Going from part time to full time business owner. How did you make the jump?

fastbub

fastbub

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I am finally starting to hit my stride with my part time tree service this year. I own all my equipment. I have money to upgrade some things if I want. I have a decent ground man. Good rigging gear. And we have been busy!

Part time we are overwhelmed. Full time we would be doing OK. I am maxed out between my full time gig and my part time tree service.

I just don't know how to make the transition. I feel like I am at an advantage right now because I already have everything in place. Business is registered, liability insurance, workers comp insurance. I have a house with a place for all my junk. I own everything. I just don't know when to cut the cord. The tree service has been my dream for a long time and I want to make it happen but am afraid of falling on my face.

Experiences and opinions are very welcome. Thank you in advance. I know every bodies situation is different but I am interested in your experiences.
 
"If your dreams don't scare you..they aren't big enough" Source unknown. I was in the same spot in November 1995, I just had a pickup truck and a trailer. 20 years later full fleet of trucks most are paid off, great crew comfortable existence, but i am still scared... I am dreaming of a 20,000 square foot building on 2 acres to house the tree company and other tenants (real estate will be our retirement) and making it happen.

My advice would be do it now with the busy season approaching. Spend whatever it takes to put LARGE/Professional Graphics on your trucks(Phone number at least 24" tall) drive that bill board everywhere you can go. Do good work, be honest and fair, fire the bad customers, delegate the things you don't' want to do (answering phones, accounting, taxes). Don't get hung up on one "Key" employee. Get disability and life insurance right away. Take a reasonable salary and Start a 401k to pay yourself 1st! Know that when you are great others get swept up in your wake. Have fun and kick ass. You will find out more about yourself than you ever imagined. Dennis
 
Try to always have a list of applicants for your groundman position.

Figure out how to get by in a pinch if they groundie can't work that day, for whatever reason. Sometimes, this could be as simple as needing a shuttle driver to ferry you back to a jobsite to load-0ut.

As said, LARGE numbers, and LARGE web address on the truck, with a simple, easy to remember address.
 
Thanks for the great replies guys, keep them coming.

Yard signs are in the works and I am hopefully getting my chip box painted and lettered in the next couple of weeks. Right now I just have small signs on the doors. So far my business is word of mouth.

I am really trying to saturate the market right around me, trying to cash in on the buy local kind of movement around here. My name and logo both make it obvious that I am local and I have tried my best to rub elbows at school with other parents, at soccer, local farmers market etc.
 
Keep in mind your demographic, homeowners and people who own properties with trees- stewards. My average client is a 51 year old woman, they may not be on social media or too computer/internet savvy but watching a good crew work out of a professional rig (across the street) will tell them what they need to know. Word of mouth is HUGE- 30 to 40% of our business! During the slow times I would go as far as to drive to a desirable neighborhood on a saturday and just park your truck and sharpen a few saws...people will drive by and ask for a quote and you will end up with a job right there. Good stuff!
 
BLF said:
"If your dreams don't scare you..they aren't big enough" Source unknown. I was in the same spot in November 1995, I just had a pickup truck and a trailer. 20 years later full fleet of trucks most are paid off, great crew comfortable existence, but i am still scared... I am dreaming of a 20,000 square foot building on 2 acres to house the tree company and other tenants (real estate will be our retirement) and making it happen.

My advice would be do it now with the busy season approaching. Spend whatever it takes to put LARGE/Professional Graphics on your trucks(Phone number at least 24" tall) drive that bill board everywhere you can go. Do good work, be honest and fair, fire the bad customers, delegate the things you don't' want to do (answering phones, accounting, taxes). Don't get hung up on one "Key" employee. Get disability and life insurance right away. Take a reasonable salary and Start a 401k to pay yourself 1st! Know that when you are great others get swept up in your wake. Have fun and kick ass. You will find out more about yourself than you ever imagined. Dennis
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Fortune favors the brave. A wise man once told me.
 
