How's business?

[Timberhauler]

All we hear about on the news is how troubled the economy is.There have been several other tree companies around the upstate that have gone under.One thing for sure that is not helping is near 5 dollar a gallon fuel prices.My business has slowed a little,but for the most part I guess I should be thankful after what I have heard from some others.Last year most of the jobs I was doing were big ones.four grand and up.This year has been the opposite.I've been having trouble selling big jobs,but I've been over booked with smaller jobs.How is it going for every one else in other parts of the country?

 

[custom8726]

Just the opposite for us. We seem to get all the big nasty jobs 3k and up this year but not nearly as many small jobs, its hard to compete with the fly by nighters on smaller jobs.

 

[ASD]

SWAMPED !!!

Just put two more guys on and we are booked about 2 months out

 

[Sunrise Guy]

My business is up by about 20% for the year, and I'm thankful. We are doing more residential jobs in the $800-1200 range, and are booked solid for the next three weeks. With fuel running like it is, I am not rushing out to do bids that are more than ten miles, or so, away from me. I now ask prospective clients to e-mail me digital photos of what needs to be done. I then give them a bid based on the photos, allowing myself "wiggle room" with a disclaimer that basically says that the bid may change if there are any "surprises" not clearly seen in the photos. So far, no surprises.

I am not counting on the future to hold to the present, though. I can see how, if diesel gets into the $6/gal. level, I will start sweating, big-time.

 

[Treetom]

I stay booked for about 2 weeks out, which is pretty normal. I have managed to stay within the 5-7 mile range on most jobs. Sunrise Guy, excellent idea on emailing photos rather than driving the distance.

 

[M.D. Vaden]

Since my last post elswhere, business has remained steady and continuous.

The website calls are very steady, and the people calling from the website have been very reasonable people.

The estimate acceptance has been about 90%.

I have yet to run an ad locally, which is but days in the coming. And I'm a little bit concerned that the ads may bring too many business calls. But I'm going to give it a go anyway just to explore some new neighborhoods it will reach. The ads will also let many previous customers know I'm back.

We did not call my old customer list yet - a list of about 500 previous customers.

We've only been back north here in Portland for about 6 weeks.

My schedule is filled solid.

 

[Sunrise Guy]

Since my last post elswhere, business has remained steady and continuous.

The website calls are very steady, and the people calling from the website have been very reasonable people.

The estimate acceptance has been about 90%.

I have yet to run an ad locally, which is but days in the coming. And I'm a little bit concerned that the ads may bring too many business calls. But I'm going to give it a go anyway just to explore some new neighborhoods it will reach. The ads will also let many previous customers know I'm back.

We did not call my old customer list yet - a list of about 500 previous customers.

We've only been back north here in Portland for about 6 weeks.

My schedule is filled solid.

I am always hesitant to place ads, if my business is going strong. I think there can be a dangerous backlash effect: You get a ton of calls and you have to explain to potetial clients that you are not going to be able to schedule them in for another three or four weeks. Then those people, now frustrated with your company's back-log, tell their friends who tell their friends who-------. In a short while you get almost no calls, as now everyone thinks you're too busy for them. I would not place any ads, for now, if I were you and I was booked up, solid.

 

[booboo]

So far we're steady both in volume and job size. We generally seem to stay about 6 weeks out, then slow down in winter, which is not a bad thing. No advertising. There are advantages to staying small for sure, no payments on large pieces of equipment to put the pressure on.

 

[l2edneck]

You can tell by the fact that the brush sites are no where near what they were last year that its still slow for me.Rains have recently started up finally so we are hoping for an improvement soon.Ive been steady but not settin the woods on fire.

 

[ClimbinArbor]

am about a week out here. online ads only, but ive only been going in wichita for about 6 months. gonna put signs out this week. will probably bring me up to a 2 week list.

 

[Toddppm]

I am always hesitant to place ads, if my business is going strong. I think there can be a dangerous backlash effect: You get a ton of calls and you have to explain to potetial clients that you are not going to be able to schedule them in for another three or four weeks. Then those people, now frustrated with your company's back-log, tell their friends who tell their friends who-------. In a short while you get almost no calls, as now everyone thinks you're too busy for them. I would not place any ads, for now, if I were you and I was booked up, solid.

Catch22 for sure, we are slammed and have been since Late March, I have ads (very expensive ads) going out every month and being 3,4 or 5 weeks out I hate to spend the money but I can't wait until we're down to 1 or 2 weeks worth of work and hope people call for more.
We've never been busier especially at this time of year when school has just let out and it's getting hot.

 

[Timberhauler]

Since starting this thread,I've sold several big jobs and now I'm booked through August.I'm glad to hear so many are doing so well.

 

[M.D. Vaden]

Since starting this thread,I've sold several big jobs and now I'm booked through August.I'm glad to hear so many are doing so well.

After posting on Lawnsite in "Sean's" topic, that I thought the economy was semi-immune from problems in Portland, I heard a news blip the next day. It was about the big housing value drop around the nation, but then it chimed in that Portland values were holding, which is what I expected prior to our move.

That's probably part of the story here.

I was working in the older NE Portland neighborhood today and just driving through neighborhoods with reams of huge old trees, thinking about what a Mecca Portland is for tree work.

One I was staring at for a while was a huge purple beech - probably 100 years old.