It ain”™t just paint to Patti Heins.
Heins, who was lauded May 24 for her entrepreneurial success, has been a union painter since the age of 19, but she never thought about starting her own business. She didn”™t have the time.
Commuting was part of the job ”“ the hard part, said Heins. When the occasional job came up in the Hudson Valley, she jumped. One of her jobs paired her with general contractor Ron Franco, who liked her professionalism and work. When he was ready to build his next home, Heins was the person he called to paint for him. When he suggested she start her own painting business, Heins “laughed at first ”“ but then I really started to think about it.
“My biggest problem was I was great at painting and making sure the job was done right, but when it came to paperwork and reading blueprints or doing payroll, I was over my head,” said Heins. She turned to her friend, Tina Lyons, who was working for a general contractor in Yonkers for several years. “Tina knew how to do everything I couldn”™t,” said Heins. “I couldn”™t read a blueprint, but Tina could do all that and more with her eyes closed.”
Heins convinced her friend to take a chance with her and go into business. “Tina was worried,” Heins admits, “because she had a good job and had been there for so long. But she was tired of the long hours of commuting and wanted to work closer to home.” One month after Lyons agreed to join Heins, Heins got her first big contract ”“ from SUNY New Paltz ”“ for $137,000. “I was ecstatic,” said Heins. “I was also terrified. That”™s when I turned to the Small Business Development Center for help.”
SBDC”™s Al Griggs, Heins”™ counselor, helped walk her through the steps to get the necessary financing in place for her business. Lyons helped Heins with her paperwork and to get certified as a minority and woman small business owner. “If not for these two people, I would never have gotten this off the ground,” said Heins.
It has truly been a ladder to success for Heins, whose company cleared $200,000 in 2007, her first full year in business, $500,000 by 2009 and now is on target to hit the million dollar mark in 2010. “Unbelievable? It is,” said Heins. “I never thought I would be this successful. If not for Tina and Al (Griggs), and Bill Spearman, the president of MHFCU, which gave me my first line of credit, I don”™t think I could have managed. They were there with me every step of the way.”
Soon, Heins will be looking to the Small Business Administration for help, since she”™s grown her business from herself and her “right hand, Tina” and her SBDC mentor. “I know I will be back to Al (Griggs) again, this time, looking to work out an SBA loan.”
Heins is ready to stop working out of her home office and buy a “real building where we can run the business. You get tired of hearing the fax machine go off at 3:00am!” She has her eye on a two-family in Kingston where the first floor, “already rented out to some great tenants,” will help defray the costs of buying the building and moving Perfezione”™s Painting to the second floor.
The Small Business Development Corp. honored Heins on May 24 with its Female Entrepreneur of the Year Award and she”™ll take her place in the SBDC”™s New York State Hall of Fame. “I feel a little like Cinderella,” said Heins, welling up again. “I never thought something like this could ever happen to me.”
Heins says three things keep her focused: Doing the best job possible; never letting a contractor down when you”™ve promised to be on the job; and helping people out that have been turned down by others, particularly seniors. “They might just need one room painted,” said Heins, “and most painters want to do the whole house. Some people need help, just like I did. I”™m happy to give it.”
Heins is hoping that once things settle in, she can return to coaching girls”™ softball, which she”™s being doing for the past 14 years. “Yes, I”™m a softball lover and played all through high school. I took a year off, but I miss it so much ”“ I love working with the kids. The best part is helping them get as far as getting a collage scholarship, which has happened a few times. Winning a college scholarship is a dream come true, just like my business was for me.”
“It”™s been a pleasure working with Patti,” said Griggs, her SBDC mentor. “We are glad to have success stories, and Patti is one of them and an exceptional woman to work with. She”™s cooperative, determined and I”™m thrilled for her that she was recognized by the SBDC. We need more people like her.”
