Showing others your trade?

[BCbound]

Whats your guys thoughts on showing others your trade? I've had landscapers and other general contactors approach me this past summer to do removals for them. They openly mentioned they have done a few removals etc around town. Lacking the climbing skill they need my help and knowledge for more technical stuff. I know they are fishing.

 

[flushcut]

Don't show them sh#t but do the work for them. Scarpers and others can be a great source of income without them mucking up the profession.

 

[treemandan]

Don't show them sh#t but do the work for them. Scarpers and others can be a great source of income without them mucking up the profession.

They always seem to get me involved in jackassery I just can't endure. In the end its depressing sad and vulgar. I actually can't believe you said what you said. They don't know what they are looking at nor are prepared to deal with it, that spells heartache for me.

 

[flushcut]

They always seem to get me involved in jackassery I just can't endure. In the end its depressing sad and vulgar. I actually can't believe you said what you said. They don't know what they are looking at nor are prepared to deal with it, that spells heartache for me.

I am not saying work for them as an employee but as a sub and running your own show with your own crew. I have a few relationships with scapers and all is well they make the sale I get my cut I move on.

 

[treemandan]

Whats your guys thoughts on showing others your trade? I've had landscapers and other general contactors approach me this past summer to do removals for them. They openly mentioned they have done a few removals etc around town. Lacking the climbing skill they need my help and knowledge for more technical stuff. I know they are fishing.

Yeah, you do know. There are fishers and there are fishermen. A fisherman is gonna catch you a fish, a fisher is gonna use you as the bait. It took my stubborn ass awhile to come to terms with the counterproductivety working with fishers.I really wanted to beleive. Hey, I do like to help people but when an inch becomes a mile of skid marks all over my ass I tend to show my feelings.
I think I get Fishercat now. Dude, i am begging you not to make me write that N. If money is money then go work on wall street.

 

[treemandan]

I am not saying work for them as an employee but as a sub and running your own show with your own crew. I have a few relationships with scapers and all is well they make the sale I get my cut I move on.

Ok. :msp_thumbup:

 

[Bomber]

If you get consistent work from the same landscaper I would request a percentage of his business becoming a partner. The problem I see is that the work you do for him is getting credited to his company. Customers liking your work will recommend his company to others. Friendship and business is separate. Once the landscaper gets enough tree accounts out you go for a couple of green climbers with only a few years experience at half the rate. Also taking potential work away from you.

 

[flushcut]

A lot of it comes down to if you trust the scapers or not. The ones that I do work for have absolutely no intention of getting into tree work and have signed paperwork saying so. Most are small guys or retirees who just want the easy money of cutting grass and planting a flowerbed, but when their custy asks "do you know of a tree guy" then I get the call.

 

[treemandan]

Sorry Fishercat, I got you confused with Flushcut. But honestly I wouldn't get involved with anything a scraper said. I'd do the job from start to finish based on my dealings with the client.

I am dealing with a spray company to do some work at my client's house. All they do is spray. They ask me how I wanted to handle it, mentioned something about me being the middle man. Nah, no call for a middle man, that's why this country is in the shape its in. Middlemen and mortgage brokers working for more than minimum wage.

 

[treemandan]

If you get consistent work from the same landscaper I would request a percentage of his business becoming a partner. The problem I see is that the work you do for him is getting credited to his company. Customers liking your work will recommend his company to others. Friendship and business is separate. Once the landscaper gets enough tree accounts out you go for a couple of green climbers with only a few years experience at half the rate. Also taking potential work away from you.

Yeah, I often thought of putting a sign next to theirs, it would read " Yeah, but I did it"

 

[treemandan]

It would also read " they just added to the bottom line and made the job harder"

 

[capecodtree]

Scrapers

A tough subject. The right landscape company that appreciates competent tree work can be a great source of work, I have a few. However the majority are just looking for the cheapest price that they can mark up. Quality of work does not matter. I have a friend that owns a tree/landscape company, when he gets tree work that is not stupid simple he asks me for a price. His workers are tree challenged and he has a fear of heights! I appreciate the work but lets say I get a job through him for $1,500. He will mark it up by $500 or 25%! For my investment in equipment, insurance, education, etc. it kind of irks me. He is the type of guy that never sweats and I've never seen him dirty. Me on the other hand have rung out my t shirt full of sweat and most nights have to take off my clothes on the back deck to keep the wood chips out of the house. I probably sleep better at night. My two sons work in the business with me, in this regard I am blessed with things that money can't buy. Jim

 

[Bomber]

Me on the other hand have rung out my t shirt full of sweat and most nights have to take off my clothes on the back deck to keep the wood chips out of the house. Jim

Glad I am not you neighbor.

 

[squad143]

I do some work for a few landscapers. Some just refer me to the client and I deal directly with the client. Others ask me for a quote and I deal with the landscaper. Either way is fine with me.

I show up with my equipment and crew and we do the work on our own. I get paid what I quoted either way.

I look at it as the same as doing tree work for contractors. Money in my pocket.

Now, if some landscaper wants me to teach him how to do tree work so he does not have to hire me......

I don't deal with those types.

 

[capecodtree]

scrapers

all the houses around me have gone up in value, go figure!

 

[Iustinian]

Me on the other hand have rung out my t shirt full of sweat and most nights have to take off my clothes on the back deck to keep the wood chips out of the house.

I shake the sawdust/chips out of my clothes every night. Put them in the washer, shake them out before I put them in the dryer. Shake them out again when they come out of the dryer. Pockets still have sawdust in them!!!!!!!!!!!! lol

 

[treeman82]

I do business through a couple of landscapers. They bring me in business, and I appreciate it. Often I will bring them in business, and I know that they appreciate it. They are certainly not looking to get into the climbing aspect of what I do, but I do have some concerns on the ground end of things. That being said, we all make money off of eachother, and I have no concerns of them stealing work from me... however they do tend to put me onto some jobs that I normally would tell people to get somebody else for, but out of loyalty and dependability I will do it for them... and that does tend to bother me.

 

[Iustinian]

I do some work for a few landscapers. Some just refer me to the client and I deal directly with the client. Others ask me for a quote and I deal with the landscaper. Either way is fine with me.

I show up with my equipment and crew and we do the work on our own. I get paid what I quoted either way.

I look at it as the same as doing tree work for contractors. Money in my pocket.

Now, if some landscaper wants me to teach him how to do tree work so he does not have to hire me......

I don't deal with those types.

I agree -- I get a lot of referrals from landscapers. I either handle it all and give them a nominal kickback, or I put it on the ground and let the guys with dumptrailers haul it off later that day after I've left.

 

[superjunior]

About 20% of our sales is from 4 or 5 well established landscape companies. A lot of that work is for new installs where we remove all the existing landscape/stumps so they can do their new planting.

 

[tree md]

They always seem to get me involved in jackassery I just can't endure. In the end its depressing sad and vulgar. I actually can't believe you said what you said. They don't know what they are looking at nor are prepared to deal with it, that spells heartache for me.

Jackassery... That's a new one... Thanks for expanding my vocabulary Dano! :biggrin: