Luis Inclan is the owner of Inclan Painting and Waterproofing. Founded in 1981, the company is based in Miami-Dade County, Florida. He sat down with Pintor Pro to discuss his successful career in the painting business.
How did you get into the painting business?
I am an entrepreneur and have had many businesses from high-end restaurants to custom cleaning services. When I was introduced to the painting industry, I realized that there was so much potential and room for growth. I enjoy the creativity and art it involves, whether we custom design a mural or simply revive a building with a fresh look.
I have been blessed to create a corporation that not only thrives on an on-demand service, but also provides jobs for many members of our community, and gives me the opportunity to give back and practice philanthropy as a successful business owner.
The best decision to make my company grow and become more successful was…
…to take a leap of faith in serving both commercial and government work, which as we all know is extremely challenging when it comes to manpower and funding. During this time, Sherwin-Williams offered to provide a generous credit limit, providing assistance with this challenge. Thanks to them, my company’s revenue has multiplied.
Once we received a credit line, one of my biggest turning points was having the opportunity to be certified on several categories in Miami/Dade County, including small business development, minority-owned and certified small business enterprise. These certifications allow us to bid on government work, which is a key part of our business.
What’s the biggest challenge of running your own painting business?
I’ve been in business for over 30 years, and the biggest challenge is time. Sometimes it feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day. Thankfully, I have an excellent team to help distribute all the work. I began with myself and five laborers. Now I have a team of more than 200 employees made up of office, clerical staff, field specialists, inspectors, estimators, and on-call team members for the busy seasons.
The most rewarding part of running my own business is…
…having the opportunity to give back. I a man of faith and it was faith that allowed me to take the leap in starting this endeavor. Faith allowed me to endure the hardships and challenges of the trade, and prepared me for the prosperous outcome I have so graciously been blessed with. In turn, I feel privileged enough to have the opportunity to help my community, my church and family as much as possible.
If readers take anything from this article, I’d like them to remember that…
…the painting industry affects us all. Painting is an art. Painting is a job. Painting is a source of income and revenue. Painting is the last thing to touch a surface, but always the first impression we see. Painting can mark a memory, cover up a scar or create a clean slate. Painting can be a form of expression and freedom or can create uniformity and order. But most importantly, painting affects us all because whether you are the painter, client, supplier, intern, observer, student or reader, painting is a part of your everyday life.
Read about other successful Hispanic painting contractors in our Pintor Pro Digital Edition archive.
