MarkG

Is there anyone in the Scunthorpe/Doncaster area who hires a firewood processor with operator, or would travel to this area? Prices needed to cut artic lorry load of cord wood 2/3m lengths about 300m diam. How long will it take roughly? Thanks Mark

I agree with all the comments. Last year we sold builders sacks, (not a cubic metre!), at £25 wholesale plus delivery and a £5 deposit on bag, about 55 went. Orders are slower this year, we had repeat business through the season last year so people weren't put off by the wood. We also sold white woven bags weighing about 30kg wholesale was £10 last year and sold 150 to one store. They have just reordered 20 bags. Its a good product for profit but I want to get into a bit bigger volumes. Tomorrow we are calling all the customers we supplied to last year. We just bagged and sold the wood before without giving much thought as to what product we would specialise in, i.e. kindling or sell it as it is. We also didn't measure volume of wood or timing how long processes take to sort or fill bags. We need to do this now to get the most value out of the wood we get hense market research is needed leading me on to my final question - honest - do any of you pack kindling into small plastic bags weighing approx 1.5kg? The likes of Londis and corner shops seem to like them more and I would think more profit to be made being a smaller bag?

Thanks for the input everyone. We were given the opportunity last year to take this waste wood and sold all we had. It was totally experimental and wanted something to fill in during the winter. As I want to make a business out of this I have to pick the right product to focus on and make it work. I'm keen to make kindling out of what we get, there isn't anyone right on my doorstep doing it. I do wonder if too many people might be looking into producing kindling. What do you think about the supply/demand for this season so far?

The pile on the right is made up of off cuts between just over 6" up to about 8"/9". I've tried to look for customers to buy woodchip but can't drop on any yet. It's a good possible outlet but just need to do more legwork in that area to find some really. Sorry, I shouldn't have put logs. I have advertised it as firewood and do explain to people what it is when they call.

We've been taking joiners waste in for a while now, bagging it as logs and kindling some. Its kiln dried softwood. Some people turn their nose up at it, as I thought they would, because it's planed and also being softwood instead of a nice real log. I'm just undecided whether to make all of it into kindling and focus on that or keep bagging it and take some criticism on the phone when I tell people what it is. Just want some thoughts really.

We quote for grass cutting by pricing from 1st week in March to end of October/early November. It works out at about 19 cuts per year. The quote will show price per cut so that if they need more visits, usually May to end of June goes to weekly cuts, they know how much extra they will have to pay. A lot of our customers pay by standing order over 12months. It's worked well for us over the last 7 years.

As Stephen Blair said you can claim from 3 years ago. We registered for VAT 3 years after starting our company, we weren't near the VAT threshold, just so that we could claim all the VAT back on fixed assets - machinery, vehicles, etc. You might find a nice suprise with your first VAT return - the VAT man has to pay you back! Good to hear you are doing well anyway!

You need to get Kashflow accountancy software. They sent an email 2 weeks ago asking if we wanted them to update our system automatically. All I've had to do is click on accept and it should be all done when we go to the office in the morning. Hmm, we will see.

Know what you mean about satisfying. We plant hedgerows, (When it's not too frosty), and get loads of thorns every week. Would be at the docs more than planting, and besides the missus loves getting the needle out and having a good prodle! Bit sadistic. Pyrancanthas are fierce but REALLY satisfying to get out, the long thorn squeezes out lovely. Weird I know

Hipocrit is not the right word really. It just seems that reading between the lines that you're on the other side of the fence now and ridiculing the hunting fraternaty for what you have done/seen. Like Cousin Jack said there are bad apples in every barrel. Things may never change, I don't agree with the things that you've seen/done but I'm not sure what the answer is to stopping it is I'm sure it's not banning hunting though. As far as 'in balance' I meant that crows and magpies are taking over around here and need controlling to give other game/song birds a chance to thrive. Hare is game and not vermin.

people that don't go shooting or support hunting etc dont understand the respect that we give to an animal or bird. Vermin needs to be controlled. People think everything has a right to live - it does but it has to be in balance. I don't want anything to become extinct but the amount of crows and magpies around us is growing rapidly and does need to be addressed but these birds are clever and more difficult to outwit, unlike the easier target in comparison to the partridge or pheasant on a drive. I haven't been shooting for quite a few years but i will not give up my shotgun certificate as I'm determined to start again. I do like to shoot the odd woodpigeon that visit my cabbages though. The breasts fried quickly with salad leaves that he was probably going to have a go at after the cabbages is wonderful. Even got my near townie partner jumping up and shouting "There's a pigeon in the veg can you shoot it?" mission acomplished!

I wasn't going to post anything on here but I have to get it off my chest now. When I saw the title I thought it might get a bit of a debate going, not as bad as I'd thought though. It makes my blood boil to hear people shouting about stopping this and that - mainly townies that want to live in the countryside but not live the country way. Arborist sounds like a hipocrit, been and done it but wants to stop other people trying it for themselves and making their own mind up. Banning hunting was the worst thing for the fox. Now you'll get an old farmer having a go at shooting a fox and probably mameing it and suffering a much slower and traumatic death than with the hounds. One good thing with the hounds at least you know it will be dead. It was the same banning hand guns - gun crime is on the rise all the time. Labour had no idea how to deal with rural issues - foot and mouth - another one.

Hi Scottie Are you from Thorner near Wetherby? We've done quite a bit of landscaping work around there.

I've got 3 guys on fulltime pay. We haven't worked all week. I don't pay overtime though so it works both ways for all of us. The guys like to know that they will be getting the same wage every week for mortgages etc. They get minimum holiday days but I give them a paid day extra off to Lincolnshire show and pay for tickets for them and their wives. I'm thinking of giving them a day off for their birthdays aswell. Sometimes it's worth more than a financial bonus.

Evening. Could you send me the details please email - [email protected]