being a sub.

Scottscape · Mar 21, 2012

Once they can find an inhouse employee who can climb and knows trees they will eventually cut you out and you will be john wayne again. There going to send you lots of work and your going to probably buy more equipment to keep up with it then before you know it you will have all your eggs in one basket and then they will drop the ball on you. Keep new business coming in because one day these guys are going to be your competition

imagineero · Mar 21, 2012

I don't think we compete against each other quite so much as tree companies in the US. We tend to work together a bit more - at least the better companies do. I've been thrown leads from other tree companies, and I've thrown back my fair share too. No money changes hands in these situations. I've also gone and helped out other tree companies when they were in need with an injured climber or damaged truck or whatever, and I've called a few favours in over time too. It all ballances out.

I do sub a bit, on average a day a week I guess. Whenever I'm doing favors for someone or climbing for them I introduce myself as working for them, which I am. The fact that it's only for a day doesn't enter into it. It's the same story when I do contract work for landscapers, which is a bit more involved that contract climbing. Generally you're supply ground labour plus truck and chipper which is a bigger deal than simply climbing for another tree company. In those cases I still make a point of introducing myself as 'shaun', not as my company name. It would be in very poor taste to hand out cards etc. Any leads generated on the day by walk up neighbours etc all go to the principal contractor and in every case I direct the person to go talk to 'the boss'. It's his job after all.

That level of professionalism is also returned. When other guys come and chip for me and someone turns up and asks for a card, they hand out mine. Even if I'm not on the site. This sort of gentlemans behaviour keeps us all working. We all charge the same anyhow.

Sometimes we do end up quoting on the same jobs. It's interesting to compare opinions and see who won it. I guess we're lucky that most reputable tree companies have more than enough work, while hacks and fly by nighters are stabbing each other in the back for craigslist deals. Maybe licensing requirements helps with that.

It does sound like this guy isn't quite in the class of businesses that I'd work for though. I work with tree guys, and stay awake from sharks. They'll move on eventually to bite someone in the next line of work they take up, just as they generally did in all the previous ones that never worked out.

Shaun

superjunior · Mar 21, 2012

imagineero said:
I don't think we compete against each other quite so much as tree companies in aus. We tend to work together a bit more - at least the better companies do. I've been thrown leads from other tree companies, and I've thrown back my fair share too. No money changes hands in these situations. I've also gone and helped out other tree companies when they were in need with an injured climber or damaged truck or whatever, and I've called a few favours in over time too. It all ballances out.

I do sub a bit, on average a day a week I guess. Whenever I'm doing favors for someone or climbing for them I introduce myself as working for them, which I am. The fact that it's only for a day doesn't enter into it. It's the same story when I do contract work for landscapers, which is a bit more involved that contract climbing. Generally you're supply ground labour plus truck and chipper which is a bigger deal than simply climbing for another tree company. In those cases I still make a point of introducing myself as 'shaun', not as my company name. It would be in very poor taste to hand out cards etc. Any leads generated on the day by walk up neighbours etc all go to the principal contractor and in every case I direct the person to go talk to 'the boss'. It's his job after all.

That level of professionalism is also returned. When other guys come and chip for me and someone turns up and asks for a card, they hand out mine. Even if I'm not on the site. This sort of gentlemans behaviour keeps us all working. We all charge the same anyhow.

Sometimes we do end up quoting on the same jobs. It's interesting to compare opinions and see who won it. I guess we're lucky that most reputable tree companies have more than enough work, while hacks and fly by nighters are stabbing each other in the back for craigslist deals. Maybe licensing requirements helps with that.

It does sound like this guy isn't quite in the class of businesses that I'd work for though. I work with tree guys, and stay awake from sharks. They'll move on eventually to bite someone in the next line of work they take up, just as they generally did in all the previous ones that never worked out.

Shaun

We work with some tree companys and some are even good friends of mine, in fact working with one today. In some situations we help each other out, like today I need 2 cranes on a job to get it done efficiently. We both make money, sure we're competition but we're also friends and would never cross each other. It is ammusing bumping into each other on the same estimate sometimes..lol

treemandan · Mar 21, 2012

superjunior said:
I do a lot of work for other companys, mostly landscapers, a couple concrete guys, a fence company, even a couple other tree services. All that subbed work probably makes up a third of our sales and gives us plenty of exposier.

Most recently I met with a very large landscape outfit who was looking for a tree service to sub their work to. After a couple meetings we decided to go ahead and roll with these guys. Their main concern was if we would be able to keep up with the volume of work they were going to send our way. Also the owner was real concerned if we had company logos on our trucks, ect..

They've been feeding us about 5-10 leads a day and it has been pretty hectic dealing with them so far. Dealing with different officers of their company, fielding leads in the office and field, trying to get things faxed back over to them the same day - its been kinda rough..

So just recently I noticed they want everything in writing to them under a "tree service" name, not their REAL company name. Then I noticed that they are advertising like crazy in all the gold clipper and coupon books under their new "tree service" name. I'm starting to not like this so much.. It's one thing for me to do subbed out work for another company, but its another thing for me to pretend I'm an officer of a fake company - even having to introduce myself to their potential clients as such..a totol lie..

It makes me feel dirty.. I donno. Money is money but I'm just not liking this at all and I'm starting to wonder how it will effect my company in the long run. What do you guys think?

Huh? What? WTF!!??