Hey guys winter here is about 4 to 5 months during the season I have no trouble finding work for my crew, at the end of the season they all get laid off. Winter is pretty Quiet, how do you survive
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How do you survive during the winter Months
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John Paul Sanborn
Above average climber
It depends on how established you are and the type of work you do. If you have a depth of high-end trim/prune clients from the past it is aa good thing to go through them and call.
"Hi this Bob from Your Tree Service, we were out there 3 years ago and it is timee for aanother maintinancce cycle."
This goes wwith my preaching about developing revolving accounts, 300 clients on a 3 year schedual that have a $1000 average gross gives you $100,000 per year.
In the begining of thee season, give your clients some referal cards that will give them a discount or a gift card (your favorite restraunt may give them at a discount iff you buy a few hundred dollars worth)
Calling lients and aasking them to introduce you to ffriends and nieghbors...
"Hi this Bob from Your Tree Service, we were out there 3 years ago and it is timee for aanother maintinancce cycle."
This goes wwith my preaching about developing revolving accounts, 300 clients on a 3 year schedual that have a $1000 average gross gives you $100,000 per year.
In the begining of thee season, give your clients some referal cards that will give them a discount or a gift card (your favorite restraunt may give them at a discount iff you buy a few hundred dollars worth)
Calling lients and aasking them to introduce you to ffriends and nieghbors...
BluestemTree
ArboristSite Lurker
I try to save during the busy times so that anything that comes in in the slowest months, January and February for me, is kind of a bonus. It is amazing how fast it shuts down in my part of the country. People seem to think there is a tree care "season" around here. Most of my work in the winter is with storm damage. I often end up doing some snow removal which I hate. But money is money I guess. I also use the winter to put together my advertising, make adjustments in the administrative side of things, add equipment, rearrange the shop...... Its kinda boring sometimes. Before you know it, we'll be back to 7 days a week and pulling into the shop well after dark.
-Will
Before you know it, we'll be back to 7 days a week and pulling into the shop well after dark. -Will
We do over 200.00 K during the season and if you want to up grade ( which we do) it is very costly. the down time is very hard, and for doing snow" I helped friends in the snow buss, and No thanks, For all the work they do they do not make enough to make it pay, The client base we have is very good 20 years in the buss, but for all the hard work we do its easy to spent during the off season.
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very very slow here in the winter also, with 3 to 4 feet of snow on the ground makes it to miserable to work anyways. I do do steep and high roof shoveling so that end up being cash most of the time which helps for beer moneys during this long hibernation. I hafta save through the summer to make winter ends meet. freezer is always full of wild game and chickens so buying meat isn't a prob and I also have a couple large gardens so veggies arnt either. by the end of the "slow season" I feel like I'm growing antlers on top of my head and my damn nose is sore from pecking the ground. don't eat much venison during the summer(cuz its gone) and all I really want to do to the yard birds is kick em. I don't employ any one as me and my wife work together so that helps us save for the winter. I also mass bye things that we use frequently(canned goods,soaps,noodles sh## like that. unfortionly I'm a smoker also so I always pick up 50 or so cartons of squares at the reservation so I don't have to pay hi priced "taxed" smokes at the store.
I keep sane by making walking sticks and hunting furry little animals while they are in season. and by doing alot of target practice in the back yard. I also seem to drink alot of beer and smoke alot of cigarettes.
but all in all working for my self sure beats working for an assinine company with big orange trucks!!
I keep sane by making walking sticks and hunting furry little animals while they are in season. and by doing alot of target practice in the back yard. I also seem to drink alot of beer and smoke alot of cigarettes.
but all in all working for my self sure beats working for an assinine company with big orange trucks!!
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ozarktreeman
ArboristSite Operative
well yooper you seem to have it down and your prioritys inline
.
winters in the south are,nt so bad usually stay busy through xmas,then pray for the almighty ice storm to hit within 300 mile range.that has helped the last few years.
