Buying a tree service with no experiance.

[Shamgarism]

Hi everybody,

I am new to the forum but have been reading for awhile. I have an opportunity to purchase a fairly large tree service company. I am new to the tree business but have been wanting to get involved for awhile and this seems like a really great company. The question I have is about how hard it is to find licensed arborist. The owner who is selling the company is a licensed arborist and has agreed to stay on board for several years while I am gaining experience. However I am concerned that if he were to leave I would need to replace him with a licensed arborist in order to continue to work in the county we are in. How hard is to hire a licensed arborist? Or can I simply hire an arborist as a consultant to stay legal? Any ideas on the cost of a consultant? The company has a crew of 6 with each person having 2-15 years experience, but none are licensed arborists. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[mitch95100]

Do YOU have any expirence in the field is my first question.

Sent from me to you using my fingers

 

[Shamgarism]

I do not have any experience yet.

 

[Shamgarism]

I am open to any suggestions, or ideas on my question but please do not respond just for the sake of being negative. It is a waste of time.

 

[offshoretreeze]

Why not ask the owner? Perhaps someone in the crew could be trained. That's where I'd start.
Good luck--Aaron

 

[2treeornot2tree]

I am open to any suggestions, or ideas on my question but please do not respond just for the sake of being negative. It is a waste of time.

He is not being negative, he is being real. Its the truth, your gonna lose your butt. If you have no clue how to remove a tree, how are you gonna know how long its gonna take, and how much to charge?

Whys the owner selling the company, if he is gonna work under you for a few years? Sounds funky.

 

[joezilla11]

why would u own and run a company in a trade u have no experience in? you dont know the trade and your company is going to be based around other guys that do. so what happens when those guys leave? it may be a few months or a few years but there is always a turnaround and who will do the work then? who is going to sell the jobs and answer the customers questions? those guys that have worked there 2-15 years worked for the owner, who says any of them are going to stick around and work for a new owner that knows nothing about the trade?

if the owner really is going to stick around for a few years like you said than i think itd be in your best interest to learn the trade yourself and work towards becoming a certified arborist because then at the least, even if the other guys leave you can keep business going because you are the one that can do the work.

if you start a business around your work then you will be the success or the failure. if you start your business around work that you cannot do, then you are setting yourself up to get spanked.

 

[Shamgarism]

Joezilla11, thank you, that is exactly why I asked the question. You have to have 3 years experience before you can become a certified arborist. I am trying to plan ahead just in case something happens to the arborists that currently work for the company.

 

[Walt41]

I am not an tree professional like many of the hard working guys on this site but I have operated several successful businesses and still consult part time.
The tree industry is not like any other business in the skill sets required (notice plurality) an owner must have extensive business, social, counseling, physics, mechanical, logical and biological knowledge just to break even in the business. They must also be willing to sacrifice their body just like a professional athlete as there is not much left at retirement, the business of trees is not a job it is a lifestyle where the owner must be involved in every level or his pockets will be picked clean in no time. My advise to you is to look elsewhere for business opportunities.

 

[timberland ts]

If you can read and are halfway intelligent you can pass the test. However you are nuts to start a business you know nothing about. Unless you are paying some one to do the work and the estimating, buying and fixing equipment. You should have a min. Of five yrs in the field and that really isnt enough. Its your money do what you want.

 

[ducaticorse]

I am not an tree professional like many of the hard working guys on this site but I have operated several successful businesses and still consult part time.
The tree industry is not like any other business in the skill sets required (notice plurality) an owner must have extensive business, social, counseling, physics, mechanical, logical and biological knowledge just to break even in the business. They must also be willing to sacrifice their body just like a professional athlete as there is not much left at retirement, the business of trees is not a job it is a lifestyle where the owner must be involved in every level or his pockets will be picked clean in no time. My advise to you is to look elsewhere for business opportunities.

Ive tried to explain this point to people et naseum several times. Just because you are good at the actual "tree work" side of the business, does not mean you are going to be any good at running the business. It's funny how many people fail to grasp that concept. You sir, hit the nail right on the head.

 

[Shamgarism]

Ok, for the sake of time lets assume, that this is a horrible idea, I am a moron, I have never run a business, I am going to lose all my money and take a successful company down with me, it is dumb to try something I have never done before, and of course that I will "lose my but". Can anyone answer these questions? How hard is to hire a licensed arborist? Or can I simply hire an arborist as a consultant to stay legal? Any ideas on the cost of a consultant?

