- Location
- Asheville N.C.
Hey all, hope everyone is well! I was just wondering what some of you done to start getting your own clients or jobs coming in when you were first starting your own tree service.
Startup advice.
- Thread starter AW4130
- Start date
moss
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Carlisle, Massachusetts, U.S.
Start with your own contact list, friends, family, etc. Who needs tree work done? Assess and quote, it's the beginning of your client list. Most tree workers pick up additional work from passers by and neighbors, do good work and your business will grow.
TreeLogic
Branched out member
- Location
- Coastal SC
Unfortunately, sometimes the passerby will want you to come down out of the tree you're in and look at their tree right then and there 
.
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Treetopflyer
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Coastal N.J
Is there a cut off height for you ,like if your over 50 feet up you might make them wait or with the ease of modern rope climbing tools and stuff like the wraptor do you just smoke down out of the tree any height and say ,"at your service!"Unfortunately, sometimes the passerby will want you to come down out of the tree you're in and look at their tree right then and there
TreeLogic
Branched out member
- Location
- Coastal SC
Nope, with most (around here anyway), if you don't go right now then you've lost the job. 
I think they think we're just landscapers sometimes.
I think they think we're just landscapers sometimes.
SterrettTree
New member
- Location
- Belle Haven, Va
get quotes out fast. same day, if they dont have email print it out and take it back to them. Don't quote on the fly, you will screw yourself 9 out of 10 times. Hold your price, unless the change is them keeping a bunch of big wood or something that makes it worth it - you do not want to get a name of being able to be haggled with. Know your limitations - that giant tree may pay 4k, but if you dont have the equipment to move the wood you are better off doing 4 1k jobs in the place of it. starting off be ready to bomb some proposals, you are going to eat it big on a couple of jobs - know this going into it and it makes it hurt less. i do addon's of less than an hour onsite for free, most people remember something when you get there to do the work. put a little padding on the proposal when you make it to account for this - it makes people happy to get something extra, and happy clients are money in the bank. most of all do what you say you will, when you say you will, and dont break stuff.
Last edited:
treehumper
Carpal tunnel level member
- Location
- Ridgefield, NJ
Get lawn signs made (if they're legal in your area), ask permission of your client's to put it up at the end of the job with an assurance that you'll take it down with a set time frame. If someone gives you a rave review verbally, ask for it in writing or in an online review. Ask them if they know of any friends or family (who are in your territory) that are also looking to get tree work done. But don't get in the habit of kicking back on referrals. That can get expensive. Be sure to send thanks and happy holiday cards or happy new year from the company. It may sound tacky but you want to keep your name in front of them as they'll quickly forget if the time comes to have more work done.
Connect with RE agents, insurance agents, and property managers, they all deal with trees and can be a good source of info. As well, attend your local Shade Tree or Environmental Commission meetings. Become a "friend of" not a member, to avoid conflict of interest. Talk to the DPW, find out how you can get on their list of contacts for emergency storm damage work. Same with gardeners groups like, Master Gardeners. If you've got the chops for doing presentations it's a good way of getting your name out there. With family and friends of your own, be sure to give them cards or flyers if you have them, lots of them. Much of my original work came from people working in my wife's office.
Get on Dan Kraus' www.catinatreerescue.com as a cat rescuer for your area. That is if you're a cat or at least a pet person. You can charge for the service and it will lead to work for those people and even their friends.
If you see a hazard on someone's property, don't be afraid to approach them. Be informational about it and not hard sell.
BE ORGANIZED! Set up a client contact management system. Not just bookkeeping but proper client management. They are the life blood of your business. Understand them so they're not just the HO. The more you know about them the better you can connect with them. Selling is a science and an art and one that you need to treat with the same degree of professionalism as you do for your tree care. And, estimating is NOT selling. Leaving a piece of paper or email with a price on it and job specs does nothing to build rapport, trust and liking with your clients. That's what they'll commit to first.
Follow up all your proposals! Ask them when you can call back so it's easier to keep track or even establish a standard and let them know you'll give them a call in x days. This way you can put it on your calendar so there's no missing.
