Every January, a lot of painting contractors are still trying to figure out what their plan is for the year, let alone how they're going to hit it. The successful painting business owners do it differently. They start planning in early November and have the whole thing locked in by December 15th, so they can actually enjoy the holidays with their friends and family.

In this episode of the Elite Business Advice Podcast, host Chris Moore, founder of Elite Business Advisors and owner of a residential painting company, walks through the plan before the plan: a simple 6-step framework for 2027 business planning, with target deadlines for where your painting company should be and when.

It's always good to have a plan for your plan. Call Chris the man with the plan for your plan.

The 6-step 2027 planning framework for painting contractors:

1. Goals: time, money, roles, and revenue numbers
2. Hires and your org chart
3. 2027 production numbers (done by the end of November at the latest)
4. 2027 financial planning: overhead, owner pay, and cash cushion
5. Spending plan: budget and track actuals, line by line
6. Q1 Rocks (everything solidified by December 15th to 20th)

What you'll learn in this episode:

• How to set goals for your painting business around time, money, roles, and revenue
• How to map out your hires and org chart for the year ahead
• Why you start with the big production number and then get micro
• How to forecast overhead: which hires you'll make and when, and what marketing you'll add (and whether it ebbs and flows through the year)
• How much you'll take home as the owner, and whether that changes your org chart plan
• How to spot the months your painting company might lose money, and whether your cash cushion can weather them
• Why more painting companies are viewing the year as two stretches: a 4-month stretch from November through February where you bleed as little as possible, and an 8-month stretch where you maximize profitability and stack cash
• How to build a spending plan and track actuals line by line, especially your marketing budget
• How to set Q1 Rocks so you start January with clear priorities instead of a blank page

This episode is for painting contractors and painting company owners across the U.S. and Canada who want to finish the year strong, build a realistic 2027 budget and production plan, and walk into January knowing exactly where their painting business is headed.

🎯 Want to know where your painting business stands before you plan 2027? Take our free Business Health Assessment: score.elitebusinessadvisors.com

📞 Want to learn more about how Elite Business Advisors helps painting contractors grow their business? Schedule a discovery call at www.elitebusinessadvisors.com

New episodes of the Elite Business Advice Podcast drop weekly with real strategies for painting contractors on planning, job costing, production, hiring, sales, and scaling a profitable painting company.