New log merchants

[Fahrenheit]

I'm a log merchant. Started around 6 months ago. I didnt even worry about what others were charging. I just decided what kind of money I needed to make for a days work for it to be worthwhile doing. I then sought out a supplier who's quality of wood matched the price I wanted to charge. We get £130 a cube no probs. We had many customers order one load from us and then came back a month or two later and ordered three loads at once. We spent around 18k on a new truck which now takes us around a minute to deliver 3.6 cube.

 

Forget what others are charging. Supply a good product to the right people and you'll be fine. People will only buy wet wood once.

 

The only reason I started in logs was because all of the local guys wood was wet or they'd got lazy and started cutting the logs too long. There was also another guy who we'd been recommending to customers for 20 years or so but we never even had a thank you from him. The final straw with the miserable git was when we found out he was doing wood cheaper for the local pub! Hence we set up ourselves and took all of our customers back.

Edited December 19, 2011 by Fahrenheit

[swinny]

At the risk of sounding patronising (apologies if I do) your best option is to go upmarket. Aim specifically at the quality end of the market, get your product as good as you can (i.e. dry, stacked, delivered bang-on-agreed-time, to the size wanted, with free advice and a smile), and market to those with the money. Educate your customers if need be. Do everything you can to differentiate yourself from Mick-and-his-battered-tranny - compare volume, moisture content, soft/hard, delivery approach - and offer guarantees.

 

People are tight-up at the mo, and up where you are there are more tight folks than average (sorry, couldn't resist, I'm 'red rose' by origins), but a guarantee gives them peace-of-mind. Don't worry, if you're as good as you say you are, almost no-one will try to claim on it.

 

Not at all patronising, its all things i have to think of over the new year, how to do it all better.

 

Will be putting a little bit of money into fire wood next year, new decent tarps, proper planning, storage and processing.

 

Roll on 2012

[doobin]

Dont want to get into an argument pal but i dont sit on my arse i PAY for advertising through local papers, magazines and have a bloody good website with paypal attached - so dont assume you know me.

 

Well if that lot isn't working, don't throw your toys out of the pram and take down the competitions adverts

 

What you can assume is "the honest bloke " is a complete numpty who tries to do treework in the summer with no qualifications - would you really put up with him in your town - NO!

 

Yes mate- I'd just laugh at him. Anyway, least he's not on the dole.

 

Sorry mate but after doing HND in Arb , Ignite courses and over 25 years experience in forestry and tree surgery i dont really consider myself a yocal either- busy yes (jealous are we) fool - perhaps as ive just wasted time from my life answering your post:thumbdown:

 

If this other bloke is selling half what you supply for pretty much the same money, that means he earns almost as much as you for half the work. Busy fool?

 

Jealousy is a dreadful thing....

 

PS. I take back the yokel thing

[chilli]

Will be putting a little bit of money into fire wood next year, new decent tarps

How about some timber & corrugated plastic sheeting for a roof instead. Keep rain & snow off & let sun & wind through. No risk of sweaty mould as with tarp' covered logs.

[Treemon]

Jealousy is a dreadful thing....

 

PS. I take back the yokel thing

 

Gee thanks on the yokel - Merry Christmas

[windfall]

Where do timber and plastic sheeting roofs stand with planning? I take they should be made so they are none permanent movable structures?

[shooterjim]

I started selling firewood about 2 months ago. I saw an opening in the market due to poor quality wood being supplied to family and friends! I had the opportunity to purchase quite a large amount of cordwood thats been down for about 2 years. Sold a fair few loads, roughly 4 bulk bags a week so far. Had adverts in local paper, monthly magazine in january and fancy local quarterly mag now. Supply a couple of garden centres and shops which keeps a regular income coming in. I dont expect to get rich but if it makes life easier and pays for the wedding next year then so be it!

[chilli]

Where do timber and plastic sheeting roofs stand with planning? I take they should be made so they are none permanent movable structures?

 

I may be wrong (often am) but didn't think that timber structures (as non permanent) had also to be movable. Corrugated plastic sheeting is probably one of the easiest foofing materials to remove & does a great job above logs.

[TRADITIONAL LOGGERS]

Is it common for tree surgery business to sell wood to firewood producers? The reason I asked is saw a local well know tree firm unloading lumps in a strange roadside place from one Ford Transit into the back of a second vehicle belonging to a local firewood sales firm.

 

That might explain the price of firewood if being handled several times.

[gensetsteve]

Is it common for tree surgery business to sell wood to firewood producers? The reason I asked is saw a local well know tree firm unloading lumps in a strange roadside place from one Ford Transit into the back of a second vehicle belonging to a local firewood sales firm.

 

That might explain the price of firewood if being handled several times.

 

I expect it changed hands free or for a drink so cheap raw material before the hard work was put in. The reason firewood is so expensive is the government demanded the fc charge a £15 a tonne tax. All the private owners then jumped on the band wagon. There seems to be alot more cordwood about this year