Color Fresh Painting

When you perform a service, like house painting, in a small town like Prince Rupert, chances are good that you either know your clients or that you'll see them again. It gives a deeper meaning to the work that you do, says Sandra Cummings. "You are more in touch with the clients. You see them outside of work so you must live up to your reputation." In fact, much of Sandra's business is comes her way by word-of-mouth, so she is conscientious about her work and quick to listen to what her clients need and want. How does she know when she's done a good job? Well, often her clients tell her so, but even more affirming is when they recommend her services to their own friends and family.

Going into business for herself was a natural career choice for Sandra. She grew up with entrepreneurial parents who owned their own business. "It's in my blood," she says. Sandra has always been a creative person, brimming with ideas. She gets to put that creativity to work with her clients. It's her creative outlet, and she gets paid for it, something that she appreciates every single day. She has a particular knack for colours: putting them together to create a particular ambience, atmosphere or feeling. "Color has a big impact on how we see things," says Sandra. "When you can match that with the homeowners personality it is a home run."

Sandra doesn't stop being creative at the end of her work day. She has an eye for old furniture, things that other people cast off because they're old or broken or out of style. She sees what they can be, and she likes to take old furniture and re-design and re-purpose it. She also enjoys working with glass and creating mosaic artwork.