Diversify

[ROLLACOSTA]

Apart from tree work ,do any of you guys diversify and carry out other kinds of work.I realised the other day i had so much kit i could and will start a hire business .

 

[Redbull]

I also do lawn care and landscaping, sell firewood, snow removal, gutter cleaning, junk hauling, and about anything else that has to do with property maintenance. My main focus is tree care though. The other stuff is more for supplemental income and fun.

 

[bottlefed89]

I basically also do everything redbull listed. At the peak of this year we mowed 60some lawns, it took a full thursday and friday, and part of saturday. I mowed when I had no tree work, and had workers that could do it when I did have trees. I build retaining walls, do skidsteer work, and have a small local hauling company, for that I have a flatbed trailer, and an international box truck, I have a nightly hauling contract with several printing/bulk mailing companies.

 

[Trignog]

Redbull, sometims when I am bored I clean gutters and haul junk for fun too.
Just kidding.
Hopefully if you make a name for yourself, a good one, soon enough youll have so much tree work youll look back at your old advertisments and laugh.
I know a lot of tree guys who scratched off "dump runs" off the signs on their trucks.

 

[JonnyHart]

Does it count if I mention everybody always asks me to help them move? They pay me in pizza and beer.

 

[stehansen]

I have a small walnut orchard on my property and I do some discing for other people. Mainly lot discing, I use a D-2 Caterpillar. One of my customers is the Hershey chocolate plant in Oakdale.

 

[Redbull]

I'm moving my neighbors Wednesday in my 67' Chevy dump. Same dimensions as yours Tree Co. They're paying $1/mile + $150 to HELP them move a 2 bed. house.Right now I need these extra little projects to keep my head above water. Tree work is picking up but I just went full time about 5 weeks ago. I have a very good reputation with my clients, it's just a matter of time. About 90% of my work comes from referrals, the other 10% from TreeServiceDirect.com. As far as mowing goes, I enjoy it. It's peaceful, and it's a guaranteed check for 30-40 weeks out of the year. I plan on directing my business toward lawn and tree care only in the future, and having one mowing crew, while I run the tree crew. That's the plan!

 

[iain]

i'd like to start a distillery

 

[Mike Barcaskey]

trees and wildlife
depending upon the time of year, and roughly in order of income
tree service
outdoor writer
trapper
wildlife and habitat management (forestry plans)
sawmill
guide (turkey, waterfowl)

 

[CoreyTMorine]

I took down and then latter reinstalled a chainlink fence the other day, it was in the way of a construction project. I also do "tractor" work, i bought a little kubota L3130 to help me move wood, its handy as heck. People call me to do all sorts of things with it, from spreading mulch to moving sheds.

I keep thinking about getting into compost tea and liquid fertilizer.

Also a good friend of mine is a computer scientist. He has some interesting product ideas, sometimes i consider going into the money raising business for him.

But for now 95% of my income is from tree work, 5% from tractor work.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

I wish I had $100 for every person I've help move in my F600. A lot of stuff fits in an 7.5'x7'x15' box.

You SHOULD get paid! Your time and truck wear 'n tear are valuable!

 

[Koa Man]

I do the grounds maintenance, as well as the tree work for 1 condo. I have painted 3 houses, tore down couple of tennis courts, built 2 chain link fences, put in a patio concrete slab, gutted a house, built a couple of closets and put up several new interior house walls, in addition to lots of tree work for one rich client. He never asks me what it is going to cost in advance either. After I do the work he asks me for the bill.

 

[Caledonian]

i'd like to start a distillery

Ha Ha, yes, and have a swig of sanity. Cheers

 

[Tree Machine]

I do 99% tree work, but occasionally I take a job pulling things out of the ground; fenceposts, small trees and saplings. About 8 or 9 years ago I built this tripod thing with a winch and choker cable. The winch is rated to 4,000 pounds, so I can pull bushes, small trees and big saplings out of the ground (stuff not worthy of a stump grinder), as well as fence posts, old basketball poles and such. I do it more because it's cool, but it does generally pay well, too.

I am selling Silky Saws, too, via mail order. It would honor me greatly if you would go check it out. It is an affiliate arrangement with The Silky Store, so there is no conflict with AS sponsor. In fact, it helps them and I promise you, the prices are exactly the same. I just get a pat on the head when I make a sale, and a commission. I would really appreciate your business, for real. http://treeguy.info/articlebody.php?section_id=4&article_id=49

 

[treeseer]

60% consulting, 40% tree work. A young nursery starting up; I dread having to dig the things up and move em before they get too big. gotta mechanize, even if I stick with bareroot; not my strong suit.

Would like to build a canopy walk in the back woods and bring in tourists from the historic train that stops behind my property.

 

[fattyphatcakes]

Anybody plow snow? I'm thinking of giving that a go.

 

[CoreyTMorine]

snow plowin is mostley refered to as "blood money" out here. But if you like smoking cigs and drinking coffee and staying up all night for days on end maybe its your game. Just remember that it is death for a new truck. Really, it can cut the life of your truck in half, and probably take a few days off of your life as well.

That sounds more negative than it should. there is money to be made plowing thats for sure, but its not easy money.

 

[Rob Murphy]

Work arb all week,preach on sundays.
Trade arborist ,Vocation preacher.

 

[fattyphatcakes]

I'm sure it's not "easy money", but I would't tell anyone that tree service is easy money either. But it would be nice to have some income on those snowy days and nights. We have a truck that sits idle most of the time, another $4k for the equipment, I think it would be worth it. I think your right about the cigs and coffee though, I'll have to be careful with that. I used to move trailers around that yard at a distribution center, driving for hours on end can be fun, in a mind numbing sorta way.

I've done the occaional dump run for some extra bucks, once cut down and hauled away a wooden staircase that had outlived it usefulness.

 

[CoreyTMorine]

I drove solo across the country once. It was great fun, hours would go by in the time it took me to have one thought... kind of like arboristsite actually