Do side jobs on weekend, save up money, pay heaps in advertising. quadruple your stress level, take your free time out the back and shoot it, gut it and bury its remains. Wrangle with red tape and paperwork, Pay yourself a third of what you made working for others while doubling the hours you work while you save for insurance, advertising, saws, chippers, throw lines, harnesses, ropes, rigging, pulleys, portawrap, GRCS, big shot, pole pruner, pole saw, power pruner, more saws hedge trimmer, replacements for gear wrecked by staff, truck, stump grinder, uniforms, boots, helmets, more saws, welder to fix bits on truck and chipper, replacement gear for the last stuff you got, tirfors, cables, wedges, hammer, axes, handsaws, blower, replacements for stolen gear, rakes, sacks, shovels, more saws, pruners, etc etc etc. Then if your lucky after 5 years you will still be standing and wonder if it was all worth it. Have an open marriage between your wife, OSHA, your staff and the local economic climate because they will all screw you equally.
Im 8 years into my lot, wouldnt change it for anything. But best not ask my wife about it.
hahaha nice post.
couldn't agree more.
don't forget meanwhile trying to pay your bills.
it sounds easy at first,one may think well i can start with a chainsaw and a truck and get going..............it's not this easy.
time......time......more time.....and loads and loads of money for insurance and advertising,and tools is a MUST or you will fail for sure.
at first,you will have WAY to much time on your hands due to lack of work.it takes quite awhile to become established.its easy to get a few calls and think wow,here's a couple hundred/thousand dollar jobs to get me going.....its not so easy lol don't be fooled by a short burst of jobs.put every single penny you possibly can BACK into your tree service or you will never make it.
don't consider money from jobs yours at all.consider it money for your tree service.
work as long as possible where your at and save every penny then invest it.
it may or may not be a good idea to tell your employer your plans......i made this mistake haha.
when your underbid,shrug it off and keep going.lowering your prices doesn't help in the long run.all it does is hurt your industry in your local area.
screw the hacks.the people who will hire them over you,are not the clients you want to work for anyway.
when you get stiffed.....and it will happen...shrug it off and keep your chin up.be proud,strong,professional,and most importantly continue your education in modern arboriculture.
always do top of the line perfection work.never lower your standards especially when your well over hours on a job,its easy to think "its good enough" now lets get out of here and on to the next job.never get into this thinking.
you will be years before you have all the professional tools required,and will struggle making due and making ends meet for awhile.
never give up and always focus on your goals.
make short term goals that are obtainable and long time goals and never,never,never think or wounder if your going to make them or not.focus on making them and do so,or hang it up right now and stay working for someone else.
work hard,long hours.take your free time and spend it cultivating your tree service.if you don't,you wont make it in the long run.
hopefully in 10 years you have what you need and are actually making a good living.
tell yourself you can.and don't let anyone tell you,you cant.this is the most important part.
your whole life will be devoted to your biz,and everything else will be put in second place.
hope your single,or your wife,family can work with you.if not,your in for a rough one,they will know they no longer come first.
try and put them equally and your biz will suffer i can promise you this.
owning your own biz is not for everyone of course or everyone would do it lol.
best of luck.
remember safety first.not productivity.think otherwise,and the day WILL come to bite you in the ars,possibly ending it all.
bid jobs accordingly so your not rushing to cut corners.if the competition doesn't,well then the day will come,where they will no longer be your competition anyway.
good luck.
