How you built up your small business?

TreelineNH

TreelineNH

New member
Location
Southern, New Hampshire
Small business owner here looking for insight on the equipment/manpower steps people found that work to build up their small business. I have never worked for a tree service company, so most of my knowledge is found online and picking other company's brains when I run into them. Right now I climb everything, and have one employee. I have a pretty steady work flow, only taking days off due to rain or bad weather. I have a good website/facebook page, and have been using adwords to generate more business. www.treelinenh.com

Equipment/man power to date-
Full time employee on the books, he can run everything but doesn't climb
F350 1 ton dump with chip box (about 8 yards)
Morbark 86hp 12" chipper, does about 8" pine 4-6" hardwood
F250 regular cab with boxes to hold all equipment
16' 14k dump trailer (hauled by F250)
Gehl Al50 loader with grapple (hauled by F250)
Kubota L3400 tractor with loader

Next year goals?
F550 with chip box and storage to replace F250
Possibly upgrade my F350 dump to a small international, or GMC
Buy a 2nd larger chipper 18" some where around 150hp
2 full time employees hopefully one will climb

The picture is from the beginning of the season. I fully enclosed my chip box, upgraded to dump trailer (still have the 14k beaver), and the loader goes on 90% of the jobs now.
 

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Your chipper should be able to chip far bigger stuff than it currently is. I have a bandit 12" 200xp and it had a smaller engine than yours and I can chip a 12" log all day with it, even hard wood. Just saying.
Buy a bucket truck. The sooner the better. I can't believe the work we do with our bucket and the money it makes us. I like it because I can come down to the ground and help if needed. It's hard to do that when climbing. Also, you open yourself up to do jobs that can't be done with climbing. Like dead trees. Trees near power lines. Just my 2 cents.
 
southsoundtree said:
Paint that plywood black in your chip truck, and maybe cover the top. Be sure to cover the word and vents near the windshield.
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That was an old photo. Here is how the truck sits now. Fully enclosed with heavy duty tractor trailer mesh for the roof. Looks decent and has held up surprisingly well. I put a new anvil in the chipper beginning of the season which made a difference. I think the machine is lacking horsepower to chip big wood. I know morbark has different motor options in the same chassis.
 

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ROYCE said:
Your chipper should be able to chip far bigger stuff than it currently is. I have a bandit 12" 200xp and it had a smaller engine than yours and I can chip a 12" log all day with it, even hard wood. Just saying.
Buy a bucket truck. The sooner the better. I can't believe the work we do with our bucket and the money it makes us. I like it because I can come down to the ground and help if needed. It's hard to do that when climbing. Also, you open yourself up to do jobs that can't be done with climbing. Like dead trees. Trees near power lines. Just my 2 cents.
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I think I may be slightly underestimating my chipper. Works very well, but wish I had 18" capacity for crane jobs etc. I was thinking either a bucket truck or insulated lift. I know this will boots production, I just don't wanna settle for 50'er. 60'er cut the mustard?
 
I hear ya! Wouldn't it be nice to have it all? Frustrating sometimes. I think an insulated boon track lift could be a good idea. That can get into places a bucket can't. Also has a higher lift for probably a smaller price. My bucket is a 65 foot and it can get most jobs done. BUT, a 75 footer would be way better. I agree, wait until you can buy exactly what you want and make the right purchase the first time.
 
ROYCE said:
I hear ya! Wouldn't it be nice to have it all? Frustrating sometimes. I think an insulated boon track lift could be a good idea. That can get into places a bucket can't. Also has a higher lift for probably a smaller price. My bucket is a 65 foot and it can get most jobs done. BUT, a 75 footer would be way better. I agree, wait until you can buy exactly what you want and make the right purchase the first time.
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I look at a lot of my jobs an ask myself if I could get them done faster with a bucket of a lift and usually I say no. I'm sure once you have one jobs come In for it, I'm probably just not attacking that work cause I know I don't have one. Now the majority of my work is 100'+~ pines. Maybe a 65' bucket with chip body should be priority to get the work I'm not targeting .
 
Buy a crane then!! Every market is different. I pruned 4 red oak off a house today, took down a stone dead beech tree and removed several lower limbs on a pine tree. All done in 4 hours. No way it could of been done in that time if I had to climb those oak trees.
Where in NH are you located?
 
ROYCE said:
Buy a crane then!! Every market is different. I pruned 4 red oak off a house today, took down a stone dead beech tree and removed several lower limbs on a pine tree. All done in 4 hours. No way it could of been done in that time if I had to climb those oak trees.
Where in NH are you located?
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Southern nh right by Salem (Derry). I was thinking crane but I want to have more experience before I own one. The guy I use charges 1000$ for the day and has years of experience. When I can set all the chokers without any guidance then crane is where it's at. I was actually thinking crane before a bucket, but you have me thinking bucket. If you want to be a tree service you have to be able to do all aspect of tree work including dead and trees by wires.
 
TreelineNH said:
Southern nh right by Salem (Derry). I was thinking crane but I want to have more experience before I own one. The guy I use charges 1000$ for the day and has years of experience. When I can set all the chokers without any guidance then crane is where it's at. I was actually thinking crane before a bucket, but you have me thinking bucket. If you want to be a tree service you have to be able to do all aspect of tree work including dead and trees by wires.
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That is my niche in my area that I am servicing. I do everything and try to do it really well. Today all I used was my bucket truck. I use a crane guy around here who is really reasonable. Only problem is scheduling. He is always few months out. Same with getting logs picked up. Couldn't find any one reliable.
I have found to really make a good living at this in my area I have to have all the equipment in house. I hate relying on someone else. Plus, the customers love it when you roll in with the right equipment, complete the job and roll out.
Also, I am always thinking to the future. What happens when a storm rolls through. Having a crane or a bucket truck allows you to not only service your clients, but take on additional ones. Climbing storm damaged trees can be dangerous. You have to set up to capitalize on those situations.
 
southsoundtree said:
Get an APTA, Wraptor and Sena comm units. One for the crane operator is great, and its a back up unit.

Website looks good. Professional.
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I got three units with the Sena, definitely a game changer that has upped production and made for a safer work area. They worked so well my crane guy went out and bought a set for himself. Wraptor and GRCS are on my list of goodies.
 
Mangoes said:
Acquiring Iron is easy. Comes and goes with a signature. True business development requires a focus on people.

Every piece of Iron noted above needs a brain.

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I would focus on the hard stuff - acquiring and developing a quality team.
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My goal for next year is another climber/foreman. So myself, foreman, groundsman. All guys on larger jobs, send the two guys out on smaller jobs. I know guys with decent skill set need to be compensated, I just want to make sure I have the work load before I go out looking for a good guy so I can be sure I can keep him around.
 
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