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Answers to commonly asked questions
 Q: "Is this a Franchise?"
A: No. Our Branch Managers are employees of our corporation Student Entrepreneurs. This means that the corporation carries all of the liability for any accidents or injuries involving or caused by our employees.
Student Painters is similar to a Franchise in that we provide a proven business system, tailored to the specific territory, that greatly simplifies the creation of a profitable business center. However, a Franchisee would be personally responsible for all debts and liabilities, whereas our Branch Manager employees carry none of those responsibilities.
Q: "How do I get paid?"
A: Branch Managers are paid on a salary plus Operating Bonus system. The base salary covers four paid training seminars, spring marketing time, and a full time guaranteed wage for the summer. Operating Bonuses averages an additional $5000 but can range from just a few hundred dollars to $15,000 or more. Details can vary from state to state so ask your H.R. Assistant for your state's specific wage and covered hours.
Q: "What are the risks?"
A: The risks are minimal. All debts and liabilities are the responsibility of Student Painters.net and the Branch Managers base salary is guaranteed as long as they meet our minimum performance standards. The program is very difficult and requires both long hours and an investment of personal pride and caring.
Q: "Can I get college credit for this program?"
A: Yes. Most students can receive up to 6 credits per quarter for two quarters at qualifying schools. The ideal plan would be to register for 5 internship credits during spring quarter. This would allow you to have a full-time credit load while only taking two classes. Your 10 hours a week spent on your Branch would simply replace the time you would have spent on a third course.
Q: "What is the commitment?"
A: In terms of hours we require 10 hours a week during the spring and 40 during the summer. Much more important than that is the commitment to being an Entrepreneur. A business is only successful when its proprietor shows a personal pride in that success. A Branch Manager makes promises to both customers and employees and must have the dedication and pride to see those promises through.
Entrepreneur: A person who organizes and manages a business undertaking, assuming the risk for the sake of the profit.
In recent years we have steadily increased the guaranteed earnings in order to insure a good financial result for all of our employees. But it is still the profit sharing that inspires us to love our work. When we see a 19 year old Freshman come through our program and earn $20,000 in a summer; not because she was lucky, or had connections, but because she was good, it satisfies and feeds our faith and love in Capitalism. Entrepreneurs make excellent money because they make things happen, they go out and create something that didn't exist before. It is this sense of joy and satisfaction in ones work that we hope to share through a summer with Student Painters.net.
Things a true Entrepreneur would have to do that our Branch Managers do not: We provide all these services and more.
- Research and Establish the Niche Market that will purchase your services.
- Develop and create Marketing Tools and Strategy.
- Develop a Pricing Structure.
- Develop a Customer Contract that informs and protects you and the client.
- Provide an Industry Standard Warranty on all products and services.
- Develop Lines of Credit with local suppliers.
- Develop a reputation for providing Quality Service.
- Obtain Licenses: Master License, Federal Employer Identification Number, State Universal Business Identifier, State Contractor's License, City Business Licenses.
- Obtain Insurance: Liability Insurance, Contractor's Surety Bond, State Industrial Insurance.
- File Employer Taxes: Federal and State Income Tax Withholding Reports, Social Security deduction Reports, Medicare deduction Reports, State Industrial Insurance Reports.
- File Business Taxes: State and Local Excise Tax Reports, Business and Occupation Tax Reports, Federal & State Unemployment Tax Reports, State Industrial Insurance Reports, Small Business Income Tax Reports.
- Maintain Audit Proof Accounting Records
A Branch Manager needs to provide a vehicle for use during Spring Quarter to get around their Territory and conduct Estimates. They also need to be able to transport ladders and painting equipment from jobsite to jobsite during the summer. |
