Equipment, Supplies, and Training for the Professional Refinisher
NAPCO Refinisher
As leaders in the bathroom and kitchen refinishing industry, NAPCO continually finds ways to make refinishers’ experience with our products and services even better. For example, last year we launched our live, virtual tech support for refinishers where we offer free, on-the-job support that allows you to work directly with NAPCO experts and solve problems that you may need an extra set of eyes on. Here, we found the value of giving refinishers expert advice at their fingertips and started offering training videos posted on our Facebook and YouTube pages.
We wanted to provide an ongoing, go-to resource that can be watched from anywhere to help refinishers hone and/or refresh their skills, save valuable time on the job, and in turn save money on products and increase profitability. Our short online training videos are a valuable resource for reviewing previously taught topics, helpful tips, or answers to top questions that we’re seeing from refinishers or problems they’re constantly running into.
Check out some of our latest videos!
Have questions and would like to see them answered and explained in more detail? Please submit your questions to szamborsky@napcoltd.com, or on our Facebook page and tag #AskNAPCOAnything for a chance to have your question featured in our next video. And remember, you can always give us a call at 800-888-1081 for urgent requests for our virtual tech support, and we’ll get you connected to Steve Zamborsky, NAPCO’s Research and Development and Technical Manager.
Raise your hand if you are the type of shopper to read reviews before purchasing a new product or service? The truth is, we all do it at least at some point. We feel that training courses are no different. It’s an investment into your career, so as refinishers, or potential refinishers, it’s reassuring to know you’re making the right choice when choosing the class that’s best for you.
So what do NAPCO trainees have to say about the 3-day Kitchen and Bath Training Course at NAPCO? We asked James Calkins of Seattle, WA who attended class in May 2021 and here’s what he had to say:
Q: Did you check out other training options? If yes, what companies and if no, why not?
A: No. NAPCO training had the best reputation.
Q: What are the top 3 reasons you chose to take this class?
A: I was impressed with the information I received when I called and that is what sold me. I was already sold on NAPCO products, and the hands-on part of this class was very important to me.
Q: How would you rate this class – from poor to Excellent?
A: Excellent!
Q: Any general comments you have on the class?
A: The class is very informative, very detailed in coatings and different applications. I like that continual support and questions in the field are encouraged even after the class ends.
Q: In your opinion, what was the best part of this class?
A: Steve and his general knowledge of chemistry was extremely helpful. It seemed like there were very few questions that he could not answer, which is great for someone who is learning these new skills and techniques.
Are you interested in learning more about our refinishing training? Visit our training page for more info or call 1-800-888-1081 for more information. Classes are currently held once a month and are limited to six people per class so register today to snag your spot!
Two years ago, NAPCO challenged its product development team to think beyond the bathroom. We saw a way for NAPCO’s refinishing products to have an even greater positive impact in peoples’ homes by formulating a product designed for kitchens. And to help our customers and new refinishers venture into the kitchen with us, we expanded our training program to include kitchen refinishing, prepping trainees for both bathrooms and kitchen upon completing their certification.
So what’s holding you back if you haven’t started refinishing kitchens? Stuck just refinishing bathtubs and wondering how you can boost your business volume? Kitchen cabinet and countertop refinishing can look difficult, but we have found that refinishers who take our training course and practice taping hinges, can easily transition from bathroom refinishing into the kitchen with the potential to triple their incomee. Here’s why:
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KITCHEN REFINISHING PAYS 3 X MORE THAN BATHROOMS
Kitchen refinishing jobs allow refinishers to make 3x the amount currently made on one bathroom job. Since kitchen refinishing uses the same equipment, tools, and application techniques as bathtub refinishing, there is no need to invest in anything new to get started. On average, refinishers can make $2,000 on one kitchen job versus working on four to six individual bathroom jobs.
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BUST THE CABINET MYTH
Many bathroom refinishers avoid the kitchen because of how long they think cabinet refinishing takes. Using traditional methods, taking off doors and masking can take anywhere from three to five days. NAPCO’s class teaches refinishers how to tape and mask a single hinge in under two minutes. This technique allows refinishers to get to work fast and finish an entire project in one or two days depending upon the size of the kitchen and number of cabinets.
