Profitable Painter Podcast

Daniel Honan, CPA
  • 5.0 (11)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

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 industry leaders. Through case studies and in-depth discussions, we deliver a vivid picture of the painting industry, with a disclaimer that any financial or tax information is general and not a substitute for professional advice. 

  1. 8h ago

    Inside a $4M Painting Business Doing ALMOST Everything Right... Except This

    Send us Fan Mail I tear down the real books of a $4M painting business with a full team, an integrator, and a $10M goal, and finds the two things standing between this owner and a truly valuable asset. Work with us https://profitablepaintercpa.com/vsl Free Book - Profitable Painter https://profitablepaintercpa.com/book In this episode, I open the real financial statements of a sellable-asset-stage painting business (owner anonymized — we'll call him Rich). Rich runs a painting business in Florida doing about $4M a year with a full team, and he wants to reach $10M in the next 12 months.  On paper, this is one of the strongest businesses in the teardown series. But a big team and high sales don't automatically create a valuable business.  I'll walk through his cash position, his gross profit and customer acquisition math, what a $15M painting business does differently, and the three tax and wealth strategies I recommended so his growth doesn't get eaten by the IRS.  Compare these numbers to your own business as we go. I'm Daniel Honan, CPA and former painting business owner. Since 2016, my firm, Profitable Painter CPA, has helped 529+ painting contractors with bookkeeping, taxes, payroll, automations, and financial strategy. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN - Why having too much cash in the business can be a problem at this stage - The gross profit target a painting business actually needs before scaling past $4M — and why 55% may not be enough - How the top residential repaint businesses maintain 60%+ gross profit without losing close rate - The team cost benchmark most $4M+ businesses quietly exceed - How to calculate what an owner should earn based on the roles they still hold - The real estate strategy that turns rental "paper losses" into painting business tax savings — and the two ways to qualify - A retirement plan that can shelter six figures in a single year - How to legitimately pay your kids through the business — and set them up with tax-free growth 🎯 Running a painting business past $3M and want your business plan, tax plan, and wealth plan working together? That's what we do. Book a free call: https://profitablepaintercpa.com/vsl WHO I AM My name is Daniel Honan. I'm a CPA, a former painting business owner, and the founder of Profitable Painter CPA - an accounting firm that works exclusively with painting contractors. I make these podcasts to help painters keep more of what they earn and build more profitable businesses. Subscribe for weekly podcasts on taxes, bookkeeping, accounting, and financial strategy for painting businesses. Keywords: painting business, painting contractors, financial teardown, real business financials, sellable business, scale a painting business, gross profit margin painting, GP to CAC ratio, customer acquisition cost, risk reversal guarantee, tax strategies for business owners, short term rental tax loophole, cost segregation, cash balance plan, defined benefit plan small business, hiring your kids tax strategy, owner compensation small business, Profitable Painter 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

  2. 5d ago

    This Painting Business Owner's 10% Discount Is Quietly Killing His $1.7M Business

