to employ or not to employ

[aspenarb]

If its site work you need to streamline hire in or buy a telehandler with a timber beak on the front. With one of those romping around on site work you will probably want to drop a guy off the job rather than employ another one.

 

Bob[/QU

 

How many lads do you have on the books bob? do you keep them all busy?

 

I had to stop and have a count up:blushing: Fifteen full time including a lad chasing/pricing contracts , also a few subbies as and when. Our lad in the office keeps the workboard full, I think we have about three or four months work chalked up and a few longer term contracts that will run for years.

 

Bob

[benedmonds]

I reckon 3 is a good number for most jobs, especially if you have 2 trucks.

 

Employees can be a right pain.. but a necessity.. Especially if you don't want to be on the tools in your later years.. One thing to be aware of is that they are never as efficient as you, never look after kit as well and it's never their fault .. Many will just get really useful and then quit and start up as competition..

 

Another thing to remember is that if you are doing more jobs, there is more paperwork, which means you spend less time doing the stuff you probably got into tree work for and more at a computer. Efficiency also drops off massively when you are no longer on site..

 

Free lancers can be great but expensive. I have lots I can call on, but you have book them in advance as the good ones are often busy. You are not committed to them when it goes quiet. With lots of employees it can get stress full if you have a big wage bill and no work or a big job that doesn't pay for months..

 

I recently put an add for temporary ground workers on indeed.co.uk to help get through hedge cutting and epicormic for the council, the regular guys hate it and it can drag on and on... I must have had 20 or 30 applicants.. I employed 4 guys for 2 weeks and have knocked most of it out now.. Mind you one did manage to cut his arm with a hedge cutter and get 9 stitches...

[benedmonds]

. Our lad in the office keeps the workboard full, I think we have about three or four months work chalked up and a few longer term contracts that will run for years.

 

Bob

 

Do you do much domestic? Many of my domestic clients baulk at a 2 week wait.. The commercial guys want everything done yesterday.. I start to panic if i have more than 5 weeks in the diary... or less then 2..

[aspenarb]

Do you do much domestic? Many of my domestic clients baulk at a 2 week wait.. The commercial guys want everything done yesterday.. I start to panic if i have more than 5 weeks in the diary... or less then 2..

 

Very little domestic tree work, just a few lads and a couple of transits but they are always busy . A lot of site clearance, a hell of of a lot of rhody bashing and mulching, a fair bit of planting , a lot of landscape, and a three/four man team pretty much all year doing track reinstatements , ditching, and civils.

 

Bob

[simonm]

Very little domestic tree work, just a few lads and a couple of transits but they are always busy . A lot of site clearance, a hell of of a lot of rhody bashing and mulching, a fair bit of planting , a lot of landscape, and a three/four man team pretty much all year doing track reinstatements , ditching, and civils.

 

Bob

 

I take my hat off to you sir...

[simonm]

Do you do much domestic? Many of my domestic clients baulk at a 2 week wait.. The commercial guys want everything done yesterday.. I start to panic if i have more than 5 weeks in the diary... or less then 2..

 

I agree, I quoted to clearfell 30 medium sized trees and a ton of brush cutting yesterday, they want me to start in 10 days! Lead time is 4 weeks!!!

[Will C]

We run 8-10 week lead time, the right customers will wait for the right contractor. The wrong customer is the best thing to "give" to the compition

[Daythe trees]

What about a sub contract team? Allows you to keep working and have another team working to your spec and company name making you money for no expense.