Starting out

[stihlIT]

hello i was wondering what are the most important thing to know or do when starting a tree buisiness. Me and a freind of mine have worked for a company for a few years. we have both moved and are wanting to start our own buiseness at first we will just be doing it on the sideas of now we have a MS310 and a 017,spikes and quite a few ropes. We live in central missouri any info would be great....................

TAKE THE TOP DOWN AND GO FOR A RIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ekka]

You need to have insurance, you need to know what you are doing, you need to know if there's any vegetation protection laws in the area, you need to be a bonified business thats registered, you need to know applicable standards for tree works such as pruning etc (correct cuts), you need not step on toes of collegues or undercut.

It would be wise to have a uniform, act professional, give written quotes and always be punctual.

Do not forget to factor in your overheads when quoting, which includes insurances, advertising, maintenance and replacement of equipment. A lot of people who start out work for wages but now have business overheads and go bust ... if a marketing campaign you did got you 2 bids and cost $100 to do, well you need to price that in, every job can cost you $100's before you even start ... that's why other professional businesses have min charges or call out fees.

Good luck on your new business venture, I hope your partnership lasts longer than the statistical average.

 

[begleytree]

make every customer a raving fan.
buy a big saw, that 31 is for limbing brush on the ground
loose the hooks on trims
charge very good for your services, here you are: you can be the one the neighbors want because A: you're cheap, or B: you're good, and worth every penny

plenty more to know, others will list it, you will learn, or you won't. One way is you never report to an ******* boss again, the other is you file bankruptcy, and call that ******* boss for your job back. Its up to you and what you want. the sky is the limit, and hard work combined with a desire to learn will pay off.
I was you, more or less, 5 years ago.
-Ralph

 

[notahacker]

You know, most guys get equipment quickly, but forget to advertise big. I was part-time business for about a year until we had a huge snow storm out here in Colorado. This was winter of 2002. It was literally the biggest snow of the century. It was like a war zone with trees busted to hell and back. If anytime was the right time to dive in full-time, that was the time. I put a half page ad ($346/mo.) in the Qwest Dex phone book and it was a risky, but wise descision. I got 300 phone calls that year! The key is , people search the yellow pages and try to call 3 compnanies or so. I did my homework and found that "size does matter." Because the ad is effective I got the calls. Since then the calls are comming at a good pace for a "one man band." At the end of this year I am going to target another city with the Qwest Dex phone book. I expect the business to double in calls due to the fact that this city has the higher income than my orginal target city. Anyway, moral of the story....Go Big with your Ad!

 

[Jim1NZ]

You need to have insurance, you need to know what you are doing, you need to know if there's any vegetation protection laws in the area, you need to be a bonified business thats registered, you need to know applicable standards for tree works such as pruning etc (correct cuts), you need not step on toes of collegues or undercut.

It would be wise to have a uniform, act professional, give written quotes and always be punctual.

Do not forget to factor in your overheads when quoting, which includes insurances, advertising, maintenance and replacement of equipment. A lot of people who start out work for wages but now have business overheads and go bust ... if a marketing campaign you did got you 2 bids and cost $100 to do, well you need to price that in, every job can cost you $100's before you even start ... that's why other professional businesses have min charges or call out fees.

Good luck on your new business venture, I hope your partnership lasts longer than the statistical average.

Yep, about everything Ekka said.

How long do you want to live for? It is probably best you ask your self that, then go and complete a couple of climbing / pruning courses at a professional institute.

Be professional in the way you; conduct yourself, your employees and your business. Always complete jobs to the correct standard and you shouldn't go wrong.

The best thing you could do if you want to start straight away, is hire a arborist, ground for them and learn as you go, that is if your not going to study

Just know, its not all about what gear you have, and its not as simple as chopping trees down.

 

[Treeman14]

The single most important thing you can do is to write a business plan. There are many templates you can use, some on-line resources or go to Office Depot and buy some software. Do this BEFORE you do anything else. Remember, you will never reach your goal (assuming you have one) without a map.

 

[stehansen]

I don't know about the laws in Missouri; but, here you need a business license in every town that you are going to operate in and also one in the county, and to do tree jobs over $300.00 and to get worker's comp insurance you have to have your contractors license which is issued by the State of California. For the Contractor's license here they do a background check, you have to take a test on the laws governing contractors, pay a $400.00 application fee, have at least 2 years of journeyman experience in your field, have no felony convictions, and wait about six months while they process it. The worker's comp insurance hs to be maintained or you file a form stating that you have no employees or the contractor's license is suspended and there is a web site where consumers can check on the status of a contractor's license number.

