Starting a tree service.

[SouthSoundTree]

You don't typically have to buy things for pruning and removals, cabling would be different.

You are giving them your time, energy, and effectively money, if you are doing some administrative planning and scheduling.

If someone agrees to a price and sign on the dotted line, and has put down 10% (arbitrarily), then finds someone else to do it cheaper, even though they've committed legally, its going to be a losing battle to try to collect. A 10% cancellation fee would be reasonable, IMO.

 

[woodworkingboy]

I don't think you can generalise about people in that way. Some people are just jerks, rich, poor, old money, new money.

Who is talking about jerks? My post was talking about working for good people and the satisfaction that comes from that, and how it would be cool if that kind of thing could be represented by the average person. You are going to get cancer man, being so damn negative all the time. Try to bring a little light into your darkness for a change, whether it is about wood or people.

 

[Steve Mack]

It's a business transaction, of course pleasant people are better to deal with but money is money.
If anything I'm the one offering thanks as they pass me the cheque. We go through the ritual of thanking each other but in the end they chose me, not the other way round.

I can pick and chose who I work for a fair bit now but if I only ever worked for "nice" people I'd have gone broke a long time ago. Some of the best people to work for are ones that don't have much money but it's business and you can't survive relying on that sort of work.

I collect payment, say some stuff and thank you then I'm off. What I say to myself about them as I drive away is only for me to know.

 

[woodworkingboy]

I have another generalization about people that are better off, they get up earlier. I used to note that heading into San Francisco from the outer commuter areas, there were better cars on the road during the very early morning hours. I think it is the old eager beaver thing. Some folks are greatly appreciative. Cleaning up at a job a few days ago, the lady said that she hoped she wasn't bothering us taking so many photographs of the work. I said no, feel free to shoot away. It was a huge place, a private museum of Scandinavian ceramics, and she was so far away, i thought it was the man there taking the pics.

 

[Mick!]

The pictures thing happens a lot of course, trouble is they can get into the danger zone without realising it.
Had a very unpleasant experience recently, old guy taking pics all day, when we felled the trunk onto some branches to save the driveway a piece about 2kg shot out like a bullet, hit him, knocked him over, then smashed a window. Luckily he didn't seem to blame me (though it was my fault of course, everything on site is my responsibility) but between him and his wife dodging around trying for the most dramatic picture I got tired of telling them both to move away before every cut.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Incorporate and pre-nuptual.

 

[ClimbMIT]

You don't typically have to buy things for pruning and removals, cabling would be different.

You are giving them your time, energy, and effectively money, if you are doing some administrative planning and scheduling.

If someone agrees to a price and sign on the dotted line, and has put down 10% (arbitrarily), then finds someone else to do it cheaper, even though they've committed legally, its going to be a losing battle to try to collect. A 10% cancellation fee would be reasonable, IMO.

I like this idea. Chances are the customers that would be willing to put down this payment at signing would also be the ones who aren't likely to cancel. IMO.

 

[woodworkingboy]

I had a temple job to remove a very large dead Pine. I always get their work, being friends with the priest. Got a call the night before from the congregation representative that the city would be doing it for free, so don't bother to come. i told them that not only are they rather inconveniencing me with such late notice, but I would have to call the crane operator and apologize to him. Got a bunch of "but..but..but". I knew the city would do it for free, being part of the Pine infestation problem that they have budgeted for, but since the operator and myself have handled a number of jobs there in the past, safely and efficiently, I figured that a rich temple like that were seeing it as the priority. I called the priest, he wasn't around, but spoke with his wife. it bothered me a bit that she couldn't at least have said that they were sorry for the inconvenience, she merely put it off on the congregation committee, saying three people decide the maintenance budget, and they came up with the city doing it the last minute. I could tell that she was in a hurry to get off the phone about it. I don't think that it is at all courteous, but what can you do? The priest hasn't been around for a long time since, highly unusual. He must have heard form his Mrs. that I was bugged.

