I'm throwing in the towel.

[hornett224]

sorry to hear you're throwing in the towel.

i know that area well and it has to be a tough one for this business.that area is tough for any business.

good luck in your future endeavors! and God bless you and thanks a million for your service to our country.

 

[Sunrise Guy]

Im sorry that you have ended up going this way, business is tough, you put alot of yourself into it, and the returns (not just financial) may not always be there.

Alot of guys on this site have had to weather tough times, but sometimes the games against you. And you gotta do whats needed.

I see that the tree business is a kind of trap for many. We buy gear to do the jobs "easier" but have to push harder to make the money to justify the equipment.

Gear is a step up when you need it, and a noose around your neck at other times.

I wish you the best of luck. Nice toys, I started out with a nissan pathfinder and a rented trailer. I was single and living on $120 a week. I think lack of innitial money actually helped built my business, made me careful and kept me from over reaching. But then perhaps thats wrong, but I have always wanted to be an arborist first, and a businessman second.

Man, well said! I am SURE that lack of money, initially, helped you become the good businessman you now are. From looking over Tom's equipment, on his site, I found it almost impossible to believe that he was only in business two years.
Unless he came into some mighty big bucks through inheritance or an amazing amount of savings, I can estimate that he entered our profession with about a $2G, or more, monthly note around his neck. That is certainly NOT the way to get off to a good start.

 

[TimberMcPherson]

Im a lousy businessman, I dont charge old people enough, I do freebees for people I think deserve them, I overpay my staff, I turn down dismantles and heavy prunes if I dont see good reason for them, I frequently talk my way out of alot of work by saying the trees are fine, my paperworks a mess and my invoicing can be a little random. My palm pilot is me writing on my hand, my accountant thinks I run the business just to buy more gear, I have happily spent hours on "quotes" listening to war vets talk, I dont charge enough in general, (I get 97% of my quotes doh) I do work for my whole street for wine, and I have been known to spend longer on a job because the kids there are having to much fun with my dog.


But who cares, I love what I do and enjoy it.

 

[Grace Tree]

Im a lousy businessman, I dont charge old people enough, I do freebees for people I think deserve them, I overpay my staff, I turn down dismantles and heavy prunes if I dont see good reason for them, I frequently talk my way out of alot of work by saying the trees are fine, my paperworks a mess and my invoicing can be a little random. My palm pilot is me writing on my hand, my accountant thinks I run the business just to buy more gear, I have happily spent hours on "quotes" listening to war vets talk, I dont charge enough in general, (I get 97% of my quotes doh) I do work for my whole street for wine, and I have been known to spend longer on a job because the kids there are having to much fun with my dog.


But who cares, I love what I do and enjoy it.

Good reading.
Thanks,
Phil

 

[tree MDS]

That's the thing about a true treeguy with woodchips in his veins, he just don't quit, not for anyone.

Bang, nail on the head, no pun intended.

 

[Sunrise Guy]

Im a lousy businessman, I dont charge old people enough, I do freebees for people I think deserve them, I overpay my staff, I turn down dismantles and heavy prunes if I dont see good reason for them, I frequently talk my way out of alot of work by saying the trees are fine, my paperworks a mess and my invoicing can be a little random. My palm pilot is me writing on my hand, my accountant thinks I run the business just to buy more gear, I have happily spent hours on "quotes" listening to war vets talk, I dont charge enough in general, (I get 97% of my quotes doh) I do work for my whole street for wine, and I have been known to spend longer on a job because the kids there are having to much fun with my dog.


But who cares, I love what I do and enjoy it.

If I ever am in your neighborhood, you've got my services, on the house (or in the tree).

 

[TomSawyer]

Friends,


I am going to sell the equipment individually, instead of trying to sell the whole business as a package.

Check out my homepage if you are interested, and thanks for looking.

Good luck to you all.

TomSawyer

 

[treemandan]

Im a lousy businessman, I dont charge old people enough, I do freebees for people I think deserve them, I overpay my staff, I turn down dismantles and heavy prunes if I dont see good reason for them, I frequently talk my way out of alot of work by saying the trees are fine, my paperworks a mess and my invoicing can be a little random. My palm pilot is me writing on my hand, my accountant thinks I run the business just to buy more gear, I have happily spent hours on "quotes" listening to war vets talk, I dont charge enough in general, (I get 97% of my quotes doh) I do work for my whole street for wine, and I have been known to spend longer on a job because the kids there are having to much fun with my dog.


