Starting a tree service.

[lumberjack]

A business should be self sustaining, including the slow times. Shoveling shit can only pay so much, as you grow, so will your monthly overhead. Other work may tie you over, but your business needs to cover its expenses on its on, and as you grow it needs to take care of you personally as well (preferably from the get go).

Without getting out of bed, I need to come up with ~$170/day, every day of the year. Then I like to eat, and so do the kids, as well as enjoy living...

 

[MasterBlaster]

I worked for a treeco once where the guy said he didn't start making any money 'til friday - he needed the first four work days to pay the bills. I've always wondered what the proper ratio for that would be.

 

[ClimbMIT]

Thanks Jamin, my "blue ox" in the photo below is the best employee I've ever hired, rated for 800 lb load on a 38% grade but I've had double that on it, not a lick of trouble with it in 6 yrs now.


Thanks Mark, when I first built my trailer before the dump box I had a 8 ft beam with a plywood wall on the far side of the box with a hand winch connected to it on the opposite side where I pulled the side off. Winched the load off like one of those tarp roll kits you can buy for your pickup bed.

In the 2nd pic is that the trailer you are referring to? The plywood wall would stay vertical right? I think I just wrapped my head around this.

 

[ClimbMIT]

Hey Carl, I know good advice when I hear it and that is damn good advice! I know this because I am a stressed fool due to my lack of planning and saving. As the saying goes, "There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path" I still have plenty to learn and most importantly do!

 

[lumberjack]

I worked for a treeco once where the guy said he didn't start making any money 'til friday - he needed the first four work days to pay the bills. I've always wondered what the proper ratio for that would be.

Depends on what you call "making money". If it's just profit, I would only be at 1% for last year. For me (and my bank)it's profit plus what I pay myself, plus a chunk of my depreciation. That paints a different story.

 

[MasterBlaster]

So, what day of the week are you "making money?"

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Use your current paycheck to buy what you need as you need it for side jobs, keeping receipts for everything. Use those sidejobs to build the components of your business, like accounting, advertising, pricing, bidding (estimate your total hours and money into the job, then evaluate at the end), disposal, what equipment your really need. Take that time to shop insurances, inquire about permits, licenses, bonds, employee requirements, legal entity, etc. Build up your photo collection for a portfolio and advertising.

 

[sawinredneck]

The best advice I ever heard was "Keep your day job until you are making more, regularly, on your side jobs and you are getting too busy to keep your day job!"
Survive on what you make now, use the side jobs to build up and get the equipment you need, then use what you have to get what you want!

 

[stig]

Depends on what you call "making money". If it's just profit, I would only be at 1% for last year. For me (and my bank)it's profit plus what I pay myself, plus a chunk of my depreciation. That paints a different story.

Is it the same as here, Carl, that you don't want to show too much of a profit in order to avoid taxes?

We've had a heck of a profitable year, so here in november we've bought a truck, a bunch of new saws and a pallet of stuff from the US in order to use up most of that money before the year ends and the IRS catches sight of it.

Willard, that is one fine set-up for a place with wide road. Trying to navigate that thing around Europe would most likely make you take the easy way out and shoot youself after a week or so

 

[atw]

The best advice I ever heard was "Keep your day job until you are making more, regularly, on your side jobs and you are getting too busy to keep your day job!"
Survive on what you make now, use the side jobs to build up and get the equipment you need, then use what you have to get what you want!

That's pretty much how I did it

 

[lumberjack]

Sometime between Wednesday afternoon to Thursday, given your analogy and my definition. However some of that money has to pay my equipment payments also.

Yep, don't want to pay needless tax. The money my company makes is passed through to my personal taxes where it goes into the standard brackets.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Towels.

 

[rumination]

You're going to have to explain that one to him Jay. :-D

 

[No_Bivy]

At some point you need to decide how you are saving for future....if you always go buy something to not pay taxes your just investing in things that depreciate...

Consider spending some of that income on a piece of commercial property...appreciable asset..

Bottom line... No matter how much shit is parked on your lot, it ain't money in the bank

There are better ways to avoid taxes then buying stuff, get a good accountant

In the words of my recently passed grand father " to evade is illegal, to avoid is American! ,

 

[HolmenTree]

In the 2nd pic is that the trailer you are referring to? The plywood wall would stay vertical right? I think I just wrapped my head around this.

ClimbMIT, yes you are correct, I had a 10"X10" 8 ft long timber with 1 1/2" holes drilled through its top and had 1 1/2" 3 ft pipes hammered in 2 ft apart. the steel pipes kept a 3'X8' piece of 1/2" plywood in place.
To pull this "wall" across the trailer deck to dump the load I had a cable winch welded to the edge of the trailer as the pic shows. I took one of those 4" strap winches you see welded on the decks of pulptruck or lumber trailers they use to winch down the loads. I cut it in half welded about a 6 ft piece of 2" steel pipe to replace the 4" long one , I then drilled and installed 2- 7 ft light cables to it and the timber 5 ft apart with eye nuts and 1/2" ready rod [used for cabling and bracing]
To power the winch I welded a 3/4" drive socket to the end of the winch where the holes for the winch bar normally goes and then use a long 3/4" drive ratchet to turn it.
I should have drawn you a diagram, probably would have been faster

 

[HolmenTree]

Willard, that is one fine set-up for a place with wide road. Trying to navigate that thing around Europe would most likely make you take the easy way out and shoot youself after a week or so

Stig, actually my unit would work quite fine on your small streets. My pickup truck and trailer unit is only 6 foot and 6 inch wide. Total length is approximate 40 feet long. But I have moved my trailer unit into tight yards with just my Muck Truck power barrow. I just pull 1 pin and the barrow's skip comes off exposing a 2 5/16" trailer ball. The barrow is rated for up to 10,000 lb trailers.

 

[stig]

Neat!
I figured the turning radius on that whole wagon train would drive one batshit around here.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Wow, that feed table sure is high!!!

 

[colin-roberts]

Use your current paycheck to buy what you need as you need it for side jobs, keeping receipts for everything. Use those sidejobs to build the components of your business, like accounting, advertising, pricing, bidding (estimate your total hours and money into the job, then evaluate at the end), disposal, what equipment your really need. Take that time to shop insurances, inquire about permits, licenses, bonds, employee requirements, legal entity, etc. Build up your photo collection for a portfolio and advertising.

Yes this was exactly my plan Sean

 

[Altissimus]

...really the question is like pointing at a Stratovarious... then saying , how can I make one like that...?... ..

 

[colin-roberts]

Use your current paycheck to buy what you need as you need it for side jobs, keeping receipts for everything. Use those sidejobs to build the components of your business, like accounting, advertising, pricing, bidding (estimate your total hours and money into the job, then evaluate at the end), disposal, what equipment your really need. Take that time to shop insurances, inquire about permits, licenses, bonds, employee requirements, legal entity, etc. Build up your photo collection for a portfolio and advertising.

Yes this was exactly my plan Sean

 

[Altissimus]

You have to Love this work...if you f up a bid, you will be climbing and rigging for less $$ than a Wal Mart greeter...Love the work, appreciate the fact that Biz end can be brutal, and rewarding

 

[sotc]

Bid high, not every job is precious, your not going to "get your foot in the door" bidding low, you'll get a foot in your back door when you finally get your pricing right

 

[squisher]

I second Willies advice. Bidding high will cure most problems that small businesses have.

 

[flushcut]

Maybe not bid high but bid appropriately and never low ball or otherwise you are stuck being "that guy" besides you are in it to make money not for free or at cost. Figure out what your running costs are going to be and tack on some for yourself.