WCU student runs painting business

BY ANDY EDWARDS, Staff Writer

WEST CHESTER — An internship with College Works Painting is not a run-of-the-mill exercise for corporate hopefuls or college students looking for credits.

For Jacky Wilson, a sophomore at West Chester University, it is a chance to run her own business.

As a College Works Painting intern, Wilson is in charge of a team of painters and marketers who offer their services in exterior painting to West Chester residents throughout the summer. She and her group are in the process of sending out fliers and going door to door in hopes of landing as many clients as possible by the end of the school year.

College Works Painting provides her with all the supplies she will need, and she will repay the company with the revenue she generates from her painting jobs. Last year, she and her team earned close to $65,000 from 23 clients, but this year, she's aiming for more.

"I want to get a reference letter from every single client that I work with," she said. "I want to finish first in the country and I want to also break the Pennsylvania record."

For Wilson, first in the country would mean that she generated the most revenue of any of the 500 to 800 interns across 26 states who give their time and talents to College Works Painting each summer.

The individual sales record is about $196,000, according to junior Sean Davies, who last year was branch manager. Wilson, the new branch manager, hopes to work with 50 clients this summer, a goal she sees as very realistic given the experience in business management that she gained last year.

"I've learned a lot through the process," Wilson said. "Obviously, being a freshman and doing this for the first time last year, I didn't know very much. But College Works, as far as training goes, they really help coach you into how to do everything correctly. Once I started doing everything myself, I was good after that."

Wilson said that part of the reason that the internship is so rewarding is that College Works is not an ordinary contractor. She gives free estimates, a 10 percent discount to clients who book her services the day of, and College Works offers a two- to five-year warranty on all projects.

"Customer service is my big thing," she said.

Davies said College Works buys painting supplies from Sherwin Williams for each of its interns, who then send revenues generated from their painting jobs to College Works to pay for the supplies and the wages of the painters.

College Works takes 40 percent off the top of every dollar earned, and pays interns on a bi-weekly basis once they start doing estimates. Last year, interns in Pennsylvania generated upward of $3 million in revenue.

Wilson said that she and her team focus exclusively on exterior painting, including trim work, cedar siding and asbestos work. She interviews prospective painters and performs estimates and prep work herself, all of which gives her the experience she needs to one day become the CEO of a company, her ultimate goal.

"Going through that experience and learning how to run my own small business as a 20-year-old in college is amazing," she said. "Once I graduate, I have that one step up and I'm ready to move on into the corporate world. I've learned so much about organization, time management and communication."

Wilson has already locked in 10 clients for the coming summer, and has interviews and visits scheduled. Well on her way to her summer goals, Wilson said she hopes her new clients are as happy with her work as her old ones were.

"They were just perfect," said Kristy Povich, who had the deck and sides of her house painted by Wilson's team last summer. "I couldn't have asked for anything more."

To get in touch with Wilson for an estimate or any painting needs, call her at 484-467-5893.