Some Frequently Asked Questions
Is this really a legitimate business?
It sure is. If you treat your business like a real business by working hard at creating the best murals that you can and also at giving your customer more than they expect, then you will be paid very well for your work.
Jeff, the founder of Dark Sky Murals, along with his murals, have been featured in The Robb Report magazine, Angies List magazine, Affluent magazine and has also been featured on HGTV's hit show, "I Want That".
He has over 20 years painting these murals and has done nothing but paint Dark Sky Murals for years as an only source of income... and he still paints murals to this day.
Now, he will teach you to paint these high-end, very realistic ceiling murals as a real business too.
Is there really a market for stars on ceilings?
Absolutely! Think about it... people have been putting the cheap plastic stars on their ceilings for years and they don't look anything like a real night sky. People love the idea of having a mural on their ceiling that actually looks like the real thing. We've never met one person yet that isn't mesmerized by a dark sky with thousands if stars and the Milky Way shining in it. And, that is exactly what we are offering them.
How important is artistic talent?
Here's the deal. We realize that others will tell you that you just need to be able to paint a little circle or dot. And, while that is basically true, it is also very important to have an eye for where to place them into the mural. Artistic talent is not that important to do this business, and we can teach you where to place the stars to make your murals look very real.
Are the tools that we will paint with expensive?
A ladder is the most expensive thing that you will need. The actual tools that you will use to paint with are not expensive at all. We have spent thousands of dollars testing new tools, but the ones that we found to work the best are not hard to find and they are not expensive.
If you were to loose all of your painting tools and had to replace them again, it might cost you $30.
I live in a small city. Will I be able to generate enough business?
OK, let's say that your small city has 30,000 people. That's a pretty small city. Now, let's say that there are no houses sitting empty (which there always are) and there are four (4) people per house. That would give you roughly 7500 houses. We know that there are some 5 or 6 bedroom homes and there are also some 2 to three bedroom homes. So, let's just average it out and say that there are 7500 homes with 3 bedrooms each. Now, we have never met anyone who didn't like the night sky, but let's say that 20% (that is a high percentage) of the people in our city just don't like a beautiful star-filled night sky (I'll bet they are not very fun to be around either). If we crunch the numbers, that would give us 6000 homes, where people love the night sky... and that would also give us 18,000 bedrooms. So now let's say that you don't believe in charging very much for your work and only charge your customers $200 per room (That is an insanely low price. I have never done a mural for that low of a price). If you charge only $200 per room... that would come out to be $1,200,000.
We just looked at bedrooms. There are many more rooms in the house that would be great if there were a mural of the night sky in it... so the number of ceilings that you could paint might actually be more.
I've seen a lot of different businesses offering similar "Business Opportunities". What is different about Dark Sky Murals?
That's a fair question. We also have seen many new offers on the Internet over the past few years. Without talking negatively about them, I will tell you that there are three companies that will give you information that is worth the money you will spend. The rest are just people who have never put in any real time painting murals and they know very little about this business. Most of what they will teach you is not worth the postage they spend to send it to you, let alone what you pay for it.
The owner of Dark Sky Murals has actually spent the last 20 years painting murals (at first part-time and now full-time) and he will share with you the nuts and bolts of this business. He actively paints to this day and has probably painted longer than anyone else in this business... no matter what you will hear. Although he did not invent this product, he is self-taught and has his own, unique techniques and style.
If a couple other companies claim to have been around for as long as Dark Sky Murals... how can the owner claim to have painted longer than them?
Another good question! Of the three companies that have spent any real time doing this business... the owner of Dark Sky Murals actually still paints to this day. He is known for painting the most realistic murals of anyone in the world, and has been written about in many well known magazines and has even had a segment filmed for HGTV's show "I Want That".
Just recently, after painting a mural for a customer's son, he was shown a mural that the customer had had painted by another company's "painter of dreams". The customer then asked him if he could fix that mural (painted by the other company) and make it look like the mural that he had just finished painting for the older boy. He fixed the other mural and the customer was thrilled!
I've seen other sites that tell me I can be painting beautiful murals in only a couple days. Is that true?
Well, sure, you can certainly paint a mural in only a few days... but it will probably not be the best mural... or very beautiful. We suggest that you paint a minimum of 5 murals before you try to do it for any friends or family members. It usually takes between 5 to 10 murals before the murals start looking good. Some people might take less time and some might take a little longer, but if you follow our instructions, you can be painting murals that will make you proud.
Is this just for kids?
Unfortunately, most people think that what we offer is just for kids. But, once they see a sample or a finished mural, they realize that what we offer is serious... and not just for kids. One customer told us that before we painted his mural, he had a picture in his mind of a scale that had the cheap plastic stars on one end and the real night sky on the other end. He told us that he would have been happy if our mural would come in somewhere in the middle of those two extremes. Then he said that he was "blown away" when our mural was so close to what the real night sky looked like.
