Advice sought for new Arb business.

[Macaulay]

Because they'll think that you are creaming the nice jobs off for yourself, that you're potentially refusing competitions TPO applications, but pushing your own ones through. Unless you go round all the local guys and explain you're going to be refusing any work in the county you're employed in, which isn't exactly believable tbh.

From personal experience of what the guys i used to work with thought about a TO in similar situation.

 

 

Ok I understand, I think my situation might be a bit different but I will bear that in mind. Thank you.

[Ian C]

Confused. Why would they resent me?

Like josh says, they will think you have inside info even if you don't and you can also undercut them as your paid anyway to a certain extent, a guy local to me does cheap jobs isn't well liked because of it as he's a paramedic on 30k a year to start with.

Because they'll think that you are creaming the nice jobs off for yourself, that you're potentially refusing competitions TPO applications, but pushing your own ones through. Unless you go round all the local guys and explain you're going to be refusing any work in the county you're employed in, which isn't exactly believable tbh.

From personal experience of what the guys i used to work with thought about a TO in similar situation.

 

 

Sent from my SM-N910F using Arbtalk mobile app

[benedmonds]

I still think you should think carefully if it is worthwhile getting a truck and chipper if you are only going to be running it 2 days a week...

 

Rough calculations for 5 years...

Assumes work 48 weeks a year and truck and chipper worth £0 at end of 5 years and you get £900 a a week from 2 days tree work..

Truck and chipper cost £20,000

Insurance, advertising, yard, kit, accountant, etc, etc... £500 per week.

Pay for groundie £160 per week

After 5 years you would have made £7,520 each year profit.

 

The alternative

Still working 2 days 48 weeks a year but as a freelance climber on £140 per day.

£1000 start up kit and £15 per day costs

After 5 years you would have made £10,360 each year profit.

 

I might be wrong, but running the whole show is expensive and lots of the costs are going to be the same if you work 2 days or 5 days. This is why bigger firms can often have cheaper day rates, moving from 1 to 2 teams does not double the cost of many things. Yard, advertising, waste carriers licence, etc. even insurance might not change or only go up a little.

[WesD]

I honestly wouldn't care what other people think! At the end of the day you have to look after number 1! So long as you are charging right and doing a good job you will build a good customer base over time and it's what they think that counts. I for one wouldn't judge you for having 2 jobs that to me says your prepared to graft. You have cleared it with upper management and your working separate counties, can't say fairer than that. Hope you do well.

 

 

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[Will Ayers]

I really wouldn't worry about how other tree firms think of you. Life's to short to worry about the "he said she said" malarkey. Besides unless you are naming your self, "Tree officer tree care" very few people are going to even know. I've never once done background checks on my competitors!! Again life is too short.

 

The only way it will realistically give you any benefit is that you should know the law....

 

As for the van... as long as it's not an absolute skip of a van, just buy whatever you fancy. It's not a marriage, you can sell it if you don't like it. I have a single cab transit that runs a 1200kg payload, which isn't too bad considered, and we still run overweight most days!

 

And as for the profit. Our first year was awful we spun about 6k profit, but year four we turned over more than year one within the first two months. Had to go VAT reg and had to employ a few guys. Living the dream. Still not making a massive profit but loving every minute. And that's working a four day week!!

[Macaulay]

I still think you should think carefully if it is worthwhile getting a truck and chipper if you are only going to be running it 2 days a week...

 

Rough calculations for 5 years...

Assumes work 48 weeks a year and truck and chipper worth £0 at end of 5 years and you get £900 a a week from 2 days tree work..

Truck and chipper cost £20,000

Insurance, advertising, yard, kit, accountant, etc, etc... £500 per week.

Pay for groundie £160 per week

After 5 years you would have made £7,520 each year profit.

 

The alternative

Still working 2 days 48 weeks a year but as a freelance climber on £140 per day.

£1000 start up kit and £15 per day costs

After 5 years you would have made £10,360 each year profit.

 

I might be wrong, but running the whole show is expensive and lots of the costs are going to be the same if you work 2 days or 5 days. This is why bigger firms can often have cheaper day rates, moving from 1 to 2 teams does not double the cost of many things. Yard, advertising, waste carriers licence, etc. even insurance might not change or only go up a little.

 

 

Hi Ben, I am doing it this way to build up a business slowly. Working in a non physical job for 3 days a week will mean I have plenty of energy to do tree work with remainder of the week.

 

My end goal is to be working for myself full time.

 

I didn't want to jump into it head first chasing every job and expect it to be a success.

[Macaulay]

Hope you do well.

 

 

Arbtalk

 

 

Thanks Wes

[Macaulay]

 

As for the van... as long as it's not an absolute skip of a van, just buy whatever you fancy. It's not a marriage, you can sell it if you don't like it. I have a single cab transit that runs a 1200kg payload, which isn't too bad considered, and we still run overweight most days!

 

 

Thanks Will I think I needed to hear that I am way overthinking on what van to get.

 

Congrats on your business I hope I can get to that stage, 4 days a week sounds nice.

[Macaulay]

Thanks for all the advice I ended up buying a 2012 MWB transit with 65k on the clock for £8000 inc VAT.

 

 

Now I am looking at getting a back for it and I came across this one on eBay.

 

 

I have a steel back on my van and this is an ally box. Will I have any difficulty fixing this to my van?

 

Thanks for any advice.

[richy_B]

You may find the mwb body length is different between the double cab and single cab. In my experience the double can is 2.8 long and single 3.2.

 

I have pretty much the same van (but with ally sides). I build this using ally planks from service metals and just bolted it on. Cost me £400. It can be done cheaper but sprayed white in my case they look professional and are only a 5 minute job to put on or off.

 

Edited May 2, 2017 by richy_B