A Day in the Life with Virginia Greer
For Virginia Greer, going to school and running a business was a dream come true thanks to University First Class Painters. Joining the UFCP team as a franchise manager in 2019, she quickly excelled in her role achieving the National and Atlantic Rookie of the Year.
As she studies for her bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, any time in between is spent managing her franchise.
The day begins just after dawn for Virginia Greer. As a student manager for University First Class Painters, an early start is crucial to her success as a student and as a business owner.
Q: What does a typical day look like?
Virginia gets started at 6AM most days so she can get to the paint store(s) as soon as they open. After gathering her supplies, she heads to her first job. Organizing her day by the number of jobs and their location helps her start and complete jobs more efficiently.
“I like to separate each job by a half hour and if two or more of those jobs are in the same area, it’s easier to move around and monitor job progression.”
A new project requires a run through with her painters pointing out areas to be completed and areas of concern, dropping off equipment as well as supervising her crew throughout the day.
In between setting up her crews, she does door-to-door marketing by placing door hangers on homes in that neighbourhood in an effort to gain more exposure for her business. A lot of her clients come from word of mouth, so this practice is crucial to her ongoing success.
Q: What happens when it’s a rain day?
“If it’s a rain day, I will schedule interiors and focus on admin duties like invoice preparation and collection, estimates and try to set that day up to be a pressure washing day. We usually wash houses before we paint anyway, so it’s a good way to spend that type of day.”
“Communication is key in most industries but especially in the student painting industry so if I need to send emails and texts, I go to a local café or hang out in my mobile office (my truck) and get some work done”, Virginia says.
She reviews painter applications on an on-going basis as having a reliable crew is critical and she will also follow up with clients she has signed to talk about colour selection and a booking date to have their work completed.
“If you need paint and other products for the next day, it’s a good idea to go to the paint store and get what you need, rainy days are less busy and an ideal time to get supplies.”
Q: What does she do between jobs?
In between jobs, she will check to see what estimates can be done in the area. She will then give the client a call to check their availability. She usually books estimates in the morning, so she has time in the afternoon to check in with her painters.
“At around 3:30, I get the painters to call me to see how much paint is left and if they need more, it’s easier for me to call and order what I need and pick it up at the end of the day.”
Q: What happens when the day/job is done?
At the end of the day, Virginia will help out on individual job sites with daily cleanup, gear storage and troubleshoot any issues that came up during the day. She will drop off paint at the job site in the evening whenever she can so she doesn’t have to go back in the morning.
When a job is almost done, she will call the client to let them know and arrange an inspection. Once arranged, she will do a walk through with the painters and the client to ensure everything is satisfactory and if not, address and fix any concerns before requesting payment.
Most evenings are spent working on admin and bookkeeping tasks; attaching expenses to individual jobs and preparing for biweekly payroll and expense submission.
Now going into her fourth year with University First Class Painters, Virginia is expecting 2022 to be her busiest season yet but she wouldn’t trade it for the world! Running her own business has helped her academically and she has achieved financial independence. “It is hard work but the rewards make it worth it”!
