New business start up advise needed.

[Lumberjock]

Hi, any advise would be greatly appreciated. 

 

I’m looking to start up a new business. 
 

I currently work as a forester with Cs30/31 qualifications. 
 

I would like to get back into private arborist work more close to home. I used to be a Groundsman for a short time. I do not and have no intention of climbing as I am over 40. 
 

I had the idea of purchasing an Arb Truck and chipper and advertising as Van, man and chipper for hire to arborists who do not have these. Charge a daily rate for my services. 
 

Would this be a good idea? Any pro’s and con’s you can think of?

 

Thanks

[dumper]

Set yourself up in business do trees and hedges and hire in climbers when needed

[Khriss]

1 hour ago, Lumberjock said:

 

Hi, any advise would be greatly appreciated. 

 

I’m looking to start up a new business. 
 

I currently work as a forester with Cs30/31 qualifications. 
 

I would like to get back into private arborist work more close to home. I used to be a Groundsman for a short time. I do not and have no intention of climbing as I am over 40. 
 

I had the idea of purchasing an Arb Truck and chipper and advertising as Van, man and chipper for hire to arborists who do not have these. Charge a daily rate for my services. 
 

Would this be a good idea? Any pro’s and con’s you can think of?

 

Thanks

Worthy , but I would be concerned abt the crap some arborist put through Your chipper . K

[Mick Dempsey]

I’m guessing he’s going to be at the chipper most of the time.

[Dan Maynard]

I would suggest there aren't many arborists who don't have a van and chipper, in the same way you can buy one so can they.

However, there may be a market where people with one van hire you in on bigger jobs. That would maybe be difficult to keep up every day though, and again not sure they'd want to hire your chipper unless say you have an 10 or 12" machine.

Personally I'd say if you are paying out for van and chipper then you need to be running it as a business to pay those overheads, and hire in climbers as needed. You could do the tickets and do smaller takedown and prune jobs, no need to aim to climb everything.

Or keep the overheads low and go subbie groundie. Plenty of demand for that round here at least, maybe not the money there is in forestry but I would think easier too.

[Lumberjock]

27 minutes ago, Dan Maynard said:

I would suggest there aren't many arborists who don't have a van and chipper, in the same way you can buy one so can they.

However, there may be a market where people with one van hire you in on bigger jobs. That would maybe be difficult to keep up every day though, and again not sure they'd want to hire your chipper unless say you have an 10 or 12" machine.

Personally I'd say if you are paying out for van and chipper then you need to be running it as a business to pay those overheads, and hire in climbers as needed. You could do the tickets and do smaller takedown and prune jobs, no need to aim to climb everything.

Or keep the overheads low and go subbie groundie. Plenty of demand for that round here at least, maybe not the money there is in forestry but I would think easier too.

1 hour ago, dumper said:

Set yourself up in business do trees and hedges and hire in climbers when needed

I was thinking it may be easier to set up than starting an actual “tree surgery” business. Let them find the work. 
 

I take all point on board and appreciate it. Thanks. 

[Con]

I think you would struggle to fill 5 days a week like that. I suppose it depends how busy you want to be. Be careful if you get home owners asking you to chip stuff they have taken down. It's always poorly stacked and full of roots, soil, string and all sorts. On the very few occasions I've done it, it's been problematic and I've concluded it wouldve been easier doing the work from scratch 

[doobin]

I think you'd need to find your own jobs to make enough profit and keep you busy. You might do better to start with smaller kit and a more diverse range of it, such as 15hp petrol chippers and stumpgrinders, maybe a pedestrian flail. Plenty of odd pruning jobs around as said. These little jobs if priced right will make money, and will lead to other things. So depending upon the work you end up being offered you can buy more machines to make your life easy.

 

Really it comes down to this- you don't want to do forestry- fair enough. So what do you want to be doing to earn your living?