Consultant

[KevinS]

I've been working with trees and studying them for 11 years now a majority of this time as a climber/cutter. On a small scale I've assessed trees for clients as we do mainly residential and commercial properties.
I feel like I am platouing in my career. I know ever tree is different and I am always learning and teaching every day.

But I don't feel like I am growing in the industry as much as I could. I am working on a proposal to take to my boss (of his small company). I want to get into more consultant work.

I am gearing towards of course home owners of single trees but mainly small local townships that are complaining that they don't have a budget for tree work because nobody actually has a clear knowledge of what is needed.

So I am gearing towards parks, cemeteries, community gardens, etc. I want to offer packages that they can budget for and will need.
(Ex. 1/2 acre cemetery=x$ or 1tree=x$) etc.

Does anyone run a service like this that could give pointers on how they arrange services offered?

 

[Mangoes]

Hey Kevin

Give me a call sometime. I'll share with you some thoughst on the "consulting arborist" portfolio - as available in ON

For the general population -
- what are you units of measure (free answer - hours)
- how many units can your "plant" produce ? (free answer - 2000 hours)
- how many units are ACTUALLY billable per year? (Experience indicates <50%)
- how much does a Senior Arborist COST the co. Per unit/hour? ($35/hr plus 25% payroll OH = $43.75)
- how much of gross should the expense of a Senior Arborist permit? (100%? - dumb business, 75% - only 25% available to contribute to OH, 50%?)

 

[Mangoes]

IMHO - exponential growth in career satisfaction, exponential growth in career influence and exponential growth in financial reward - is most effectively realized from leading larger and larger teams - not from working as an independent/solo/autonomous consulting arborist

 

[KevinS]

IMHO - exponential growth in career satisfaction, exponential growth in career influence and exponential growth in financial reward - is most effectively realized from leading larger and larger teams - not from working as an independent/solo/autonomous consulting arborist

Thanks for all of this.
I agree taking on more not less is how to grow. I'm not looking to leave my company for solo work I'm looking to expand our company services while expanding myself

 

[NickfromWI]

Have you looked into ASCA?


love
nick

 

[KevinS]

Have you looked into ASCA?


love
nick

Looking but I'm sure I have only scratch the surface. As well there are some differences I'm sure being from Ontario

 

[treehumper]

Consulting as a service would really have to be decoupled from the rest of the business in order for it to stand up to scrutiny and for it to be truly considered independent. Otherwise it could be perceived as just a funnel for the rest of the company's services. But, what I think you may be suggesting is less consulting than annual service or even multiyear service contract. Offering for an annual fee plus fixed rate emergency service a complete package of assessment, spec'ing, and execution of services over the term of the contract.

 

[mrtree]

"Consulting as a service would really have to be decoupled from the rest of the business in order for it to stand up to scrutiny and for it to be truly considered independent." That sounds really good but I cannot think of too many people that are independent, 100%, consultants. I see virtually every tree service now offering consulting, and Treehumper, you are correct they are not acting independently, they are acting as advocates, malleable opinion for hire, and consultants loading the work for the truck and chipper crew.

Guide to a Professional Consulting Practice from ASCA is likely the best North American resource for a consultants duties and ethical principles.

 

[NickfromWI]

"Consulting as a service would really have to be decoupled from the rest of the business in order for it to stand up to scrutiny and for it to be truly considered independent." That sounds really good but I cannot think of too many people that are independent, 100%, consultants..

There are dozens here in California. Not me though- I do both!

And to think that "decoupled" consultants aren't funneling work to a limited set of tree services is foolish. Everyone has their favorites. My favorite happens to be the company I own.

 

[mrtree]

Yes in North America I can name virtually every single full time consultant not coupled with a tree firm. The majority of ASCA RCAs are in California.

You are absolutely correct many "independent" consultants are funneling work to tree companies, but it is quasi-ethical. If your assignment is to consult on some aspect of the trees, you have failed if you even think about what you or your friend's could do to make money.

 

[KevinS]

At the same time it's your reputation on the line for your advise.
So if you know one company uses dynamic or steel cable depending on the situation and another company climbs everything pruned with spurs. Should you not share your professional opinion?
If want to stay unbiased keep a list of companies that you can recommend for the work to hand out let the client choose from your narrowed list.
This seems professional and unbiased to me.

 

[NickfromWI]

What if you know one particular company is better than all the ones on the list? Seems like a disservice to the client to hand over the list.


love
nick

 

[KevinS]

What if you know one particular company is better than all the ones on the list? Seems like a disservice to the client to hand over the list.


love
nick

True you would only have a list if you had equal faith in each service or the lesser companies should not have made the list.
Your list would be weeding out for the client. Sometimes company skills can vary.

Maybe company a offers phc & stumping but company b has a bucket truck to do a removal quicker and cheaper.
It's just local industry knowledge how can you offer any suggestions on recommended services if you don't know what's all out there.

That's the unbais part. But the practical business side says if there's a company that is very qualified and they use and recommend you you will be more apt to use or recommend them. That's business.

 

[mrtree]

The issue is not recommending a company(ies), the issue of impartial consulting has to do with whether you are making recommendations and conclusions based upon providing further work for yourself or others, or are you consulting based upon knowledge. If you have a financial stake in further work and this is not disclosed then you are in breach of acting as an independent consultant (and trading recommendations is a financial stake).

I regularly see tree workers acting as tree risk assessors; their conclusions are almost invariably based upon the need to get their truck and chipper active, not an impartial rigorous assessment. This is a common example, but we also find fertilizer recommended, phc, pesticides, cabling & bracing etc.

