College Pro Painters Toronto

Graduating In 2 Months? What Sets You Apart?

By Admin Wednesday March 27, 2013

By: Kristy Nieboer

I am a fourth year university student in Waterloo, Ontario, and I am absolutely terrified of graduating in 2 months. They say that your four years of education flies by, and they weren’t kidding! I remember my first year like it was yesterday. Among my peers, I have heard of a number of different plans for after graduation, but I’m not sure any of them are what I am interested in doing. A number of people are continuing their education by applying to post-graduate college or masters programs. Others are prolonging their undergrad by doing an exchange. Some are in direct streams like accounting, and are starting their careers immediately after graduation. Scarily enough, a great number of people have no plans at all. A lot of these options seem like continuous stabs at finding yourself and what you are interested in – which is what we thought would happen during our undergrad. The people I know that are not grouped in this category are those who have run a College Pro franchise.

This is a preview of Graduating In 2 Months? What Sets You Apart?. Read the full post (405 words, 1 image, estimated 1:37 mins reading time)

Summer as a College Pro Painter

By Admin Monday March 25, 2013

By: Ian Scheel, College Pro Alumni (painter & franchisee)

Working with College Pro Painters for the summer is unlike any other work experience I have had, and I have had a lot of summer jobs. You gain so much experience for life as well as making contacts that can last a long time. My first summer with College Pro Painters was the first time I really felt like I had accomplished something each day of the job.

This is a preview of Summer as a College Pro Painter. Read the full post (400 words, 1 image, estimated 1:36 mins reading time)

What it takes to be a College Pro Franchise Owner

By Admin Tuesday March 12, 2013

By: Nikki Borkhuis, past College Pro Franchise Owner

Are you currently a college student? If so, then you are off to a good start! College Pro takes pride in the fact that we are mostly college students taking the initiative to do something many students cannot and do not do, in college or in the future. Being a business owner as a college student provides so many opportunities and open doors with the experience that is gained and personal growth that is achieved. College Pro started with a college student starting their own small summer business in Canada in order to pay for school during the only time possible, summer. It’s important to share this opportunity with other students, not only for a job during school but also to learn valuable life skills.

This is a preview of What it takes to be a College Pro Franchise Owner. Read the full post (365 words, 1 image, estimated 1:28 mins reading time)

Managing the Pre-Season as a College Pro Franchisee

By Admin Tuesday February 5, 2013

By: Tara Barber
College Pro Alumni (Toronto & Boston)

I went to school in London, Ontario at the University of Western Ontario, majoring in Honors Biology. I kept a part time job working retail about 15-20 hours a week, and I had a pretty active social calendar. In the August prior, I had committed to running a business with College Pro, and in January, it really hit me that I had to balance everything above while preparing my business. I knew before that I’d have to balance everything, and people told me how much effort it was going to take, but I didn’t quite grasp it. So, I did what any respectable type A person would do…I started planning it out. I got an organizer and started to plan.

This is a preview of Managing the Pre-Season as a College Pro Franchisee. Read the full post (672 words, 1 image, estimated 2:41 mins reading time)

Work Hard, Play Hard – Painters Edition

By Admin Monday January 28, 2013

By: Tara Barber, College Pro Franchise Owner (

I expected a lot out of my College Pro painters. I gave a lot of myself to them to help them do well and I expected the same back. They did great work, worked long hours, and would put in some serious marketing time after long days of painting to ensure we had work the whole season. It wasn’t uncommon for some of my painters to be bringing in paychecks with 90-100 hours on them.

This is a preview of Work Hard, Play Hard – Painters Edition. Read the full post (467 words, 2 images, estimated 1:52 mins reading time)

Work Hard, Play Hard – Franchisee Edition

By Admin Monday January 28, 2013

By: Tara Barber

I worked harder in those summer months that I ever had up until that point. I was literally working from 7am – 9pm Monday thru Friday and 9am-5pm on Saturdays and Sundays in May and June. I lost 15 pounds during that time and only saw my boyfriend twice. This wasn’t something College Pro mandated, and not every franchisee in College Pro did, it was what I chose. I wanted to do big numbers and nothing was going to get in my way.

This is a preview of Work Hard, Play Hard – Franchisee Edition. Read the full post (452 words, 1 image, estimated 1:48 mins reading time)

DIY Painting Tips from College Pro Painters: IRON RAILINGS

By Admin Monday January 28, 2013

If you live in a metropolitan city, such as Montreal, with many homes close together, you will notice a lot of railings. In dense pockets featuring duplexes or triplexes, there is a plethora of railings and staircases accessing each flat. Many of these railings are cast iron and take quite a beating in harsh winter conditions. College Pro has been working with iron railings for over 40 years. Many of our own student painters live in these homes while they attend the nearby Universities. While living in an apartment with cast iron railings doesn’t mean you know how to paint them, spending your summer as a student painter in a city like Montreal does!

This is a preview of DIY Painting Tips from College Pro Painters: IRON RAILINGS. Read the full post (430 words, 1 image, estimated 1:43 mins reading time)

My Biggest Job for College Pro

By Admin Thursday January 24, 2013

By: Ian Scheel, College Pro Painter & Franchise Owner

While I was a franchise manager for College Pro in Guelph Ontario, there was one job in particular that will always stand out to me. It was the largest painting project that I had ever been responsible for. It was painting all of the wood on a huge historical home on the main street of Guelph, and it was stressful, to say the least.

This is a preview of My Biggest Job for College Pro. Read the full post (437 words, 1 image, estimated 1:45 mins reading time)

Managing Money as a College Pro Franchisee

By Admin Thursday January 24, 2013

One of the most unique aspects of being a College Pro franchisee was getting to manage a significant amount of money over the course of the season. I was a fourth year student at Western University and the most money that I had to manage was my student loans, and they were always in the red.

In my first year with College Pro I ran a $140,000 business. That means that $140,000 came into my account and I had to use that to pay my payroll, my paint store, my cell phone bill, College Pro, WSIB, and the government. I also had to use that money to buy ladders, equipment, gas for my car, and the list goes on. Through this all I was hoping to bring home enough money to pay off that pesky red student loan.

This is a preview of Managing Money as a College Pro Franchisee. Read the full post (508 words, 1 image, estimated 2:02 mins reading time)

College Pro Window Cleaning Testimonial With: Derek Drenth

By Admin Monday November 12, 2012

Derek Drenth is a first year College Pro Window Cleaning franchisee in the Burlington/Oakville area of Ontario, and he shared his experience with us while at a year-end banquet in Toronto, ON.

Derek says there are ups and downs to running your own business – the most challenging day of his summer was when he didn’t have enough hours for his window cleaning techs, and they decided to find other work. Derek was left frantically trying to find new workers on very short notice. When reflecting on the best day of his summer, he said it was white water rafting along the Ottawa river during College Pro manager’s weekend, along with all the other young entrepreneurs in Ontario & Quebec.

This is a preview of College Pro Window Cleaning Testimonial With: Derek Drenth. Read the full post (306 words, 1 image, estimated 1:13 mins reading time)