    Send us Fan Mail I tear down the real books of a $1.7M painting business that doubled its revenue, while a 10% discount quietly dragged his gross profit. Work with us https://profitablepaintercpa.com/vsl Free Book - Profitable Painter https://profitablepaintercpa.com/book In this episode, I open the real financial statements of a swamp-stage painting business (owner anonymized - we'll call him Tony). Tony runs a painting business in Illinois doing about $1.7M a year, and he's aiming for $2.5M in the next 12 months.  The impressive part: he's nearly doubled revenue year over year, takes a 50% deposit, and his cash flow is genuinely strong.  The problem: a 10% sign-on-the-spot discount has been quietly eating his margin.  I'll walk through his cash flow statement, the discount math, the exact salesperson commission plan that protects gross profit, and what has to happen in the next 3–6 months before he scales.  Compare these numbers to your own business as we go. I'm Daniel Honan, CPA and former painting business owner. Since 2016, my firm, Profitable Painter CPA, has helped 529+ painting contractors with bookkeeping, taxes, payroll, automations, and financial strategy. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN - How a small "sign today" discount can quietly compound into a double-digit gross profit gap - Why doubling your revenue can hide a ratio that makes growth unaffordable - The deposit and unearned revenue setup keeping this business cash-strong despite thin margins - A salesperson commission structure that rewards profitable jobs, not just closed ones - Why straight commission quietly trains salespeople to discount, and what to do instead - A way to raise prices that most customers never notice - The two balance sheet numbers that reveal trouble even when the bank account looks fine - The test I use to decide if a business is ready to scale and how long it takes to pass 🎯 Want this kind of teardown on YOUR numbers? That's what we do - we are a Painter‑only CPA firm. Book a free call: https://profitablepaintercpa.com/vsl WHO I AM My name is Daniel Honan. I'm a CPA, a former painting business owner, and the founder of Profitable Painter CPA - an accounting firm that works exclusively with painting contractors. I make these podcasts to help painters keep more of what they earn and build more profitable businesses. Subscribe for weekly podcasts on taxes, bookkeeping, accounting, and financial strategy for painting businesses. Keywords: painting business, painting contractors, financial teardown, real business financials, painting business discount, sign today discount, gross profit margin painting, markup vs margin, GP to CAC ratio, customer acquisition cost, salesperson commission structure, sales commission tied to gross profit, salesperson compensation plan, hiring a salesperson, unearned revenue deposits, current ratio small business, negative equity small business, Profitable Painter 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

  3. Sep 13

    This Painting Contractor Turned Off His Meta Ads. IT COTS HIM $50,000!

    Send us Fan Mail I tear down the real books of a $1.3M painting business that turned off its Meta ads, shrank 14%, and lost $50K in cash - and the recovery plan to reach $2M. Work with us https://profitablepaintercpa.com/vsl Free Book - Profitable Painter https://profitablepaintercpa.com/book In this episode, I open the real financial statements of a swamp-stage painting business (owner anonymized - we'll call him Ethan). Ethan runs a painting business in South Carolina doing about $1.3M a year.  8 months ago he stopped running Meta ads - since then, leads slumped, revenue shrank 14%, and the business lost about $50,000 in cash.  Now he's hired a marketing agency and wants to hit $2 million. But more leads won't fix weak job profits or oversized overhead.  I walked through his statement of cash flows to find where the $50K actually went, the deposit policy mistake, the overhead team costing nearly double the benchmark, and the exact plan to rebuild profitability. Compare these numbers to your own business as we go. I'm Daniel Honan, CPA and former painting business owner. Since 2016, my firm, Profitable Painter CPA, has helped 529+ painting contractors with bookkeeping, taxes, payroll, automations, and financial strategy. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN - What happens to a $1.3M painting business 8 months after turning off outbound ads - How to read a statement of cash flows to find where cash is actually leaking - Why owner distributions during a downturn quietly drain the business - The zero-deposit mistake — and why deposits matter most heading into winter - Inbound vs outbound marketing costs, and why outbound demands a higher gross profit target - The 7% benchmark for admin + production manager overhead (and what 12% does to net profit) - How to renegotiate a production manager to ⅔ base + ⅓ bonus tied to volume, reviews, and gross profit - The roles-based method for owner pay: why this owner should earn 26% of revenue, not 1% 🎯 Want this kind of teardown on YOUR numbers? That's what we do - we are a Painter‑only CPA firm. Book a free call: https://profitablepaintercpa.com/vsl WHO I AM My name is Daniel Honan. I'm a CPA, a former painting business owner, and the founder of Profitable Painter CPA - an accounting firm that works exclusively with painting contractors. I make these podcasts to help painters keep more of what they earn and build more profitable businesses. Subscribe for weekly podcasts on taxes, bookkeeping, accounting, and financial strategy for painting businesses. Keywords: painting business, painting contractors, financial teardown, real business financials, statement of cash flows, cash flow problems small business, meta ads for contractors, stopping ads consequences, deposit policy contractors, GP to CAC ratio, customer acquisition cost, gross profit margin painting, overhead costs benchmark, production manager compensation, admin costs small business, owner distributions, owner pay small business, Profitable Painter 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

  4. Sep 10

    Can This $850K Painting Business Really Hit $2M in 12 Months?