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YOU ALREADY HAVE LEADS
The beautiful thing about adding kitchen refinishing to your business is that you already have a long list of warm leads. Everyone who has a bathroom that you refinished also has a kitchen. A phone call, postcard mailing and an email campaign may be all you need to start booking kitchen refinishing jobs.
During the pandemic, many refinishers are trying to find ways to bring their businesses back to 100% revenue and what better way to do that than to add kitchen cabinets and countertops to your skillset! Already a certified refinisher? We encourage you to get into the kitchen to continue growing your business NOW! If you need a refresher course, NAPCO’s Kitchen Class will be perfect for you. If you are ready to get started, give us a call. Class sizes are extremely limited as a health precaution. Talk to us about your training needs and interest in kitchen refinishing to get started now! Let NAPCO help you over the “refinish line” toward your career goals! Call 800-888-1081 or click here.
Everybody daydreams about being their own boss, creating their own schedule and taking vacations whenever they want. Another primary motivation to throw your hat in the ring and launch your own business is to put your hard-earned income into your own pocket and not somebody else’s. Sound good to you?
NAPCO is passionate to help you turn that daydream into the reality of owning and running your own business or improving and upgrading your own existing business. We can help you strengthen your skills so you can start and/or expand your own refinishing business and become your own boss, creating the life you’ve always wanted.
If you’re not a current refinisher, we can teach you how to become an expert in both kitchen and bathroom refinishing with our 3-day hands-on training course. On the other hand, if you’re already a refinisher, we can help position you and your business so you can hire more people to increase the number of jobs and earn even more income. Trained refinishers have the potential to make an easy $100,000 or more per year. If you add one or two more employees, you could increase your annual income to $250,000 or more per year. Can you feel that warm ocean breeze on your face, a cold drink in your hand and your toes in the sand yet?
We know most refinishers look forward to being their own bosses so they can make their own schedule, work hours, and vacations, all while being able to provide jobs to others, spend more time with family and friends, and attend to tasks that don’t usually fit into a regular business day. When you become a NAPCO trained refinisher, all those aspirations are within reach.
Talk to NAPCO about upping your refinishing skills so you can reap the benefits of being your own boss, all while increasing your yearly income and keeping more of your earnings. Take your business to the next level and create the life you want, NAPCO will help get you there – call us at 800-888-1081, so we can help you over the “refinish line”!
This holiday season, we wanted to share the gift of training! We’re excited to release our 2020 class schedule of instruction that provides intensive, hands-on bathroom and kitchen refinishing training. Our popular monthly classes will share the skills to potentially increase your income this year by becoming a certified refinisher.
Whether you’re newer to refinishing bathtubs, tiles, sinks, countertops and cabinets, or are more established but want a refresher course, we invite you to sign up for our hands-on, three-day program to gain expertise about NAPCO products, including the capabilities and application of the award winning waterborne “Kitchen Renew” coatings.
Professionals who complete this training have the potential to reach a six-figure income within one year. NAPCO’s three-day Basics Kitchen and Bath Refinishing class, which includes all equipment, coatings and a final certificate, teaches:
- ♦ Job preparation
- ♦ Equipment usage
- ♦ Equipment cleaning and care
- ♦ On-the-job safety
- ♦ Product knowledge
- ♦ Bathtub and bathroom refinishing
- ♦ Kitchen countertop and kitchen cabinet refinishing
The classes are limited to seven participants each, and are held at 7315 Hamlin Avenue in Skokie, just north of Chicago. Lunches are included in the training, and NAPCO offers a 100% money-back guarantee. A second trainee can join for a $200 discount. Accommodations can also be made for a translator.
To ensure a slot, register right away online or call us at 800-888-1081.
2020 class dates:
- January 15-17
- February 12-14
- March 11-13
- April 8-10
- May 13-15
- June 10-12
- July 15-17
- August 12-14
- September 16-18
- October 14-16
- November 11-13
- December 9-11
Confused about the housing market and what it means to your business? You’re not the only one! Interest rates are low, but so is inventory in the affordable housing sector. The numbers are up and down depending upon where you live and the housing category. According to the National Association of Realtors’ Index, May marks the 17th straight month of annual declines. So, what does this mean for the remodeling industry? It’s hard to say. After home remodeling spending hit a record high of nearly $425 billion in 2017, annual gains are projected to slow in more than half of the nation’s largest housing markets in 2019, according to a report from the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.