It is clear to me that the vast majority of "consultants" are not qualified for the job, either because of abilities or lack of independence.

 

[KevinS]

The issue is not recommending a company(ies), the issue of impartial consulting has to do with whether you are making recommendations and conclusions based upon providing further work for yourself or others, or are you consulting based upon knowledge. If you have a financial stake in further work and this is not disclosed then you are in breach of acting as an independent consultant (and trading recommendations is a financial stake).

I regularly see tree workers acting as tree risk assessors; their conclusions are almost invariably based upon the need to get their truck and chipper active, not an impartial rigorous assessment. This is a common example, but we also find fertilizer recommended, phc, pesticides, cabling & bracing etc.

It is clear to me that the vast majority of "consultants" are not qualified for the job, either because of abilities or lack of independence.

I'm a climber not a consultant. But I have been asked/ hired to assess trees for customers. I try to stay objective by listing/ photographing each thing I find and if I can have the client there I get them to watch any probing, knocking, flacking, etc.

I list areas of concern then pros and cons.
I list options of how I would correct them with pros and cons for each
I try to get them to weigh there options.
Usually afterwards I get asked if we can take care of what ever they decided and I say yes because we can.
The only constant that I recommend after each assessment is that the tree be assessed again in the future (because there was an original causw of concern) and I usually give a time frame depending on how they decide to proceed.

 

[mrtree]

If you are a climber not a consultant, don't due consultation!!!! Going back to you initial post, consultation is a job and a great skill, it is not something just to do as an extra. Climbing does not qualify you to be a consultant (just as being a consultant does not qualify you to be a climber).

Are you an ASCA RCA or a ISA BCMA? That should be the minimum starting point. Look at the ASCA store for books that can help you understand consulting as a business.

 

[Mangoes]

Are you an ASCA RCA or a ISA BCMA? That should be the minimum starting point.

So wrong MR. Either of those accreditations only vet your knowledge/competence via a standardized process.

There's a boatload of knowledgable tree workers, crane operators, business owners, climbers, PHC techs, etc out there who have suitable knowledge/competency.

Comments like yours polarize the fields of practice.

 

[Mangoes]

Also; utility workers, operators, municipal arborists etc

 

[KevinS]

The issue is not recommending a company(ies), the issue of impartial consulting has to do with whether you are making recommendations and conclusions based upon providing further work for yourself or others, or are you consulting based upon knowledge. If you have a financial stake in further work and this is not disclosed then you are in breach of acting as an independent consultant (and trading recommendations is a financial stake).

I regularly see tree workers acting as tree risk assessors; their conclusions are almost invariably based upon the need to get their truck and chipper active, not an impartial rigorous assessment. This is a common example, but we also find fertilizer recommended, phc, pesticides, cabling & bracing etc.

It is clear to me that the vast majority of "consultants" are not qualified for the job, either because of abilities or lack of independence.

I'm a climber not a consultant. But I have been asked/ hired to assess trees for customers. I try to stay objective by listing/ photographing each thing I find and if I can have the client there I get them to watch any probing, knocking, flacking, etc.

I list areas of concern then pros and cons.
I list options of how I would correct them with pros and cons for each
I try to get them to weigh there options.
Usually afterwards I get asked if we can take care of what ever they decided and I say yes because we can.
The only constant that I recommend after each assessment is that the tree be assessed again in the future (because there was an original causw of concern) and I usually give a time frame depending on how they decide to proceed.

If you are a climber not a consultant, don't due consultation!!!! Going back to you initial post, consultation is a job and a great skill, it is not something just to do as an extra. Climbing does not qualify you to be a consultant (just as being a consultant does not qualify you to be a climber).

Are you an ASCA RCA or a ISA BCMA? That should be the minimum starting point. Look at the ASCA store for books that can help you understand consulting as a business.

I'm ISA

 

[treehumper]

Either of those accreditations only vet your knowledge/competence via a standardized process.

Like any accreditation it is a standard reference for the consumer to compare those that hang out their shingle under a specific title. Whether it's doctor, lawyer, accountant, consultant or any of the multitude of professions that offer intellectual capital as their product. That there are others who possess this knowledge is not the point. It's the level of that knowledge and competence that is at question. Thus the vetting process. If any of those that you mentioned wish to put forth themselves forth as consulting arborist they will also need to be prepared to be vetted by the client, public and the law. By having obtained the accreditation you've effectively created a short form of that process. Whether the process is irreproachable is for another discussion but the intent is there. That individuals fall short is also where the accrediting body plays a role in the vetting process by having a code of ethics.

That a company provides consulting like services as a means to capitalize on their knowledge while funneling work to their production side isn't necessarily wrong, just don't call it "consulting". I would describe it as knowledge driven tree care where clients will pay for a total package of service that will range from nothing more than monitoring to the full range of traditional tree service offerings. The difference is the initial assessment of the property and that it is a chargeable service instead of a "free estimate". For it to succeed a trust relationship would need to be built with the marketplace.

What a consultant does is foregoes that by being decoupled, i.e., gaining no financial reward for the recommended services delivered by another. In the case of making recommendations to companies they can further accomplish this by providing, as part of their paid service, a means to evaluate potential service providers and their ability to accomplish the work within BMPs. This could be built into the RFP criteria or on a smaller scale evaluating the submitted proposals to their client.

What is key to their impartiality and the value of the services is the ability to back up their recommendations and conclusions with verifiable facts or at the least published and accepted theory and not because, "they know".