Structure your day, have fixed time blocks on specific days to schedule the various aspects of the business, from administration work, sales calls, follow ups, doing the work, and collection. At first, your calendar will be blank but if you schedule them into the appropriate time slots, you'll have control of your business and clients instead of the other way around. This will be somewhat fluid as you learn what times work best for what. Review you scheduling and make adjustments accordingly. Don't ever say, "Whenever you want." It makes it sound like you'r e not busy. "Let me check my schedule and see what times I have available", sounds more professional and like you're in demand.
Specially structuring your administration time, i.e., bookkeeping, scheduling, client tracking, etc… will enable you to better keep track of the amount of time necessary to do the job. By this way, you can more easily plan to hire someone else to do this. And do get someone else. They'll have the specific skills for this task and be able to better perform the job than you can. Unless of course your skill is administration!
Most importantly, remember that you are now a business owner who operates a tree service, not the other way around.
Connect with RE agents, insurance agents, and property managers, they all deal with trees and can be a good source of info. As well, attend your local Shade Tree or Environmental Commission meetings. Become a "friend of" not a member, to avoid conflict of interest. Talk to the DPW, find out how you can get on their list of contacts for emergency storm damage work. Same with gardeners groups like, Master Gardeners. If you've got the chops for doing presentations it's a good way of getting your name out there. With family and friends of your own, be sure to give them cards or flyers if you have them, lots of them. Much of my original work came from people working in my wife's office.
Get on Dan Kraus' www.catinatreerescue.com as a cat rescuer for your area. That is if you're a cat or at least a pet person. You can charge for the service and it will lead to work for those people and even their friends.
If you see a hazard on someone's property, don't be afraid to approach them. Be informational about it and not hard sell.
BE ORGANIZED! Set up a client contact management system. Not just bookkeeping but proper client management. They are the life blood of your business. Understand them so they're not just the HO. The more you know about them the better you can connect with them. Selling is a science and an art and one that you need to treat with the same degree of professionalism as you do for your tree care. And, estimating is NOT selling. Leaving a piece of paper or email with a price on it and job specs does nothing to build rapport, trust and liking with your clients. That's what they'll commit to first.
Follow up all your proposals! Ask them when you can call back so it's easier to keep track or even establish a standard and let them know you'll give them a call in x days. This way you can put it on your calendar so there's no missing.
Structure your day, have fixed time blocks on specific days to schedule the various aspects of the business, from administration work, sales calls, follow ups, doing the work, and collection. At first, your calendar will be blank but if you schedule them into the appropriate time slots, you'll have control of your business and clients instead of the other way around. This will be somewhat fluid as you learn what times work best for what. Review you scheduling and make adjustments accordingly. Don't ever say, "Whenever you want." It makes it sound like you'r e not busy. "Let me check my schedule and see what times I have available", sounds more professional and like you're in demand.
Specially structuring your administration time, i.e., bookkeeping, scheduling, client tracking, etc… will enable you to better keep track of the amount of time necessary to do the job. By this way, you can more easily plan to hire someone else to do this. And do get someone else. They'll have the specific skills for this task and be able to better perform the job than you can. Unless of course your skill is administration!
Most importantly, remember that you are now a business owner who operates a tree service, not the other way around.
Treetopflyer
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Coastal N.J
That about covers it then now doesn't it! The man knows his stuff!
frashdog
Branched out member
- Location
- Champlain valley, adirondack coast
Smile like you got the world by the balls as you take off your sun glasses off to make eye contact while extending your hand to greet them!
Lots of shady characters out there in the tree world, sell yourself apart!
I feel like I'm living a blessed dream...
Let the customer know that. It's usually refreshing for them.
Lots of shady characters out there in the tree world, sell yourself apart!
I feel like I'm living a blessed dream...
Let the customer know that. It's usually refreshing for them.
Treetopflyer
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Coastal N.J
Yes loving what you do never can hurt your odds of success .
- Location
- Asheville N.C.
Dang! Thank ALL of you for so much great advice! Really didn't expect so much thorough and encouraging support! So very much appreciated guys and I will be utilizing every bit of it! I have the truly loving what I do, and being good at it part down. Now I just have to get the business end right! Thanks again so very much everyone! 
