So, how did we all start up our own buisness and get to where we are?

[button1803]

Hi guys and girls...

 

Just thought id ask the question...

 

What made you get into arb and how did you get to where you are today?

 

Speaking to a mate who started off as a groundie, dragging branches, now he has a successfull company and couldnt be happier...

 

After hearing his story about hard work and dedication, could be interesting to see how we all started and where we are today....

 

Whats the story?

[Big J]

Always had an interest in wood and the like, and purchased my first chainsaw around 2 1/2 years ago for firewood at home. Then, our old neighbour passed away in the village, we bought his greenhouse from his brother, who gave us permission to take the tools from the shed. That got me started on woodworking, which then lead to thinking about producing timber with a chainsaw mill.

 

Started milling, and producing various things such as rabbit hutches, a bloody big shed, menu holders for a restaurant - just about anything to get me out of my previous line of work (used to be a support worker, working with adults with severe learning disabilities).

 

The increasing amount of chainsaw work lead to the forester on the estate offering me work, provided I had CS30+31. Then met my now colleague (IainArkle on arbtalk) on the course. Did lots of felling, pruning and planting, to support my fledgling sawmilling business.

 

Started milling more seriously around April last year (which was when I went fully self employed), set up a kiln, and am now on my third. The sawmilling provides the bulk of my income now, and I'm gradually winding down the forestry. I still want to do some cutting, just not day in day out, or in softwoods. Training up to use an Alstor forwarder presently as well.

 

Just coming to the end of my first year now, and feeling very positive. I started the business with absolutely no capital at all - I mean not a sausage. One year on, I've made an alright wage and am in slightly less debt that at the start of the year. I'm getting my act together this summer and will be applying for grant funding for expansion in the sawmilling, and hope to be running two or three kilns by the years end.

 

Good thread by the way!

[Badgermert]

I worked for a chap involved with rough grass cutting of canal towpaths during the growing season and hedge cutting in the winter for quite a few years with a bit of chainsawing or boating here and there. I was the foreman, over a few other guys, so I put in the extra effort often with very little reward.

 

The chap was very smart and gave me a few shares in the company, instead of a decent payrise, saying "one day my son this will be yours". Being naive I thought he would eventually give it to me as he had no children of his own but this was not so.

 

He got fed up with the increasing paperwork/risk assesments/etc and had his fingers in other pies so he said to me one day " I'm going to close the business down or sell it, you have first choice".

 

Well if he shuts it down I'm out of a job, if he sells it the new people usually get rid of the foreman and I'm out of a job. I knew the job inside and out my wife was in agreement that we should try and raise the cash.

 

Easier said than done but we did it with no help or handouts and worked our nuts off to get it from there to here. Hard long days/nights, stress, arguments, no money, no holidays, etc.

 

We now have a company that is well known, respected and busy.

[Neil Frost]

Funnily enough I used to be a support worker too, worked on a forensic secure unit. Got fed up with that, always had been a keen outdoors person since I was a nipper, started my own gardening business, loved the tree care aspect, got my tickets and at the ripe old age of 30 am trying to claw my way into the world of arboriculture.

 

Wish I'd started 10 years ago, but I'll get there one day!

[Taupotreeman]

Wanted to work in Canada as a ranger so studied forestry and conservation at college. There was only volunteer work when I left in 1990 and I needed to pay off the student loan so got on board with a local tree surgeon to pay the bills and haven't looked back. It didn't get me to Canada but has got me to NZ. About 4 years ago I was made redundant (constructively dismissed) so rather than work in a dead end job I set up on my own for the short term just to get some money in. What the future holds for me? No idea, I try not to think that far ahead.

[dandkgroundcare]

started at 16 with a big national company left at 26 to work in public sector working with offenders for 9 years and finally went back and started on my own about 18 months ago and could not be happier.

[Stephen Blair]

Luckily I was born the worlds best tree cutter, so it wasn't a struggle.

[Ian Clarke]

i used to work as anoutdoor instructor for the last 4years then helped a tree surgeon who needed to do work on our site and anytime he came back i helped. nows he is a good friend and i started with a company in suffolk. i am hoping to emulate some of the guys higher up the posts with a company of my own one day *fingers crossed.

[PeteB]

My mothers family have been in timber for 3 generations that we know off. I went to work as a brash rat for Uncle Dave as a holiday job and stayed. My last duty as Managing Director was to shut the business down. We had lost all our contracts to a National outfit and we did not have enough work to pay the bills. My (now) ex-wife did not want me to start again with a debt so I went to work for GreenMech, firstly in assembly, then service then went on to sales.

 

You could say that the holiday job lasted 17 years!

[PeteB]

Luckily I was born the worlds best tree cutter, so it wasn't a struggle.

 

Pah! Your Mrs been sweet talking again Steve?