Looking Back

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Levi

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Knowing what you know now, what would you do differently in starting your tree care business? Thanks

I am 1 year into it and I can say I wish I would have hired an accountant from the get go...
 
No doubt, one needs a good accountant.
 
I focused too much on climbing, and too little on business management.
Hate paperwork.
 
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  • #4
I hear ya there. I thought I could keep things simple...yeah right.

I definetly need to implore some sort of software or at least dial in my paper based system. I know...paper!
 
I just purchased jobber for this year. 3 full years of all notebook and calendar. We have almost doubled gross every year and I wish I had implemented some client organization much earlier! In my eyes, tree work is the easy part nowadays... Focus on badass customer service and biz organization and you'll be golden!
 
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  • #6
That's a cool way to look at it, it sounds like jobber is the way to go, and cheap too.

Here's another thing I learned/regret. Working as a sub and doing my own thing at the same time was way too much for me, shoulda just focused on my thing, oh well.
 
We are a small op and jobber fits the bill. Super easy to use and learn. A constant learning curve and contract work is a good way to pay da bills!
 
Here is one thing I did accidentally and would suggest doing to any new owner: hire a competent personnel early.

The story:

I started my company in 2011 and met a cool young dude during the summer who was finishing his arborist course. I told him I would hire him part time when I needed him for the rest of the summer until the winter. In the spring, I called him and offered full time work. Honestly, I have NO IDEA why I did this because I knew I had very little work. He was a solid worker, grew up on a farm, good work ethic, decent mechanic. He probably didn't even make me money for the first couple years, but I kept him on board. Anyway, long story short, he is now my main foreman and I gave him a decent raise this year to run the crew when I'm not there.

I have a couple of other guys that have paid off in the long run (couple a years seems long for me).

I think the same can be said for equipment: seeing long-term sometimes is hard but worth it.
 
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  • #12
Matt- Luckily I have my brother as a biz partner so we should be staffed enough for now, I will keep in mind what you said though.

Equipment... you guys think I'll get burnt out on my truck and trailer?? :)

The first thing I want to buy is one of those Giant loaders, they look like the ticket. Hiring roll-off dumpsters is something we've been doing and will most likely continue with that, having a loader would be ideal. Maybe I need to get over it but I absolutely abhor chippers. So a small grapple and a mini is objective as of now.

So you guys borrowed money to start up or saved? I think I will do everything in my power to avoid debt, it terrifies me.

Thanks everyone, I'm looking forward to hearing more!
 
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  • #14
Well at the moment I am forbidden to get into debt (no credit) so it's a non issue... I guess. Every time I go to the bank they try to get me into building my credit, it bothers me.
 
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  • #16
Because they ask EVERY time. I say no thanks but just don't stop. They ask why not blah blah blah. It's annoying.
 
I love making a payment on a new mini that is never hung over, tired, sore, can't listen, etc.

If you couldn't afford a chainsaw, and only had manual saws, how would you feel about debt?

Do you have steady business? Do you want to build more business by saving your strength, energy and time to do administrative stuff?

Think about what else you can do with the machine beyond tree work. I'm going to do another job where the lot is super covered in blackberry brambles where you can't walk through. An older lady has trees that have to go because they're dying. She wants to put it back into 'woodland'. I told her, I could clear all the blackberries above ground, level out some piles of debris, shoving it all into a low spot. I can them move the chipper in with the machine, chip everything right where it is, spraying mulch over disturbed areas, then move all the firewood over a trailer, cutting it to rounds, dropping directly into the trailer.

Easy for me, twiddling levers. Great for her and the neighbors, as the blackberries are a pain to manually clear, they make good rodent habitat, and she will get a lot of the mulch broadcast and/ or spread with the bucket.

With a big open landing zone, I can dump bigger pieces, then also have lots of pulling power to pull it over backwards in a large piece, bringing the wood even close to the road.

Build your business credit, and your personal credit rating! Will your ever want to get a mortgage?
Buy a machine! You have one back, two wrists. Save your body for technical work.


NOT buying a machine sooner HELD ME BACK!

Also, no worker's comp. Easier to fix than a tweaked back.

You have a good situation in that a major part of your work force is invested in building the business, with vested interest.

You have snow there, too. I see a machine making you money on hard to access areas, if you can find them. You can make money on easy access areas, but not like someone with a plow, naturally. If you can add a few driveway clearings at neighbors' to where you're already doing tree work, its an easy, very low risk add-on.
 
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  • #20
Don't blame them too much - they have bosses that demand that they meet some sorta quota or something.
I understand, that's why I don't get mad at them... just the system!!

Sean-I get your point on many levels. I suppose I will venture into the credit world at some point, not much need at present, things are a bit slow in February...
As far as a mortgage goes, I'm not sure. I would rather buy a piece of land a yurt to live in while I build my house.

A grapple truck and small loader I think would be very versatile tools that we could use for many things other than tree work.
 
A telescoping boom, can allow a power rotate grapple, as you don't have to worry about losing the height. Looking at Carl's clearing video, I see how much more effective this would be when you can more effectively stack many pieces with the machine, reducing hand-work.



Credit to buy land can open up many more options. If you can buy what your want outright, great. Interest sounds like its tax-deductible on a mortgage, which is a factor in some situations.

I carry my Boxer on a trailer that works for the time being. Its only single axle (6 lug). I had 'landing legs' welded on--square tube, vertically-mounted, with square tube highway sign posts with the bolt holes every 1-1.5' for the legs, flat plate for feet welded on the legs. I can adjust the height of each leg to fit the need. I started putting 2' plywood strips on the floor of the small 5x8 trailer. I can drive up onto these, and them slide the ramps under the machine. This leaves me room to pack stuff on the sides of the machine.

I move the trailer loaded with gear to backyards. I can chip 5 yards into the trailer, and move it to another part of the site where they need mulch or have a disposal area, lift the tongue, and dump some, raking the rest. If I knew the legs were a stout enough, I'd dump the trailer more effectively, by tipping it onto the legs and lifting the wheels off the ground, effectively making it a dump trailer. I need to move the lights, first.


On a big removal job, where there was lots of rakings, I just moved the trailer around to the piles, loading up a mess, easily.
 
Because they ask EVERY time. I say no thanks but just don't stop. They ask why not blah blah blah. It's annoying.

They have seen the effect of businesses having credit available to them. They have self-interest, but they also have interest in your business growth. They would love to finance a 25k machine now, hoping you'll grow and want to finance a 100k grapple truck.

I was nervous about debt. My Boxer plus insurance is less than $500 month, with about $5k down. Money sooo well spent.
 
I love making a payment on a new mini that is never hung over, tired, sore, can't listen, etc.....

Different strokes, I love not having any payments or the need to constantly hustle in order to keep the bank from taking the things that I have worked hard for away from me. When the winter gets nasty for weeks or sometimes months, living off savings goes a lot farther without big payments. It really was not that long ago that living beyond what you could make and save was considered poor money management. My how things have changed.

Levi, I am the oddball of the group here so take what I say with that in mind. You need to set your goals and not just in tree work but in life. You will spend most of your life working. Don't ever lose sight of that.

I was fortunate in that I knew at an early age how I wanted to live my life and that trees and the forests were a big part of it. What I have done and what has worked for me, I would not change, but has little bearing on what will work for you. Think about not only what you want but how you want to get there. Then live to that standard not someone else's.
 
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