 

[MasterBlaster]

No towels for THEM!!!

 

[woodworkingboy]

Ha. The priest would be really hurt if I refused to translate his emails from his nightclub foreign girl fiends. He can relax though, I don't plan to make any further issue out of it.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Colin, if you don't mind sharing something about your capital situation and level of development of a formal business plan, people will be able to give you some good specifics, and lessons learned. My suspicion is that you don't only want to be Starting A Tree Service, right?

I started undercapitalized, and have had to work things the hard way, as many here have. I learned about running a business while climbing, supervising, bidding, pitchforking chips out of the truck in the dark many days.

 

[colin-roberts]

Luckily, I took business in college so i had a completed business plan to some extent which i am willing to share, but its goal and my goals currently arn't in line. After i wrote it i realized there was a lot of competition in the area it was made to target and am slowly working on a different business plan in a less saturated area of the same market. More along the lines of Tree Care (Plant Health Care) then tree service..

 

[ClimbMIT]

I would like to learn more of PHC as well and get the necessary license to do it. There is an ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification class coming here in January. It is like 4 days I believe and cost $750.00. Would like to that as well but it's time and money I don't have. Don't know if this would help in the economy we are in?

 

[Page]

If it's the tree risk assessment class I've been to then don't bother, it's a bunch of obvious crap we know already. as are most of the classes I've been to. I learn more from talking to other tree guys.

 

[ClimbMIT]

Just looked up some info on it after reading it looks useless!

 

[SouthSoundTree]

I don't think it is useless, but possibly in your market. I've used three different formal assessment tool...one from a state agency, and two from the same federal agency for two different environments.

Its evidently a hard class to pass. You are supposed to have a month with the course materials to prepare, from what I heard from a C.A. friend who is also TRACE (what TRAQ was born from) credentialed. His C.A. friend didn't pass.

I would guess that its a quantifiable, repeatable system.

 

[jalegre0]

Also keep good customer records, at end of year you could mail out flyers and holiday cards as well. It works really good for me.
Get them thinking about their trees and you this is my flyer for winter. I send another out in spring and right before fall as well
sorry if a little blury took w/ laptop camera

 

[FJR]

I have never understood coupons in this industry.

 

[Pelorus]

I talked with a a TCIA rep at their Expo booth about TRAQ. She took the course, and passed, but was really on the fence about recommending it. One thing was the cost which she thought was overpriced. Second, she said a lot of it is subjective (ie, what do you "think" is the issue or concern, vs a right or wrong answer) Third, she thought the course should have actually been a bit longer, with the exam scheduled on a separate day instead of the afternoon of the second ( or third?) day. It was definitely a bit off- putting to say the least, because I had been considering pursuing this, and will now wait awhile to see where it goes.

 

[Grendel]

I would guess that its a quantifiable, repeatable system.

I read the ISA Tree Risk Assessment book, the text for the TRAQ qualification. It was a useful book, and it does lay out a uniform, repeatable system, with it's own inspection sheet and whatnot. It is all however based on qualitative assessment. All pretty common-sense stuff if you've been working around trees. . .

 

[HolmenTree]

I have never understood coupons in this industry.

I donate $100 gift certificates towards treework for fund raisers like Chinese auctions etc.
Many many people give me a high five for this.

 

[squisher]

I'd say the only way it would be fair is if it clearly stated not to mention it ahead of time and to just present it when payment is due.

 

[Altissimus]

I don't spray or do PHC ...not sure how competetive that gets. I trim and Remove, competing the whole way

 

[HolmenTree]

I donate $100 gift certificates towards treework for fund raisers like Chinese auctions etc.
Many many people give me a high five for this.

I'd say the only way it would be fair is if it clearly stated not to mention it ahead of time and to just present it when payment is due.

I seldom see who buys my certificates, and most are thrifty enough to not mention it or present it until after I give them their written estimate.

Then I'm obligated to get the job done no matter how small it is.

 

[HolmenTree]

Stump removal is one price I charge by the inch.