ADVERTISTING YOUR BUSINESS

[TreeBarbers1997]

2 hours ago, dan494 said:

no, you really don't! No commercial climbing experience and wanting to drum up business when the phones all go quiet for tree work?

I have got commercial climbing got my cs38 and cs39 climbing in the tree with a saw, that’s why I said “etc etc” 

[Steve Bullman]

11 minutes ago, TreeBarbers1997 said:

I have got commercial climbing got my cs38 and cs39 climbing in the tree with a saw, that’s why I said “etc etc” 

Thats not commercial climbing, it just means you have the tickets to do the job.  You'll soon find they count for very little in the real world.  its all about experience.  If you go it alone from the start I can guarantee you will find yourself out of your depth very quickly.  Thats not to say you can't start a business, just know your limits and employ a suitably experienced freelancer on jobs you're not comfortable with.

[Carl1991]

You will require at least 3 years experience climbing to be up to standard for subby work imo. That's not just topping Connie for 3 years. That's everything small to large, over any obstacle etc. Don't start your own business at that time of year it's quiet for even some of the bigger established companies

[dan494]

1 hour ago, TreeBarbers1997 said:

I have got commercial climbing got my cs38 and cs39 climbing in the tree with a saw, that’s why I said “etc etc” 

As Steve said, doing a week or 2 getting tickets means nothing in the real world. You'll have no idea on shaping a tree and learn quickly how to repair fences! Get some experience for a few years and look at it again when you see how a tree firm operates. Hope it works out for you

[Rough Hewn]

Haha how much work do you get through advertising on ArbTalk? 

Often I get a day or two "trial" with a new company. Then they call back the following week/month with a block. Or companies I've worked for in the past (on Arbtalk) call up.
And applying for one/two day jobs on Arbtalk gets you contacts, who then call you when they need it.

Oddly enough, I locked myself out my van the other day. Guy in the car park next to me (who lent me a screwdriver) turns out to be a tree surgeon, who started with the guy I'm working with.
He knows who I am from him and said he'd like me for a week sometime.
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[Mark Wileman]

I've had about 4 months work off Arbtalk, which has in turn led to other contacts.

 

I second the "I owe Steve a beer" statement.

 

My 2 cents on the age old don't subbie climb until your an expert:

 

The same people that tell you that you need to be the best climber in the county to be a successful sub-contract climber are also the people that will tell you you need 10 years climbing before you get any good. With that career timeline it's probably more beneficial for you to train as a Doctor than a Tree Surgeon. ?

 

I've been climbing a year, and now a good 50% of my sub-contract work is climbing. I'm not a 9 stone ninja 18 year old either: I'm 17 and a half stone and nearly 30. I'm honest from the outset about my experience level and when on site I ask advice from the experienced members of the team constantly (usually along the lines of "Did [ insert previous climber ] used to drop bits this big out or should I get out there more?"). From my experience employers don't want the best climbers in the county, they are expensive, they want safe climbers who don't break stuff. So be safe, don't rush (that doesn't mean don't work hard) and ask questions, once the confidence begins to grow that is when your standard will improve.