Spending summer running a business

Sonoma State University student Kori Burningham, branch manager for College Works Painting, supervises painting being done at a home in Petaluma by her company.

Describing Kori Burningham's summer job as an internship falls far short of the level of responsibility that the Sonoma State University senior has taken on in her position as a branch manager for College Works Painting. Burningham handles the marketing, estimating, budgeting, project management and profitability of each house painting job, making her more of a small business owner than office employee.

I took on the challenge because I believe that if I can run a small business over the summer, I can do anything after that, Burningham says.

While it seems unlikely that the petite brunette who is majoring in human development with a long term goal of becoming a certified nutritionist would be knocking on the doors of Petaluma homeowners to offer house painting services, College Works Painting hires and trains more than 2,000 college students every year. The organization, one of the nation's largest exterior home painting contractors, is fully licensed and insured.

Burningham, who had been working at Raley's in Petaluma since 2011, says that when she filled out a form and then got called to attend an informational meeting for College Works Painting, she was a little wary at first. I wasn't a business major and I'm not a sales person, but this seemed like the perfect opportunity to come out of my comfort zone, she says.

The organization provides sales training so the students learn how to approach clients and build relationships. Cold calling is scary at first but it has made me more extroverted and I'm learning professional communication skills. There is a lot of problem solving involved when I'm working with the homeowners on an estimate.

But Burningham's involvement with the process doesn't end with lead generation. She also received advanced production training so she understands every aspect of the painting process including materials, equipment, and how to manage her painting crew.

I am on the job site at 8 a.m. checking the task list and I'm back at the end of the day to review the day's work with the client. Anything that is not to their liking is addressed immediately. Good communication is a major selling point for our clients, she says.

Burningham has set a goal of $80,000 in revenue for the summer and how much she earns from the total depends on how well she budgets the job, taking into account the amount estimated for labor, materials, and the percentage that goes back to the company.

One painting job has been completed, a second is about to be finished and she has 10 more clients booked. She estimates that she needs five to six more to reach her goal. Having the motivation to continue her marketing efforts is easier now that she has some houses in production.

Link:
Spending summer running a business