Small business in small country

andrus kokerov

andrus kokerov

Participating member
Location
Estonia
Hey!

Got time this morning to check out this forum about treebusiness. Got some good ideas that i will use defenetly in the future. But there are some guestions i have been woundering how do compenys in the other countrys deal with and maybe get some advice. But first of all ill tell you about what im doing and how the market here is.
I have all what a climber needs from from pruning to removals. I am saving up for a GRCS now, looks like it could be a gamechanger. I dont have eny bigger eguipment cause most customers get rid of the brush and wood themselfs. Im like a one(two)man band and it seems to be the best businessmodel here for dealing with trees. I work together with my groundman, for more difficult and bigger jobs i hire a extra climber or groundman (depends if its pruning or removal). Mostly been working near my hometown (small village with 20k people) in a radius of 50-60km. In that area there isent much work cause i have to compete with two-tree other arborist. So im trying to get every job that is possible to get. If i want to get the job, i mostly can earn about 250 euros/day for me and my groundman together with all the costs. Lately there has been coming in alot of work from more far away, like 100-130km away from home. The price i can ask there is much better (300-400 euros a day). Mostly its residential work and one or half day jobs, so have to compinate them together. How do you guys charge this kind of work? Do your dayrate including the 2 hour drive to the site or do you charge that somehow else? My day starts when i leave home at 8 o clock and stops when i get back, mostly at 4 o clock, dosent matter if i am driving or climbing. So it can be that i ask for climbing 5 hours more far away from home 350 and climbing 7 hours near home only 250.
In how big of an area do you guys operate? Do you drive everyday or stay in hotels?
Most customers want to know the date when im coming so they can be at home and watch me work. Thats a bit disturbing cause when it rains or is very windy i have to get a new day set with them. But sometimes the next free day can be in 2-3 weeks, so i have to do it on the weekend then. How do you guys do it? Is there a date set when you come are just give the customer a call you are coming now(tomorrow)?
Cause we are a small business then i have also price the jobs, i mostly do it after work or on the weekend... I have been thinking of climbing 4 days a week and leaving a day for priceing the jobs, also could use it as a back-up climbing day in case of bad weather. How dose that sound? I dont get that much requests but 5-15 a week and that would mean a whole day of driving.
So my point is i would like to operate in a more wide area cause that looks like more profitable for me. Ill have to get more into the media so i get more requests. What am i going to do:
  • Im starting a blog on my companys facebook page and get more attention on it.
  • A idea a well known guy here gave me was to start a blog in the local newspaper to get myself known as a treeexpert. Im considering that also, depends what the newspaper guys say.
  • I did a treeremoval for a radioshow hoste. She invited me to her show, so next week im on the nationalwide radio talking about treeclimbing competitions, tee crane and rigging course with Mark and takeing care of trees. I hope it will work out for me.
Would be great to read how other small ones run it abroad.
All the best!
Andrus
 
You're doing a good job of it thus far! Yes, media works and doing some presentations through garden clubs. Work with landscapers that don't do tree work themselves. Know your expenses. Why are you're clients choosing you? Is it your price or the quality of your work? As people get to know your quality they'll be prepared to wait and to pay more.

We have to be amateur meteorologists. Any date set is always with the caveat, weather permitting. If the rescheduling happens enough then have an alternative rain date set with the clients that are far from your base. Structure your time. If you take one day a week to do your estimates then that's what its for. Be disciplined in your time management. The idea is to manage your business not to have it manage you.
 
treehumper said:
You're doing a good job of it thus far! Yes, media works and doing some presentations through garden clubs. Work with landscapers that don't do tree work themselves. Know your expenses. Why are you're clients choosing you? Is it your price or the quality of your work? As people get to know your quality they'll be prepared to wait and to pay more.

We have to be amateur meteorologists. Any date set is always with the caveat, weather permitting. If the rescheduling happens enough then have an alternative rain date set with the clients that are far from your base. Structure your time. If you take one day a week to do your estimates then that's what its for. Be disciplined in your time management. The idea is to manage your business not to have it manage you.
Click to expand...

It realy depends on the client what they are looking for. Sometimes i loose a job beacause of 20 euros and the other time people dont ask nobody else for a price cause they want me to do the job. I have been thinking alot about the guantity or quality think. I would enjoy more doing difficitul jobs that others dont want/cant do. Maybe work less then now put do difficul jobs for a higher price. I like it when i can think a job trough in my mind, not rush to another.

My costs arent big, the biggest are my pickup, new gear and advertising. Offcourse i use every chance for educating myself (courses, competitions). The last investment i made was a week on Marks course and i must say it changed a bit my way of thinking in treeremovals. Im more confident, im not affraid to go big when there is a oppurtunity, i saved alot of time even on my last weeks jobs. I think investing in education is the best investment you can make.
 
andrus kokerov said:
It realy depends on the client what they are looking for. Sometimes i loose a job beacause of 20 euros and the other time people dont ask nobody else for a price cause they want me to do the job
Click to expand...
Take a sales course, it'll improve how well you can qualify your clients, improve your closing ratio and increase your revenue/job.
 
Andrus, continue to evolve your approach as your business grows. As the "new guy in town" you might have to make some concessions ( lower bids or take jobs you "don't really want") to get your name out there. Doing jobs for people connected to various forms of media or those with status can go a long way towards recommendations and return business. Just get out there, do your thing and soon you will be just fine. Continue to perfect your craft and above all else VALUE YOUR SKILLSET and customers will come. Best of luck!
 
LimbLoppa said:
Andrus, continue to evolve your approach as your business grows. As the "new guy in town" you might have to make some concessions ( lower bids or take jobs you "don't really want") to get your name out there. Doing jobs for people connected to various forms of media or those with status can go a long way towards recommendations and return business. Just get out there, do your thing and soon you will be just fine. Continue to perfect your craft and above all else VALUE YOUR SKILLSET and customers will come. Best of luck!
Click to expand...

Thanks. Im actually not that new in the town. In my hometown im well known, but i want a bigger peace of the cake. Im a bit filled up, of maximum 2-3 weeks of work in front of me and not with the best prices. So im trying to expand the area im working in.
 
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