Love tree work. Not the tree business.

[Mick Dempsey!]

A lot of us do the work because we love it. There's a lot better paying careers, but we get to enjoy (at least some days) our jobs, and enjoy it enough to do the job as a hobby.

Well, I have known people who do many different jobs who are just as obsessed as some of us seem to be about tree work.
Farmers, roofers, commercial fishermen, car mechanics and bodywork specialists, even teachers, I’m sure the list goes on.

 

[Brando CalPankian]

Well, I have known people who do many different jobs who are just as obsessed as some of us seem to be about tree work.
Farmers, roofers, commercial fishermen, car mechanics and bodywork specialists, even teachers, I’m sure the list goes on.

Maybe a generational thing as well. A lot of the folks in my age range (and maybe my circles now in general, maybe I need better circles) work because it's what they got, not what they want. I've met very few tradesman who "love" what they do, but have met a LOT of tree folk who love the work.Just my experience.

Part of what has brought me back to the work in is when I've worked in other industries folks are miserable.

 

[cory]

I recently read a post on LinkedIn about a guy who is a COO for a couple of 50+ mil a year companies. He's built companies from the ground up. He said the pain points every single business owner feels are rarely unique. Employees, government regulation and red tape, bitchy customers, competition being hacks, seasonal and economic swings, isolation, are all things that business owners feel. These are the things that never go away. No matter how big you get, in fact these issues grow as your tolerance and ability to handle it grows.

I thought this perspective was quite interesting- that the core issues never resolve, they only get more intense, yet one's ability to cope also grows with increased experience and skills.

 

[Brando CalPankian]

I thought this perspective was quite interesting- that the core issues never resolve, they only get more intense, yet one's ability to cope also grows with increased experience and skills.

It blew my mind. It made me very at ease though.

 

[Matias]

I don't think that was necessary, given I was the only offended party, but okay!

Ehh. I never saw it, and now that it's edited, I never will. Maybe I would have been offended but now have been spared thanks to your speaking up... We'll never know.

 

[Mick Dempsey!]

@RyanCafferky
Did I see you’ve just bought a bigger Avant to replace your 528 on some FB site?

 

[climbingmonkey24]

I don’t remember who it was, but someone on here once made a post about knowing two people in the tree business. If I recall the post correctly, one of them runs a big company and the other a small, maybe 1-2 man operation. They said the individual who owns the bigger company is constantly stressed and trying to meet overhead. The other person who owns the smaller business bids the jobs they want to do, takes home somewhere in the range of $100k / year, and is happy.

Credit to whoever it was that originally shared that story by the way.

Anyways, I think it really boils down to what is going to help you thrive and be happy. Everyone’s ideal work / life balance is different. Some people may thrive under more pressure, whereas others might want to be able to step away from work and not have to carry it with them 24/7. Have the time to pursue other interests and activities. And I totally get what you’re saying about even if you were to hire someone to manage some of the tasks you do, it doesn’t necessarily eliminate the stress. In some cases, you may even find yourself worrying more because you’re giving up control. Trusting someone else to do things the way that you expect them to be done. As a business owner, that can be challenging.

I think big business and constantly pursuing company growth often gets glorified as automatically being better and the way to go compared to downsizing or staying small, but that’s not always the case. Similar to the concept of climbing the ladder in the corporate world and trying to get the next promotion. There’s nothing wrong with being happy and content where you are (or with less) if that’s what’s right for you. And at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks about it or if they agree / disagree.

When faced with big decisions like this, sometimes taking a temporary step back, maybe taking some time off, or even trying something different may help with gaining some clarity.

 

[oceans]

I’m starting to think work/life balance is open to interpretation. Maybe someone want 8 hours on 5 days a week and be completely punched out at all other hours.

For me, it’s more about “working” in a way that fulfills my life and I think self employed tree work is a nice path.

 

[data farm 26]

I'm trying to come back around to loving self-employed tree work just for that fact. It really affords me plenty of time to indulge in my own weirdness when not working. A person with a humble lifestyle can pay the bills with a few days of work each week, in most markets. Leaving 4 or 5 days a week to step off the economy wheel and explore other parts of existence.

 

[RyanCafferky]

@RyanCafferky
Did I see you’ve just bought a bigger Avant to replace your 528 on some FB site?

I’ve got my Avant 528 for sale because one of my friends is trying to sell me his 755. Space I’d rarely an issue in our market but lifting capacity is.

 

[Treetopflyer]

I just picked up a 755 for that reason of lift capacity and it made me less inclined to sell everything else and fold up shop for the time being :’)

 

[Brando CalPankian]

I just picked up a 755 for that reason of lift capacity and it made me less inclined to sell everything else and fold up shop for the time being :’)

We like the 755. I'm not a fan of all the plastic on the avant, and the avant plate. But there's no tougher machine in its weight class. It's something else watching a 50" 6' cottonwood log get lifted like it's nothing that keeps your back from hurting.

 

[Treetopflyer]

We like the 755. I'm not a fan of all the plastic on the avant, and the avant plate. But there's no tougher machine in its weight class. It's something else watching a 50" 6' cottonwood log get lifted like it's nothing that keeps your back from hurting.

Not to derail a beutiful thread too much
! I’ve only minor plastic damage that duct tape remedied well on front of my 528 in 1300hours owned since new , which I kept because we work in postage stamp yards frequently but the 755 isn’t much wider at all definitely bit more length and stature with the cab looks larger! I needed do more lift as I don’t deal with that stinky cottonwood mostly all stinky heavy oak all day everyday around here!

 

[southsoundtree]

Paul Cox told me he sometimes wished he stayed my size of biz.

