Imaginary business plan

CutHighnLetFly

CutHighnLetFly

Been here a while
Location
Cape Cod, MA
So over many cigarettes, showers, car rides, and dog walks, I've come up with a real loose and probably a bit naive business model, but something I will perfect and do.
Two key goals that this is build around: not having employees and minimal start up investment.
Loose description: the idea is to be a contract climber/ consulting Arborist/ and tree care service provider.
Contract climbing: almost every established landscape company around me has a chipper, it's insane. And there's a lot of "tree companies" that limp by day to day with little talent. But they all are out there selling work. I don't see it being easy to compete with all of them when starting self employment. By contract climbing for many of them (particularly the landscape companies) I'm getting a little of the money ALL of them are creating. I know enough people to be able to keep me going 3 days a week, but I question how that will go in the winter. These landscapers wont pay tree worker comp rates, so it limits what they can do for their clients, but they don't want to sub out the tree work when they have a chipper at their shop. Enter myself.
Consulting: there are a lot of golf course neighborhoods, golf courses, high end association neighborhoods, and private school campuses that have their own maintenance people and equipment. They have chainsaws and chippers. They have focal trees, shade and ornamental, and no one qualified to maintain them. I can offer guidance, as well as be the one to perform the aerial/ pruning/ removal work, helping maintain key trees in a golf course or maintaining oversized ornamental trees in green spaces.
Providing services: over a short time there will be a need to invest in a chip truck. Probably a 14 yard or less kinda box on a smaller sized truck, mostly pruning in mind. I'm close with a friend who owns a small tree removal company, so if I were to get a removal or something that requires ground help, he and one of his guys would be all about getting involved. I also have a friend with a skid steer who would be able to help for wood.

So what do you guys think? Don't take me too serious, I'm not about to leave me job or something. But I'm pretty confident I could. I have plenty of good references in regards to starting out with contract climbing.
What are the gaps in this plan I'm missing? Major one in my mind is the winter time.
I'd love some feedback as I continue to refine this idea.
 
Cool. Would work allow you to start a consulting gig on the side? Non-comp agreement maybe?
Might be a good way to ease into it and maybe have people see the decal on your truck.
 
If your as good or better than the competition and you can sell fairly well. Take their clients not work for the competition. Just my opinion. I find most prospects are looking for better more knowledgeable and less expensive. People like a resume, they like to know the guy who sells the work is doing the work. People I work for anyway.
 
Regarding winter. Always be selling to do work in the winter at a discount. And hope it is bearable and that the snow isn't piled to high to not grant access.
 
RopeShield said:
If your as good or better than the competition and you can sell fairly well. Take their clients not work for the competition. Just my opinion. I find most prospects are looking for better more knowledgeable and less expensive. People like a resume, they like to know the guy who sells the work is doing the work. People I work for anyway.
Click to expand...

I would agree, about 75% of my clients don't really care about the cost as much as the knowledge and the trust that its going to be done right. The other 25% I have a hard time working with cause they are always trying to nickel and dime me... But they go away after a while.
It sounds like you have thought it through pretty good. Just remember all the expenses that the employer pays for you now, and make sure that your 3 days a week can cover that. Don't under sell yourself either those dollar bills always find a way to run away from you in a hurry. But when its all clicking, man does it feel good!!!!!
 
Air spade. You could rent the compressor for a few years then think about owning one. I deal with a lot of construction compaction/damage, old volcano mulching, etc. Plenty of this work to consider as well.
Tank and pump. Offer a fert/soil bio program. Many people are amazed when I show them soil and tissue test results and compare it to how the hacks and big companies proposed to do the work. It is usually quite different and people appreciate it.

Couple ideas to go with your consult work when u have the $$$ to do it.
 
@JD3000 that's a good idea causes some areas are aaaallll clay out here and no one really has an air spade or does root work out here.
I like what you guys are saying about the clients. That's why I think it's key to work with landscape companies. They wouldn't be afraid of me taking clients because i don't want to sheet their privets and mow their lawn. I want to maintain the 15 bitches the landscape architect planting in their driveway island, or thin their canopy cover over the lawn areas for better filtered sun on their grass. I want the landscapers to cal me when their clients t with shitty lawn under dense shade wants a lawn renovation.

I think my employer would (after thoughtful word choice in conversation....) allow me to go part time at some point. But as for as the non comp agreement, might be tough cause I aim to contract climb for his competition as well as him.
 