.winters in the south are,nt so bad usually stay busy through xmas,then pray for the almighty ice storm to hit within 300 mile range.that has helped the last few years.
sharkfin12us
ArboristSite Operative
slow months
Like the guys say depends on how established you are.The longer your in buisness the more people know about you and references.I have a bobcat skidsteer i bought last febuary 2007 i use it for big jobs pick up wood and i used this winter snow plowing.It really was mild winter for most part but i made 5100 dollars that is about 3 mortgage payments so it helps.Im doing jobs much cheaper then usual.If the job is big i just give price i want if i dont get it let some one else do it cheaper i will only go so low especially when it comes to bigger trees.If you can find some thing to do besides tree work then do that good luck to you .
well yooper you seem to have it down and your prioritys inline
winters in the south are,nt so bad usually stay busy through xmas,then pray for the almighty ice storm to hit within 300 mile range.that has helped the last few years.
Like the guys say depends on how established you are.The longer your in buisness the more people know about you and references.I have a bobcat skidsteer i bought last febuary 2007 i use it for big jobs pick up wood and i used this winter snow plowing.It really was mild winter for most part but i made 5100 dollars that is about 3 mortgage payments so it helps.Im doing jobs much cheaper then usual.If the job is big i just give price i want if i dont get it let some one else do it cheaper i will only go so low especially when it comes to bigger trees.If you can find some thing to do besides tree work then do that good luck to you .
treemandan
Tree Freak
How in the heck did you make 5100.00? I am near Philly and we got very little snow. Did Jersy get more? I only went out for 2 storms.
sharkfin12us
ArboristSite Operative
i get 75 an hour for my machine we had 2 storms in december so i got 34 hours out of that.January nothing happend and febuary we got 2 storms i got 22 hours out of that.
tomtrees58
Addicted to ArboristSite
go to Fla trim trees tom trees
treemandan
Tree Freak
commercial?
sharkfin12us
ArboristSite Operative
I work for landscaper at condominium.I told that guy next year i want 85.Why should i get same amount as pick up i can do way more with my machine.I hooked up late in season past year.I should really be getting 100 an hour but i can get alot of hours here.
lawnmowertech37
Addicted to ArboristSite
last time i did 5100.00 was a year ago dont know why business is slowed down to a crawl here i dont mean to bragg but i need to let some steam off cant stand the bill collectors yellow page folks takeing me out of local phone book coming june cause im behind in the bill $ 8K thats cause of this economy being like it is
or could be cause of other online stores wanting to undercut other online stores
which im not very happy with the one that sells tecumseh parts and charges under dealer cost
who is located in minnisota to be exact
yes im not a happy camper and if you all were in my shoes you would not be happy either
if you had bill collectors breathing down your back
sorry if i offended anyone
i just am not very happy in the way our sales have been going
Bigus Termitius
Addicted to ArboristSite
I wear lots of layers, eat healthy and take my vitamins.
I also get a solid daily allowance of saw chips. They're good and good for you!
If I don't I start withdraws...it gets really ugly.
I also get a solid daily allowance of saw chips. They're good and good for you!
If I don't I start withdraws...it gets really ugly.
sharkfin12us
ArboristSite Operative
slow down
Its happen to all of us
im behind but im just making it.Just seems past 3 years have gotten worse.When spring hits be tight with your money for rest of the year i think pay off insurance before winter if you can
Its happen to all of us
im behind but im just making it.Just seems past 3 years have gotten worse.When spring hits be tight with your money for rest of the year i think pay off insurance before winter if you can
Allways plan for the worst, then add to it. I've survived 11 years so far, after a while you get used to it. Someone on here refered to "the bipolar climate of owning your own tree biz" (something like that), and its so true. I plan on mid dec things totally die till mid march, plan ahead financially and if I work its a bonus. Last year I had an awfull fall with equipment/help so I'm broke living on credit cards. I've got a project jeep that I bought to tie up some money a couple years ago, yesterday I droped it off at a guys house/shop, he is going to do some wiring on it and other stuff to finish it so I can sell it this spring and pay off cards. All I've got to do is about a days treework for him. Whatever works. Should be a life saving barter. Then next winter I'll rack them babys right up again, lol.
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