The economy and the tree worker!

[arborworks1]

Everyone that I know is looking at me going what are you going to do, You might not have anywork before long.

I keep preaching just cause the economy is going south doesn't mean that the trees will quit growing, and need care. I might not be able to get the kind of money out of people that I am used to, but we will diversify and overcome.

So lets hear a take on the economy and its impacts on the tree industry.

 

[gf beranek]

There's still a lot of money out there. Those that have it will go on, "business as usual."

Only the po-folk will have to sacrifice.

 

[Altissimus]

A couple of years ago , my friend and groundgirl started making sales calls with me ... One of the things I remember saying was that "If the cars in the driveway are shit , house needs paint and they can't keep up with the lawn...we probably won't get hired " they just can't afford us. Awhile later Jen made a serious study of the history of arboriculture she found in of the books that as early as the Romans it has been documented that only the wealthy could afford us... So thats it then , work the high end when possible...they will still need us , and they will still have money

 

[TheTreeWiseMen]

Try and stay in those mucho expensive zip codes. The more your truck gets seen there.....the more your phone is gonna ring when their neighbours want arb work done.

 

[High Scale]

This is when the trust fund lobbyists will get a shock, if it bites they will soon find themselves justifying tree work that up until now they have condemned.

 

[Bounce]

I predict the competition will get a bit stiffer, with lowball quotes getting thrown out more often. If your business is frequently competing with the lowest bidders, things could get rough. However, if your clientele are wealtheir and don't always take the lowest bid, you might not feel the pinch as bad.

Costs are going up for everybody though - mainly in fuel, but also in labor. I can see big outfits with multiple crews getting hurt by this more than the smaller companies with just a few guys.

 

[Paul B]

For my business staying diversified has helped me get through seasonally and I am thinking in the near future as well.

I have clients that range from the little old lady with a fixed pension to some very well off company owners, I take what I can get and I dont lowball anywhere, a fair price for a good product is my sales pitch.

 

[brendonv]

I can't complain one bit about this year. Low overhead, honest -quality work, and like Paul "a fair price for a good product is my sales pitch".

 

[MasterBlaster]

I could stand to work a bit more.

 

[SkwerI]

Yup, me too. Scary slow these last couple weeks, reminds me of January.

 

[lumberjack]

Hell I'd take more work, but I'm keeping the bills paid and it's looking like I'll be ok in October too.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

My pitch is from the ol days... An honest days pay for an honest days work .. they eat it up and I follow though iwth that very work ethic... BTW... The groundies that did not believe in this philosophy don't work here no more... I dock for too many breaks ... I pay for hours worked.... PERIOD... My customers should expect no less. And I am booking Nov... figure.. Honesty goes a long way when times are tight... So does hard work..

 

[darkstar]

Im glad i didnt be a big shot and loan a bunch of cash for eq.
But im worried that i owe two thirds on a mortage.
Im well into the pay off so i got about 100k at risk if i dont pay on time.
Ive got two years payments and that is all in reserve.
So they cant change the dollar amounts i owe .... right ?????

 

[stehansen]

I don't have anything booked after tomorrow. I keep getting calls but not too many are booking.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Im glad i didnt be a big shot and loan a bunch of cash for eq.
But im worried that i owe two thirds on a mortage.
Im well into the pay off so i got about 100k at risk if i dont pay on time.
Ive got two years payments and that is all in reserve.
So they cant change the dollar amounts i owe .... right ?????

Actually Darkstar you are in better a position than most... Property taxes are the big worry with a mortgage also ... If you have two years backed up.. you can also balance that if your tax return is right.. most people but a few in the majority can say what position you have ... good on ya...!!

And no they cant adjust your dollar amount for inflation.. NOPE. Not unless they want to be hunted down like the dogs they are !.. LOL

 

[No_Bivy]

keep your head up........I will

 

[Old Monkey]

Jerry you are OK as long as your mortgage is a fixed rate and not variable.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Good point Darin and I forgot to add that ....

 

[arborworks1]

I am thankful that I paid off all my equipment earlier this year. I am investing in a stump grinder right now. Hope to have that in the garage by the end of the week. Money in the savings and work booked through the end of october maybe mid november.

Did some investigating, I'm going to have one of two stumpers available in my area!

 

[squisher]

Lol, congrats grinding stumps is good times!!!!!

 

[arborworks1]

I actually looking forward to it. I have been paying more in fees than it will cost to own one. ITs got a remote. I am planning on getting a chair and umbrella for the hot summer days.

 

[squisher]

I was looking forward to it too when I got my universal grinder attachment. Now, not so much. Although there is some satisfaction to be gained from obliterating a trees entire evidence of existence. Complete removal.

Mostly I find it very boring now though. Not enough chainsawing!!

 

[Paul B]

obliterating a trees entire evidence of existence.

ha! I can see that getting tattooed on brand of stump grinder some day... obliterating... I like that word.

 

[darkstar]

Stumps ewww.
Oh yeah we chose the fixed type mortage.Interest of 6.25 is looking pretty good these days to.Property tax is low now that i moved out of the city, still i was thinking early payoff and with all this going down im saving my chips for a crisis which meens im not paying much on my principal ...Yuk...
Id rather have the chips in reserve at present .
Call volume is starting to drop here as well.There aint much fuel around either.

 

[stehansen]

Been hearing on the news that Georgia is short of gasoline