another string to the bow?

[arbogrunt]

after a couple of poor turnover summers, I'm thinking of doing other work during the summer. We have started cutting and bagging firewood and doing some carvings (simple mushrooms and stuff), but what do other people do during the summer months?. Over the last 20 years its got harder and harder to specialize in just treework over the first 6 months of the year...what else do you guys do to keep things paid for during lean times?

[Matthew Storrs]

I used to offer fencing as a supplement to tree work, now tree work is so hopelessly sparse iv basically knocked it on the head altogether and just offer rural/agricultural fencing and digger work. Far less hassle I find and less overheads, also I find I don't have to find as many jobs to fill the week because on the whole my fencing jobs tend to be bigger ongoing type works.

Grass cutting is OK if you have a decent round to make it pay. But rarely pays for one of jobs.

[skyhuck]

I'm starting to wonder if tree work is just going to be an add on to other firms.

 

It seems every gardener and landscaper is doing tree work, often with the help of a subbie climber.

 

I only do tree work, but things are nothing like they were, I wonder about fencing and landscaping, but would prefer to specialise.

[Matthew Storrs]

I'm starting to wonder if tree work is just going to be an add on to other firms.

 

It seems every gardener and landscaper is doing tree work, often with the help of a subbie climber.

 

I only do tree work, but things are nothing like they were, I wonder about fencing and landscaping, but would prefer to specialise.

 

I don't know, I think there is a lot to be said for specializing in what you do best and equipping yourself accordingly rather then offering everything under the sun and losing your trade in the wash so to speak.

Personally iv decided to be more specific now, focusing on building my business on what I can be most efficient at.

[s o c]

i,ve put my domestic crew doing forestry stuff for a couple of weeks to let a few jobs accumilate and allow me to take a holiday. brashing ahead of a harvester, felling large trees and off slopes etc. nice work but dosent pay as well as tree surgery

[geoff]

Taken a few paving jobs recently, don't much like doing it as it kills my bad knee pointing it all up, but things are picking up a bit in the trees again.

I am fortunate in as much as I am kitted up to do various types of work, it is great to get the digger out of retirement, hasn't been used since last year!

[arbogrunt]

I'm starting to wonder if tree work is just going to be an add on to other firms.

 

It seems every gardener and landscaper is doing tree work, often with the help of a subbie climber.

 

I only do tree work, but things are nothing like they were, I wonder about fencing and landscaping, but would prefer to specialise.

 

 

my thoughts exactly Skyhuck...been doing trees for 20 years next year...now I think I need to diversify to survive...most of the nice little 'in and out' jobs are being done by jack of all trades around here...its hard to make up a days money if its not a full day job. Wracking my brain trying to think of what else I can do...

[Pat Ferrett]

The problem is all trades are quiet so most are thinking along the same lines.

Like you I have specialized but now thinking of going back to door work to bolster my income, also looking at tools and equipment thats not paying its way with the view of moving it on.

The grass root problem with our trade is the tools we run with nowadays compaired to 25 years ago mean were doing twice as much a day for the same money, higher running costs and all the add on s like the net mobiles insurance keeping tickets up to date and ppe are all an added drain.

[felixthelogchopper]

There's always the seafront, mate.

[Shane]

Back in the autumn we had 14-15 weeks work lined up. The crap winter kept most people out of their gardens so the phone calls became few and far between. We never quite ran out of work but it got close (hence the fencing). That barren spell was due to a very long winter.

 

I thought about diversifying during that period, we even did some new fences in my garden and I was really pleased with the result but....

How many things can you REALLY master. I recall several comments I received from the pictures I posted and realised that any new area is full of pitfalls, unknown knacks and so on.

 

When I mentioned the possibilities to my customers some of them said they don't use people who offer lots of different services because they can't possibly be best at too many different things. That was a genuine view of many customers.

 

The more you diversify the more tools you need too - can you REALLY justify all that expense?

 

Round here the tree work has picked up massively lately. I'm doing an average of 3 quote visits a day (and getting most of them). I think theres plenty of tree work to be had at a price that enables me to keep all the kit up to date, pay my bills and have decent holidays.

 

Maybe I'm just too old to want to learn new stuff - but I really don't see the need.