Constant stress of hazard trees, then the two major oversights/ critical injuries from, maybe, rushing.


Acute and chronic stressors are significant.

 

[Brando CalPankian]

Paul Cox told me he sometimes wished he stayed my size of biz.

Constant stress of hazard trees, then the two major oversights/ critical injuries from, maybe, rushing.


Acute and chronic stressors are significant.

How many folks are you running?

 

[Njdelaney]

Himself and one good seasonal worker if I remember right?

 

[southsoundtree]

It depends on who I can find. I'm looking.
Mostly, I can find work for the staff I can find.

Some days it's me, like yesterday, I took down 8 firs and bid a job.

Today, and the past M and Tu, my regular employee who climbs a bit (whenever possible ).

Occasional, 2 in addition to me.



About once a year I rent a lift.

My friend has a strong, 40' kboom with grapple and 16' dump bed available.

I can hire a grapple truck. I have an accumulated load at my shop once the ground hardens.

Another friend/ next door neighbor with a farm is always willing to drive his dump truck and 20' trailer loaded with material for him or just haul material for me.
If I haul wood or chips to him, I just drop it off and he unload with his tractor or log loader.



My market allows a disproportionate amount of 'put on ground only' work.

Lots of pruning jobs.



Life stays flexible for family needs, school events, school pickup, etc.

 

[ClimberClyde]

Hey Ryan, I believe that life is far too short to not do what makes you happy. Life is far too short even if we live to old age, which many of us may not make it to. It could be me being a soft hands 32 year old, but I believe the present moment is all we truly have.

I think more of it as retrenching, while I'm far from your business size and experience, I took my foot off the gas completely last year. My wife and I were running our business together and only several years in I found myself giving all of me, and unfortunately, most of US to it. Only had 2 employees beyond the 2 of us. Small.
We didn't do anything outside of the biz, all we talked about was the biz, my mind never turned off, even when it should have been.

I've always been the type to try to give my 100% at what I do, which leaves little room for anything else. I realized I did not want to run anything larger, and we decided together that it would be better to not run a growing business together.
So I retrenched, I started focusing more on assessments and consultations, while still taking care of established clients, and their referrals as I wish.
I started climbing for a couple different friends who each have their own biz with different specializations, allowing me to still maintain whatever schedule I wish and not having to deal with any behind the scenes.

The jobs I do for my company I mostly do solo, or will bring someone if need be. Most of what I do now are smaller-medium jobs with referring out bigger ones to said friends. Often times I still get to work the job and help out the client while not having to deal with any bs.

A year later and I'm actually doing better financially, and a complete turn around mentally (not depressed anymore, yay). I found a balance that works for me perfectly, and I have such little resources by comparison.

I know you could retrench to a sweet spot where you still get to do the aspects you love, while successfully avoiding the stress inducing aspects. You have the experience, equipment, and resources to specialize however you want to. You can achieve a balance.

Our society is obsessed with growth, I'd rather be content, and hangout there for the rest of my days. You could stick iflt through for 2 years, but what's 2 more years after that? However, even 2 years is still not guaranteed to you.

 

[ATH]

....

The jobs I do for my company I mostly do solo, or will bring someone if need be. ...

Curious: "...bring someone..." Who is that "someone"? How do you keep access to a helper without giving them adequate hours?

I'm glad to finally have a full time helper again! There are 2 sides to this coin, and I get to decide how to see it.
A) I can stress out about making sure they are generating revenue 40 hours per week (he wants full time work)
B) I can recognize that there are days there isn't much opportunity to generate revenue directly, but there is always training, maintenance, cleanup, etc... to be done, so can let him have the hours and recognize we'll make it up when there are invoices to be written at the end of the day.

I'm also fortunate to have a few part time helpers as well. One or two are happy to help whenever, but don't "need" or expect hours. They are both teachers, so summer only. Another would probably like to work every time he is available (full time student, and he has like 2-3 other jobs so sometimes that's limited) and he's a great worker so I'd like to have him help as much as possible. I recognize this is a temporary situation until he graduates. It'd be great to have him full time...but he's far to entrepreneurial. That's a great thing, but I don't think he'd want to be "tied down" to an employer. As we spend time together I can envision giving him some free reigns if he wants to use that entrepreneurial here, but I have doubts that will be enough to scratch that itch.

All that to say: I'm just curious how other people find good "sometimes" help.

 

[Matias]

Curious: "...bring someone..." Who is that "someone"? How do you keep access to a helper without giving them adequate hours?

I'm glad to finally have a full time helper again! There are 2 sides to this coin, and I get to decide how to see it.
A) I can stress out about making sure they are generating revenue 40 hours per week (he wants full time work)
B) I can recognize that there are days there isn't much opportunity to generate revenue directly, but there is always training, maintenance, cleanup, etc... to be done, so can let him have the hours and recognize we'll make it up when there are invoices to be written at the end of the day.

I'm also fortunate to have a few part time helpers as well. One or two are happy to help whenever, but don't "need" or expect hours. They are both teachers, so summer only. Another would probably like to work every time he is available (full time student, and he has like 2-3 other jobs so sometimes that's limited) and he's a great worker so I'd like to have him help as much as possible. I recognize this is a temporary situation until he graduates. It'd be great to have him full time...but he's far to entrepreneurial. That's a great thing, but I don't think he'd want to be "tied down" to an employer. As we spend time together I can envision giving him some free reigns if he wants to use that entrepreneurial here, but I have doubts that will be enough to scratch that itch.

All that to say: I'm just curious how other people find good "sometimes" help.

I found my sometimes guy at a plant swap. He was building a one man landscaping business, and we clicked. Been friends for years now.