What would you ask for?

[Blakesmaster]

Blakes, you see this is the problem with the whole partership thing - not enough to go around. If it was just you and a couple of ground guys (I know its nice to have good help, but at what cost?) there would be more money for you, consequently you would be able to weather the slow times so the economy would not be as big an issue.

As far as 13 an hour goes, lol. Ground guys start at 15 around here (at least from my expierience, there are some cheap bastards too though). Let me ask you this: at this point can you handle ANY tree that comes along in the projected time frame (within reason) given the task?? Even if yer not quite there yet you still gotta get at least 16 an hour! As far as the sub thing goes, 250 is a nice number imho.

That is part of the issue with a partnership but we all knew going into this deal that it would be a few years till we could quit our day jobs. We have to work our butts off for now but we're able to sink our profits back into the company and build from there.

As far as the tree work goes, I've tackled a lot of monsters and nasties in my day and there isn't much that can be thrown my way that I couldn't handle. It'll be a bit of a learning curve using the bucket but I'm a quick study.

I was thinking about 16-17 per hour ( plus bonuses for the hard weeks ) if I come back full time. 200 a day as a subcontractor is what I make now on days that I climb but if I go on the books I can't quite expect him to pay that much everyday.

 

[Blakesmaster]

You know what I meant.

I know what you meant and I was planning on staying with him I just wanted my weekends free to do my own deal. He couldn't handle me being his competition at the time and sent me packing. Not my choice. He's come around though as you can see. Honestly, if I could get another 2 seasons working 4-5 days a week I'd be sitting much nicer as far as equipment and client base goes. Then he can hire a bucket bunny full-time and I can just climb the hairy ones a day or two a week and charge a nice penny.

 

[oldirty]

200 a day as a subcontractor is what I make now on days that I climb but if I go on the books I can't quite expect him to pay that much everyday.

sure you can.

that is more than fair to run his crew. if you are subbing yourself out on all your own dime then you should be getting a whole lot more than 200 bud. dont sell yourself short. if you are subbing at that rate you are not going to win.

i wouldnt put the burden of production and wrangling all the knuckleheads together day in day out for any less than 25/hr. and thats to start.

dont sell yourself short.

 

[tree md]

I started out kind of like you. I worked for an older climber/owner for about three years and learned how to climb. He was a small time guy but a very good climber and I learned a lot from him. We actually became best friends and pulled through a lot of hard times together. We had a falling out at one point and I went my own way. Even though we had some conflict we reconciled after about a month and I went to work for him on a contract basis. I went from $25 an hour (where my duties were climbing only) to $300 a day but I ended up handling a territory in the poorer, rougher side of the city where he didn't want to go. When I went to contract climber I took his leads, made the sales call, priced the job and did it with my own equipment and crew. If I needed to barrow a saw or something, no problem. I also worked under his insurance as I didn't have my own at the time. In return, he let me use his insurance and work under his name on jobs that I hustled on my own (for a small fee). Worked out great. He was able to pick and choose the jobs he wanted and I got the **** jobs but made better money than I had before which allowed me to buy more gear. I also went to work for a couple of the larger tree services in town when times got tough for an hourly or daily wage which was very beneficial to me; I made less money but gained valuable knowledge of how big operations work, more advanced climbing techniques, learned how to do crane work and bucket work. I made connections in the industry to where I could always work if times got hard doing my own thing.

I do think you should ask for more money. $13 an hour is ground pay. I was working for $25 an hour/ $300 a day back in the early to mid 90's. I would at least expect to be paid that amount in today's world.

 

[capetrees]

$13/HR? What kind of money do you/did you make doing your own stuff? $13/hr, 8 hrs a day is $104 and then taxes as you mention gives you about $75 a day. That's peanuts. What are your expenses outside business? Is $75 a day going to cover your needs? And you would be a foreman in charge of climbing and bucket work, the go to guy on the site? $13/hr should be more like $25/hr minimum. Compare it to what you would make otherwise. Everyone is slow in the winter so don't be too scared. But to give up your own co. for $75/day is crazy. don't get screwed. If you are strong enough to compete with this guy, he probably knows it and thats why he wants you back, to stop your competition. If you do go however, you can still do your own thing but it means you'll be working every weekend and all the rainy, windy,snowy days you're off from him. get more money and keep in mind you can leave him anytime to go back to your own stuff if things pick up or they get hectic like after a storm.