Source: Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University
With supplies of timber, aluminum, and steel being impacted by existing tariffs, and a shortage of skilled laborers, the refinishing industry may have a unique opportunity to grab what would have been full remodeling jobs. Refinishers use existing materials and coatings to make dramatic improvements to bathrooms and kitchens. By educating homeowners about this option, the price tag of a bathroom remodel can drop from $8,000.00 - $12,000.00 to a mere $1,500.00. Homeowners don’t have to wait to make improvements until they are ready to put their house on the market (which is when most remodeling activity occurs). The homeowner can upgrade their space and enjoy it as they live there. The improvements made will still yield an increase in value over the expense.
With all this trepidation and confusion in the housing market, refinishers have an exciting opportunity to expand their skills and fill a labor market gap. Robert Dietz, the chief economist with the National Association of Home Builders, said in a recent interview that “Most individual remodelers will say they’re busy and schedules are full because they don’t have enough help.” Building additional refinishing skills of your own and with your staff could give you a leg up to expand work with both existing and new clients.
Many of NAPCO's long-time bathtub refinishing customers have signed on for the new kitchen refinishing training program. Once these refinishers learn the cabinet taping technique and the methods for applying the Kitchen Renew waterborne coatings, they have been able to deliver both bathroom and kitchen refinishing jobs successfully. The best part about expanding refinishing skills to include kitchens is the jump in job pricing. A kitchen refinishing job can be very profitable, and a great additional revenue stream for your business.
For more information on NAPCO’s kitchen refinishing training program and/or its kitchen and bathroom refinishing training program, visit our website.
You might remember from our blog last month, that minor kitchen remodels are one of the top home improvement projects in 2019.
But did you know, you can actually make more money by refinishing one kitchen vs numerous bathrooms?
Some of our professionally certified NAPCO refinishers have used NAPCO’s kitchen refinishing products and training services as an add-on to their existing bathtub refinishing business, while some have even made kitchen refinishing their primary business. By adding kitchen refinishing onto their bathroom refinishing business, these refinishers have been able to greatly increase their overall revenues with little in the way of cost.
Because total revenue can vary, comparing profits between refinishers in different areas gives a more holistic look at kitchen refinishing vs. bathroom refinishing revenues and costs. We spoke to three of our professionally certified NAPCO refinishers, two of which are now refinishing both kitchen and bathrooms on a regular basis and are highly successful. We’ve put together a side-by-side comparison of their refinishing costs, revenues, and profits for kitchen vs bathrooms below.
Refinisher #1
Location: Indiana
| Kitchen | Bathroom | |
| Overall Time Spent | 3 days | 1 Day |
| Avg Revenue | $3,000 (cabinet work only) | $1,200 (tub, tile) |
| Avg Cost of Materials | $350 | $80 |
| Avg Profit | $1,900 | $800 |
| Jobs per month (%) | 25% | 75% |
25% of Refinisher #1’s business now comes from kitchen refinishing. Refinisher #1 hopes to continue expanding their kitchen refinishing cliental base as well as their number of kitchen refinishing jobs in the coming months.
Refinisher #2
Location: Indiana
| Kitchen | Bathroom | |
| Overall Time Spent | 2.5 days | 1 Day |
| Avg Revenue | $5,000 (cabinet work only)
$6,000 (cabinet and countertops) |
$949 (complete tub, tile) |
| Avg Cost of Materials | $300 | $50 |
| Avg Profit | $2,000 | $700 |
| Jobs per month | 3-5 | 100-120 |
Refinisher #2, one kitchen refinishing job makes the same amount of revenue as refinishing six to eight tubs. As many of us know, the more jobs you do, the more chances you have for errors and call backs. So, while refinisher #2 performs far less kitchen refinishing jobs per month compared to bathroom refinishing jobs, each kitchen refinishing job brings in 5x more revenue with far less risk.
Refinisher #3
Location: Louisiana
| Kitchen | Bathroom | |
| Overall Time Spent | No kitchens | 1 Day |
| Avg Revenue | $500 (complete tub, tile) | |
| Avg Cost of Materials | $50 | |
| Avg Profit | $300 | |
| Jobs per month (%) | 0% | 100% |
Refinisher #3 hasn’t added kitchen refinishing to their business. While their business is doing well, it could benefit significantly from adding a few kitchen jobs per month.