 

[KentuckySawyer]

I would suspect that in Missouri you don't need a contractor's/business license. I don't in KY. I had to register with the city for taxes, but there are no fees or exams. The southeast is a far cry from California. We're not even required to have insurance, but most customers appreciate it.

Be polite, on time, and exceed expectations whenever possible.

Also, really consider all the aspects of running a business. It won't just be climbing trees anymore. Paperwork, dealing with clients (and their alter egos), and equipment failures suck. But hopefully the benefits of being the boss outway all the crap.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

: If anytime was the right time to dive in full-time, that was the time. I put a half page ad ($346/mo.) in the Qwest Dex phone book and it was a risky, but wise decision. I got 300 phone calls that year! .... Anyway, moral of the story....Go Big with your Ad!

Have you analyzed your closing rate on those leads?

Lets say that it was 30% (which is very good for YP calls). at $4152, that costs out to $41.52 per job, at a 10 % closing rate (Low end) it costs $138.4.

Bigger is better for a startup, but as you progress, then smaller adds will make better buisness sence.

As you go try to turn customers into clientel, examine the property and try to get work scheduled for your slower season. After several years in the buisness around 30% of your gross should be cyclical accounts, or clientel.

I differentiate a return customer from clientel as the client you contact for regular work, the return cusomer calls you back when they descide they want something done. For the client you provide a property management service, for the customer you are the tree trimmer. For every service you allow another to provide for your client, you risk loosing your future work. Clean the gutters, do fall cleanup, learn to do shrubs well...

With shrubs, one example of scheduling later work is to do a light shear now, and dormant rejeuvenation (1/3 thinning of large stems).

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I would suspect that in Missouri you don't need a contractor's/business license. I don't in KY.

At least in many of the KC area Muni's you do. I was there working for a local company after the big ice storm and many companies were getting fined for lack of liscens and working w/o proper PPE and such. my primary contractor liked that a lot, because the "vultures" stood out, not having hardhats.

 

[hobby climber]

Honesty is the best policy! Approach your work as if it were your resume for your next job. Talk is cheap, the quality of work you do will speak for itself,(good or bad)! Not all trees have to be taken down regardless of what the customer thinks. If a tree can be saved, inform your customer of this and tell him whats best for his tree even if it means you will not make any money on that job! This will build trust with your customers and word will get around!!! I find I get more work through referrals of customers who have trees I talked them out of removing. In other words, its nice to talk up your business but its better to have others do it for you! Hacks come & go but tree "Care" companies are in it for the long term. Reason being, they "Care" about trees! When I started out, I didn't think there was much to know about tree work. I soon became humble to the FACT that the more I learn, the less I really knew! AS.com is a wonderful place to ask question and improve your skills...never stop learning. Good luck to you. HC

 

[Lumberjack]

The most important thing is knowing how to do the job, so you can stay safe.

Your latest thread is scary to me bro.

 

[stihlIT]

the one about knots and riggings hahaha just wanting some material to print out for some freinds of mine...NO WORRIES!!!

 

[treeseer]

In the Raleigh YP there are ~90 tree services, most of whom focus on removals.

There are 4 arborists, who focus on tree care.

Guess who gets the best calls?

Taking a ride when the top swings down gets old after a while...when that thrill is gone, what do you want to do with the rest of your life? Look ahead.

Good advice above; my main tip: Don't promise more than you can deliver.

 

[iain]

don't get too far ahead of yourself, if you get good money try to reinvest it or save it too many self employed people get a fist full of money and blow it, remember just because you may be busy now, does not mean it will last all year, you could be faced with 2-3 months initially, with not alot to do and if you have not planned ahead "its curtains" buy any kit with profits 'not credit' dont take a wage, just survive, it will be hard going for 2-3 years
business partnerships are frought with problems, always be 100% honest with each other or it won't work
honesty is also the best policy with your customers above all *be professional*
all imo all the best

 

[stihlIT]

well just landed a good one 18 trees to be trimmed and removed,some oak,walnut and hickory and 5 dead ones..........advertising pays off.......thanks again

 

[hobby climber]

Look into magnet business cards! They tend to hold their advertising value longer if stuck to a potential customers fridge!!! HC

 

[Lumberjack]

the one about knots and riggings hahaha just wanting some material to print out for some freinds of mine...NO WORRIES!!!

Get him Tree Climbers companion. Every tree person should have read it IMO.