Had to let two of my guys go today

[Timberhauler]

Man,this sucks a big one.Things have gotten so slow around here.This time last year,we were booked up about eight weeks ahead,and sometimes it went as far as 12 weeks ahead.Right now,we're living from day to day.If I wasn't also in the timber clearing business I wouldn't have anything to do at all right now.I don't know what the deal is,I've NEVER seen it this slow this time of year.The two guys I had to let go had been with me for two years.I hired them about a week apart from each other.This is probably one of the hardest things I have had to do since I've been in business.I have had to fire several people,and that's hard enough.One of the guys lives by himself with no family,and is a very sought after climber around here,so he'll probably be working somewhere else by tomorrow.The other guy was a ground guy,I aquired him because his wife worked with my wife at the sheriff's office.He started out working for me on kind of a temporary basis until he could find something else,but he worked so hard and always had such a great attitude.He decided to stay because he said he'd never had a boss he liked working for as much as he did me.So that's what really made that one hurt for me.Luckily,I keep all of my bills except for the utilities paid three months ahead,and all of my equipment except for one of my trucks is paid for..Otherwise I would be in some serious trouble right now..If things don't pick up in the next month or so,my wife is planning to cut her leave short and go back to work...I guess things could be much worse,but it's very hard not to worry right now.

 

[DDM]

Reason is because Last summer we were following an ice storm from December
and everyone was still trying to get there storm damage/Tree fears taken care of.Ive still got 2 weeks of work to do but the calls have slowed down quiet a bit.

 

[DonnyO]

Wow!

that totally s#@ks. It goes to show how bad the economy is.

 

[rb_in_va]

that totally s#@ks. It goes to show how bad the economy is.

Yeah, the economy is so bad it's causing ice storms!

 

[Timberhauler]

The summer of 05...Before the ice storm hit...I was even busier than I was last summer..You're right about the ice storm part,but I don't think that it's all due to that....It doesn't matter though.Everyone has their ups and downs I guess....Honestly I have been wanting to downsize anyway...But I sure hated to do it this way.

 

[CoreyTMorine]

The summer of 05...Before the ice storm hit...I was even busier than I was last summer..You're right about the ice storm part,but I don't think that it's all due to that....It doesn't matter though.Everyone has their ups and downs I guess....Honestly I have been wanting to downsize anyway...But I sure hated to do it this way.

Would you downsize any other way? Maybe your subconscious knows the answer better than you do and rigged things so they would work out this way.

Up here a lot of the well established guys are pretty slow while the up-and-comers are right out straight. I think that people are shopping around a little more, and that they are turning to the internet and the newspapers to find new companies. I’ve been wondering if Martha Stewart or the home and garden channel did a segment on how to hire service people, and why it is better to get 2 or 3 random bids then to go with the guy your wifes uncle got to do his work.

 

[rahtreelimbs]

No lack of work here in Pittsburgh, Pa. We are as busy as we have ever been!!!

 

[Timberhauler]

No lack of work here in Pittsburgh, Pa. We are as busy as we have ever been!!!

Glad to hear somebody is.....

 

[treeman82]

I was out last week with some friends who are in the heavy equipment business.

One guy works for a HUGE company, and they are booked for some time. Another guy runs his own show, and he's got enough to keep busy... but he's not exactly turning down work. The both of them said that many people they know are very slow right now, and unless you want to work for nothing you will be slow. The one guy who has his own company may wind up having to travel probably close to 1 1/2 hrs each way this year to do a job for one company... but it's probably 6 months of work for him with a good paying client.

I've got some stuff going on right now, but I'm not exactly tripping over work either. Just gotta get the scheduling down a LOT better, because this running all over the place is starting to cause problems.

On the other hand, one of my friends who runs an uninsured landscaping company (I was climbing for him the other day) he just happened to stumble into a $8,000+ pine tree removal job.

 

[mckeetree]

It's pretty good here right now but I have seen it bad, bad, bad. My PHC is off a little however. Last really bad year for us was 2002. I was ready to throw in the towel.

 

[Treeinnovator]

my theory is that with the housing slump and gas prices rising, the average household is holding onto their cash and putting the tree trimming on the back burner.

 

[BC_Logger]

Ive personally have never had employees but I would hate to have to tell them that they wont be working tomorrow especially if there good guys

 

[TimberMcPherson]

Slumps are a part of every business, you cant do much about them. One thing I have been doing over the last few years is put some long term jobs aside for a "rainy day" (or month, or season...)
These are jobs for people who want big trees removed in the long term but are not in a hurry for them to be done and have a tight budget. These tend to be clients I have known for some time. I price it low, not quoting the whole job but say something like "instead of the job costing a grand a day we will do it for 600 when works slow". So when you do have quiet time (which in 3 years you almost always do), you do the job. You make enough to pay your guys, keep them on your team and although its not good money by any stretch, it beats not working, and besides at least having your gear out there working you tend to get more work from neighbours etc.

Right now I have a months worth of such jobs "saved" up. Not alot, and theres no money in it but theres enough to keeping paddling if the creek drys.

Another option might be to find if any landscapers, movers or construction co's need labourers etc. Explain to your guys that its the only work you can find for them for now. Join your guys on the job a couple days, They will respect you for doing all you can and you will be happy to be going back to tree work when things pick up. We have done a few days over the years working for landscapers, the work and money was crap, but it was a great team building exercise, the landscapers recommend our company for years to come and we picked up a few more skills and ideas.

Myself and another couple of companies "farm" our climbers between each other depending on how much work or lack of work any of us have.

Being reactive when things get quiet isnt half as effective as having a solid strategy in place well ahead of harder times.

 

[treeslayer666]

slow season

Right now I have about 2 weeks ahead of me. Since I started my own buisness in 99 this has got to be the slowest season yet.
The call volume has dropped from 10-15 calls a day to maybe 4 or 5.
It seems all of the work I pick up is repeat and referall.
People are price shopping big time. When I get a call from the yellow pages its impossible for me to compete with the local hacks that dont carry the proper liability insurance and workers comp. Not only that but their equipment looks like sanford and son rolling down the road. They beat my prices by half.
But all of us legit companys around here will have the last laugh when the hacks are out working for nothing and then their junk equipment breaks and they cant afford to get it repaired, hopefully out of buisness by next season.

 

[Timberhauler]

Right now I have about 2 weeks ahead of me. Since I started my own buisness in 99 this has got to be the slowest season yet.
The call volume has dropped from 10-15 calls a day to maybe 4 or 5.
It seems all of the work I pick up is repeat and referall.
People are price shopping big time. When I get a call from the yellow pages its impossible for me to compete with the local hacks that dont carry the proper liability insurance and workers comp. Not only that but their equipment looks like sanford and son rolling down the road. They beat my prices by half.
But all of us legit companys around here will have the last laugh when the hacks are out working for nothing and then their junk equipment breaks and they cant afford to get it repaired, hopefully out of buisness by next season.

One of the best things I have picked up on this site is that when I go and bid on a job,I am sure to tell people that if they are getting other bids to make sure the people have liability insurance and workers comp..I am also willing to always put in writing that I will do absolutely no damage....If there is one thing good that might come of this extremely slow period right now,it might prompt some of the hacks to look for another line of work....I would say that probably 80% of my established customers won't give those people the time of day anyway.