Hello/ business viability.

[cw1987]

Hi, 1st post here and I hope I don't get off on the wrong foot!

I've read through many posts and the sections but I'm not really sure if this fits into business management, employment, forest management or general so here seems best.

 

I have a background in forestry, starting after leaving school volunteering, gaining nvq's in trees and timber, land based operations and environmental conservation.

I've worked for the last 5 years in the public sector and quite frankly don't want to be there (but thats a wholllleeeeeee other topic!).

 

I am pretty well trained specifically in forestry, have lots of cutting experience and a wide range of other related forestry/ conservation tasks.

 

As I'm sure everyone has I've often thought about working for myself but the climbing market is close to saturation in the area I'm looking and I don't really have the cash/ people to set up anything worthwhile in forestry.

I have a reasonable amount of capital but I do not feel I could start up and employ staff on what I have available.

 

A big problem is I currently live around 400 miles away from the area I intend to work (South Yorkshire/ North Derbyshire) and have a family to support.

This obviously is a big factor.

 

This leads me to 2 options I would appreciate feedback on.

 

1- Forest/ gardens

Apply for tenders primarily work for a cutter where the harvester can't get.

Most if not all felling sites will have edge trees that are too big, double leaders and windblow.

Where these contracts were available seek a freelance cutter to work alongside, therefore solving the problem of employing someone and giving me the required safety cover.

In off times work alone basically odd jobbing, fencing, walling, planting, grass cutting, hedges etc.

Are there freelance cutters that would be interested in such work with the added possibility of the above jobs if they arose?

Is it a viable approach?

 

2- Cherry Picker

I've looked extensively into this and very few people offer cutting with and ariel access/ mewp "full time".

I could buy a platform with the cash I have available and theoretically work alone.

I appreciate it is no subsitute for a climber in some situations but in others could be much faster and the angle I would approach more would be safer.

In the current climate of risk assessment etc. it seems this could be a sway towards using platforms (yes I know they have their own seperate risks and I don't intend to start that debate).

I know this maybe isn't the place to gain support in this but climbing isn't always an option and not always the most commercially sensible way of cutting.

I wouldn't intend to "muscle in" on all the climbing in the area.

I'd plan to keep it as myself maybe 1 other taking suitable work.

Obviously costs would be higher doing this which would I guess keep the balance between working a platform and climbers fair/ even.

Very few people seem to specialise here and to me as a relative outsider it seems like a huge gap in the market, quite easily filled?

 

Any feedback from people in the area or with experience/ general input will be appreciated.

Alos expressions of interest or suggestions are welcome if anyone has any!

 

Cheers

Chris

[slack ma girdle]

This is probably a daft question, why do you want to work 400 miles away ?

[VEG]

Cant always get access for a mewp were a climber will.

[cw1987]

The distance is pretty much personal reasons, home and family are 400 miles from where I currently live/ work. I moved away in pursuit of building a career and I feel I've gained all I can in this position.

Recent loss in the family has made me realise its no good being so far away trying to build my own.

 

And yeah as I say I know any platform isn't always the answer, each have pro's and con's.

It just seems the list of pro's and con's doesn't add up to the list of climbers/ "specialist" platform cutters. The ratio of companies offering climbing to companies with a platform in the fleet seems way lower than I can see reason for?

Relatively cheap, reasonably low labour, increasingly good access, working heights/reach, safety.... it seems theres a catch I'm missing or a huge gap in the market.

I'm not suggesting it replaces climbing by any means, horses for courses etc.

[skyhuck]

IMO there is a very good reason why MEWP's have not taken over in tree work, its the fact that a good climber is quicker and more cost effective.

[easy-lift guy]

cw1987 Your post is very well thought out and that is a + when it comes to being in business for your self, which I believe will be your goal in the short term. IMO I believe you will need to have in reserve other than your investment capital a Minimum of 18 to 24 months worth of your monthly expenses. One of the major reasons why new business ventures go South is due to not having all other monthly expenses covered for the many

" what if's" that can and will occur. Without knowing weather or not reserve funds are available to keep everything else funded during the start of your business venture, I would make sure it was in place first and fore most. The Second matter would be to move closer to where your work will actually be located. I believe the stress and strain on your relationship with your family could prove to be more than your return on investment. I believe you will have some important choices to make shortly, don't be shy about asking any questions since to one degree or another we are all in the same boat and trying to help. All the best

easy-lift guy

[Old Mill Tree Care]

You'll get virtually no business from the majority of tree firms, except council contractors doing street trees.

Look on the Arb Assoc web site to find out who these companies are in your area.

To get their business you'll need to undercut every mewp hire firm. Can you afford to operate on lean margins?

[SiW]

Hi. Having previously tried to hire a mewp in Chesterfield let me say it wasn't the easiest thing to find, ended up with a mog with a mounted 17 metre picker, not ideal or cheap. But tree work is only one of a mewps many uses so maybe keep your hire options open and good luck

[cw1987]

Thanks for the replies, some really good feedback coming through.

 

As I've tried to point out I'm not suggesting any mewp will replace a climber, I understand this is not the case in many situations.

What I'm trying to establish I guess is, how many situations are there where a mewp is either on a par or "better".

Example of "better" would be a tree with splits or disease which is unclimbable/ you'd have to be a bit unhinged.

Where in my book it would be on par is a reasonably straight forward climbing job where I could not climb alone but I could use a mewp alone.

Or is that just a nieve view...

I have looked into hire costs and availability- I believe I could complete a job alone using a mewp for much less than to climb with a member of staff, most importantly without comprimising safety of quality of work.

 

SiW, thanks for your reply, I have looked at hire in the area and considered the other range of applications for a mewp.

 

To clarify I am looking at offering it as a complete service, machine and operator not to sub contract or hire out.

Obviously these are reasonable alternatives if the work was there but I am aware certainly sub contracting there isn't much.

[slack ma girdle]

If i were you, i would get a part time job with an arb company in the area that you want to work in. This will then give you some free time to persue your own goals, and provide you with the experience you need to set up on your own.

I think that investing in a cherry picker will turn into a bit of a white elephant. In fisteen years i have only used a cherry picker three times, and that was because the tree were too dead to climb.

If your current experience is in forestry, why not invest in a tractor which will have more uses.

At the moment my time is about 50/50 in the woods, and tree surgery, which means that i am not doing the same thing day in day out.

 

Good luck what ever you decide