But who cares, I love what I do and enjoy it.

Sound like me to a T

 

[capetrees]

Me too and strangely, the business has grown as a result of the "problems" listed above. Now I have to go on a Sunday to help a neighbor take out five trees in his yard for a handshake. It all comes around eventually.

 

[DDM]

Wow. If you were closer I'd buy the chipper and the big dump "I need the dump bed".

 

[Treeinnovator]

TomSawyer,
did you go after large commercial accounts, residential, or both? i spent a few years doing residential and small commercial work and made the normal money. it was when i started winning the BIG commercial accounts (500 to 2,000 trees at a time) that my business took off and money was flowing. had i stuck to the smaller stuff i would have thrown in the towel long ago.

FYI: for me the difference was when i purchased a 4x4 self-propelled 60ft JLG man lift. with that one piece of equipment i could do jobs faster and more efficient than my competitors who all had forestry bucket trucks. this thing moved with a twist of the joystick and could go through mud, up and down hills, everything where a bucket truck can't.

 

[tree md]

Man, if I could count the nights I slept out under the stars on top of my ropes because business was tight. I lived by the river, camped by the lake with nothing but my ropes, saws and dog (before he died) because I just wasn't making enough jobs. I wouldn't give it up for anything. Now I'm tied down with ads out locally and guys who count on me and can't travel like I used to. Sometimes I miss the days of living off deer meat and fish out by the lake. If things don't pick up around here soon I might not have to miss those days anymore but rest assured, I'll hang in there until better times. Tree work is about all I've done since I was 21. Can't imagine myself doing anything else.

 

[treemandan]

Me too and strangely, the business has grown as a result of the "problems" listed above. Now I have to go on a Sunday to help a neighbor take out five trees in his yard for a handshake. It all comes around eventually.

Yes, it seems to come around and I seem to be stuck with it, Its not like I can just go get another job, I mean; would you hire me?

 

[TomSawyer]

Tree innovator,

We went after residential work, I tried shaking hands and passing out cards at golf courses, but no luck there. I am starting to think that my main problem was my location. If I were to take my whole operation to a city like Lansing, Grand Rapids, or Detroit, I think we would do just fine. Most Northern Michigan folk have a chainsaw or 5 in their garages and know how to use them just fine, thank you very much!

 

[treemandan]

Tom Sawyer,
How long was your run? Having any luck selling your stuff? I know you are keeping the ropes and hand tools.

 

[TomSawyer]

Treemandan,

My foreman bought out most of my saws and ropes, and I gave him the climbing gear as a gift. After all, I did throw him out into the street, so to speak. I kept an 026 and an MS440 for myself, and some chaps and helmets. You never know, maybe a tree will fall on my house when I am in law school!

Not so much luck yet with the bigger stuff, lots of tire kickers, no check writers yet. Things are pretty slow up here in the frozen north, and if I have to hold on to the stuff until things pick up I may just have to do that.

Someone out there needs some gear though, I've got a feeling!!

 

[beerman6]

I am starting to think that my main problem was my location. If I were to take my whole operation to a city like Lansing, Grand Rapids, or Detroit, I think we would do just fine.

nah,With all the laid off autoworkers,EVERBODY is a treeguy,landscaper...

and +1 on the north folk.

 

[tree MDS]

Yes, it seems to come around and I seem to be stuck with it, Its not like I can just go get another job, I mean; would you hire me?

Good question, lol.

 

[HolmenTree]

A little heavy rain this AM ,equipment needs some mtnce but thought I'd put my 2 cents in anyway.
Some days,yeah I felt like packing 'er in too. But if you love saws, cutting wood and climbing, you just can't. Maybe I'm one of the fortunate arborists,I got woodchips in my veins at 16 yrs old when I started my career as a pro faller, sure I could have gone on to college but I kept on doing what I loved doing. If you look at my signature you can see that I'm a small operator, but you know with only one fulltime employee I'm grossing $200,000 a yr. and growing. I think what kept me going was the boost I got from my Arbormaster Training courses, here in Canada Arbormaster is now Arboriculture Canada Training &Education Ltd. Check them out at [www.ArborCanada.com ] DWayne and his instructors are GOOD. I can't wait until my next 2 courses this fall.
Yes every man has gotta know his limitations, but I sure love my business.

Willard

 

[tree MDS]

Pretty good numbers for the investment there Holmen tree, congrats. What is your day rate ideally? (if you dont mind)