Littletree

Cut it . I cut 15 off mine and just sealed the end so now i have a 35m rope this is ample for myself . No more stress over rope to long. The 15 m bit works well for the littletrees . Littltree:thumbup:

Hi there No I don't use expensive advertising . I find the best advertising is first of all getting your cards out then as you get the work in and they like it they tell there friends and then your cards get circulated from themselves generating you more business from there hands . The leaflet drop does work I have just finished another drop this eve . I have a map and mark off the roads I have done and I also target the houses that I can see need tree and garden care. I find the local paper does not work and is expensive . The other ways I advertise is every where I go I have a stock of cards and leaflets everyone I get chatting to then gets a little stack . If you can make conversation easily then your onto a winner with your cards and getting know . Car boot sales are great for getting your cards out as . As you start chatting to the stall holders and looking through there products or buy bits then more cards and conversation go out . I wait till there stall is quite then make my approach lots of stalls in one place = lots of chat and cards out free advertising . If you can get a rapore with the person its better then just the card on its own being dropped on its own . There is so so many ways to get your adverts out Estate agents , shops , notice boards , garden centers ,a pitch at your local car boot sale with your cards and signs, any ware where you meet people and make contact with them is another window of opportunity. as you go on then it will turn into repeat business getting you the regular ones . It will take lots of leg and donkey work on and a strong will and determination to succeed . but if you have what it takes you will succeed . Its all there for your taking and your income is your own choice . it beats being employed anyday its fun and you get the rewards for your own hard work . All the best Littltree

Hi there Sadly you are more then lightly going to loose out on that one . If you cannot confirm an appt you don't do it even if its booked a month in advance you still get hold of them before to confirm a day or so before going on the land . A year later it could of even been a new set of tenants or house owners living there . If I were you I would not bother trying and pursue the money as you may find yourself in more bother if the customer decides that he /she not invited you on to there land . Good luck with this one Littltree

From the subby climbers I have met there pay ranges from 80 to 100 for self employed for good climbers Sometimes a good way round it is if you think the company is going to use you a fair bit ,is suggest to the company that you do a trial day for them and then negotiate a day rate when you have finished the day. they and you will feel less pressured and you can show them how good you are that way you its lightly you will end up with a bit more if they have liked what you had done and met or exceeded there expectations of you . . If your trial day does not go well and you or they are not happy then you have only lost a day and you can move on . All the best Littletree:thumbup:

Going self employed was the best thing I have ever done and I have never looked back . I was employed for years in the same old boring jobs . now I make my own future and get the proceeds for it . There is never a dull moment when you are self employed it keeps you on your toes . You have to be very proactive in your approach constantly looking for new opportunities that will open new doors or create repeat business .Its a completely different mindset to being employed with a regular job and salary. you will work harder by far being self employed as its your bread and butter . If you are a very positive person with a drive to succeed and prepared to work hard then the self employment is a great way forward in your chosen profession . Don't just limit yourself just to climbing only somtimes grounding can get you extra days and then turn into climbing later . you will be amazed at how much more money you can make just by doing the other stuff too. In a day I can make the same money as a good climber just doing hedge trimming and strimming and cutting the grass ,My job for today was cutting down overturned trees that had sat there in there up turned state for over 20 years. my work is really varied so its nice. I wish you all the best and good luck Littletree:thumbup:

I recomend Rob Blake at Blake Training down in Middlezoy near Bridgewater He is a top chap he provides excellent training and has very good people skills and has an excellent training facility all on site. Training in Food Hygiene and Arboriculture - Blake Training He is well worth the drive to get there I did most of mine with him and if I do anymore would use him again . Good luck Littletree:thumbup:

Yes very much so ,Taking time out for others is one hardiest skills in this life for people to learn . Those who can master this skill will go a long way the more you listen to someone and show your interest in them the more the person will warm to you . its amazing how many new opportunities and doors can be opened up just with this simple skill lone. Littletree:001_smile:

Well done Well done its the best feeling ever . Good luck with the future, you will have many happy years of climbing and cutting ahead of you .I hope you are working for a good company that will encourage and help you develop your new found skills . All the best Littletree:thumbup:

Sometimes its not just the tree and garden services you are providing .Ssome customers can just be lonely and need someone to talk to as well as the tree . yes you are doing there tree garden for them but other personal people skills are regularly required as part of the job. For me most of my customers I do on a day rate so if they keep me chatting to long well its back for another day later. If I am doing a job on a price I just send them in to make some more tea that gives me time to escape up the tree out of chatting distance .I also if I am on price I always plan in a bit of leeway on the time factor to allow for things that might hold me up along the path. If you give them a little of your time to and make them feel that you are interested in what they are saying even though it may be boring then you can be sure that your cards will spread by there hands and bring you in more customers later on. Littltree:thumbup:

To add to the stroy .Well diffinatly the land owner for the chop the land owner new that the trees had the TPOs on He put poor Johnie in a postiton he would of found very difficult to refuse. Littletree:thumbup:

We have had wall to wall sunshine too down in sunny Somerset . My job for today was in a lovely spot in a beautiful wood with a little cottage at the bottom . nice job first off strimming all the grass then felling and cutting up small trees for the rest of the day . Even better the lady brings me out tea ,sandwiches and chocolate Cake every time I work for her . Litterer:thumbup:

I will be there running up those 80 poles Littletree.