I would also say that years ago, before many people knew about us, we did more kids rooms than any other room. But, these days, most of our initial work is done in master bedrooms or home theater rooms. That should tell you something!
Is this similar to those stick-on stars from the Dollar Stores?
Not even close. Stickers are better than nothing, I guess, but a Dark Sky Mural is like looking at the real thing. There are not many people who can offer such a nice, unique product to their customers. You'll be in a unique market niche.
Ok... but what does a Dark Sky Mural really look like with the lights out?
Sure... the next time there is a power outage that covers every light within a thousand square miles, go outside and look up. That'll be close. Or, you can drive up to the highest mountain peak on a moonless night and see something similar too.
Or, as a customer just told us... "That is truly unbelievable! That is amazing! Never would I have guessed that your murals would turn out looking so real."
What does it look like during the day... or in normal room lighting?
In most cases, the room will look just like it did before you ever showed up to paint. Unless the ceiling has a very dark paint color on it, your customer will be hard pressed to see anything up there in the light. And, we even have some special paint and techniques that we can use that will make our product completely invisible even on a very dark color.
Are Dark Sky Murals only for the ceiling?
Most of the murals that you will paint will go on just the ceiling. But, we can teach you some really nice techniques that you can use for those customers who want to expand beyond the ceiling... which is a great effect too!
Can we only paint on flat ceilings?
Not at all. Flat ceilings, slanted ceilings, tray ceilings, or ceilings with a lot of angles to them are all nice. My personal favorite ceiling to paint is a tray ceiling because it seems to add even more depth to the mural. Our murals already have a nice 3D look to them and the tray seems to add to it.
How long will an installation take?
Unless your customer has a very high ceiling or unusual items to work around, your murals will likely take 4 to 8 hours to paint. I have painted small murals that have taken less than 2 hours and I have had others that have taken 12 to 15 hours. There are a few variables that go into the time needed to paint. Now, some companies tell you that you can paint a mural in an hour... and that is what they do. But, to get a mural that is very realistic, it takes a little longer to paint. Murals that are more realistic will make your customers happier, will bring you more referrals and will make you more money.
How long will the paint glow during the night?
We have customers that tell us that they still see some stars shining when they wake up in the morning. That is not unusual. But, at Dark Sky Murals we use many different sized stars in our murals and the smallest ones will usually fade in the first 3 hours, the medium sized stars will last between 4 and 7 hours and our constellation stars will usually last for up to 12 hours. Those times are in perfect conditions where the room is very dark and the paint was charged up with a good light source for 15 to 20 minutes. We have never had a complaint about our stars not lasting long enough. We usually hear how amazed people are to have them glow as long as they do.
What is the lifespan of a Dark Sky Mural?
We have painted murals for over 20 years and we have never heard of a mural losing its glow. We only use the highest quality ingredients in our paint and it lasts for years. Your customers will more than likely either move or want to repaint the room before the ceiling stops glowing. Because of that... you might want to suggest to your customers that they paint the ceiling, before you arrive to paint the mural, if it has been a while since they last painted.
It sounds like it would be great in Home Theaters. Is it?
The application that we use in bedrooms, relaxation rooms and bathrooms is great in a theater room, but we have another application that we can teach you that you can also offer your clients. Here's why...
As we have mentioned, our paint is best in dark rooms. We have found that there are two types of customer; one wants to see the mural even when the movie is showing and others who don't want to be distracted by the stars. We have paint that will allow you to satisfy both types of customer.
This paint will also open up new markets for you that are not available to other companies who don't have this proprietary paint (that only our painters can buy from us). Markets that will open to you are commercial markets such as restaurants and bars. Your mural will create the perfect finishing touch to your customers business.
Should I jump in with both feet, quit my job, and get started now?
Jump in now and go for it, sure... but please don't quit your job until you have at least equaled the income from your current job. That is a mistake that so many people make when they get into a home business. If you have a current job that is bringing money in, then I would suggest keeping it while you are practicing and then starting to get the word out. When you start getting referrals and you find yourself short on time, then maybe your boss will let you work less hours. Whatever you can do to keep money coming in is a good thing. Even when one job that you make brings in as much as you make all week at your job... stay with it a little longer. You will know when the right time is to make the big decision to fire your boss, but please do itafter your business has taken off.
OK... I'm ready to get started. What is my next move?
Great! We are happy that you are ready to get on board with us! We are here to help you be successful. Choose the package that is best for you and then click on the appropriate button for that package. If you want to send a check instead of paying online... please drop us a note by email and we will work out other arrangements.
Good luck. We look forward to helping you start off in this business on the right foot.