I agree. Boss probably won't dig you helping the competition. You are on the right track by doing what others can't. Set yourself apart. What are rates like there for a climber and or a crew with equipment for a day? I'm in western ma and there is almost no one here who contract climbs......
 
Sounds good, Andre. I was doing half contract climbing and half my own job with just a pick up to start out as well. Worked out quite well to get started. Wish you the best
 
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Be careful with those hypothetical business plans, they have a tendency to manifest.

My story... I have worked as a worker bee for quite a while, and doing odd jobs here and there. I started to get really tired of loading brush by hand, and would check craigslist for equipment every once and while (for a few years). Finally a chipper showed up, which was a great deal, but I lacked the cash for it. I checked it out anyway, and spoke with the guy who owned it for a few hours. I wanted that damn machine, but it wasn't in the cards. However in this process I remembered about this community based lending club (small local community), who wanted to invest their $ into local business. So I shot them off a email just to check in about what their process looked like.
The response was to write a page bio about what I want, and who I am, and they were having a meet and greet gathering in two days. So I did as I was told, was asked to attend the meet and greet and be prepared to speak to the crowd for 3 minutes. I had no idea what I was getting into, as it was a standing only room of over 60 people, and since it was in the middle of the work week I had very little time to prepare. I picked out the one face in the crowd and just spoke to them. The response was overwhelming, I had about 5 people ready to pull out their checkbooks right then and there, but they all wanted to see my business plan first.
My plan was simple, and written down on scrap paper in a few different notebooks, and half of it was just in my head. I knew it wouldn't be sufficient. I reached out to a friend of mine who use to write business plans in the corporate world, and she helped oh so very much! With in a month I had a loan large enough for a F-250 and a 9" chipper (smaller than I wanted for the truck, and larger for the chipper). I sold my old Toyota for my licence, bond and insurance. In the first year if I needed to I could have paid off that loan.

Now for the tricky part. The guy I worked for was a very opinionated about "training the competition" and not for it in the least. I had no idea what the hell I was doing, nor where it would lead me. I kept him informed about what happened, and it was uncomfortable. It was less than positive for sure, he didn't want to work full time, and knew I needed to. After a few weeks, I made an advertisement for a local email listing. I sent it off just to see if it would fit the format, and before I could get a response it went LIVE. My employer is on the list, and that took a little cleanup work to talk that through, but I promised that I would stay out of the phonebook entirely (his only source of advertising). That calmed down the situation a bit, and it's been just fine since. We joke about business stuff, and I think he enjoys hearing be rant about crazy clients, impossible laws with licencing, bonds, and the general pain in the ass business BS. What he doesn't know is that I charge 20-30% more than he does, and work easier (doing mostly pruning). We are still at 3 days a week for him, and I run my show 2 days (in reality it's 3-4 days, with books, and bidding). I've made it to the point where I am booked for three months (he's booking into the spring), and I can make the same he pays me per week in less than half a day. It's what I want to do, doesn't make any business since, but it's nice to be treated like an equal and not have to worry about any of the BS for half the week....

Jump in, lay your cards on the table, maintain good relationships, and find your own niche... I can also put you into contact with my friend who helps write up business plans.
 
evo said:
Be careful with those hypothetical business plans, they have a tendency to manifest.

My story... I have worked as a worker bee for quite a while, and doing odd jobs here and there. I started to get really tired of loading brush by hand, and would check craigslist for equipment every once and while (for a few years). Finally a chipper showed up, which was a great deal, but I lacked the cash for it. I checked it out anyway, and spoke with the guy who owned it for a few hours. I wanted that damn machine, but it wasn't in the cards. However in this process I remembered about this community based lending club (small local community), who wanted to invest their $ into local business. So I shot them off a email just to check in about what their process looked like.
The response was to write a page bio about what I want, and who I am, and they were having a meet and greet gathering in two days. So I did as I was told, was asked to attend the meet and greet and be prepared to speak to the crowd for 3 minutes. I had no idea what I was getting into, as it was a standing only room of over 60 people, and since it was in the middle of the work week I had very little time to prepare. I picked out the one face in the crowd and just spoke to them. The response was overwhelming, I had about 5 people ready to pull out their checkbooks right then and there, but they all wanted to see my business plan first.
My plan was simple, and written down on scrap paper in a few different notebooks, and half of it was just in my head. I knew it wouldn't be sufficient. I reached out to a friend of mine who use to write business plans in the corporate world, and she helped oh so very much! With in a month I had a loan large enough for a F-250 and a 9" chipper (smaller than I wanted for the truck, and larger for the chipper). I sold my old Toyota for my licence, bond and insurance. In the first year if I needed to I could have paid off that loan.