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Fastbub. You are limited by your own fears. Once you overcome those fears you will be amazed at what will open up to you. That fear of falling on your face will be with you your entire career as a business owner. I am always afraid of failing. However, a turtle can not advance forward or backyards with out sticking it's head out of it's shell. You have to stick your neck out a little to advance. Now, you are doing all the right thing to secure your advancement forward and not backwards. You own your equipment, you are busy, you have space for all your things, you have all your ducks in a row.
As a business owner you want to control everything. You want to know that work will be there, that money will always be coming in, that you will make the right decision on what equipment to purchase. The issue is that we learn as we go. We ask our elders what worked for them, we research, and we learn from those mistakes we make. Life is a series of days.
You will be amazed at what will open itself up to you. If you think your busy now, wait until your equipment is out there more often and word of mouth starts spreading about you.
I just hired another employee. A foremen to run my crew to allow me more time to sell jobs and work on the business instead of in it. This was a high paid position with some good benefits. I was nervous about it. I was not in control. What if I hire him and the work dries up, what if he can not complete the jobs as fast as I can and we loose money. I could go on with what if's all day. I hired him. It has all worked out. What has happened is other opportunity have presented themselves that I would have never thought of if I didn't hire this guy. So my point is, sometimes things happen that we could have never seen until we were in the situation. I think this will happen with you. You will jump in on your own and many more opportunity will present themselves that you never even thought about. BUT! You have to make that first step.
 
ROYCE said:
Fastbub. You are limited by your own fears. Once you overcome those fears you will be amazed at what will open up to you. That fear of falling on your face will be with you your entire career as a business owner. I am always afraid of failing. However, a turtle can not advance forward or backyards with out sticking it's head out of it's shell. You have to stick your neck out a little to advance. Now, you are doing all the right thing to secure your advancement forward and not backwards. You own your equipment, you are busy, you have space for all your things, you have all your ducks in a row.
As a business owner you want to control everything. You want to know that work will be there, that money will always be coming in, that you will make the right decision on what equipment to purchase. The issue is that we learn as we go. We ask our elders what worked for them, we research, and we learn from those mistakes we make. Life is a series of days.
You will be amazed at what will open itself up to you. If you think your busy now, wait until your equipment is out there more often and word of mouth starts spreading about you.
I just hired another employee. A foremen to run my crew to allow me more time to sell jobs and work on the business instead of in it. This was a high paid position with some good benefits. I was nervous about it. I was not in control. What if I hire him and the work dries up, what if he can not complete the jobs as fast as I can and we loose money. I could go on with what if's all day. I hired him. It has all worked out. What has happened is other opportunity have presented themselves that I would have never thought of if I didn't hire this guy. So my point is, sometimes things happen that we could have never seen until we were in the situation. I think this will happen with you. You will jump in on your own and many more opportunity will present themselves that you never even thought about. BUT! You have to make that first step.
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Thank you so much for taking the time to post such a long and inspiring response. It comes at a good time as I sit down tonight and make phone calls and emails and try and work out the schedule only to have more phone calls and emails come in while I am doing it. Maybe I am doing something right. I am printing this out and hanging it on the wall above my desk to remind me to have the confidence to go for it and make my dream happen that I have been working towards for so long.

Thanks again.
 
Hey Austin, I'm very glad to see your business is cranking. Nice to see young fellow arborist's in the business. You need to letter that truck up more. T shirts sweatshirts hats are the best for advertising. Keep your paperwork in line and don't limit your self, remember sky's the limit. Keep doing good work making proper cuts, network with as many other blue collar business as you can.
 
RIVIEZZO TREE EXPERTS said:
Hey Austin, I'm very glad to see your business is cranking. Nice to see young fellow arborist's in the business. You need to letter that truck up more. T shirts sweatshirts hats are the best for advertising. Keep your paperwork in line and don't limit your self, remember sky's the limit. Keep doing good work making proper cuts, network with as many other blue collar business as you can.
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Thanks man. We already have the t shirts and sweatshirts going. I get my guys nice PPE so,they actually wear it. The box is getting painted shortly and then lettered. Yard signs are on the way. Everything is going good, just overwhelming. I can't finish a job without two more people wanting me to look at more work for them.
Keeping the paperwork in order is my new challenge as well as scheduling. I am learning that part as I go. I think once I have 100% focus,on my business and can leave my day job behind I will have a little more time to keep up with the details.............I hope.
 
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