Average 'working' hours.

[Stephen Blair]

how do you make a living stevie if you have alot of time off/ look at work etc ? do you have lads on for you?.

 

I have 1 lad full time as of the week after next. He works when i work, sometimes he will go and do a wee hedge and i will go and do a chore but he doesnt make me money as such. Maybe a few quid here and there. But we are a great team and i was lost with out him for th elast couple of years. He would keep me on an even keel if i got any doubts or got stressed.

In this job the more you do the more wear and tear you cause, there is a line(not that fine) between making money and costing yourself money. Cash flow is the most important thing. If you are always chasing your tail or only going to do a job because the last guy hasnt paid you then you need to stop and address this. The secret is being organised, i often pop out for 20 mins after the boys are in bed and go up the yard and do a little chore, this saves a lot of time in the morning when you are tired and groggy from just getting up. How many times have you had to go back for something or do with out something that makes life so much easier at a job. Working radius aswell, the further away you go the more you have to make, finance aswell. When you take on finance do you put your costs up accordingly or just say to yourself ' well i need it and it makes life easier ' How many self employed guys on here love the chainsaw work but get stressed out with the business side of things?

 

I used to work 7 days a week, from 7.30am and till dark and then another few hours at the yard at night. I alternated about 5 guys through those 7 days and i kept on working. I did this from 23 to 30 and then just ran out of energy. mentally and physically. I was a busy fool with a LOT of debt and a big overdraft. I now spend most of my time trying to save time. I love my work again, i find it easier and easier and now my old groundie is back it is awesome. I pick my customers well and go over everything before i start and leave no room for misunderstandings, if they do crop up then i have things in place to answer any questions that may arise and face them head on. Arbtalk has helped emmensely, learning new techniques and having all this knowledge at the touch of a button or a phonecall away. I regularely call other members for advice and tips through out the day that is priceless.

[liamjordan]

with my cousin (week days mostly, depending on when colleges wants me there, it varies) he picks me up at 8:00, drops me home around 5:00 - 5:30ish, half hour break at 10:00 and half hour-ish at 1:00, they vary depends what we and the weather are doing lol

 

at the weekends or days im free with my granddad normally 9:00 or 9:30 to 3:00 or 4:00 but again it depends what we are doing

[Rob D]

I tend to be up around 7.45a.m and work through until 8p.m most days however I reckon at least an hour of this is faffing about. This includes computer time returning e-mails, packing mills, and phone calls i.e. not all physical graft. 15 mins for lunch usually. And I work every other weekend.

 

Not aiming to do this all my life but rather I'm doing it now so that I can take it easier (a lot easier) when I hit 40. Whether this will happen..... who knows!!

[Tree Man Tom]

Start at 8:30 and generally home when the job/jobs are done anytime from 3 - 5 generally. If we finish really earlier then we process firewood for abit. In the spring i come home and work for my dad, from whenever i finish work till 11/12 at night. Then up again for tree work in the morning.

 

And if im delivering (2nd job) i start at 4 in the morning and can spend hours and hours on the road. (I have breaks obviously)

[Hodge]

I have 1 lad full time as of the week after next. He works when i work, sometimes he will go and do a wee hedge and i will go and do a chore but he doesnt make me money as such. Maybe a few quid here and there. But we are a great team and i was lost with out him for th elast couple of years. He would keep me on an even keel if i got any doubts or got stressed.

In this job the more you do the more wear and tear you cause, there is a line(not that fine) between making money and costing yourself money. Cash flow is the most important thing. If you are always chasing your tail or only going to do a job because the last guy hasnt paid you then you need to stop and address this. The secret is being organised, i often pop out for 20 mins after the boys are in bed and go up the yard and do a little chore, this saves a lot of time in the morning when you are tired and groggy from just getting up. How many times have you had to go back for something or do with out something that makes life so much easier at a job. Working radius aswell, the further away you go the more you have to make, finance aswell. When you take on finance do you put your costs up accordingly or just say to yourself ' well i need it and it makes life easier ' How many self employed guys on here love the chainsaw work but get stressed out with the business side of things?

 

I used to work 7 days a week, from 7.30am and till dark and then another few hours at the yard at night. I alternated about 5 guys through those 7 days and i kept on working. I did this from 23 to 30 and then just ran out of energy. mentally and physically. I was a busy fool with a LOT of debt and a big overdraft. I now spend most of my time trying to save time. I love my work again, i find it easier and easier and now my old groundie is back it is awesome. I pick my customers well and go over everything before i start and leave no room for misunderstandings, if they do crop up then i have things in place to answer any questions that may arise and face them head on. Arbtalk has helped emmensely, learning new techniques and having all this knowledge at the touch of a button or a phonecall away. I regularely call other members for advice and tips through out the day that is priceless.

 

Cheers stevie, it has given me something to think about:thumbup:.

[Robert_S]

Never leave the house before 8.30 as i like to have breakfast with the wife/kids, home for about 3-4pm, i like to spend as much time with my family as i do at work and i have the winter off, well most of it anyway.

[big fell!]

Summer im always out the house for 11-12 hours then in winter its light til dark. But ive got a little boy due in October so those days are numbered i reckon...

[Mark Bolam]

No routine here really, all depends on the job.

 

Whatever is happening I'm a fan of short breaks as and when needed.

 

If I'm climbing and have dropped within ladder range, it makes sense to have a drink and a breather for 5 minutes, rather than wait until 10 o'clock exactly, when I'm 50 feet up.

 

I'm a big fan of Stevies approach. When I was working 6 days a week and pricing on Sundays I was too busy to make any money!

[combined tree services]

im normally in the yard for 8 then strait out to site - half hour for lunch , couple ten min breaks and home for about 5-6 , then its on with anything that needs to be done in the yard or office - failing that its off to the gym . then weekends are fair game if i can work i will and enjoy it .

[Littletree]

For me it depends on who and where I am working .

for my Private clients its 8-5 on day rate I just work right through from stat to finish with 10 mins for a drink . If I compleat the job early then its still the flat day rate or agreed job price.

 

For my sub work depends on what we agree as am quite flexible so the usual times are 8 till 5 or 5.30 ish based on a 9 hours day on a day rate some places its 7-4 on flat rate .

 

For some of my other sub customers .I do a flat day rate between 8 -5 then I charge any hours before or after on an hourly rate as excess to day rate

as one of my jobs that I do each week starts at 6am and always goes on for 13.5 hours with 10 mins for lunch so I make sure that day pays me well .

 

Littltree:thumbup: