Anyone else tearing their Hair out??

[Paul Cleaver]

It doesnt help us 2 when there is a collage up the road - churning out so called tree surgeons with tickets but no experience - it should make me laugh - but instead it makes me angry

[Mark Bolam]

I do wonder how many people have started out in arb but have had to give up because they couldn't make a living.

[Steve Bullman]

More that are in it i'd say Mark

[WorcsWuss]

It's bloody hard to make a good living at it, I struggled, even 10 years ago and with hedgelaying and general agricultural contracting thrown in for good measure... Well, I couldn't make a living grand enough to support my wife and children anyway... thinking about it, I was actually quite happy with it.... Bloody expensive women with extravagant taste... the ruin of many a happy career!

[landylass2a]

2 going round our area this morning door to door:thumbdown: Asked if I wanted the Ivy trimming, No thanks, cheap Mrs, No thanks, shiny new motor, sign written, both in company uniforms both wearing climbing harness.

Something not quite right, and if the phone number on the side of the motor was genuine, they had come quite a distance to tout.

[DN22 Gardening]

No I am just an innocent bystander as its not my trade, I am an engineer.

If I was pricing the job, I would always leave a written no quibble quote , Risk assesment and method statement and copy of insurance cert then they can see you are a professional, with insurance should it go wrong.

My wife runs a very small Tool sales business aimed at the motor trade, its only to try and make a few quid to pay for holidays.

She is quite often under cut by people selling something for £20 and only making £1 this just isnt sustainable and some of these idiots ruin the business then go bust, what keeps many of our customers is if they have a problem we sort it out straight away even if we loos on it as we keep the customer.

Times are very tight but its not worth doing jobs for free

 

 

 

sorry winchman, i've got to disagree with you.

 

a few years ago in a former life, i worked driving HGV's for a very large transport Co.

each division was run by one of the owners sons, ours would often come out with us for a beer at night.

one evening, after a particulaly bad couple of days, i was moaning in his ear about how much i'd been messed about going from here to there with next to bugger all on the back of the truck.

his response was that as long as my truck had made just £1 profit, per day, his old man was happy

the theory being that if each of his 3000 trucks made a profit, even of only £1, then that equates to £3000 a day, or, as he put it, a F$%*kin good drink for my dad !!!!!

 

as long as wages, fuel, depretiation, and all other costs are met, any profit is a good one.

 

its a fact that our industry is undervalued, i only wish i could charge for hedge cutting what i can charge for tree work, it takes the same, or similar equipment, the same chipper, the same chip truck, fuel, etc

but i know if i try to charge the same rates, i'd be laughed off the premises

 

[tractorboy1]

sorry winchman, i've got to disagree with you.

 

a few years ago in a former life, i worked driving HGV's for a very large transport Co.

each division was run by one of the owners sons, ours would often come out with us for a beer at night.

one evening, after a particulaly bad couple of days, i was moaning in his ear about how much i'd been messed about going from here to there with next to bugger all on the back of the truck.

his response was that as long as my truck had made just £1 profit, per day, his old man was happy

the theory being that if each of his 3000 trucks made a profit, even of only £1, then that equates to £3000 a day, or, as he put it, a F$%*kin good drink for my dad !!!!!

 

as long as wages, fuel, depretiation, and all other costs are met, any profit is a good one.

 

its a fact that our industry is undervalued, i only wish i could charge for hedge cutting what i can charge for tree work, it takes the same, or similar equipment, the same chipper, the same chip truck, fuel, etc

but i know if i try to charge the same rates, i'd be laughed off the premises

 

But you dont need tickets for hedge cutting, its far less skilled job and insurance is a lot lower.

[winchman]

sorry winchman, i've got to disagree with you.

 

 

as long as wages, fuel, depretiation, and all other costs are met, any profit is a good one.

 

Thats fine we all have our own opinions

Any profit is a good one I agree, but some times you need a certain profit to make it all worth while, many people could earn more shelf stacking in Asda etc but choose another role as its what they prefer to do.

 

The wifes tool sales is slow and a small profit, but on the other hand what else could we do to bring a few quid extra in? We coulnt live off it but we save it and spend it on the kids holidays etc

I help out with a lot of the work on my days off but only because I cant get any other part time work around school hours.

[winchman]

Quote its a fact that our industry is undervalued, Quote

I agree many industrys are and people wonder why we have a decline in skilled people

[Tom10]

But you dont need tickets for hedge cutting, its far less skilled job and insurance is a lot lower.

 

But you do need to be good at it, and its not always easy

 

You do have to use a hedgecutter that costs as much and more than a chainsaw, it used the same fuel, your truck uses the same diesel to get there, you still need a second man / groundie to chip and clear up if the job is big, the insurance is lower but only if your solely insured at gardening which most of us arent and I wouldnt say its any easier than tree work on the body and I wouldnt say its less skilled than some tree work - with the exception of rigging, tactical climbs - I could fell a tree and process it quicker than the next man can cut a comparable hedge (to a decent standard)...