Tree World - View Single Post - Just Do It

Streyken · 17th June 2007, 09:21 AM

When I started doing my own thing fulltime a few years ago, I started with the intention of staying small and keeping my overhead low. I like my free time and didn?t want any work commitments that would stop me from taking time off when I wanted; I like to spend 2-3 months in Mexico every year and I like the freedom to take days off when I want. I still hold to this philosophy.

I came from a mid-sized operation and for about 15 years I ran a crew of 4-6. I thought getting a chipper would mean having to keep it busy, and that with 1-2 guys it wouldn?t make that big a difference for a pick-up operation. Don?t ask me how I came to that erroneous conclusion, most likely fear. What finally made me get a chipper was that I was turning down way too many jobs in the 900+ range.

When I worked out the logistics on paper, I only needed to keep a machine busy three days a month to make it a better option than renting one. Three days of rental rates would cover the loan, insurance, operating and maintenance costs, so I bit the proverbial bullet. Well, it?s been about a month and a half now and inside another month the chipper will be paid for in full. The reason I?m sharing this is for those who are undecided about moving forward for whatever reason. I don?t know your individual situation, experience, potential work load, etc., but I recommend giving your aspirations a careful second look. On the flip side I see guys with a few years or less experience starting a full-on operation only to lose everything within a short time for numerous reasons.

17th June 2007, 09:21 AM	#1 (permalink)
Streyken Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 205	Just Do It - Maybe When I started doing my own thing fulltime a few years ago, I started with the intention of staying small and keeping my overhead low. I like my free time and didn?t want any work commitments that would stop me from taking time off when I wanted; I like to spend 2-3 months in Mexico every year and I like the freedom to take days off when I want. I still hold to this philosophy. I came from a mid-sized operation and for about 15 years I ran a crew of 4-6. I thought getting a chipper would mean having to keep it busy, and that with 1-2 guys it wouldn?t make that big a difference for a pick-up operation. Don?t ask me how I came to that erroneous conclusion, most likely fear. What finally made me get a chipper was that I was turning down way too many jobs in the 900+ range. When I worked out the logistics on paper, I only needed to keep a machine busy three days a month to make it a better option than renting one. Three days of rental rates would cover the loan, insurance, operating and maintenance costs, so I bit the proverbial bullet. Well, it?s been about a month and a half now and inside another month the chipper will be paid for in full. The reason I?m sharing this is for those who are undecided about moving forward for whatever reason. I don?t know your individual situation, experience, potential work load, etc., but I recommend giving your aspirations a careful second look. On the flip side I see guys with a few years or less experience starting a full-on operation only to lose everything within a short time for numerous reasons. __________________ Trimmin' bush and caring for flowers is good 'n' all... but sometimes ya gotta let the big wood fly and pound the garden.