Wow thats really really beautiful work . A real top Job well done be very proud of it . You will keep that customer for ever and ever I bet they just love it.:thumbup: . On Friday I did my first ever bigger hedge it was 15 meters long in a beautiful garden . Up to now I had only ever done tiny hedges so I had my first chance of a longer one it turned out really very well, its a wonderfully feeling when you have finished it and the customer comes out and love what you have done and there face brakes into a big smile it is just the best feeling in the world . Through doing this this one I have now been given by the same customer a full week of work all next week on there different Stites across the south west so am just delighted . Littletree:biggrin:

Hi I love mine.I have had it a few days now with a clear visor. it fits my head well and its in cool hi vis . The ear defenders to start with were difficult to snap down into place but now I have th hang of it its great I am delighted with it . I had a petzl helmet before but it never sat well on my head and flopped about even with the small size so for me its money well spent. Littletree

Take every opportunity you can get your teeth into . you will still be dragging as I do but the more you drag the more chance you get to go up the trees . Take your climbing kit with everywhere even if they say theres no climbing to be done don't believe it just get it on the truck somehow . as when its lunch time then you can hop out with your kit straight up the tree for a climb do this ever day and thats another 5 climbs you have got under your belt even without any saws. To start with they will start off by letting you have goes with the silky even with your new 39 tickets but don't worry or be put off it will all come in time and it will soon be a 20 in your hand a bit later. Like a dog with a bone never give up keep on digging your keenness will pay off and you sure will get up the trees in the end. Offer to go up all the ones the lads dont want to do .O how i love the Ivy it gets me climbing and feet of the floor. like with myself your tickets are just the first little rung on the ladder a bit like passing your driving test but it will all be worth it later on as your ability grows over time and you skills build up Littltree:thumbup:

Good luck and enjoy it . The assessment is fun to I had a huge smile on my face the whole way through and the examiner was a nice chap to with a big smile on his . I got a bit stuck on the standing stem as no spikes are used in 39 but he let me have a good couple of goes at it to get it right and a few mins later it all went right and it was on the the next cut . I was just so pleased when I finished it and came out with my paper it will be one of your best days ever. Tips Just take your time and cut small chunks for your hand helds taking time with the cuts so it does not brake off before you want it to . They like to see careful handling of your saw from on the ground to finishing up . I slowed my hands down so he could clearly see what I was doing before and after every cut and before moving my positions and he could see me applying the chain brake at the right times this worked well and he liked it . good luck All the best Littletree:thumbup:

Hi there the main thing is to Enjoy and Enjoy it I loved every minute of my test .Out of all the NPTCs so far this one is the FUN one . I a great examiner too he was a jolly chap that put you at ease before you did each bit so that made it really nice .I was a bit scared on the rescues as these were new for me learn in a few days. but all was well I just took my time with it . They will ask you to demonstrate the 3 knot system but you don't have to climb on it if you don't want to they will just ask you to show it works then you can climb on your normal system if you want to . I did this I had to indent 10 tree so just concentrate on those for the assessment . In the training we had the same sheet of trees and pictures as person testing us on the day .The sheet of trees you get to learn will be the same on the test just without the names by them so don't worry just get your friends to test each other and all will be well . Have a good read over the questions but again these will be asked in context to what you are doing at the time so they may ask you what might you need to look out for before you start to climb your tree ,its lightly you will be standing at the tree you are going to climb and have been there all week so it makes it easy for you to point out all the things to the examiner. A similar format is lightly to happen for most of the questions . If a question is not in context and you are struggling just walk over on your site to where your question becomes into context then you can answer on a visual ques. The new Pole rescue is wicked fun and not difficult to do just take your time and place the spikes carefully this was the best bit of the test for me Good luck and don't worry All the best Littletree:thumbup:.

