Mark Bolam
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Everything posted by Mark Bolam
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That's a good point Marc. As a one-man and his dog type of outfit I'm lucky enough to be able to choose my jobs. If I employed a dozen blokes with mortgages there's no way I'd be so picky. Huck also has a good point though. If everyone flat-out refused any payment terms over 30 days things would change pretty quickly. Big companies can pay quicker if they need to. My mate put up a fence for Tesco years ago, cheque on completion agreed with store manager. He finished and was told it would be 180 days. He went back outside and started taking the fence down, very slowly. Police were called and he explained the situation. The Sergeant asked the Tesco's manager if he'd paid for the fencing materials? 'Errrr, well no.' 'Carry on then son'. The manager appeared with a cheque within minutes, my mate tacked a couple of boards back on and left with a smile. Classic.
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I think that's fine when you get into the cycle of it, and get over the first 90 days. Cheques are a thing of the past for me. Domestics either pay cash before we leave or do an online transfer. Sod going out collecting anything.
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Grounds man required three days a week near Brentwood, Essex
Mark Bolam replied to nick hendrick's topic in Employment
Steady on fellas. Steve banned replies in the old employment section for exactly this reason. If you're not interested in the position, move on please. -
I'm so pleased. I bet it looks great and the work was enjoyable. You're better than that Huck. Anyone leaving a 'hedge' for 15 years needn't come to me expecting 'hundred' to be in the quote.
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That's a size I like, small but with a seat and a cab!
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Did that for years, then it literally becomes undoable, at least without a MEWP, and then felled them. The clients are delighted with the extra 40' of garden they've got. It's shite tree work, perpetuated by firms who are shite at tree work.
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To my mind, now (and believe me I've cocked up more than most along the way) it's a simple matter of discussing and agreeing payment terms at quotation stage, not after sweeping up the stump rakings. Domestics are payment on completion. Dead simple. Waiting for pay day? Call me after pay day! 180 days? OK, a £1000 job will be £3000, if you're happy with that sign here Mr. Tesco. What's that Mr. Bovis, you need some limbs taking off tomorrow so you can get a 100 tonne crane in the next day for an important lift? No problem, but I want paying before we leave, and I want to see the cheque before we start. Feel free to call some other mugs if you don't like it. It's all business. Remember it works two ways. Too many arbs cream their pants at the promise of a big pay out, and many have gone under before they've got enough to pay for a pair of Calvins. PAYMENT TERMS AGREED AT QUOTATION STAGE ok? Sorry for shouting.
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If I was starting again some kind of hydraulic loader would be very, very high on my priority list. Much less so at this stage of my career. We are making good money with a Tranny/TW125 setup, focused on domestic with a good and happy client base. I reckon a good 50% of jobs are down a side alley into a back garden where a wheelbarrow will barely fit. I can't see any advantage in a machine there. Bigger jobs we team up with blokes with bigger toys. They're all great though, but I was shocked when I saw how big some of the machines actually are. They are getting on for the size of some of the tractors I drove on farms back in the day! That said- Can even the diddy little machines lift as high as a Transit bed? That's all I'd need.
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Let's get on the same page. I'm happy doing hedges that are cut with hedgecutters.. Well, as happy as I ever am. I'm not happy doing 60' 'hedges' (where the sides have never been touched) that Mr. & Mrs. Fuckwit now want turning into a 40' neatly trimmed hedge. Customer is always right? See you later, masturbator.
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Stubby every year some hero trots this old shite out, until they work in Northumbrian sleet. It's alright in this weather, but the 'I've never seen a rusty man' and 'skin is waterproof' brigade just sound like a load of tits when it's wet and near freezing. They're probably first in the van because they haven't invested in decent clobber.
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Spot on Marc. I spent many years working for a man, mainly inside stinking conifers, who saw them as a cash cow. People are sometimes amazed when they discover that a 100% reduction isn't double the cost of a 50% reduction. They only get option 1 from me anyway these days.
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More jobs like this please!
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Try Hungry Squirrel on here mate.
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Close to meeting the big man in the sky....
Mark Bolam replied to kevinjohnsonmbe's topic in General chat
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You don't look at all how I pictured you Darrin. Is the saw any good?
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That's a very relevant point Jon, as is Mick's about any hydraulic help being better than none. Have a seen a small wheeled loaded than you can fix tracks to over the wheels somewhere?
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Nice little blog that John.
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This has been done to death Mark. PLI as a subby is useless, it's not your job. If it is your job you need ELI as well, because you can't do it on your own (proper aerial tree work).
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PLI without ELI is useless for tree work.
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Actually if I won the lottery I'd have neither, because they'd be a bugger to shift between my helicopter and my yacht.
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The 'doing a lot from sitting in one place' bit sounds like my kind of dream Matthew! Much, much more versatile. But losing the fetching and carrying speed of a mini loader. If I won the lottery I'd have both.
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Bit of a typo there. Apologies, I've been driving fairly heavily.
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Has anyone got a Nextbase complete with some footage of careful, considerate drinking they would sell to me? Thanks.
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I nearly mentioned you by name in my post John, but assumed you'd be drunk at this time on a Saturday.
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I really miss those days. Oh, hang on. No I don't, at all. Tidy job, like.