    Send us Fan Mail I tear down the real books of an $850K painting business that wants to hit $2M in 12 months: the GP-to-CAC ratio blocking it, the $3,800/month agency math, and the hiring plan that gets him there. Work with us https://profitablepaintercpa.com/vsl Free Book - Profitable Painter https://profitablepaintercpa.com/book In this episode, I open the real financial statements of a build-stage painting business (owner anonymized - we'll call him Bill). Bill runs a painting business in Oklahoma doing about $850K a year, pays two marketing agencies $3,800/month, and wants to grow to $2 million in the next 12 months. His cash position is excellent, but one ratio in his numbers says he can't afford to buy that growth yet. I walked through his P&L, his CRM funnel math, the exact production manager comp plan I'd use, and what has to change before he hits the gas. Compare these numbers to your own business as we go. I'm Daniel Honan, CPA and former painting business owner. Since 2016, my firm, Profitable Painter CPA, has helped 529+ painting contractors with bookkeeping, taxes, payroll, automations, and financial strategy. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN - How to tell which constraint is limiting a painting business — cash, team, or customers - The GP-to-CAC ratio: why 3-to-1 is the minimum - When a $3,800/month marketing agency is too expensive — and why the fix is growing, not cutting - Real funnel math: cost per lead → set rate → close rate → ad spend per closed job - The set rate benchmark for Meta ads and what a low one costs you - A complete production manager compensation plan: base, bonus, and the 3 metrics to tie it to - How much a painting business owner should pay themselves based on the hats they wear (the 15% + roles method) - The risk-reversal guarantee that lets you raise prices without losing close rate 🎯 Want this kind of teardown on YOUR numbers? That's what we do - we are a Painter‑only CPA firm. Book a free call: https://profitablepaintercpa.com/vsl WHO I AM My name is Daniel Honan. I'm a CPA, a former painting business owner, and the founder of Profitable Painter CPA - an accounting firm that works exclusively with painting contractors. I make these podcasts to help painters keep more of what they earn and build more profitable businesses. Subscribe for weekly podcasts on taxes, bookkeeping, accounting, and financial strategy for painting businesses. Keywords: painting business, painting contractors, financial teardown, real business financials, grow a painting business, GP to CAC ratio, customer acquisition cost, marketing agency cost small business, meta ads for contractors, cost per lead painting, set rate close rate, production manager compensation, production manager bonus plan, hiring for painting business, gross profit margin painting, owner compensation small business, risk reversal guarantee, Profitable Painter 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

  5. Sep 8

    Can This $350K Painting Business Owner Really Double in 12 Months?

    Send us Fan Mail I tear down the real financial statements of a $350K painting business — the cash problem, the markup mistake killing its gross profit, and whether it can double to $600K in 12 months. Work with us https://profitablepaintercpa.com/vsl Free Book - Profitable Painter https://profitablepaintercpa.com/book In this episode, I open the real books of a startup painting business (owner anonymized - we'll call him "Tom"). Tom runs a subcontractor-based residential repaint business in North Carolina, targets a 50% gross profit margin, and wants to grow from $350K to $600K in the next 12 months.  But his P&L says he's hitting 35.6% - and his bank account says growth might break him.  I'll tell you exactly where his money went, the one markup mistake costing him margin on every job, and what he needs to fix before he scales.  Compare these numbers to your own business as we go. I'm Daniel Honan, CPA and former painting business owner. Since 2016, my firm, Profitable Painter CPA, has helped 529+ painting contractors with bookkeeping, taxes, payroll, automations, and financial strategy. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN How a CPA reads a painting business's financials in order: constraint → cash → gross profit → CAC → liquidityThe 2-months-of-overhead cash rule, and why $7K in the bank blocks growthThe markup mistake hiding in plain sight: marking up labor 100% but materials only 25%How a 10% "sign today" discount quietly wrecks gross profitThe 4.5-to-1 GP-to-CAC benchmark for repeat-and-referral painting businessesWhy electing S Corp before ~$70K of stable net profit can cost more than it savesThe get-paid-faster playbook: bigger deposits, progress payments, vendor credit, paying subs after the customer pays🎯 Want this kind of teardown on YOUR numbers? That's what we do - we are a Painter‑only CPA firm. Book a free call: https://profitablepaintercpa.com/vsl WHO I AM My name is Daniel Honan. I'm a CPA, a former painting business owner, and the founder of Profitable Painter CPA - an accounting firm that works exclusively with painting contractors. I make these podcasts to help painters keep more of what they earn and build more profitable businesses. Subscribe for weekly podcasts on taxes, bookkeeping, and financial strategy for painting businesses. Keywords: painting business, painting contractors, financial teardown, real business financials, painting business profit and loss, gross profit margin painting, markup vs margin, how to price painting jobs, materials markup, painting business cash flow, business deposit policy, GP to CAC ratio, customer acquisition cost, S corp election timing, small business balance sheet, liquidity ratio small business, painting business review, Profitable Painter 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

