You guys with your own business...

TreeWorker

I'm just curious to know what inspired you to go solo, what the first few years were like for you and if you started off with bugger all and worked your way up or started off with a lovely tipper, chipper and the lot?

What's the best way to go and would you recommend it?

Share your stories, tell me all! I'm considering it.

TreeWorker

Also, how you built up your client base, how you were for work when you first got started and such. Thanks

Rob Chace

all i can say is make sure u have little or no debts and are capacble of living of very little for the short term (1/2years).
I was very lucky to already own 2 other businesses and not have to rely on tree work for income, this allowed a more moral approach to work (especially when the work was thin) and let me pick and choose my work a little, not a lot but enough to make me smile.

Be honest and do a good job.
Buy a small truck first 2-3T tipper and a trailer to start with. Then start hiring a chipper. I started with a 6inch chipper but would also reccommend a 9in machine. Dont bothe rwith anything bigger to start with, all youre doing is tying up capital and increasing runing costs.

Keep the small machine, use good quality saws. Verge pick ups save money (but IMHO are a paim in th rear).
Quoting jobs DONT get caught out, uphills and through narrow gates make life hard, steer clear, or quote accordingly.
EWPs save the body and in the heat of summer actually let you work longer without exhaustion.

meh, thats my 2cents

TreeWorker

Cheers bro! Anybody else?

Paul Toivonen

I started out placing free ads at the local shops.
Had plenty of calls ,some of my best regular clients were from the free ads.
Sure you have to start cheap until people get to know you.
The client base is most important.
Without it how can you (legally) afford the better ads and machinery???
And get used to doing quotes, plenty of 'em.

TreeWorker

The thing is, I don't want to be stepping on toes by undercutting the locals, but I could afford to do it cheap because I'll have low overheads for the first year or so?

There isn't really a good way around this

Paul Toivonen

You need to find out what the going rates are.
Trust me the people who are going for cheap wont be missed by the majority of operators.
There are plenty who will search for the cheapest, try to milk you for more than it is worth, try to avoid payment, etc.
If you keep your head about you, their money is helpful, for a fresh business.
The tree industry is not as bad as landscape for undercutting.
It is quick money compared to construction but machinery is rather expensive and the work specialised.

Paul Goodall

And not as bad again as gardening and lawn care.

I'm a life-long gardener and started up for myself about two years ago.

It's a tough slog but worth it. Be confident when you quote and don't hesitate or um and ar. Be confident in general when dealing with customers.

Know what the going rates are for your industry in your area and don't sell yourself short.

Paul Goodall

Forgot to add:

If your winning every single quote you're too cheap and if you're not winning any then obviously your too dear or something else is turning the customers away from your business.

Sometimes when I don't win a quote on a job I'd really like to get I might follow up with the customer for a bit of feedback to see what it was that made them choose another contractor.

Paul Toivonen

That is a great idea, as it can often change the outcome.
If you are flat out busy it is a bit hard though.
I dont like to be the one who collects deposits then shows up 6mths later to do the work.
Plenty who do, but the bad rep from clients is so not worth it.
Most of the time the reason they have chosen someone else is simple; They know someone who will do it for cash and are using you for more than it's worth.
A great reason to charge for quotes but how do you know this beforehand?
The overly nice ones are the usual offenders.
They feel guilty for crapping in your pocket, so they try to be really, really nice to feel better about themselves.
My best clients are not usually that "nice".

KevinE

I don't have a truck or chipper, I work out of a ute & trailer.

I try to look at it this way; will buying a truck & chipper make me more money than I'll have to fork out to buy it & run it, while not having to work longer hours?

The answer for me is no.

Would it make my life easier? You bet it would! But I just can't justify buying them. But I don't do massive trees. For me a $900 tree is a very big tree lol!

I usually take the green to the dump & leave the logs on the side of the road at the job. They always get taken by someone looking for free firewood.

Also, I'm older & I don't have a lot of bills to worry about, so I don't chase work. If you have a young family you may need to work those longer hours to pay the bills? If so, a truck & chipper would be the way to go.

A bucket on the other hand would certainly earn me more than it cost me (finance on monthly payments) with very little, if any increase in working hours. Plus, I'd feel fresher at the end of the job.

Cheers,

Kevin...........

Brent Ferris

I don't have a chipper either. I use a heavy duty pickup with extended sides, and had a piston installed to easily dump the load. Have done the same on each of the trucks I have had. I have generally found, doing good work, super cleanup, fair price - for both you and the client -- gets the best results, and referrals. The rule of thumb is if you work for 10 people, and they all like you, one of them will tell someone else; but if you aggravate someone, they'll knock you down with 10 or more people. Not fair, but that is typically what happens., So, keep everybody happy, no reason to complain. I have also found being willing to share what I know, impresses potential clients, and can sway them to hire me.
Personally, I wouldn't go cheap unless you can get no other work. Cheap prices says you are inexperienced, and people like to take advantage of you. I found asking for a 25% deposit got rid of a lot of people that don't like to pay the balance on the job. Cash can work, but be sure you get a signature and specify what you are going to do - good for both; try to avoid -- trim tree. Too easy for people to complain and ask you to do more and more, and wipe out any profit you might have had. Additionally, cheap gets you a reputation for cheap, and then you are only hired by people who want cheap -- and do you want to build a reputation of good work deserves good pay or cheap work, don't care.

Brent

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