Another possible start up and help / guidance

[rcfgardens]

Good evening all, new to site and first post

 

If this is not in right section please move.

 

As my title suggests I am one of those people looking for more information with regards to tree work and furthering my business. I will give a little back ground first which hopefully will assist with any answers / questions that may come from you more experienced people.

I have been around gardening all my life with my father and both uncles all in the trade so to speak - I didn't take after them and went into the plod for 11 years, however times changed in the force and I wanted to be outside more often as I really did miss it and probably didn't give it enough time when I was younger. Fast forward......

 

I currently have a garden maintenance company with one full time employee, the business is doing well and we are growing after four years in May. We have just VAT and with most my domestic customers taking the hit.

 

Over time we have conducted the odd tree job - nothing major as such - pollarding, fruit tree pruning and other conifer jobs, coupe of take downs and tops out of trees. The work has been great and a nice addition to the portfolio. However we are getting more and more requests and with out estimating, now this could because we are doing it a little cheaper than most (not intentional) or we are doing a good job. Either way I am not complaining. The issue I have is that I am although not scared of height and happy to climb am not trained in any way.

 

Is it worth me spending the money of training etc to be a climber? or do the basic tickets as a ground person and employee a climber when I need them. My uncle ran his business in this way for many years as he could not even stand on a step ladder!

 

Again is it worth buying a chipper and a small arm truck and using it this way and do a 50 50 split?

 

There are numerous other questions to ask but I will get onto them as responses come in I guess.

 

Thoughts / advice / discouragement all welcome

 

R

[treequip]

First thought is that a 50 percent solit could be a bad idea depending on who did the pricing

 

Bringing in a freelancer is a good plan, hire a chipper as and when needed and away you go with a minimum of investment

 

Observe the climber and "be mindful young padowan"

 

Before you know it you will have a pocket full of saw tickets, money and dolly birds beyond imagining