Reflections and Ideas

[tommer9]

Booked up for January and february. I hope it carries on like this in 2010, as 2009 was a bit 'one week to the next'. I would love for some of my financial worries to slacken off, which given the amount of horses my missus now DOESNT have (we're down to about 25 on site at the mo- a drop of 20 odd over the last few months:thumbup1:) should be achievable. The milling side of things has been really full on recently which is a fairly good thing, and i have finally found the perfect labourer:thumbup:

 

Good luck everyone for next year, and todays buzzword is 'optimism'

[Stephen Blair]

you will be wanting to buy my truck then tommer and maybe a big bandit for all your off cuts mate:thumbup:

[John Shutler]

continue to do some teaching and start trying to do more survey work and some consultancy, id quite like another contract at a large forest home as well. need to start thinking about another vehicle to

[Mesterh]

I know from a period of some employment a while ago, that a reduction in prices to generate jobs and increase a customer base does NOT work.

 

Worked for us.

 

We tried to stick at regular rates and didnt win much work, reduced costs and winning % went up.

 

Looking at doing different things this year.

[Mozza]

 

Looking at doing different things this year.

 

What you thinking mate??

[Doug Blease]

Worked for us.

 

We tried to stick at regular rates and didnt win much work, reduced costs and winning % went up.

 

Looking at doing different things this year.

 

As long as your still making a profit. I was really talking about cutting prices to a near loss. i.e. Loss leader theories.

 

Your situation maybe suggests that you were charging a little high to begin with? No offence meant, just a thought.

[skyhuck]

Efficiency is the way forward. No-one wants to reduce there prices so we have to be more productive in a competative market.

 

I always feel much more relaxed over xmas when I have a few weeks off and tell myself I wouldn't get stressed out and do paper work till late next year but I always will.

 

The one thing I learned this year is to have faith that work will come in. If your used to a 6 week order book and your down to 1 week the temptation is to reduce rates to win work. Hold firm, execpt that there is less work around but there still seems to be enough to get by. Don't cut your rates so you can seek comform in having lots of work.

 

I found the same, less work in hand, but it just keeps on coming.

 

To be honest I've had my best year ever, had some real set backs, had to spend a small fortune on the mog etc, but turnover was up and so are profits.

 

Got work for Jan and stuff in the pipe line.

[Johny Walker]

I found the same, less work in hand, but it just keeps on coming.

 

To be honest I've had my best year ever, had some real set backs, had to spend a small fortune on the mog etc, but turnover was up and so are profits.

 

Got work for Jan and stuff in the pipe line.

 

i seem to have a rolling work load , which know suites me better , not rolling as fast as it once did, but i dont have the over heads i once did so mentaly & phisicaly feeling better

[skyhuck]

i seem to have a rolling work load , which know suites me better , not rolling as fast as it once did, but i dont have the over heads i once did so mentaly & phisicaly feeling better

 

Same here!!!

 

I used to always be under pressure to fit in more and more jobs, but now its a much more pleasant pace.

 

As gibbon says once I stopped myself from panicking and convince myself that the work WILL come maybe not a quickly but it will still come, I was fine.

 

I am only speaking about my own experience in my area, other such as mesterh have had a very different experience and have acted accordingly.

[Mesterh]

What you thinking mate??

 

Among other things a bit of landscaping. Always get asked if we do it, plus alot of our bigger works come from landscapers/designers who dont do tree work.(Mainly site work here not domestic)

 

As long as your still making a profit. I was really talking about cutting prices to a near loss. i.e. Loss leader theories.

 

Your situation maybe suggests that you were charging a little high to begin with? No offence meant, just a thought.

 

Negative profit this year mate.

 

Every year have increased profit except for this one, took a serious nose dive.

 

No offence taken at all mate, I doubt my prices are high tbh, well compared to what others charge, ie job specs and prices that have been posted on here.

 

There is a limit to what my prices will go down to but it is better to bring a grand in a week rather than nothing. All my bills and overheads have to be paid if I work or not and tbh they dont drop by much if I dont work. Well except for fuel:001_smile: