Building a business

[data farm 26]

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.


What does your experience entail?
You've heard of someone having 20 years experience and someone having one year of experience, repeated for 20 years.

Knowledge, experience, and judgment are all important, and vastly different things.

Throw line and wedging skills are undervalued skills, commonly dismissed with a phrase that starts with, "I'll just...".

A portable winch or capstan is your cheapest way to add power to your operation.
A mini with grapple is better than unreliable guys, hands down. Beats a lot of reliable guys for tasks that a machine can perform.

I can't believe how many pros I've come across that aren't good with throwballz. Essential skill imo. Wedging too, I've worked with some crews that don't even have them on the truck.

 

[Mick Dempsey]

Never used a throw ball in anger.

 

[southsoundtree]

I can't believe how many pros I've come across that aren't good with throwballz. Essential skill imo. Wedging too, I've worked with some crews that don't even have them on the truck.

Nuts. I've got 20+ wedges, and at least 3 throw line/ 6 weights in my daily-driver truck.
Even just for big stump cuts, wedges are important.



For people who don't know how to wedge a tree, install a pull rope ( throw line, to avoid "I'll just climb the tree real quick to set a rope"), then try not to use it. Use retainer lines if your used to leaving the hinge (too) thick, and pulling hard (a good way to barberchair a tree) if you feel better with that insurance.

Listen and feel. I never understood one guy cutting and another pounding. How does the cutter have feedback?

 

[Vicente]

I can't believe how many pros I've come across that aren't good with throwballz. Essential skill imo. Wedging too, I've worked with some crews that don't even have them on the truck.

How do you not have wedges? I can see it maybe if you're a strictly prune only business but even then.

 

[Shadowscape]

I can't believe how many pros I've come across that aren't good with throwballz. Essential skill imo. Wedging too, I've worked with some crews that don't even have them on the truck.

I would argue on your term, "PRO". Been at it a long time, maybe. Pro, not likely.

 

[data farm 26]

@Vicente Urban tree workin. Not a lot of people fell trees in the residential business round here. There's plenty of opportunity to do it but people often opt for a climbing dismantle instead

 

[data farm 26]

I would argue on your term, "PRO". Been at it a long time, maybe. Pro, not likely.

Just professional in the sense that it's someone's job but maybe not pro in the slang use of the word lol

 

[Boomslang]

Is there? Explain the difference.

Failure usually comes with acceptance, floundering usually comes with denial. It sounds like he held on way past the point he should have.

 

[Mick Dempsey]

It was a mistake from the get-go.

 

[Boomslang]

It was a mistake from the get-go.

Well there's the problem. Maybe not enough due diligence.

I think there's a difference between buying an established business with large overhead and logistics compared to starting something small and building it up over time. The former it's easy to get in over your head, the latter you can see where the shortcomings are as they appear and hopefully adjust accordingly

 

[southsoundtree]

Small jobs are profitable for small companies.

Nothing wrong, and many things right, with matching your skills and equipment to jobs you choose to bid/ skip bidding.


Good, large signage on a clean truck is money well spent.
Strategic parking during down time gets exposure and possibly jobs.


Resident homeowners are generally the best customers for accepting bids on value, contrasting to accepting on price, particularly pruning.

 

[Vicente]

@Vicente Urban tree workin. Not a lot of people fell trees in the residential business round here. There's plenty of opportunity to do it but people often opt for a climbing dismantle instead

Even on a climbing removal they can still come in handy.

 

[Vicente]

I will add I started my business with very little experience in tree work but 10+ years ago it was just a minor bit of what I did I did a lot more handyman stuff and gutter and window cleaning, also my wife makes really good money so I never had to go into dept to start the business and even if I didn't do well for a bit it really didn't matter, I had a lot of time to learn different stuff without any single thing having to be profitable or worrying about losing my truck etc. I've been able to work a few days here and there with other climbers who are better than I am those were great for learning experience and I have a friend who is a certified arborist so while I am a better climber than he is when we work together I'm still able to learn a lot from him. Personally I really recommend working with 1 or 2 really good crews for a few years if you can you'll learn much faster than you would on your own with less risk there's no reason to rush into starting your own business at 20, take a couple years be responsible with your money to set up to start your own business with a solid financial foundation for both you personally and the business.