£38K is the current UK average wage, are business owners working for less??

[skyhuck]

The owner of a decent tree firm should be making well over £50k. Most likely a skilled climber who's set the whole thing up and invested a lot of time and money into the business. If you're struggling to find enough customers willing to pay good prices the answer lies in great marketing. Unfortunately you won't learn how to do that from any trade association, government body or college. Trying to compete for work on price is never gonna work out well in tree work. The only way is to win work whilst being more expensive than others. I haven't cracked how to do that for commercial contracts and I wouldn't want them anyway, but for private work it is certainly possible. You need some expense and work doing first to attract the right customers but the ongoing benefits are awesome. Obviously a better income, but more than that you get to work for people who appreciate good tree work, you get to hire and work with all the best staff, and you can work at a brisk but not stupid pace. And hardly ever leave site after 4pm.

The right marketing is the only way to get that.

 

:congrats:

[Ty Korrigan]

The owner of a decent tree firm should be making well over £50k.

 

2 questions for the members of this parish:

 

What is the defination of a decent tree firm?

 

Who on here earns a salary of 50K?

 

Ty

[richy_B]

Good question - a decent firm could be well established, trading for 10 years+, local authority contracts, multiple CHAS/NPTC/CSCS/etc upto the eye balls...

 

Or it could be a small outfit that just very good at making a profit!

 

I'm reality all businesses are different, have different overheads and aims. I know several one man set ups in London who turn over £80k and have very good take home. I also know several 2 and an occasional thirds man set ups that struggle to turnover £80 and the owner/lead is lucky to take home £30k.

[Billy]

2 questions for the members of this parish:

 

 

 

What is the defination of a decent tree firm?

 

 

 

Who on here earns a salary of 50K?

 

 

 

Ty

 

 

In my opinion a firm run efficiently that knows what they can do and does it very well. So, typically well equipped for their chosen niche with the right mix of staff to make use of said equipment and get things done right. Few will earn a salary of £50k as dividends on top of a very modest salary are far more tax efficient, as are various benefits in kind.

[aspenarb]

I would have thought a wage of £50k gross would be quite an easy target for a guy running a small tree surgery outfit. He would probably need to keep away from shiny things, have a decent other half bashing out the paperwork and be spending wisely on effective advertising.

 

Bob

[Will Heal]

I would have thought a wage of £50k gross would be quite an easy target for a guy running a small tree surgery outfit. He would probably need to keep away from shiny things, have a decent other half bashing out the paperwork and be spending wisely on effective advertising.

 

Bob

 

 

Ha! I just need the 50k salary, a missus who does my paperwork and good advertising cos I have no shiny things!

[eggsarascal]

I would have thought a wage of £50k gross would be quite an easy target for a guy running a small tree surgery outfit. He would probably need to keep away from shiny things, have a decent other half bashing out the paperwork and be spending wisely on effective advertising.

 

Bob

 

Funny that. Whatever trade.........

[nailer]

yep, a decent firm... as in a crew that know what they're doing and work well as a team.. like loads on this forum. Nothing exceptional needed. I'm just saying the marketing is what makes the difference in making better money and £50k+ should be a target for any tree company owner. Takes a lot of time and hard work but definitely do-able. A good climber on 180 a day doing 5 days a week, 2 weeks off in the summer and 2 weeks off at Christmas would make £43k and that's with no hassles of running a firm.

[swinny]

We talking turn over or wages here? Good info from nailer

[nailer]

cheers. not turnover, but profit. Call it wages, salary or dividends, it all comes down to income for the owner.