I was 19 when I got into the paint business. It all started with a summer job at Paint Central, where I gained hands-on experience learning the ins and outs of the trade: making paint, nailing color matches, and managing the daily operations of a store. Paint Central was conveniently located in my hometown of Hailey, Idaho, and I continued working there for a few summers. Sadly, the store went under. But my dad and I saw a silver lining – a chance to set up our own paint shop right there in Hailey.
So, in 1997, we dove in and launched Sawtooth Paint. In the beginning, it was quite a struggle. I went from being a paint store clerk to running the entire operation, which was a significant adjustment. It took a while, but I eventually found my footing, and having my dad's guidance was a real blessing. Then, around 2001, word started circulating that the owner of another local shop, Color Haus, was ready to unplug their tint machine. The owner had been running the place for 18 years and was ready to enter a well-deserved retirement.
Color Haus was well-known in our town – it was the very first paint shop in the area, dating back to the 70s. Recognizing the opportunity, my dad and I seized it. However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. The store was in poor condition, and customers weren’t exactly satisfied with the service. But over the course of 20 years, we can confidently say that we turned things around. To this day, a handful of employees have been with us for about 15 years, while the rest have worked here for at least 5 years. Ensuring the happiness of our team was a top priority at Sawtooth/Color Haus, as we believed happy employees naturally provided better service.
Another key factor in our success was our fresh perspective and desire to modernize the business. I was in my early 30s when I took over, and the previous owner had a traditional approach. He still relied on pen and paper, while I wanted to bring things into the 21st century. A game-changer was adopting a point-of-sale system for our stores, initially choosing Intuit's QuickBooks. However, as QuickBooks' impending shutdown in October 2023 approached, our Benjamin Moore rep introduced us to Max from Rundoo.
We began discussing our needs and what Rundoo could offer. What struck me most was Max's genuine interest in tailoring the solution to our needs. Despite initial nervousness about making such a significant change – after all, we were attached to QuickBooks, and not everyone on the team was tech-savvy – we decided to take the plunge. The transition provided an opportunity to merge two separate businesses into one: inventory and accounts had to be aligned. It was daunting at first, but now having everything aligned makes management much more streamlined and efficient.
Tyler (customer support) went in and did it for me, showing me how this feature will save me a lot of time in the future. Looking back, I can say with certainty that it was the right move. I now have better insight into my business, as I can see both stores together and access our performance data from any computer or my phone. My intuition, the same one that led me into the paint industry at 19, prompted me to buy Color Haus. It also led me to embrace Rundoo for our stores, and I was right.