Like refinisher #3, you may be missing out on revenue from kitchen refinishing services.
NAPCO is here to help you grow your refinishing business and we make it simple. With NAPCO’s kitchen refinishing class, attendees receive a full day of hands-on training using our top-of-the-line products for kitchen refinishing.
Don’t miss this opportunity to improve your business offerings and revenue line. Add NAPCO’s newest kitchen refinishing products and training services onto your refinishing business. View NAPCO’s kitchen refinishing training dates and call us to reserve your spot!
Now is the time to get a head start on preparing your business for 2019. Whether you’re considering entering the home improvement sector first time or you’re an experienced contractor, adding kitchen refinishing to your skillset is a sure-fire way to grow your business in the new year. Here are 3 reasons why you should add kitchen refinishing onto your business in 2019:
More homeowners are opting for minor kitchen upgrades
When it comes to home improvement projects in the new year, the heart of the home will take center stage. As such, 2019 has been dubbed “the year of the kitchen” by Remodeling Business. The reason for this is simple: return on investment.
Minor kitchen remodels are one of the top home improvement projects that generate the highest return on investment. According to Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value home improvement report, a minor kitchen remodel will get back 81% of its cost in average resale value, while a major upscale kitchen remodel will get back only about 53.5% of its cost. And the most valuable home improvement projects in a minor kitchen remodel include modernizing the cabinets and countertops.
Many times, we are so focused on a current refinishing job that we forget this isn’t the only thing affecting business. The broader consumer market also impacts business. Adjusting your services to offer what current and potential customers want is a simple way to boost business.
Keep customers coming back by offering additional services
Acquiring a new customer is much harder, and more expensive, than retaining an existing one. This makes sense when you think about the time and resources you expend on attracting and convincing homeowners to use your contract services before you even start doing your contracting work. How do you make those one-time customers come back? And how do you turn those customers into long-term clients? Keep them happy and satisfied.
According to a survey by the National Association of Home Builders, bathroom and kitchen updates will be two of the most popular home improvement projects in the upcoming year. That means for contractors in the bathroom refinishing business, at least a few of your current clients will look into making kitchen updates in the new year. Don’t risk losing your clients to another contractor with kitchen experience. Providing additional services like kitchen refinishing for your clients will not only increase your revenue, but also save your clients time and energy as well.
Great way to enhance your business in the off season
During the winter months, many businesses will experience a lull, but this doesn’t mean your contract work has to stop. There are plenty of ways to take advantage of the offseason to grow your refinishing business.
While the breezier temperatures might slow down business a bit, they do provide the perfect opportunity to enhance your refinishing skillset-and in much more bearable weather conditions than the hot summer. Take this time to learn how to add kitchen refinishing on to your bathroom refinishing business. Call us for dates to reserve your spot!
We are pleased to announce the expansion of our refinishing training program. NAPCO is known as an industry-leading supplier of bathroom and kitchen refinishing products. Nevertheless, the training program has always been at the heart of our mission to provide small business owners and contractors with the training and tools they need to succeed.
Our refinishing training classes were previously held over a two-day period. Attendees would learn the ins and outs of refinishing tools, methods, and safety procedures for the bathroom. Now, with the launch of our new “Essentials” product line, which includes products for kitchen countertop and cabinet refinishing, NAPCO has extended its class length to three days to include a day’s worth of professional kitchen refinishing instruction.
“With the launch of our NAPCO ‘Essentials’ Kitchen Renew line, we knew we needed to restructure our training classes to more fully allow for comprehensive instruction in all of our products,” explained Dani Nichols, President of NAPCO. “We are pleased to be able to offer these expanded capabilities to our refinishers, allowing them to provide a wider range of services to their clients.”
NAPCO’s Head of Training, Simon Newton, will continue to lead the new course. “I am thrilled that NAPCO’s new course will provide refinishers with the tools and knowledge for bath and kitchen refinishing," said Newton. “Our refinishing training classes are designed for both new and seasoned refinishers.”
For more information about NAPCO’s new training programs or to register for an upcoming refinishing training course, click here.