Do you rates go up as much as they should each year..

[Boy English]

This job is a young persons game! It's all about the glory and taking chances and risks! By the time you realise you need to charge more, had a few scares you are 30, have some kids and a mortgage and want more money for the job. There are no rules, you can work as hard as you want for as little or as much all for your own reasons. If you get the job, there will be a few that never got it and will complain .
Some folk are just better that some things than others, be it climbing or business or both.

I don't believe "better" has much to do with it, if I decided to go full hog I could stick myself and all my gear out for free, charge £240 a day to cover wages for 12 months, sink the competition no matter how good they are, the gear has all paid for itself, if someone is better than me at turning a spanner I will take my hat off to them and buy them a pint.

The point is I don't, I like tree work, I like the glory, I've taken my fair share of nip arse moments, I am 30, I do have a kid on the way and all I really want is a relatively hassle free life with slightly more than I was earning on steel work in 2005

[Stephen Blair]

Why is it so hard for you to consider others may be better than you at running a tree surgery business?

[Mark Bolam]

You wouldn't sink the competition either.

There are plenty of customers out there prepared to pay pro prices for pro work.

Not everyone gets 12 quotes for a £200 job.

[Steve Bullman]

Spot on . It’s all about marketing yourself to the right client base 

[Boy English]

Apologies, that may have came across as an arrogant rant which wasn't my intention,

Plenty of people are better at running a tree business than me, of that I have no doubt.

I was just suggesting that I could charge less to make myself more competitive, I'm sure many of us could if we tried.

It don't believe it would help in the long term though, just drive prices down which for what work we do isn't overpaid to start with compared to some industries.

[breffni]

Who gives a f. Theres always gonna be someone cheaper, dearer, quicker but i don't worry about it. You never get all the jobs. Thats life. 

[WesD]

I don’t have a day rate I work out how long jobs take and put a value on my time per the job after all there’s only so much someone will pay to prune an apple tree or remove a small prunus etc. 

 

Some days ill do 3 jobs that will far exceed a day rate of say £6-700 other days 1 job may work to that price others I may do small jobs over half a day and be under a day rate price but over the year it works out. 

 

I dont care care what others do or charge I only care about what I do and charge and sometimes it’s funny in the sense that customers get a feel for you as you do them when pricing and 9 times out of 10 I’m told your not as cheap as other prices we have been quoted but when can you do the job. 

 

Lastly I understand that people know what it costs them to operate for a day and they won’t operate for a penny less and they usually make the same every day BUT it also costs them more by not going out at all. 

 

I find reputation normally dictates who gets the job not price. 

[Mark Bolam]

Some good stuff here lads.

[benedmonds]

20 hours ago, Stephen Blair said:

You can only charge what your market allows.

... My prices have always been the same, I just buy kit to process the job quicker and pay off the machine.

 

Making efficiency savings are great, in the same way being a bigger size company can also make savings as costs are not always proportional.  But more profit from your increased efficiency would be nicer.. and if you are charging the same as 10 years ago you might be helping to keep prices down...

 

I agree competition is healthy and there has been alot of talk about what the market allows etc, but we can't compare prices like a supermarket.. I rarely know what others have charged, sometimes I hear and my price seems expensive sometimes the opposite..  

 

From the feedback on this thread is sounds like many go out quoting, thinking what do I need to win this job.. My prices have increased a little below the rates they should have, if others in the industry are doing the same we are contributing to setting the market rate. 

 

I don't have a solution and am not suggesting price fixing.   It is a pretty easy industry to set up in. A few months training a few grands kit and your a tree surgeon.  Ex forces guys can get free  training and have the resources to set up,  new guys out of college with a few grand inheritance, off you go.. It is also a lifestyle career with people doing it because they enjoy it and have huge amounts of kit that is paid for and they are never going to replace so do it like a hobby,.. It is not an easy industry to become rich from in my experience although you can make a living..   There are many reasons the rates are what they are but I think some of us who have been in it along time are not helping... How many of us have a Mrs Miggin's hedge that we have been doing for years that is still the same price...?

 

As was discussed in another thread, expectations have changed, 20 years ago we were happy to live with old cars and no heating, today everyone expects the newest mobile, TV,  warm house and a new car. That's good it's progress.. 

 

My reason for starting the thread was highlight the fact that some of us might not be moving with the times.. and if everyone increased their rates I could go skiing in the alps instead of the Czech rebublic..

[WesD]

1 hour ago, benedmonds said:

Making efficiency savings are great, in the same way being a bigger size company can also make savings as costs are not always proportional.  But more profit from your increased efficiency would be nicer.. and if you are charging the same as 10 years ago you might be helping to keep prices down...

 

I agree competition is healthy and there has been alot of talk about what the market allows etc, but we can't compare prices like a supermarket.. I rarely know what others have charged, sometimes I hear and my price seems expensive sometimes the opposite..  

 

From the feedback on this thread is sounds like many go out quoting, thinking what do I need to win this job.. My prices have increased a little below the rates they should have, if others in the industry are doing the same we are contributing to setting the market rate. 

 

I don't have a solution and am not suggesting price fixing.   It is a pretty easy industry to set up in. A few months training a few grands kit and your a tree surgeon.  Ex forces guys can get free  training and have the resources to set up,  new guys out of college with a few grand inheritance, off you go.. It is also a lifestyle career with people doing it because they enjoy it and have huge amounts of kit that is paid for and they are never going to replace so do it like a hobby,.. It is not an easy industry to become rich from in my experience although you can make a living..   There are many reasons the rates are what they are but I think some of us who have been in it along time are not helping... How many of us have a Mrs Miggin's hedge that we have been doing for years that is still the same price...?

 

As was discussed in another thread, expectations have changed, 20 years ago we were happy to live with old cars and no heating, today everyone expects the newest mobile, TV,  warm house and a new car. That's good it's progress.. 

 

My reason for starting the thread was highlight the fact that some of us might not be moving with the times.. and if everyone increased their rates I could go skiing in the alps instead of the Czech rebublic..

What’s skiing in Czech like?