 

[Gologit]

Ok, for the sake of time lets assume, that this is a horrible idea, I am a moron, I have never run a business, I am going to lose all my money and take a successful company down with me, it is dumb to try something I have never done before, and of course that I will "lose my but". Can anyone answer these questions? How hard is to hire a licensed arborist? Or can I simply hire an arborist as a consultant to stay legal? Any ideas on the cost of a consultant?

You said that the former owner is going to work with you for a while. Wouldn't he be a good choice to answer some of your questions?
He probably knows most of the consulting arborists in your area.

 

[Walt41]

Ok, for the sake of time lets assume, that this is a horrible idea, I am a moron, I have never run a business, I am going to lose all my money and take a successful company down with me, it is dumb to try something I have never done before, and of course that I will "lose my but". Can anyone answer these questions? How hard is to hire a licensed arborist? Or can I simply hire an arborist as a consultant to stay legal? Any ideas on the cost of a consultant?

Only way it ANY business to give someone the checkbook like that is to make them have skin in the game, if you are going to have to trust someone like that to run your business, put them on a partner track or tie their compensation to business performance.

 

[Toddppm]

I've seen a couple companies started and bought by guys with no tree work experience or very very little at all and they've been successful. Because they were natural bull####ters, oh ,I mean salesmen. If you have a good business background and understand what it takes, you can hire people for what you don't know.
If you have none of this yes you'll probably just be throwing money down a hole.

Is there a specific requirement to be a certified arborist where most of the sales are coming from? The only place you need to be a licensed arborist here is Md. next door. Here in Va. you don't need anything beyond regular business licenses etc.

 

[Shamgarism]

I've seen a couple companies started and bought by guys with no tree work experience or very very little at all and they've been successful. Because they were natural bull####ters, oh ,I mean salesmen. If you have a good business background and understand what it takes, you can hire people for what you don't know.
If you have none of this yes you'll probably just be throwing money down a hole.

Is there a specific requirement to be a certified arborist where most of the sales are coming from? The only place you need to be a licensed arborist here is Md. next door. Here in Va. you don't need anything beyond regular business licenses etc.

The requirement for certified arborist depends on which city we will be working in. I have the business and sales acumen to be successful, I just want to have a plan in case I lose my 2 certified arborists.

 

[Shamgarism]

Only way it ANY business to give someone the checkbook like that is to make them have skin in the game, if you are going to have to trust someone like that to run your business, put them on a partner track or tie their compensation to business performance.

Yes, that is part of the plan. I also will be working and learning in the field(50-60 hours a week) along with studying and attending courses and seminars. However, it will take me 3 years to become ISA certified. If something were to happen to the owner or the other ISA employee over the next 3 years, I would like to have a backup plan.

 

[beastmaster]

Most successful tree services are built on the owner's reputation or salesmanship. It doesn't take much to lose that reputation and clients. If your workers and costumers lose confidence in you, it a slow expensive death spiral. Not saying that'll be you, but if you play the odds, the smart money would be bet against you. Bottom line is you'll be totally dependent on others with no way of knowing if your getting a fair shake or not. The right people are far and few between , but their out there. Make sure you have the best management people you can find. It could be done.
You do this and get in a bind I'm available for consulting and evaluation. You do need a unbiased third party to help evaluate this. Someone who doesn't have an agenda. Good luck

 

[Shamgarism]

Most successful tree services are built on the owner's reputation or salesmanship. It doesn't take much to lose that reputation and clients. If your workers and costumers lose confidence in you, it a slow expensive death spiral. Not saying that'll be you, but if you play the odds, the smart money would be bet against you. Bottom line is you'll be totally dependent on others with no way of knowing if your getting a fair shake or not. The right people are far and few between , but their out there. Make sure you have the best management people you can find. It could be done.
You do this and get in a bind I'm available for consulting and evaluation. You do need a unbiased third party to help evaluate this. Someone who doesn't have an agenda. Good luck

Thank you, great advice.

 

[since16]

There are business's u can own and no nothing about at first. Trees are not one of them. Every day ur employees go to work on a smoking hot day all they are gonna think about is that they are making money for a person who doesn't even know how to change chipper blades. And they will begin to plot their exit. How and why would they want to work for u do u think they want to explain daily how they get jobs done to make u money. You can take all the classes u want and not know how to rope a limb off a roof.