Thats really mean some one must really hate trees . there are some sick people about . Littletree

Yes you are dead right one of the chaps that was chopping this weekend had the it through his foot but lucky it was not to serious and he his toes stayed all in one place he was up chopping again later that day after he had been patched up so it all came out good for him . I will get some pics the next time I get to chop . I really enjoyed it and have decided to take it up I was a bit nervous with the first few blows as its very close to the feet but I got all the way through my log OK and loved it just got to get hold of some chain mail for my feet Littletree:thumbup:

HI guys I am keen to get hold of some chain mail sox ?? .I am just starting out and want to keep all my toes attached . Also If there is any Axemen local to Somerset I would be quite keen to meet up and get some practice in Many Thanks Littletree:thumbup:

HI there if you come along to the next show at Newbury in sept you can come and have a go, for this you don't need anything as it will all be provided for you this way you can decided if you like it before you go and buy anything . If you are doing tree work already then just bring your working harness helmet and side spikes are fine for starters . a strop can be made or you will be able to borrow one no problems .most people are happy to lend there strops out to one another . The strops for pole climbing racing are different to normal working strops . hope this helps Littletree:thumbup:

Well as far as I can see its Pembrokeshire County show on 17th 18th 19th Aug . I belive they might have poles but not compleatly sure as when I was chatting to Andrew the orgniser of the RWS he did say there was one in Aug in Pembroke with poles but just as a demos not comps as such but he did not confirme dates with me so did some looking up and this is what I found but could find nothing on there about poles on the showground so will start doing some more digging. Littletree:thumbup: Showground

Yes it was so so close at Yorkshire it was fun all the way to the top . so pleased your toe spikes are coming along you will have amazing times in them . Geroge did wonders on the 100 footers excellent stuff . Looking forward to the APF its going to be a real run for it this time . My last climb against the welsh champ on handicap section I worked so so hard to get to that bell first I could here him coming up fast as light on the other pole . and was not sure if I was going to do it even with the big handycap .but I went like there was fire under my feet and went for it as hard as I could pull . I and just got it first it was very close but was just delighted it got me first place and some good prize money I want to get my times down to the 14s so have got a months hard training to go get what I want . You would of loved these 100 footers they are better then the 80s by far my big new strop I made was perfect for them . One pole was much fatter then the other but I like that pole better i had better times on it. I belive there is 80s at the Pembroke show in Aug so may be going to that but its not a comp just a demo but more climbs the better . See you at the APF Littletree:thumbup:

Hi there Its the best fun ever .I got into it last year at Newbury and I am now completely dedicated to it . Getting up the pole is not hard work if you have a OK level of fitness the harder you train the easier it becomes. Your time getting to the top drops very quickly only after a very few climbs . you can be starting at 2 minuets and be down to 30 seconds within one 3 day climbing event.. As you go with it you can then choose to take it to the next level if you want to . To get good at it and hit really impressive time you need to climb at every show possible and keep your fitness up . Littletree:thumbup:

Yep Stephen is dead right lads . Go out and get it the jobs are there waiting for you . Chatting to everyone you come into contact with will bring you in work for sure . This is what I do and it works .it may not be masses to start with but I can promise you it Will get you some jobs . The best part is you get to choose your job to your own level of ability and you yourself get to do the fun bit of it . I never miss an opportunity my cards are allway at the ready . I do the strimming and all the jobs no one else would want . I like the bushes and the Ivy and the smaller tree stuff and Clarence type work for me its fun and I really enjoy what comes in . .I don't have a chipper or truck getting rid of the brash has never been a problem to me yet hippo bags or burning it works just fine for when you are starting out . To top your private work you can ring round all your local tree company's and and ask for the odd days as self employed keep ringing and ringing it does work persistence pays off . Even if they don't have any days right away you can be sure they will later so leaving your number with them you can get short notice jobs if one of there lads goes sick or needs holls you can suggest this to them in your conversation with them . Make a list of the ones you have rang and then ring them every moth or 6 weeks give them your number again as they may of lost it . At worse all they can do is tell you to go away or give you a day to shut you up . As the winter gets closer the work will be more available with these company's as they tend to employ more lads and lasses from Oct to April . This site too is excellent and you will find work here , sometimes you may need to travel and take a tent with you but you will get some work on here if you keep looking and are happy to travel there tends to be short notice work that comes up on here once you have worked for one if they like you they will give you more . I have found even being new to this being self employed is the best choice I have ever made . I also don't limit myself just to tree work I do any-other self employed work that I can get so it may be private cleaning jobs to house sitting .The other day I landed my self a job for a day on a Farm as he was short of a farm hand it was great fun I was up to my neck in pig Pooh but it was paying good money so went home smiling ear to ear and very happy with the proceeds . Keep positive and remember every door is a new opportunity you have to be willing to really apply yourselves to seek it out if you do you will be rewarded for your own efforts and not go hungry . All the best and good luck Littletree.