changing your life

[Frank]

whats that phrase about it " at least a highwayman wears a mask"?? or summat like that.

[Tom D]

I know things are tight right now: I have had at least 10 guys ring up looking for work over the last month, the last one had had a business for 8 years. I really felt for him. I am just struggling on same as always, I think some of it is luck and some of it is down to me, I dont charge top rates, but I am not the cheapest either, I run a transit and chipper and a LR and trailer, much the same as many many others. One thing I will say in my favour, I talk the talk, and talking to people gets the jobs in the first place. Big kit or small kit, if you come over as a dodgy geezer you aint getting the job.

Its one of the reasons for getting the tech cert, not the letters after the name, but the knowledge. I have lost count of the times a clients eyes glaze over as I waffle on about included bark or meripilus and stuff, but at the same time they lap it up and it DOES win you work. You can tell the ones who arent even slightly interested and just go straight to the money talk but for the majority a bit of "tree science" works wonders.

Like Darren I'd like to step back later in life and still run the company from a range rover.....watching everyone quickly stub out their fags and pick up tools as you drive round the corner LOL.

[David Humphries]

Like Darren I'd like to step back later in life and still run the company from a range rover.....watching everyone quickly stub out their fags and pick up tools as you drive round the corner LOL.

 

 

I'd hope and imagine, that your drive will get you what you aspire to Tom, but would you not miss the buzz of the climb or the smell of two stroke in the morning?

 

I get the impression it's not just about the bucks for you. is it?

 

I'd also imagine it's all too easy to get swallowed up in building a bigger more successful outfit, which could lead to complacency in managing Trees based upon number crunching only.

 

Keeping one foot in the harness allows us to keep one eye on the Tree.

 

 

 

.

[felixthelogchopper]

whats that phrase about it " at least a highwayman wears a mask"?? or summat like that.

 

 

 

With regards to life changes, I'm in the middle of two at the same time. I'm studying for a career in Law in later life which will take me quite a few years, and at the same time I changed job to begin tree work after taking redundancy from working in the casino business which I had done for nearly 20 yrs. I don't have any children to worry about, but I am very aware that I need time with Lisa, my better half. I won't pretend it is easy, but I have found a place with a great firm (Cheers Will, Spike and everybody else I work with!) and I love the balance of the different aspects of my life. I thrive on learning, believing that your brain stagnates if you aren't continually taking new information or skills onboard and over the last few months, I have felt more alive than I had in years.

Edited December 6, 2009 by Monkey-D
asterisks do not hide the intent, please read site rules

[Robert_S]

Mmm where do you start i would like to add to the thread but most have said it better than me.

The only thing i would add is whether your changing your life or building a business make sure its for the right reason not a perceived reason that society has dictated as success, don't compare yourself to others do what feels right for you, the only job i have is to be the best father and husband i can if i fail at that nothing else matters, life is only a series of moments i want to spend as much of them as possible with the ones i love.

[Andy Collins]

I'm lucky. I had my family young, my oldest is now 22 and running his own business, has left home and is marrying next year, the youngest has work too since finishing college. I have a reasonable client base, and work pretty much the same way as Stevie these days. Dont get me wrong, I had to work damned hard while the kids were growing up, most of the time just to pay the bills and put food on the table. I was young enough to have time for the kids, and the energy, to kick a ball about with them after a days graft. Tbh at the moment I seem to have hit a flat spot, the old enthusiasm is waning, the drive seems stuck in neutral after being in top gear for years. I still love my work, but the downside now seems to be the lack of cameraderie that comes with being part of a large team. I'm starting to feel my age, years of hard graft catch up with you, the aches seem to take longer to go away.

[Dean Lofthouse]

i have no desire to emigrate...imo if i cant succeed in this country, why would any other country be any different

 

Very true

 

I think the Aussies will be getting fed up of us limeys before long

 

...and the french must be sick to the back teeth of us, we complain about immigrants here but we invade other countries and buy up all their cheap housing, which then forces up their house prices

[Tom D]

I'd hope and imagine, that your drive will get you what you aspire to Tom, but would you not miss the buzz of the climb or the smell of two stroke in the morning?

 

I get the impression it's not just about the bucks for you. is it?

 

I'd also imagine it's all too easy to get swallowed up in building a bigger more successful outfit, which could lead to complacency in managing Trees based upon number crunching only.

 

Keeping one foot in the harness allows us to keep one eye on the Tree.

 

 

 

.

Don't get me wrong, I love the job. I've had enough jobs that I didn't like to know that I wouldn't do anythng "just for the money". I just dont want to end up with a broken body and no income, I'll keep climbing untill I can't do it anymore, but I don't want to just stop dead. I'd like to build up other aspects to the business so its a relatively easy move over to less strenuous work when the time comes. I'd love do do more of the environmental work that you seem to do, but clients for that sort of thing are few and far between round here.

[David oakman]

I am doing the housework today which is a good thing as i can have Arbtalk on standby all day but then i started reading this thread Stevie and now i am all behind with the chores

[MattyF]

I have two sons, my eldest is nearly 14 and wants to come on board, thats the only time I will contemplate growing my Co, if he does OK he can run his own crew and we will have two gangs.

 

If his brother , who is nearly 13 wants to joint too same goes for him.

 

And my two girls if they fancy.

 

this is a good plan!!! my dad ran a large crew and tried to run 2 crews but you cant just put your trust in other people it ended up just being me and him and a groundy in the end and he made more money like this than in all the years of being in buisness,he was usually booked 6 months ahead and could sub out work to people he trusted when he didnt want it we basically took the cream of the work for are selfs...

 

I think frank is right though more profit = less free time any one can go out and buy all the gear and then some more !!and most of it is all ways going to be owned by the bank but it just makes life easyer...the stress of trying to organise work is one thing and doing it is another trying to combine the 2 and added people managment of a large company is not for me! im still in my 4th year of being self employed and my aim was to employ 1 guy and free lancers when needed that i do now i just need to invest in some decent kit !!!