If you knew than what you know now- company owners

T

treeajnin

Here is a topic that seems to come up every day in the field with guys. Thought I would start a discussion for everyone to benefit from.

so here it is lol..

Dear Tree Business Owners,

If you knew than what you know now, what would you do differently to get your company started and more successful/profitable faster???

as far as..

-Obtaining clients/steady work
-Initial equipment purchases?
-free advertising methods?
-only ornamentals at first? stuffing brush in a pickup?

It just always seem guys are talking about this and dreaming but noone ever finds out the answers and keeps dragging brush for someone else! lol

Howd ya get started???
laugh.gif
 
Its a tuff one for sure!
When you are confident that you can compete and win the sales don't wait another day. Know your competition and your market.
Are you waiting for a kick in the pants.
smile.gif


Keeping good people with you to share the load and the profit is the greatest challenge. Learning this is my greatest challenge.
 
My brother and I bought out the local tree service, he had been in town 29 years. I look back and am really happy we did as we considered starting our own tree service several years earlier. When we took over all the equipment was there and we were busy from day one, he had a good mix of clientele residential, commercial, and municipal. I think it would be much harder to start from scratch. I realize this is not going to be an opportunity that will come along for everyone but maybe you just need to look around and see who's getting old and talk to these guys and see what their exit strategy is.
 
I would not change a thing. I feel the mistakes I made have shaped my business into what it is today. I would rather make the mistake day one, learn from it, correct it and not make it again then make that same mistake when I have a bunch of payments, payroll and other liabilities depending on me. Early and often, just dont sink the boat.
 
I need help selling my business.

I posted in another topic and did not get any feedback. I do not mean to break any rules.... I have a good business and a great opportunity for the right person.

I live on Smith Mountain Lake in South West Virginia. I have operated my own tree service for 5 years and before that worked for another gentleman who's tree service I also bought out. My equipment is somewhat limited but I get calls every day. My clientele is older retired who live on the water. I work waterfront properties almost every day. A skilled climber could take over immediately, and buy out in time.

The area is an excellent part of the country to live in, Smith Mountain Lake is a dream for most people to retire. Someone could begin working there now.

https://www.facebook.com/WoodysTreeService

Please call 540-488-9663 if there is interest or the right opportunity.
Buyout could happen for as little as 50,000.

I am headed a new direction, and need to get this responsibility off my shoulders.
 
Re: I need help selling my business.

Very little for the 50K
2 Sthil 660's 1800.00
1 Husky 570 400.00
1 Husky 346xp 400.00
1 Husky 576xp 600.00
1 Chuck and Duck Vermeeer - Top running condition - Just tunned it up this for 2,000 (5,500.00)
1 7x14 dump trailer (5,000.00)
All my ropes, clmmbing gear, pullies sling shot ect.... 4-6,000.00 or more?



The truck does not go along with the 50K - but will sell if someone wants it.
I also have a 2012 Dodge 3500 with a short flat bed on it. Its a quad cab. I have 20,000 of the truck paid off and payments on the remaining 25,000.


What I have is an excellent reputation. I personally have never damaged a property in the 5 years of work. Minus ground damage to yards. I get many many referrals and close the majority of jobs I see.

Thanks for asking.... please call me at 540-488-9663 if there is interest.
 
Re: I need help selling my business.

Did you mean to say, "very little for the 50K"? I guess I don't understand why anyone would want "very little" for that much money.

Maybe I misunderstand?

Ready to show some pix of your $4-6k of climbing gear? Willing to separate that from the rest?


Pic of everything would be nice.
 
Re: I need help selling my business.

This is a partial reason why small business is counter productive. (Small=2 or 3 staff)

Due to the low "order of magnitude" the seller must find some one in agreement with the perceived value.

For a $10k marketing campaign another person could simply steal such a small client base or "order of magnitude" from the seller.......which is what I would do. Iron is simply iron it comes and goes with a signature on a lease/loan. People create value - numbers of good staff & numbers of good clients.
 
Re: I need help selling my business.

[ QUOTE ]
you need big equipment from early on to be competitive in this market..

[/ QUOTE ]

I would have to disagree. I think you need a reputation for doing good work before you would ever need an 18" chipper (or any other large equipment). As long as your honesest, perform quality work, and treat your customers with respect you wont have to advertise, they will do it for you. Start small enough so your equipment doesnt out spend what you can bring in form your client base and only grow if the client base allows.

Competitive is a relitive term. I could care less if Im 200 or 300 or 800 more expensive then the next guy. As long as I can sell the quality in the work, and provide what I sold, 60-70% of the time (in my area) I will get that job Im more expensive on. What you want is that referal that is so good the new customer does not even think of call anyone else, they want what their freind got. Quality, knowledgable work!
 
Re: I need help selling my business.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
you need big equipment from early on to be competitive in this market..

[/ QUOTE ]

I would have to disagree. I think you need a reputation for doing good work before you would ever need an 18" chipper (or any other large equipment). As long as your honesest, perform quality work, and treat your customers with respect you wont have to advertise, they will do it for you. Start small enough so your equipment doesnt out spend what you can bring in form your client base and only grow if the client base allows.

Competitive is a relitive term. I could care less if Im 200 or 300 or 800 more expensive then the next guy. As long as I can sell the quality in the work, and provide what I sold, 60-70% of the time (in my area) I will get that job Im more expensive on. What you want is that referal that is so good the new customer does not even think of call anyone else, they want what their freind got. Quality, knowledgable work!

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed.
 
Re: I need help selling my business.

[ QUOTE ]
its harder to get in than it used to be... you need big equipment from early on to be competitive in this market..

[/ QUOTE ]

Right, that's your market Daniel.
And it's different from other markets. Other markets can best be served in many ways. That match the provider and the market.
 
Re: I need help selling my business.

If you were a young arborist.... you were good at climbing and were given the opportunity tomorrow to go run someone else company who had work coming in daily. You were told at the end of each day you would have 300 to 500 cash every single day you worked. When you were ready to purchase the business that would double.

Let me explain.... You can't get big equipment behind these lake houses. There is another guy who I compete with who has 500,000 of equipment that he can park in a kuldesak at time. But he can't get that equipment behind their house, he can't use his bucket truck behind their house. Your talking about steep banks at times... your talking about manicured yards, and behind the house is water. So I have a niche tree service that requires a good climber willing to work.

I am ready to hand it over tomorrow to the right person.... split the profit until your ready to buy. Its taken me over 5 years to establish my reputation.... people know me... and I close almost all word of mouth referrals unless it a job I just don't want to do. I am the preferred tree service for 4 country clubs - two on the water and two off.

I am not trying to sell tree gear.... I am selling the opportunity for a hard working young man to move to Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia, take over what I have and live work and play on SML daily. Most all my jobs are on the water.... I never deal with people who can't pay me. I probably leave a lot of work that could be done because I don't have the time to sell additional services.

Smith Mountain Lake is a beautifully place, and I have many repeat relationships....

540-613-2998
 
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