Back step or weather the storm?

[pie eater pete]

1 hour ago, Hank said:

Different industry here (timber frame carpentry) but one thing that has really stood out to me this year is the amount of ghosting going on from prospective clients. I've had plenty of people asking for quotes and drawings and such, which I usually just absorb into the final cost of the project, except this year all but one of those enquiries has ghosted me. Infuriating. 
 

Are tree companies experiencing anything similar? It's so rude!

I get the ones with an extensive garden who basically expect you to survey their trees while you chat to them...or expect you to do the TPO application but then not the work. My younger self would have been more accommodating but not now😂

[Hank]

I didn't used to mind the initial work because the job almost always went ahead. I've started charging now though. 

[Mike Hill]

3 hours ago, Hank said:

Different industry here (timber frame carpentry) but one thing that has really stood out to me this year is the amount of ghosting going on from prospective clients. I've had plenty of people asking for quotes and drawings and such, which I usually just absorb into the final cost of the project, except this year all but one of those enquiries has ghosted me. Infuriating. 
 

Are tree companies experiencing anything similar? It's so rude!

 

This sort of thing has definitely been more prevalent this year. Especially on the bigger jobs.

[oldwoodcutter]

Yes the so called modern term of ghosting is really bad this year, no matter how well you thought your  people skills were performing on the site visit,  and confidence of getting the work in , that’s it you’re left in limbo.

The old trick of calling them 3 weeks later yields little fruit either.

And the amount of chippers, tippers, saws ,climbing kits ,and whole companies ( including ‘goodwill’) up and down the country are coming onto my screen almost as often as lost cats, stolen dogs, and invitations to claim thousands from being sold a diesel car way back when.

[doobin]

8 hours ago, oldwoodcutter said:

Yes the so called modern term of ghosting is really bad this year, no matter how well you thought your  people skills were performing on the site visit,  and confidence of getting the work in , that’s it you’re left in limbo.

The old trick of calling them 3 weeks later yields little fruit either.

And the amount of chippers, tippers, saws ,climbing kits ,and whole companies ( including ‘goodwill’) up and down the country are coming onto my screen almost as often as lost cats, stolen dogs, and invitations to claim thousands from being sold a diesel car way back when.

Yup, on the plant side of things secondhand prices are back to pre covid and lots of nearly new diggers up for sale. 
 

I think it’s gonna be rough. I’m holding off going for a new alpine tractor, I’ll just spend a bit of time building a forestry cage on this one and I’ve just spent £2k on new tyres and an air seat for it. Trouble is a new one is 40k by the time you’ve ticked a few options. 

[dumper]

2 hours ago, doobin said:

Yup, on the plant side of things secondhand prices are back to pre covid and lots of nearly new diggers up for sale. 
 

I think it’s gonna be rough. I’m holding off going for a new alpine tractor, I’ll just spend a bit of time building a forestry cage on this one and I’ve just spent £2k on new tyres and an air seat for it. Trouble is a new one is 40k by the time you’ve ticked a few options. 

Yep 40k and it won’t do any more than the one in your yard that’s paid for, plus it’s full of electrics,adblue,and shit plastic better stick with what you have

[Ty Korrigan]

I've just compared 5 years quotes versus invoices and we are running at 61%

I've looked hard at the smaller local jobs and decided that if I drop my rate a little for 2023/2024, I may win more of these jobs I can do with my wife or students which are highly profitable given they are mostly in and around town and no wages to pay out. 

This means I can turn down larger jobs that give similar margins but far more stress and anxiety worrying about subbies and deadlines.

I'll review matters in 2024 we go for an apprentice later that year.

No finance and not planning to take any on for at least 2 years when we are planning to replace the truck.

We want to see what the effect of the new emissions zones has on small businesses locally and perhaps vehicules will have evolved further in technology.

As I drive through the South of Rennes I see our butchers 30 year old mobile shop and dozens of tippers and vans owned by Turkish tradesmen.

The high rise blocks house people who mostly run older cars and I can't imagine everyone being able to replace these by 2025.

It must be the same all over Europe...

 

 

Edited August 10, 2023 by Ty Korrigan

[Mick Dempsey]

7 hours ago, Ty Korrigan said:

I've just compared 5 years quotes versus invoices and we are running at 61%

I've looked hard at the smaller local jobs and decided that if I drop my rate a little for 2023/2024, I may win more of these jobs I can do with my wife or students which are highly profitable given they are mostly in and around town and no wages to pay out. 

This means I can turn down larger jobs that give similar margins but far more stress and anxiety worrying about subbies and deadlines.

I'll review matters in 2024 we go for an apprentice later that year.

No finance and not planning to take any on for at least 2 years when we are planning to replace the truck.

We want to see what the effect of the new emissions zones has on small businesses locally and perhaps vehicules will have evolved further in technology.

As I drive through the South of Rennes I see our butchers 30 year old mobile shop and dozens of tippers and vans owned by Turkish tradesmen.

The high rise blocks house people who mostly run older cars and I can't imagine everyone being able to replace these by 2025.

It must be the same all over Europe...

 

 

I admire your attention to detail on these matters, I am much more a fly by the seat of my pants sort, which does me no favours.

Interesting info and sounds like a plan.

[Mick Dempsey]

Busy here, just been pricing all afternoon been putting in some pretty ambitious pricing which hasn’t put them off. 
New employee slotted in seamlessly to replace the departed. 
Might go back to the Ford dealer and see if they still have that new van I cancelled when I had a wobble. 
 

Go figure!

[doobin]

57 minutes ago, Mick Dempsey said:

Busy here, just been pricing all afternoon been putting in some pretty ambitious pricing which hasn’t put them off. 
New employee slotted in seamlessly to replace the departed. 
Might go back to the Ford dealer and see if they still have that new van I cancelled when I had a wobble. 
 

Go figure!

Similar here minus the employee.  Been pricing not caring if I get them or not.
 

I’m still holding back from major investments though. Dead cat bounce and all that. 
 

Here’s an interesting cheap purchase though. Sawdust extractor for the processor, mobile pressure washer, keeps yard clean, cleans drain catch pits.  contract rates for industrial estate car parks etc must be £600 plus per day. 
 

lots of pumps, motors etc for £3500 cash!