Andy Collins

Having just recovered from a debilitating illness myself, I wish you all the best. though its tough at times keep focussed on beating it, force yourself to walk about if you feel you cant, keep driving yourself forwards, whatever happens. Now you've started to tell us about this, keep posting, evenif you feel down and beaten, the support here is phenomenal as a rule. good luck and keep strong, all the best Andy.

Nick

I think that this curent recession is going to determine a lot more than AA Approval, and I mean no disrespect to anyone doing it or having succeeded in doing it, its no mean feat! But i would really look at your own reasons for wanting to do Approval. I dont think it will attract more work, or necessarily more money, it may increase the quality of the clients you tender for, those with larger wallets in the domestic market, and the commercial clients who need to see all the paperwork is in order, and by choosing AAACs that is one headache they havent got to think about. Personally, I have the wealthy type of clients with the big house etc, as do many of us "ordinary" tree companies, I can demonstrate to them that I can do the job, and manage the jobs I dont personally do, i can supply a raft of paperwork when required for the council to approve works on TPO/CA trees, i can positively ID one or two trees, and if your really lucky I may even give you the botanical names too. i can put a sticker in the windscreen telling people not to smoke coz its against the law, and i have a First Aiders badge from the Cubs. i carry my Ins documents with me to show my clients, my NPTC cert to prove I can crosscut and maintain a chain. IMO I cannot see any point in my going for AAAC. I would gain nothing, and spend a lot, I have no delusions of grandeur, or intentions of building a tree trimming empire. Each to their own I suppose.

Two man crosscut, probably felled more trees than all the chainsaws put together, and didnt use a drop pf petrol

the last few years its clashed with the FA Cup Final, but not this year. with the number of local outdoor events being cancelled, I think this year W&W will be even busier, just my opinion mind

I may be there Sunday, weather forecast is looking good so far. Im not doing anything there this year, due to health reasons.

Going around visiting people, discussing stuff and generally pointing at trees in a random yet slightly professional manner. I would hasteh to add these are people i have worked for in the past, and i call around occasionally to assess anything that needs doing. I know what I mean

Not working....but out and about "networking", drumming up trade for my imminent return to work, imminently and soon:thumbup: Will, re: music teaching, go for it, its another string to your bow, keeps your passion for music alive. I was very musical throughout my schooldays, dropped it like a stone when i left school and never picked it up again. I think I was pressured into practice practice practice for every exam and every concert and i just over did it. I was Grade 7 piano, 3 clarinet, 4 trombone and played percussion too, also completed my 5 theory, would I do it all over again, no, not in the same way, i would simply do it because i wanted to and I wouldnt play in public concerts again. A friend of mine went on to teach professionally, and is still doing very well many years on

Its fine to post questions re availability and such like, but I dont think in some cases its the right place for sniping at one another. I just want the forum to run nicely and us to look like the professionals we claim to be

@ All posters on this thread, please do not derail further. This is a Sponsors area, which they pay to have as a privilege of site sponsorship, if you have an issue, please contact site admin.

Cant have been that gooD, you didnt lick the plate

Being a regular poster on a trade forum seems to work for me. If only there wss one for the Arb industry Ive actually had people contact me because i post on here, some of these are professionals of the highest level. They also follow my progress here, as guests. This is why i always urge others to consider carefully what they post, and how they come across to the wider audience. Of course, some just dont care what others think of them

Nice one, welcome to the forum mate look forward to seeing some pics of you working away

I love that pic, nice one, and welcome to the forum:thumbup1:

No, personal accident and sickness policies are not, PLI and EL are.But tbh thats quibbling over pennies, when you need it, youll be glad of it, I am. Ask yourself, how can i cope with no income for x no of weeks. Id never bee ill in all my working life, yet ive now been off work since Oct last year, without insurance i would have been screwed, possibly bankrupt by now, but financially scuppered certainly.

What if the client believes it dangerous, and hypothetically they get in 3 professionals. One says the tree is full of fungi and should stay, one says its got fungi and requires a crown reduction, crown clean and future maintenance (the mOre costly option over time) and the third recommends that the tree is indeed dangerous, and should be felled asap and fairly expensive. All have been honest in their appraisal, all have differed in professional opinion, each think the others opinion are bordering on dishonest/unprofessional and are over charging. What is honest? WhIch is a cowboy? You decide.

david, a few years back i ripped the bicep and forearm muscle from the bone in my right arm. Doc reckoned on a 20 weeks recovery period, i was working properly in 13 weeks. In the meAn time, i was supervising jobs (bloody frustrating) and excercising the injury to the max, tennis ball squeezing etc. I went from not being able to lift a teaspoon to full health in that time. Do you have accident insurance? Easy to wish you had niow if not, but it really takes the pressure off and you can concentrate on recovery without feeling you need to be back at work too soon. All the best

Im just a dumb tree cutter, im no intellectual, i bow before those who profess to know more than I, and Im out of this topic.

I have absolutely no intention of giving anyone a hard time, I guess that starting a thread on an Arb discussion forum is going to generate some erm....... discussion? I actually like your stance and differing viewpoint, it opens up discussions which keep the forum fresh, which is a good thing. I think its also good that we're not all "yes"men, and follow our own paths.

I dont think we've missed anything Tony, we only responded to information we were given, not the information we werent given.

Job done, its more of a letter of introduction to a limited clientele, specific targetting, and then the main flyer is for a different market altogether. I deal with Polstead Press for most of my stationery needs, but i wanted to rough out what i was thinking first.

If you believe honesty is the best policy then be honest. Hungry, but honest. What i would suggest, to maintain your integrity, is a side line where you can afford principles in tree work, supplement your income in other ways, perhaps gardening, fencing or hard landscaping.

So here we are, guilty of the heinous crime that is under cutting opposition in business. The very core of several threads on this very forum, which as tree care professionals we all try to fight to maintain a decent price fo our work. Then figures of one tenth of the cost quoted are bandied about. We dnt need outsiders to criticise our pricing structure, we have people on the inside undermining us at all levels. Tree care is an industry, a business, a profession at certain levels, and with all professions come costs and expenditure. Its about time some people saw it as such.

Trying to design a flyer that im happy with, come up with ideas then jiggle them about, just not happening for me. Its for an additional string to my bow, an extra service mainly for while Im slightly under-powered! By tye time Ive sorted it, I'll be fit and healthy again