Now for the tricky part. The guy I worked for was a very opinionated about "training the competition" and not for it in the least. I had no idea what the hell I was doing, nor where it would lead me. I kept him informed about what happened, and it was uncomfortable. It was less than positive for sure, he didn't want to work full time, and knew I needed to. After a few weeks, I made an advertisement for a local email listing. I sent it off just to see if it would fit the format, and before I could get a response it went LIVE. My employer is on the list, and that took a little cleanup work to talk that through, but I promised that I would stay out of the phonebook entirely (his only source of advertising). That calmed down the situation a bit, and it's been just fine since. We joke about business stuff, and I think he enjoys hearing be rant about crazy clients, impossible laws with licencing, bonds, and the general pain in the ass business BS. What he doesn't know is that I charge 20-30% more than he does, and work easier (doing mostly pruning). We are still at 3 days a week for him, and I run my show 2 days (in reality it's 3-4 days, with books, and bidding). I've made it to the point where I am booked for three months (he's booking into the spring), and I can make the same he pays me per week in less than half a day. It's what I want to do, doesn't make any business since, but it's nice to be treated like an equal and not have to worry about any of the BS for half the week....

Jump in, lay your cards on the table, maintain good relationships, and find your own niche... I can also put you into contact with my friend who helps write up business plans.
Click to expand...
It's great that this worked for you but being an employer in an aggressive market I wouldn't be so trust worthy. Maybe there's no qualified help where you are or maybe you are super talented.....and that's great! But it wouldn't fly here. Not everyone is so trustworthy. Just my thought before you give advice that may cost someone there job.
 
You guys are awesome. Think you're right, my boss will be a little sour if I say my plan is to sub myself out to him and his comp at the same time. He keeps his service area a little tight, so maybe keep myself on the outskirts for the most part?
Jasonk said:
I agree. Boss probably won't dig you helping the competition. You are on the right track by doing what others can't. Set yourself apart. What are rates like there for a climber and or a crew with equipment for a day? I'm in western ma and there is almost no one here who contract climbs......
Click to expand...
Dude I've heard of people who make $450 a day and I KNOW I can out work them just from what I hear. I don't leave my house for less then 200/half day. Usually i can do $300 a day as a climber without my own insurance, but Im full bore out the gun all day, no smoke breaks, short lunch, tell your guys to keep up. And I help clean up.
 
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KYAPLE said:
He won't like that.... I bet. Have u chatted with him about more compensation, or is this not fueled by needing more money, and more about working for yourself? Good luck bro, and I dig the airspace idea. They kick ass...
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It's more fueled by wanting to work for myself. I must be a snob because the place I was, I felt like I could do more than job positions there would allow (glass ceiling) and where I am, the people who work there (the landscape/lawn care side) dont take much pride in what their do and I think that becomes a glass ceiling for the business as a whole.
I think there is a market for ME in my area. An arborist looking to do quality tree work for people who care about their trees and people who sell property management but acknowledge what they can't do, arboriculture.

There is a way to work this out with my current employer, I just will have to learn how best to work with him while working my way out.
Thanks so much fam, everyone's input is awesome. And having seen some of you go out on your own since I've been on the buzz, as well as people telling their experiences have been been a bit of inspiration.
So has the fact that I refuse to believe I'm not better than most of these imitators o
'round here
 
My collection of saws, rigging, and iron coalesced over about a 15 year time period, while working full-time for other employers. Towards the end, ~1998-1999, tree work + regular work equaled having two full-time jobs. Something had to give...stressed out to the max. 2 little kids and a wife, mortgage, truck loan, credit card bills, line of credit...and this certified arborist; moi, has come to a fork in the road.

The company (saw mill) was somewhat sympathetic; their solution= 4 day work week. Sounded good in theory, and might have been ok (for awhile), but actually getting that day off from them more often then not, was not. So, gave 'em 3 months (not weeks) notice. And that was the end of that.
I continue to enjoy doing a bit of contract climbing, and getting to participate working with a couple of other tree and landscape outfits. Winters constitute starvation months for me. A bleak existence.
 
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