Contract climbing letter, survey

[RyanCafferky]

Being reliable, communicative, and very good at what you do is what will make you successful.

Communicating through words and actions about your intent to not become a tree service in your area is also very important.

One suggestion from a long time contract climber: be really nice to your body. Climb hard maybe 3 or 4 days a week. Tree services are need machines. They love to chew us contract climbers up and kick us aside when they don't need us. Your availability is yours. Own it. Build a good reputation and hold yourself to a high standard of performance and people will always keep calling.

 

[Leroy]

Being reliable, communicative, and very good at what you do is what will make you successful.

Communicating through words and actions about your intent to not become a tree service in your area is also very important.

One suggestion from a long time contract climber: be really nice to your body. Climb hard maybe 3 or 4 days a week. Tree services are need machines. They love to chew us contract climbers up and kick us aside when they don't need us. Your availability is yours. Own it. Build a good reputation and hold yourself to a high standard of performance and people will always keep calling.

And get a massage once a week and go swimming as much as possible
lucky for my bro his wife is a massage therapist!

 

[JontreeHI]

make more work less, don't be afraid to say no thanks if the company or situ is totally effed!

 

[treehumper]

However, perhaps it was not right to say that it was the direction on this or that day, but rather, the constancy over time (more than a week or two), that would demonstrate non-independence.

Of itself, however, merely taking directions from the contractor as to where to be and when to be there on the few occasions for the use of the sub would not seem to constitute an employee/employer relation. Other tests of independence should also obtain. In other words, Levi, don't worry about being your own independent subcontractor because you are worried that if you take direction from your contractor, you'll be proving your own non-independent status. So long as you are truly independent (you have a business license, you have insurance, you have multiple clients, you have this chatboard to cite as a place that demonstrates the existence of Contract Climbers as Independent Subcontractors, etc. etc.), I think you can proceed with confidence.

Just to get Levi's heading spinning some more.....

Right, it is about how things are done over time not just a one off situation. There's also the understanding that initially there will be dominant clients forming the bulk of your income. However, you can have all that stuff you refer to and still not be independent if over the course of a year or 3 the other factors involved point to a lack of independence. That is the kicker! It won't happen when we're only dealing with a few bucks but when it's into the thousands. That's where dear ole' Uncle Sam will have dollar signs in his eyes. Here's a very good example of how independence is analyzed and the potential outcome. However, if you read the whole thing you'll see the settlement with the DOL in this case still doesn't include any potential liabilities that may be assessed at the state and federal levels with regard to payroll taxes. http://independentcontractorcomplia...with-u-s-department-of-labor-for-1-3-million/

 

[Reed2179]

Your availability is yours. Own it. Build a good reputation and hold yourself to a high standard of performance and people will always keep calling.

This is the key to success with any biz. Don't low ball, stick to what you're good at, keep your equipment (you) ready to work, ect. I think the benefit contract climbers bring to the industry is in climbers doing what they're good at. Not plowing, dragging brush or anything else. I've spent too many years "swimming upstream" trying to get a guy who's a great climber to manage folks, keep a CDL (AKA not smoke pot), do maintenance, or whatever. All wasted effort on my part. Live and learn.

Someone mentioned the injury situation (Royce?), this is where it would get ugly. I would highly recommend carrying a WC policy in addition to your GL. Then for your family, a disability/term life policy. Don't forget good scope of work/terms language on your contracts too. That may be important to keeping your LLC defined as a sub too.

 

[treehumper]

From experience, the WC for yourself is well worth the money. But check what the cap is. That will give you some guidance on what you may need in the way of supplemental insurance to guarantee you've got enough coming in to cover your bills and expenses while you're out. Plan for the worst.

 

[kstreehuggerco]

Im starting my business from scratch here in Loveland and I am in the position of having to do everything myself. Im wanting to find a trainee to be my right hand man, but I havent found the right guy yet. I have Levi's number and I just stored yours. I did a half assed bid on a trailer park project in Boulder two weeks ago. If we get that job I could definately use you guys.

I did a lot of contract climbing in Springs and Denver when I was young and spry. My advise is get your own liability insurance and then shake hands with every tree guy in your area. The more people you meet and work for the more you will know who you want to deal with. The more you get out there and establish a name for yourself the more work you will score. The cool thing about the tree care industry is that we are all one big disfunctional family. I just moved down the canyon from Estes Park in Sept of last year and I already have my thumb on the pulse of what is going on here on the front range. It is a tight knit community that we live in here on the front range that we represent well here on the Buzz.

Fortitude is the name of the game my friend. If you have it, you will do well.

I look forward to working with you.
Kenn Shawcroft.