So you want to be a freelance climber do you?

[skyhuck]

Short memory!

 

I stand by my post, I do not insult.

 

I did make post aimed at you, which was less than ideal and I retracted, but it was accurate and factual, I don't see how it could be considered an insult.

 

Pretty disappointed that your bringing it up, but not surprised.

 

Hay ho.

[justin131]

i agree that freelance work is a hard way to make a living. about 3 month after starting into climbing i left the a paye job a took up freelance, when i went to talk to the guy about this job opportunity i asked him how much work he could give me and he answered how long is a piece of string. it was a small business just me a groundy and a chipper. after a few month he started to run out of work for me things got fairly bad as i had no savings, in the end i had admit defeat to take on a full time job. i will say this for my time spent as a freelance climber, i got to work on trees i never would have been able to in my first job (all the really difficult job got subed out to firms with better equipment) i'm a much better climber than i ever would have been if id stayed in normal employment.

so umless you have an end game like running your own crew it probably not a good route to go down. but if your new to climbing it might be a good way to get some valuable experience. when your a freelance climber theres no one fall back on its all up to you to get those difficult jobs done on time.

so in all one of the best thing i ever did but probably wont go back to it, i'm happy enough with the odd bit of private work on the weekend.

[justin131]

sorry id read half way through this thread when I wrote this didn't realise the subject had change so much. so ignore the last post keep on arguing

[eggsarascal]

I stand by my post, I do not insult.

 

I did make post aimed at you, which was less than ideal and I retracted, but it was accurate and factual, I don't see how it could be considered an insult.

 

Pretty disappointed that your bringing it up, but not surprised.

 

Hay ho.

 

It was indeed accurate and factual, rember I was the one that told people!

 

What you did was vindictive and spiteful. That's why i bought it up! And took it as an insult.

 

I'm not surprised you had a smart answer, it don't wash with me mind.

 

Hay ho.

[skyhuck]

sorry id read half way through this thread when I wrote this didn't realise the subject had change so much. so ignore the last post keep on arguing

 

Not at all, a thread is about the OP, regardless of where it goes

[skyhuck]

It was indeed accurate and factual, rember I was the one that told people!

 

What you did was vindictive and spiteful. That's why i bought it up! And took it as an insult.

 

I'm not surprised you had a smart answer, it don't wash with me mind.

 

Hay ho.

 

I'm sorry you feel that way, I speak frankly and try to be honest. I don't view life as a popularity contest and have no desire to please every one. You were the one who told me, which is why I did not think mentioning it was an issue.

 

I lack subtlety, as my wife often reminds me, and tend to see things in a very black and white fashion, but there is not much I can do about that.

 

My apology was genuine, I'm sorry I caused offence, its never my intention.

[skyhuck]

i agree that freelance work is a hard way to make a living. about 3 month after starting into climbing i left the a paye job a took up freelance, when i went to talk to the guy about this job opportunity i asked him how much work he could give me and he answered how long is a piece of string. it was a small business just me a groundy and a chipper. after a few month he started to run out of work for me things got fairly bad as i had no savings, in the end i had admit defeat to take on a full time job. i will say this for my time spent as a freelance climber, i got to work on trees i never would have been able to in my first job (all the really difficult job got subed out to firms with better equipment) i'm a much better climber than i ever would have been if id stayed in normal employment.

so umless you have an end game like running your own crew it probably not a good route to go down. but if your new to climbing it might be a good way to get some valuable experience. when your a freelance climber theres no one fall back on its all up to you to get those difficult jobs done on time.

so in all one of the best thing i ever did but probably wont go back to it, i'm happy enough with the odd bit of private work on the weekend.

 

TBH, what you describe here does not should like being a subie or genuine freelancer, sounds more like an employer dodging the responsibilities of employing staff.

 

Did you only work for the one firm???

[Mark Bolam]

Interesting thread Adam. Thanks for sharing some of your experiences. I do believe it's different for everyone though....and it's impossible to predict the future how everything will eventually pan out.

 

I was employed for 4 years, and then self employed climber for 21+ to the present. For me the freedom, the experiences, the opportunities, the challenges, the money, completely outweighed any perks that employment had to offer. Paid time off at xmas and stuff....never meant anything to me, comparitively.

 

The key to continuity on my part was to make money for people....and take away their own confidence in their ability. That means constantly evolving and improving ones arsenal. And when you're doing tough jobs everyday, they just become routine. Easy. Whilst if a person only gets a tough job once in a while they're gonna find it a much greater challenge and often take a more cautious and lengthly approach. Interstingly, during many quiet periods when companies don't have much work on, I've found myself really busy....because collectively those companies have only had jobs on the sceduale that suit my skills a lot more than theirs. Just the way it goes sometimes.

 

More recently I've been doing sourcing a lot more if my own work, with a view to phasing out the freelance climbing etc. I've grown tired of salvaging underbid and poorly negotiated jobs; of hearing how hard it all is to run a full tree service. I'm not sure what kind kind of life they lived but clearly people's perception of hardship is quite varied. Work is not exactly falling at my feet right now at this early stage, but it's coming, and gaining. Because I'm hungry. I don't expect anything to be easy. This week I worked 4 days, and finished at 7 - 8 o clock on three of them. Just me, the whole jobs. No helpers. But I've got a pot of money for it. To keep. Feels good.

 

Some times bad life changing stuff happens as had with some members here more recently....and can happen to anyone. But outside of that it really is what you make if it. How you as an individual can impose your self on people and situations.

 

If I could give just 3 pieces of advice to aspiring freelance climbers they would be : always pick the toughest trees on a site. Keep learning and evolving. And always go home with a check at the end of a day or which ever is the last day of the week you work with that company....without exception or excuses.

 

Reg whilst I agree with most of your excellent post you need to realise that you are in a different league.

 

I wouldn't want any young guns reading this to think that the way to the big bucks was taking on jobs without backup.

 

I doubt those late finishes were hedgecutting!

 

Hope you and family are well mate.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

[justin131]

TBH, what you describe here does not should like being a subie or genuine freelancer, sounds more like an employer dodging the responsibilities of employing staff.

 

Did you only work for the one firm???

 

no worked for a couple charged between £120 to £150 a day he just wanted me to take on anything he had coming in. just didn't turn out to be enough even with my own work and the odd job from other firms

[Stephen Blair]

you dont need big bucks , just a constant stream of money.

Its always been simple in my mind, just work and keep on working.

forget the pub, nights out, parties, holidays just keep working.

I took a time out from 2007-2011, to spend time with my kids as they were very young, dropped to a few days a week, after that its back to work. i love working, it keeps me sane, and my wife even more so.

Failing has never been an option, what do you do the day after you give up, i still need to pay bills. My bills cant be paid on a climbers wage, debt from mahinery and property has always made me get back out there. And i like nice things.

There has been low points, very stressfull times but they are far outweighed by the good times this job brings.

Its not all about climbing trees, its being able to deal with people and not with some of them even more so.

Good thread Adam, its great to get things out your head and onto the screen and have people relate to your experiences.