Help With business plan

[treequip]

Slighting! Not heard that for a while.

 

I have no idea about your work schedule or finances.

 

I have found another bonfire for you to piss on

 

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/general-chat/83259-employing-odd-labourer.html#post1238215

[Mark Bolam]

I think I've already put that one out Andy!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

[treequip]

I think I've already put that one out Andy!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

 

Stella extinguished

 

:laugh1::laugh1:

[John Shutler]

At the moment, whatever I can but mostly grass cutting hedges and small tree work

 

david, if most of your work is currently grass cutting, hedging and small treeworks im not sure what this thread is for, just keep doing what your doing and a business will grow

however without experience and some major investment on the equipment front you wont be doing large scale treeworks anytime soon and I hate to break your bubble but banks don't tend to loan large sums of money without a proven track record and even then its not easy these days. A tree business is not going to be handed to you on a plate!!

[oakum]

David, I had to do a businees plan to get a loan for start up in 1980ish. The bank needs to see it in a specific formula and over a period of time in the recent past say 2 years and a projection say another 2 years. I was working for LA while I did this and I had done loads of private jobs evenings, holidays and w/end and I made a brief note of these with an eye on the future.

 

When I got the loan I had work in hand and more came in and I actually found the business plan was pretty well adhered to so it can be a good thing to actually do a proper plan on paper that you can tout around your bank/building society.

 

I'll have a root around and see if I can find my original plan (sure I saw it recently) so you can see how I went about it. You'll be surprised at the money we worked for in those days, and everything was hand loaded onto truck or burnt.

[Andyd1606]

David I've followed this thread for a while so thought I'd put my two pence in please don't take it the wrong way there's good and bad.

When you were first on here your attitude came across as someone who wanted work handed to them on a plate and got angry when it wasn't.

From this post you seem to have grown up and want to work and seem to be taking peoples comments and criticisms and listening to them.

It's admirable that you want to get off your arse and earn some money there's to many in this country who would exist on the dole and not try to better themselves. I hope the dole office know of your self employed work no one wants to pay their taxes for someone who is earning cash in hand on the side!

I've added some points which I feel helped me some people may agree or disagree but these are my views which I think will help you start.

 

Start small have big ideas but don't take on work which is beyond your capabilities.

Get some PL insurance it's fairly cheap for garden work.

Work with what you have if you have a lawnmower cut lawns some people make a living just doing this.

Buy the best tools you can afford I learnt the hard way when I started and ended up buying twice. They don't need to be new decent second hand stuff is just as good some of my stuff is still working great.

Word of mouth is the best advertising a website is fine if you have the money to back it up with seo etc otherwise it just hides in the depths of the internet.

Change the name of your company there's no point in being called Norfolk tree care if you have no certificates and no experience. What if someone calls you and asks you to take down their 90ft poplar. If you say no you can't do it due to experience no Certs etc they will go else where and tell other people word of mouth travels fast.

Don't put crap pictures on your web page they speak a thousand words.

Get a Facebook page it's free and you can advertise it on all these stuff for sale pages that are on there.

Start with weeding grass cutting and all the horrible jobs that no one wants to do these earn you money and it's not to bad really.

Get regular customers offer a full garden maintenance service a few days a week doing this should cover your basic bills.

Other one of jobs will then allow you to put money away for course and tools

Look professional get a small van and keep it clean well looked after.

Buy some cheap work trousers steel toe capped boots and some basic plain jumpers and t shirts no one wants some one in joggers and a hoodie turning up at their door.

Treat the customers garden as if it was yours make it look the best you can and take time doing so.

If this means staying a bit longer than you anticipated do it some people will disagree but you will earn more money in the long run.

Read go on amazon there are plenty of garden books for 99p learn your plants shrubs and trees so you know what you are talking about. If you don't know something you will find a lot of customers do don't be afraid to ask.

Don't waste any weekdays get up early and turn up on time. If you have no work for a day get out get some flyers printed and start posting you will get some work from it.

Finally remember get a good name for yourself try your best to keep customers happy even if they are a pain I the arse try and work with them so they at least feel like they are getting what they want.

I still think you should work for someone to gain some experience with tree work try combining that with a few days of your own garden work and things will slowly come together.

