Well. I've lasted a whole 6 months out of the tree biz. The last couple days have been beautiful. I'm stuck in an office and although I'm doing well and advancing quickly this whole corprate political scene is starting to wair on me. Seriously concidering a move back to the tree biz. Any advice on how to stay small and make some $$$ while keeping overhead at a minimum? I'll be starting back up from scratch. All I have left is basic climbing gear and my morbark chipper. I'd love to keep the chipper but I don't want to carry the debt and if I sell it I should put enough cash in my pocket to buy an older chipper and truck without taking a loan. Still have my ramrod too but same goes for it, don't want to carry the debt that goes along with it. Part of is thinking maybe keep the ramrod and use $$$ from the chipper to pay it off. I wonder if I could be happy trailering brush if I had the mini. Hmmmmm.
Ah Hell
- Thread starter Canuck
- Start date
- Replies 21
- Views 3K
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
Specialize - be a contract climber. No truck, no chipper.
M
Mr. Sir
Guest
You create the market by selling yourself and your abilities to the local tree services. Convince them that it makes more sense to hire you when they need you rather than to pay their own guy full-time.
SkwerI
Treehouser
The problem with being a contract climber is that your only good clients are small companies where the owner isn't a good climber and he's not big enough to employ a good climber full time. But you also need to weed out the guys who are small because they are lousy money managers, or else they have other priorities for their money besides paying their bills. I could have a much bigger client base if I was willing to work for all the scumbag, dishonest treeguys in this town.
Welcome back, Ben.
Welcome back, Ben.
Paul B
I dig hammocks.
hm, I thought you decided not to get out at the end, you could always go work for Craig 
rumination
Migratory Hippie Arbolist
Keep the mini, for sure. That's like having a couple ground guys.
F
Frans
Guest
Whole bunch of those statements I would disagree with.
Here are a couple of thoughts
the mini can be used in a lot of different ways. You could rent yourself and the mini out to landscape companies AND tree companies for example
The chipper is the only way to really process brush- their is a reason why we all have them because they make the job so much easier
Any way to keep both? Can you sell something else? Your first born child maybe?
No seriously, it seems like you have some tough decisions to make. Hard for anyone to give good advice on this because all our situations are different and we all live in different areas.
I would say that whatever your choice(s), keep it low and slow to start
Old Monkey
Treehouser
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2005
- Messages
- 8,764
I was just wondering about you today and whether your chipper had sold. I thought it had paid for itself with that municipal job you did?
gf beranek
Old Schooler
I quit the tree work two times to pursue other avenues,, and came back to the trees.
The reason was simple,, "Trees don't change"
Once you learn trees, and dedicate yourself toward a particular aspect of them it's the most rewarding occupation a human being can have. Especially this day and age.
The reason was simple,, "Trees don't change"
Once you learn trees, and dedicate yourself toward a particular aspect of them it's the most rewarding occupation a human being can have. Especially this day and age.
top_notch
Treehouser
As far as staying small goes, I worked for a guy in northern SC that just has the 6'' Vermeer chipper and a pickup truck. He would chip the brush into the woods, (most of the yards where we worked had woods or mulched areas) and sub contract a guy to come and get the wood. He's been at it for over 20 years and still runs his company this way and seems to be doing all right.
top_notch
Treehouser
What all goes into being a contract climber as far as workers comp, liability insurance, and gear involved?
That is so true....I gave up my biz last August to become a contracts manager for a biomass company. I have been earning more money than i ever did running my own company but something wasn't right.
I got made redundant a month ago and i'm now helping out Thor's Hammer, back on the tools.
If it's in your blood there is no getting away from it.
Good luck in your choices. I would try and stay small but i think a chipper is a must have to offer a truly flexible service.
vharrison
Island Girl
Since you are working in Florida, maybe Brian can give you the low down.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #15
Nope it hasn't sold. I made enough off that municipal job to pay for it but I used the money to pay off some other things. One of those things being my ex wife.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #16
Made the call yesterday to for sure start doing treework at least part time. In less than 24 hours just by letting a few people in my network know I'm back I've picked up a couple grand worth of work. I'm also expecting several calls as soon as some of my landscaper buddies get ahold of some clients. I'm going to write a letter to mail out to my entire client list giving them my new # and such. I've got a good feeling about this.
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
Kick some asses and take some names! 
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #18
This is the first time I left. What with my divorce and a few other things going on I think I needed a change of pace for a while. But truth is I'm damn good at this tree thing and I miss it.
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
Good luck with it, Canuck. You seem on a good track.
sotc
Dormant hero!!
I think I would keep the mini and get a small chipper. Don't market so much if you want to stay small
Thor's Hammer
Wolfish. Sometimes Bites.
good luck Ben, been in the same situation myself, and I was glad to go back to treework.
