front of its projects, proclaiming: "Another Quality Job By Eyecatching Interiors." The company plans on having Benjamin Moore Paints pay for a portion of the sign to have their name on it; this will help defer some of the costs of the advertisement. The company also plans on advertising its name in local home and designer magazines, in order to attract the higher end clientele.

The company will generate sales through existing contacts and through its reputation. A solid customer base already exists, there is already too much work lined up for one man. The company has projects lined up into 2006. Currently the company is forced to put clients off and sometimes turn them down. Brett Taylor averages over fifty hours a week working. The addition of Joe will add relief to Brett and allow the company to take care of all of its clients.

The average new home runs between $4,500 and $5,000 and is between 2,500 to 3,000 square feet. The large custom homes and commercial projects are all bid by Brett Taylor. He estimates the total time and material required and usually adds between twenty and thirty percent to that. For the very large and detailed custom homes the sales procedure is to quote a ball park price, but to charge time and material. These jobs are frequently very difficult to safely bid because of the complicated finishes and frequent changes made by the homeowners. In the end the customer comes out ahead because in order to bid the project safely you would really have to pad the price.

MANAGEMENT SUMMARY

Joe Taylor will become the director of operations. He has six years experience in the painting industry and a degree in Entrepreneurship from the College of Charleston. His business education and underlying knowledge and understanding of the industry will allow him to effectively manage the operations of the company. His tasks will include recruiting new work, handling payroll and insurance, and the general operations of the business. He will also work about four days a week in the field painting with Brett Taylor.

Brett Taylor, the other principal, will be the primary painter and estimator. His thirty years experience in the industry will allow him to efficiently manage jobs and troubleshoot any issues that should arise during a job. He will also become the estimator for the company; again his experience affords him the capability to effectively bid jobs.

The company also has an accountant, Greg Lombardo, who keeps track of the company's financials; the company will be linked to his office via QuickBooks Online. This will allow for optimal cash flow management for the company as it can easily monitor cash in–flows and out–flows.

Personnel Plan

The personnel plan assumes paying Brett Taylor $30 an hour and paying Joe Taylor $20 an hour. Brett Taylor is currently making $30 an hour, so his wage will remain the same. He could easily find a job in a large paint shop making about the same wage if you included the benefits package. A talented and experienced painter is worth every bit of $30 an hour. Joe Taylor earned $15 an hour during the summer as an apprentice and has become a very good painter. He has run entire jobs on his own and has shown that he understands the business. He also has the business skills and knowledge to handle the company's day to day operations.

FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

Eyecatching Interiors is currently a small independent painting contractor. The goal of the company is to add Joe as an additional painter and as the director of operations. His addition will allow for the company's sales to increase dramatically from 2005 to the end of 2006. This growth will continue through 2007 as the company benefits from the added efficiency of having Joe with the company. He will be billed at $50 an hour but only costs the company $20 and hour, therefore he alone brings in an additional $30 an hour of profit. After the year FY 2007 the company will experience minor growth, 3% from FY 2007 to FY 2008 and 2% growth from 2008 to FY 2009. The company will be quite content at this level of sales and does not wish to grow any larger. Eyecatching Interiors wants to maintain its quality and fears that too much growth can lead to a decline in quality. There comes a point where a company becomes so big that it can not effectively monitor the quality of services. The company does not want to borrow to fund future expansion. Joe has $20,000 which he intends on keeping it as reserve for any unforeseen events. This keeps the company from going to the bank for a credit line. The overall office expenses will increase in the beginning due to the addition of a computer and software. This investment will pay off in the long run as it will cut the time to do paperwork in half if not more. The truck expenses category includes Brett's van and Joe's 4–Runner which are both paid off, this line item also includes gas and miscellaneous repairs. The company will now have to pay workman's compensation as it adds Joe as a full–time employee. This was not needed before because Brett was the only employee. The rate is based off a quote per $100 of total payroll. The insurance line item includes insurance for both vehicles and contractor's general liability insurance. The company intends on paying dividends as shown in the Pro Forma Cash Flow Statement.

The dividends will be divided according to ownership; 70% to Brett Taylor and 30% to Joe Taylor.

Past performance

Pro forma profit and loss

Pro forma balance sheet

Pro forma annual cash flow

Projected cash flow- FY 2004