 

When I said put my two pence in it became slightly longer than I expected

[Ian Flatters]

Just had a look at your website David,

 

Quick photographers thought - whatever you do don't put any photos on your site if you didn't shoot them, or have a licence to use them. I'm not suggesting that you have done that, just thinking that you don't have many pics on there and wondering where you may get them. Loads of folks that are setting up in business for the first time grab images off the net, then get a huge bill for copyright infringement.

 

 

This is very true. I started legal proceedings against a former arbtalk member a few years ago for using my pictures on his website. Use your own and you'll be fine.

 

You mean the Vermeer thing.

[Chipperclown]

It seems to me, with my own limited arb experience, that without the basic building blocks in place "i.e. attending and passing the relevant industry courses" offering such a specialised service is just morally wrong, let alone then not having real time experience that could be gained via working within a company that offers the same service? I have absolutely no doubt that there are limitless highly knowledgeable & skilled indviduals operating right now but if you wish to form yourself as a business the guidelines for such things as, Health & Safety obligations, Insurances coupled with Qualifications are in place for good reason. why not start the right way?

[theflyingscotsman]

David I've followed this thread for a while so thought I'd put my two pence in please don't take it the wrong way there's good and bad.

When you were first on here your attitude came across as someone who wanted work handed to them on a plate and got angry when it wasn't.

From this post you seem to have grown up and want to work and seem to be taking peoples comments and criticisms and listening to them.

It's admirable that you want to get off your arse and earn some money there's to many in this country who would exist on the dole and not try to better themselves. I hope the dole office know of your self employed work no one wants to pay their taxes for someone who is earning cash in hand on the side!

I've added some points which I feel helped me some people may agree or disagree but these are my views which I think will help you start.

 

Start small have big ideas but don't take on work which is beyond your capabilities.

Get some PL insurance it's fairly cheap for garden work.

Work with what you have if you have a lawnmower cut lawns some people make a living just doing this.

Buy the best tools you can afford I learnt the hard way when I started and ended up buying twice. They don't need to be new decent second hand stuff is just as good some of my stuff is still working great.

Word of mouth is the best advertising a website is fine if you have the money to back it up with seo etc otherwise it just hides in the depths of the internet.

Change the name of your company there's no point in being called Norfolk tree care if you have no certificates and no experience. What if someone calls you and asks you to take down their 90ft poplar. If you say no you can't do it due to experience no Certs etc they will go else where and tell other people word of mouth travels fast.

Don't put crap pictures on your web page they speak a thousand words.

Get a Facebook page it's free and you can advertise it on all these stuff for sale pages that are on there.

Start with weeding grass cutting and all the horrible jobs that no one wants to do these earn you money and it's not to bad really.

Get regular customers offer a full garden maintenance service a few days a week doing this should cover your basic bills.

Other one of jobs will then allow you to put money away for course and tools

Look professional get a small van and keep it clean well looked after.

Buy some cheap work trousers steel toe capped boots and some basic plain jumpers and t shirts no one wants some one in joggers and a hoodie turning up at their door.

Treat the customers garden as if it was yours make it look the best you can and take time doing so.

If this means staying a bit longer than you anticipated do it some people will disagree but you will earn more money in the long run.

Read go on amazon there are plenty of garden books for 99p learn your plants shrubs and trees so you know what you are talking about. If you don't know something you will find a lot of customers do don't be afraid to ask.

Don't waste any weekdays get up early and turn up on time. If you have no work for a day get out get some flyers printed and start posting you will get some work from it.

Finally remember get a good name for yourself try your best to keep customers happy even if they are a pain I the arse try and work with them so they at least feel like they are getting what they want.

I still think you should work for someone to gain some experience with tree work try combining that with a few days of your own garden work and things will slowly come together.

 

When I said put my two pence in it became slightly longer than I expected

 

 

Excellent post👍👍

 

About the name, good advice. I always think I breed work as I've my name on the company letter head...

 

Sounds dull but David wyz.. Garden and tree services will undoubtedly get you farther if your good than some generic greeny/tree name.

 

Your photos too...

 

You could be cheeky and go for a walk with your camera and take a picture of any nice garden, if you ask the owner. Or perhaps a family member has either a garden or a tree that needs attention or tools laying around. As long as you actually take the shots and have permission to do so you can use them.👍