What does it cost to be a tree surgeon?

[Rupe]

And in answer to the original question, my recent tax declaration suggests that I have approx 40% profit.

[Mesterh]

To run a sensible business as a two man band you got be be bringing in 600 quid a day, inclusive.

 

How much per day in the real world? The one where we have to compete

 

 

Are we talking just about running costs ie fuel,insurance rent etc NOT including wages of your self and staff?

 

If so my overheads before all wages are approx 20-25% of turnover.

[Stephen Blair]

i take about £50 a week wages but i pay all my bills and we havent went hungry yet lol

[Tom D]

I think I pay myself peanuts, but I have a nice house and gadgets and a car and can do whatever I want everyday. I'm far better off than people who are actually on minimum incomes.

 

Quite true, once you factor in all the "benefits" of being your own boss and all the stuff that the business pays for that otherwise you would have to you're far better off.

In 1998 I was working in london in the city and getting £36k I feel far better off now and I only pay myself £12-15K.

As far as running costs go, if you have second hand everything and no finance then overheads will be lower, however you will loose working time due to breakdowns and less efficient kit. Or you can have brand new everything and work flat out all the time to pay the extra overheads. In todays market the first option is probably the better one, when things are really busy the second is better. In reality most of us are probably somewhere in between.

[jonathan hall]

ok, 20% profit.

but doesnt it depend on the maturity of the business?

it might take 2 to 6 years to get to a position where your profit can start getting cranked up.

like it or not when new businesses set up near you they have lower profit margine, to get on their feet.

once contacts and client base are sorted ( and reputation, of course) you can start to crank that figure up...if you can.

[TreeSoloution]

i take about £50 a week wages but i pay all my bills and we havent went hungry yet lol

 

:thumbup:

[Johny Walker]

When I ran my own firm (liquidated june 2005) i was charging £250 a day, went to 350 a day and then I realised I had to get realistic if I was going to get ahead and run tings properly so i sat down and did a repsectable budget, new chipper every five years truck same, training ppe costs all told i worked out i needed 511 pound a day inclusive, and that was 5 year ago!

 

£2.5k a week to stand still !!! i think you need a new calculater mate, no wonder you went tits up

[skyhuck]

£2.5k a week to stand still !!! i think you need a new calculater mate, no wonder you went tits up

 

 

I thought it, you said it!!!!!!!!!!

[Rupe]

ok, 20% profit.

but doesnt it depend on the maturity of the business?

it might take 2 to 6 years to get to a position where your profit can start getting cranked up.

like it or not when new businesses set up near you they have lower profit margine, to get on their feet.

once contacts and client base are sorted ( and reputation, of course) you can start to crank that figure up...if you can.

 

Yes, your right. I'm starting to see improvements even though actual turnover wa sdown last year.

 

Another point though is that % is irrelevan too.

 

Would you prefer 10% of 300k or 30% of 80k ? Even though the first option is higher, I bet that would be a far more stressful existance.

 

50% of 60k sounds like a far nicer existance than 10% of 300!!!!

[Johny Walker]

do you find that you find your own leval of earnings , its late just thinking av i worded that rihgt