  6. Sep 7

    If I Buy a Painting Business.. Here's What I Check First

    Send us Fan Mail 4 Financial Moves to turn a $3M+ painting business into a SELLABLE ASSET. Work with us https://profitablepaintercpa.com/vsl Free Book - Profitable Painter https://profitablepaintercpa.com/book You can have a $5 million painting company worth millions of dollars, or a $5 million painting company that completely depends on you, is nearly impossible to sell, and loses its value the moment you leave. In this episode, I break down the 4 financial moves I'd focus on once a painting business passes $3 million in revenue, so it becomes a real asset: profitable, transferable, less dependent on you, and more valuable — whether you ever plan to sell or not. I'm Daniel Honan, CPA and former painting business owner. Since 2016, my firm, Profitable Painter CPA, has helped 529+ painting contractors with bookkeeping, taxes, payroll, automations, and financial strategy. Move 1: Eliminate key man risk (the 90-day test) Move 2: Know what your business is worth (earnings × multiple) Move 3: Get your estate and succession plan in order Move 4: Start moving wealth outside the painting company WHAT YOU'LL LEARN - The 90-day test that reveals whether you own a business or a job - How buyers actually value a painting company and what EBITDA has to do with it - Why two companies with identical profit can sell for very different amounts — the risks that shrink your multiple - What adds value (management team, clean books, multiple lead channels) and what subtracts it (owner dependence, customer concentration) - The estate and succession questions every owner of a multi-million dollar business needs answered - Capital allocation: when to stop reinvesting every dollar in the business, and the "good investment first, tax optimization second" rule 🎯 Building toward a sellable painting business and want a financial team that thinks about valuation, tax planning, and owner wealth - not just books? That's what we do. Book a free call: https://profitablepaintercpa.com/vsl WHO I AM My name is Daniel Honan. I'm a CPA, a former painting business owner, and the founder of Profitable Painter CPA - an accounting firm that works exclusively with painting contractors. I make these podcasts to help painters keep more of what they earn and build more profitable businesses. Subscribe for weekly podcasts on taxes, bookkeeping, and financial strategy for painting businesses. Keywords: painting business, painting contractors, sell a painting business, painting business valuation, how much is my business worth, business valuation multiple, EBITDA, small business, key man risk, owner dependence, exit planning small business, succession planning, estate planning for business owners, sellable business, build a sellable asset, business wealth building, capital allocation small business, painting business worth, Profitable Painter 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. Sep 3

    How I'd Grow a Painting Business From $1M to $3M

    Send us Fan Mail How I'd Get a Painting Business From $1M to $3M Work with us https://profitablepaintercpa.com/vsl Free Book - Profitable Painter https://profitablepaintercpa.com/book If your painting business is doing between $1 million and $3 million a year, you're probably in what Alex Hormozi calls "The Swamp" - revenue is growing, you have more employees, more customers, and more problems, BUT your bank account and personal income aren't growing nearly as fast. In this episode, I break down the 4 financial moves I'd focus on to get a painting business through it. I'm Daniel Honan, CPA and former painting business owner. Since 2016, my firm, Profitable Painter CPA, has helped 529+ painting contractors with bookkeeping, taxes, payroll, automations, and financial strategy. Move 1: Hire your first salesperson (WITHOUT destroying your margin) Move 2: 50% gross profit is the floor, NOT the finish line Move 3: Build a 5-to-1 GP-to-CAC growth engine Move 4: STOP doing tax preparation, START doing tax planning WHAT YOU'LL LEARN - When the owner should finally get out of sales - and the commission structure that rewards gross profit, not just revenue - The 6–8% rule for total salesperson compensation - Why a $1.2M salesperson at 40% GP can be worth less than an $800K salesperson at 60% GP - The four levers that push gross profit from 50% toward 60%+ - How to measure GP-to-CAC by marketing channel so you scale winners and fix losers - The difference between tax preparation and tax planning - and why strategies like the Augusta rule fail without documentation 🎯  In the swamp and want quarterly tax planning plus monthly financial reviews on your actual numbers? That's our Profitable Painter Program. Book a free call: https://profitablepaintercpa.com/vsl WHO I AM My name is Daniel Honan. I'm a CPA, a former painting business owner, and the founder of Profitable Painter CPA - an accounting firm that works exclusively with painting contractors. I make these podcasts to help painters keep more of what they earn and build more profitable businesses. Subscribe for weekly podcasts on taxes, bookkeeping, and financial strategy for painting businesses. Keywords: painting business, painting contractors, grow a painting business, painting business profit, gross profit margin, how to hire a salesperson, salesperson commission structure, sales compensation small business, GP to CAC ratio, customer acquisition cost, tax planning vs tax preparation, tax planning for business owners, tax strategies for contractors, Augusta rule, painting business benchmarks, scale a painting business, the swamp Alex Hormozi, Profitable Painter 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

  8. Aug 31

    What $1M PAINTING CONTRACTORS Know that You Don't

    Send us Fan Mail 6 financial moves to ACTUALLY Reach $1M in Your Painting Business. Work with us https://profitablepaintercpa.com/vsl Free Book - Profitable Painter https://profitablepaintercpa.com/book If your painting business is doing between $350,000 and $1 million a year, your biggest financial challenge isn't painting profitable jobs anymore - it's growing without running out of cash, destroying your margins, or doing everything yourself.  I'm Daniel Honan, CPA and former painting business owner. Since 2016, my firm Profitable Painter CPA has helped 529+ painting contractors with bookkeeping, taxes, payroll, automations, and financial strategy. In this episode, I break down the 6 moves I'd focus on to reach your first $1M. Move 1: Fix cash flow before you scale Move 2: Hire your first admin (the 2–4% rule) Move 3: Hire your first project manager (comp benchmarks & incentives) Move 4: Build a real marketing engine (agency retainers & ad spend) Move 5: Track GP-to-CAC: the most important number at this stage Move 6: Upgrade from bookkeeping to financial advisory (FP&A) WHAT YOU'LL LEARN - Why growing revenue can drain your bank account - and the payment policies that fix it - When you can afford your first admin (and the 2–4% rule) - How to structure project manager pay: the range and what to tie bonuses to - The admin + PM ≈ 7% of revenue rule for spotting overhead bloat - How much to spend on marketing agencies and ads — and the mistake that wastes both - GP-to-CAC explained: the ratio that combines sales, marketing, pricing, and production in one number, and the targets I use 🎯 Between $350K and $1M and want monthly FP&A sessions on your numbers? That's what the Profitable Painter Program does. Book a free call: https://profitablepaintercpa.com/vsl WHO I AM My name is Daniel Honan. I'm a CPA, a former painting business owner, and the founder of Profitable Painter CPA - an accounting firm that works exclusively with painting contractors. I make these podcasts to help painters keep more of what they earn and build more profitable businesses. Subscribe for weekly podcasts on taxes, bookkeeping, and financial strategy for painting businesses. Keywords: painting business, painting contractors, grow a painting business, scale a painting business, painting business cash flow, hiring an admin small business, hiring a project manager, project manager compensation, marketing for painting contractors, contractor marketing budget, GP to CAC ratio, customer acquisition cost, gross profit, painting business benchmarks, FP&A for small business, small business financial advisor, painting business profit, Profitable Painter 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

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5
out of 5
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About

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 industry leaders. Through case studies and in-depth discussions, we deliver a vivid picture of the painting industry, with a disclaimer that any financial or tax information is general and not a substitute for professional advice. 

Information

  • Creator
    Daniel Honan, CPA
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    236
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Online Bookkeep LLC
  • Show Website
    Profitable Painter Podcast

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