Koa Man
Kahuna giganticus
In Hawaii, you need a C-27B contractor's license to do tree jobs over $1000. Most of my tree jobs easily exceed that. The law states you cannot piecemeal the job to circumvent the contractor licensing law. To qualify to take the test, you need to have worked at least 4 years in the previous 10 years in a supervisory position in the field you wish to obtain your license. You need 3 people to sign a notarized affidavit testifying to your experience. An affidavit is a written declaration under oath. There are legal penalties for those that lie about your experience.
Owning and running a business can be enjoyable and profitable, but most businesses fail because of lack of cash reserves. Example, every 3 months I trim the palms at the biggest hotel in Hawaii. It takes me about 3 weeks and I get paid about 30 days after we are done. During this period of time, all the labor and other bills, from equipment to house mortgage need to get paid. Big jobs are good, but financing them can break the bank if you don't have the funds to see the job through.
The most difficult part about starting a business is getting and retaining good customers. The first 5 years was pretty rough. After that I had a good enough customer base that kept growing. Today I don't advertise at all and you won't even find me in the phone book. My only contact number is my cell phone and 100% of my business is repeat and referrals.
Wish you the best if you go ahead and start your own tree service. Just remember it will not be easy. I worked 70-80 hour weeks for the first 5 years with no vacations.
Owning and running a business can be enjoyable and profitable, but most businesses fail because of lack of cash reserves. Example, every 3 months I trim the palms at the biggest hotel in Hawaii. It takes me about 3 weeks and I get paid about 30 days after we are done. During this period of time, all the labor and other bills, from equipment to house mortgage need to get paid. Big jobs are good, but financing them can break the bank if you don't have the funds to see the job through.
The most difficult part about starting a business is getting and retaining good customers. The first 5 years was pretty rough. After that I had a good enough customer base that kept growing. Today I don't advertise at all and you won't even find me in the phone book. My only contact number is my cell phone and 100% of my business is repeat and referrals.
Wish you the best if you go ahead and start your own tree service. Just remember it will not be easy. I worked 70-80 hour weeks for the first 5 years with no vacations.
