Getting commercial work.

[cody willard]

I run a small tree preservation company here in Tulsa. I have noticed that 99% of our sales for the last four years has been strictly residential, I never get calls from any businesses/commercial clients, so I was curious about how you start getting this kind of work? Is it just cold calling and emails?

Our sales breakdown.
70% pruning.
20% soil care, supplemental tree support systems, lightning protection systems, and consulting.
10% removals.

We utilize a 20 yard chip truck, A 16 foot dump trailer, and a Giant 254 Tele.

 

[flushcut]

All of my commercial customers came by word of mouth or a manager lives in a neighborhood we were working in and “Hey can you look at…..”.
I have perused some city work but that was pretty much a meet and greet. I find cold calls to be rude and annoying when I get them so I don’t want to be that guy.
Do quality work and the rest will fall into place. Sponsor a little league become active in your community, it’s better advertising than a neon sign.

 

[Rooted.Tree.Solutions]

become active in your community.

That’s fantastic advice…

 

[Reach]

Most commercial tree work is performed by the lawn and landscape company that already works on the property. Or, it is contracted by the property management company that takes care of the lawn, the parking lot, and everything else on site.

We work with a couple property management companies locally, we are one of their two or three go-to tree services, they have to have everything put out for bid because of the way their management contracts work, so unless it’s an emergency we always bid it, and they always go low bid, but we are bidding against true peers that played by all the right rules so the bidding is fair. Just beware, commercial work is typically not high profit work, certainly not as high profit as residential.

If you are looking for commercial work, reach out to some of the property management companies in your area and explain to them what your capabilities are. If you are a pruning service, to be rather frank, you will probably not get very far. Most landscape companies can handle pruning the small trees on a commercial property, even removing a lot of those trees. It is very rare that we go out to a commercial property for anything other than a large or technical removal, or an emergency.

 

[ATH]

I wouldn't cold call businesses either.

.....

If you are looking for commercial work, reach out to some of the property management companies in your area and explain to them what your capabilities are. ....

Agreed. Maybe start by observing who is doing the mowing at places that have a lot of trees - especially some that have problems . If it is a "mowing company" not a "full service" company, approach them with "Hey, I saw you mowing at XYZ and they have lots of tree...did you notice those bagworms on the arborvitae along the west line? Let me know if you need help keeping up with trees out there. That is what we do and we'll never try to take any of the work you are doing because that isn't our gig."

OR

For a smaller business that you have a relationship with or patronize, say something to them when you are in there. For example, if I noticed some magnolia scale on the way into the dentist office, I'd say something to them about that.

Our only ongoing commercial account is a big company (Fortune 500 ... top 25 or so). They came on board because they hire a property management company who hires a landscape company who hires us to do plant health monitoring. One of the "big name" national tree companies was doing that, but they missed some things so they went looking for another Certified Arborist. That landscape company also does the local health care association (hospital and all associated offices). We've helped a little there. They also asked if we could do the hospital for a city an hour away which I declined.

 

[Rusticus]

I don't see any problem cold calling a commercial client when there is an obvious need, such as a stone dead tree in there parking lot. One business to another, during the work day, with a specific solution to the obvious problem isn't spam. I have had a lot of success with sending a quick but sincere email to the best contact I can find on their website. I would take note as I noticed problems when driving between other quotes and make contact when I got back to where I could be still for a little bit...it was almost passive. I reached out a lot, and got shut down a lot, but made some long lasting relationships and repeat customers. It never failed...if I cold called/emailed 10 business, 3 would request a quote and 1 of those 3 would sign the contract. I had to be ready to discuss the whole realm of what I noticed, because sometimes the decision maker would return the call or email and be ready to pull the trigger, so I needed be able to put a number on the work at that time. Thick skin and the readiness to accept you may have just made a new work order for their current tree company to do the work is a must.

We would also set up lunch and learns with property management companies where we'd bring fajitas for the office if they'd let us pitch ourselves to all their managers. This is costly and time consuming, so may not be for everyone but will let you set yourself apart from the landscapers.

Being involved in the community is a must with all of this. Writing tree care articles for hoa newsletters or volunteering will show you're in it for the trees too, and not just the cash.

 

[climbingmonkey24]

What is your marketing like? What about your website? Are you advertising yourself as residential and commercial or does it appear as if you only do residential?

If you want to start getting commercial work, start marketing yourself appropriately to appeal to that market.

 

[cody willard]

Well in the last several months, bigger and bigger commercial jobs have been coming in. Just landed a 12k fence line clearing, to prep for an electric new one.

One of the bigger landscape companies in my areas has wanted to partner in using us for their tree needs. Running and acquiring jobs quick.

The 165hp 15XP we just got is now the bottle neck, along with the old faithful 20 yard chip truck . Good problems I guess, but a custom 19XPC might be down the road..

We are known for our tree care, but some of these clearing jobs are pretty fun when it just drop them, and let the Giant and chipper process.

 

[ATH]

Do you have a place you could dump brush? For jobs like that, sometimes a knuckleboom truck with 80 yard container is quicker than chipping.

Tree Care, Inc in Dayton Ohio has a bunch of them for large jobs and, from what I hear, the crews far prefer those to chipping. The was an employee on here at one point, but I don't recall who... Owner may have been on Buzz at one point too?

 

[cody willard]

Do you have a place you could dump brush? For jobs like that, sometimes a knuckleboom truck with 80 yard container is quicker than chipping.

Tree Care, Inc in Dayton Ohio has a bunch of them for large jobs and, from what I hear, the crews far prefer those to chipping. The was an employee on here at one point, but I don't recall who... Owner may have been on Buzz at one point too?

Almost everyone in Tulsa is switching to a grapple, and our dump takes brush for a low price. I may buy a grapple in the future, but most new are in the 300k range. Only down fall to the grapple is the hazard, operation/maintenance costs and Class A CDL (which I have).

14 years in, and have seen/heard of several local injury’s and damages with them vs a chipper. Truck cabs crushed (Truck I was in 15 minutes before), gas meter pulled out, foot smashed (like full truck weight) from an outrigger, and a broken jaw from being struck by brush, overturn, etc.


I personally to this day do not know anyone personally hurt by a chipper. Other then some brush slapped faces. Granted, if a chipper gets a hold of you, it’s worse case scenario, however ours is machine fed 90% of the time.

 

[southsoundtree]

A question, have those same companies had non- grapple truck injuries and damage?

A bad operation could easily put a t-post or other metal into a chipper.

A poor employee from years ago stood up into the open tool box door on my truck bed canopy. Opened his cheek. Could have gotten it in the eye. Just a truck, trailer and rake on-hand.

I was dangling from a big string from a high tree, at the time.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

 

[Mick Dempsey]

Almost everyone in Tulsa is switching to a grapple, and our dump takes brush for a low price. I may buy a grapple in the future, but most new are in the 300k range. Only down fall to the grapple is the hazard, operation/maintenance costs and Class A CDL (which I have).

14 years in, and have seen/heard of several local injury’s and damages with them vs a chipper. Truck cabs crushed (Truck I was in 15 minutes before), gas meter pulled out, foot smashed (like full truck weight) from an outrigger, and a broken jaw from being struck by brush, overturn, etc.


I personally to this day do not know anyone personally hurt by a chipper. Other then some brush slapped faces. Granted, if a chipper gets a hold of you, it’s worse case scenario, however ours is machine fed 90% of the time.

Interesting post.

 

[cody willard]

A question, have those same companies had non- grapple truck injuries and damage?

A bad operation could easily put a t-post or other metal into a chipper.

A poor employee from years ago stood up into the open tool box door on my truck bed canopy. Opened his cheek. Could have gotten it in the eye. Just a truck, trailer and rake on-hand.

I was dangling from a big string from a high tree, at the time.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

Most definitely, many different forms of accidents/injury’s at multiple companies. I have seen a metal gravel rake go through a BC1000 and spit the head into the chip truck.

I am just saying I personally feel much safer working with a chipper. I know that does not sounds like it makes sense, but personally the only chipper accident I know of is a dude smacking his face with brush using a grapple mounted on a 1990XP. He got up and was fine.

Even my chip truck was hit by a 20 pound stub thrown by a grapple unloading at the dump. I feel most grapple operators feel safe up there, and that puts everyone below in danger if they get close. There are some operators that are slow and careful, but even the best drop and throw stuff time to time.

I have seen the most accidents with mini skids and articulating loaders.

 

[Mick Dempsey]

I have seen the most accidents with mini skids and articulating loaders.

Would you care to share a few?
The one that I think is prevalent is grabbing a long piece or section of trunk with a fixed grapple, this straightens the piece rapidly, giving anyone standing in the zone a potentially leg breaking smack.
The longer the piece the faster the end moves.

 

[chiselbit]

I was a scary sonofabitch when I got my first rigid grapple. I was used to dangle grapples, took awhile to stop the baseball bat move. Told everybody just stay far away!