12 hour days

[sonic]

If thats true and you feel you have to do this then you can't be very good at your chosen career, if you have to struggle so much.

 

Perhaps a change of direction would be an idea.

 

to say that you can't be good at you career because you put in alot of hours is a bit unfair I used to have a full time (45hours ish)job a part time job (2 nights + for fifteen years) DJing(i can't of been that bad bookings were word of mouth) and then worked on the farm at home this was my choice to live where I did and to pay for my hobbies the fact you put in lots of hours could mean that you have lots of happy customers having a second job could be having lots of overheads Wife kids house

[Tom D]

I work pretty long hours too but i do have a secretary who does my invoicing and accounts, she saves me hours of work and does a far better job than I would. She works from home and does the same thing for other local small busineses. I pay around £50 per month which I think is an absoulute bargain. I still do council perms etc, but i couldnt do the accounts as well.

[conkers]

Dean

 

You seem to have it fairly sussed but I it is feast or famine around here.

 

If I edge my prices up then work just stops, simply because most people around here get 2 or 3 prices and go cheap every time!

 

We have cut our overheads instead and am still doing so.

Less pennies going out=Less stress.

 

Catsfalk

If you are doing what you say you are doing then that can't be sustainable ie burnout.

 

Keeping quotes to one day in the week saves a lot of hassle but not every one can oblige.

[Dean Lofthouse]

Dean

 

You seem to have it fairly sussed but I it is feast or famine around here.

 

If I edge my prices up then work just stops, simply because most people around here get 2 or 3 prices and go cheap every time!

 

We have cut our overheads instead and am still doing so.

Less pennies going out=Less stress.

 

.

 

You've hit the nail on the head Conkers

 

You have to edge your price up to the point where you find it works then adjust your overheads to suit.

 

I did see a lot of Tree firms working on my long weekend in Cumbria, I was surprised how many there were!

 

If you didn't see the tree workers you saw log stores and yards everywhere.

[jpbeaver]

it seems at the moment every one in cumbria is a tree surgeon , especially round windermere and ambleside.

[sonic]

it seems at the moment every one in cumbria is a tree surgeon , especially round windermere and ambleside.

 

is that anything to do with the poles taking the waiting on jobs (only kidding but i did see a piece on nwt about that)

it might just be me but i never noticed many tree surgeons round here now i see loads didn't see many ford rangers till i bought one could just be that your seeing them all because your looking

[jpbeaver]

ive been doing tree work for 9 years now and the amount of people setting up in the trade has increased dramatically in the last few years. the only good thing is i get more and more freelance work.

[Jason James Gairn]

If thats true and you feel you have to do this then you can't be very good at your chosen career, if you have to struggle so much.

 

Perhaps a change of direction would be an idea.

Never miss a chance to have a go? Your a clever chap, theres no need to sink to cheap insults; but in the spirit of transparency that is sweeping the forum....

I have been a tree surgeon for 24 years. I'm 41 now and years of abuse are showing in my speed. My experience and methods take up alot of the slack, but this isn't sustainable. After years in the industry, i've got a fair idea of how good a climber I am. I have a background in rock climbing and My grade is/was very high indeed. It has informed my tree climbing and so i would say I am very competant. i've been better when i was in my twenties. If there had been comp climbing back then, I'd have been happy.

I decided to take on a second carrer to jump ship to when I needed to. My business started about 10 years ago. I have been building it up by working at night. when it has established a good customer base, I will retire from arb. I have to keep the regular cash coming in from arb to pay for bills etc. I'm a film director and photographer and as a photographer I am now taking the highest possible fee for my work. I earn 19 days worth of arb money in one day. just need a few more contacts and I'm away.

So to answer your, jibe, I am very good at both, and I have changed direction.

You any good at arb?

[High Scale]

I think you may have got under Dagmars skin Jason.

[Steve Bullman]

Never miss a chance to have a go? Your a clever chap,

 

and in case you can't tell, dagmars not a chap