SimpleSimon

Hi folks, After a little advice from those who have gone before and probably know the industry better than I do. At the moment I'm relying mostly on subbie work as a groundsman, also the odd bit of one-off tractor driving etc. I'm looking to reduce my reliance on subbie work a little and try to get some more of "my own" jobs so that I can more properly be my own boss. My idea, so far, is to invest in a decent all-round saw and a good, powerful brushcutter, and market myself towards rural property owners who may have large gardens, smallholdings, small woodlands etc. People who have neglected areas on their land or wanting to harvest and process some of their own firewood, get rid of the odd fallen tree, etc. but don't necessarily need a "proper" arb team in. It wouldn't need to be a full time job, as I can still subbie, but would need to make enough to justify the purchase of the kit and hopefully lead to enough work that I don't need to subbie so much. Any thoughts or advice on marketing, which kit to get, good idea/bad idea, etc would be welcome.

So if I understand correctly, I need to miss a day's work and fork out some cash to do a course, so that I can get a card that certifies me as being less qualified than I actually am for the tasks I'll be doing? Grand ? ?

Hi folks, I've been asked twice in the space of this week by employers/clients if I have a CSCS card. Which I don't. I have been on the CSCS website and done their "card finder" to try and see which one I should be applying for, but searching for any type of arb/chainsaw job title says I now need a LISS card, not CSCS. Is this correct or is there another way of obtaining CSCS, or are people just using outdated terms and they actually want me to have LISS. I have never worked on sites before so the whole card scheme thing is alien to me.

Here is the questionnaire you mentioned Check employment status for tax - GOV.UK WWW.GOV.UK Use this service to find out if you, or a worker on a specific... It's not entirely black and white, but it does help.

Sounds to me like the fella had a perfect opportunity there. I'd love to get £12 an hour, employed, and the chance to take or leave as much work as I wanted.

Really I'd like a 550xp or possibly a 555, I'd have a saw for life, a history I could be sure of, and long-term I'm sure it would pay for itself. But short term I'll struggle to justify it when I have vehicle repairs, home improvements, credit card bills, etc also competing for my cash ?

Hi folks, I'm looking to buy a saw for use around the farm where I work (logging up firewood, the odd bit of felling, sorting our any storm damage, etc, etc) and maybe for contracting a few similar "odd jobs". Much as I'd love to splash out on a new Husky, I don't think it'll pay for itself from the work I'll give it, so I'm looking at second hand options. I've got my eye on a Stihl 260 and/or also a 251. The 251 is obviously newer and seems to have had very little use, but is (maybe?) an inferior saw. The 260 is older but doesn't look to have had a particularly hard life and the seller has owned it from new and claims to have looked after it. Anything I should be aware of or pay close attention to when buying used, in particular these models? Both are sub-£200. Does that sound about right? Any input appreciated.

I am looking for any opportunities for ad-hoc or part time work as a groundsman in the Worcestershire area, over the next couple of months. I am already doing one or two days a week with another firm, and looking to fill the rest of my time having finished a contract elsewhere (in an unrelated sector). I am a fit and able, mature and have CS30/31 and relevant PPE. Full driving licence, also experienced with tractors and telehandlers if your jobs are big ones! I have done a limited amount of forestry cutting as well, enough to grasp the basics of the job. Contact on here please, or email [email protected] if you can offer anything.

Larsen trap ?

You need a combined approach for best results. Fenn traps, get a few and check them regularly. Place inside a "tunnel" to avoid trapping birds, etc. Shooting. A sub-legal-limit air rifle is plenty to kill a squirrel humanely, although it will need some practice. Bait stations with a shooting position a known distance away will help, as air rifles can have quite a "loopy" trajectory. Otherwise, as somebody suggested, get somebody to visit regularly and do it for you, people will line up to do it for free! Destroy their drays. This is done most easily with a shotgun and some reasonably heavy loads. Get the same shooter as above to do it. You will get them coming in from outside your patch, of course, but ongoing control is better than nothing.

Countless muppets on the motorway who sit in the middle lane and go as fast as possible/as slow as necessary (dictated by what's in front of them) without ever changing to lane 1 or 3.

Nobody will work hard for 60 quid, especially not away from home. You can earn that doing anything anywhere, where's the incentive? If I were employing people I'd be offering just a bit more than I really thought they were worth, and I'd let them know it. Who will work harder for you, the lad who thinks you're paying him peanuts so you can pocket the rest, or the lad who feels like he's robbing you if he doesn't put the effort in?

Just paid 120 for a pair including delivery and they seem brilliant. Can't comment too much as I've only worn them for a day, but the comfort and ease of movement are great and they feel well made.

I'm in Stourport, but don't mind a bit of a drive if needs be. Thank you!

Short to mid term I'd be looking to work under somebody (or several somebodies), longer term maybe take on a full management role, but I don't have the know how for that just now.

Hi all Having recently done my CS30/31 course, done some reading and talked to some people, I'm thinking that I'd prefer working in the woods to working in people's gardens. How does one find and secure opportunities to work in forestry/woodland management as a hand cutter? Presumably I'd do well to look into further saw tickets (larger trees and windblown). Is there anything else that might be useful? How do I get around the old catch 22 of not being able to gain experience without work, and not getting work without having experience?

Yes I am, do you have something for me?

Just a bump. Maybe someone needs a hand or has a small scale job they'd sub out? It needn't be regular, I have other work covering my bills (mostly!)

Hello all, As per the title, I'm looking for opportunities to work in forestry. I have NPTC CS30/31, first aid, manual handling, all my own kit and vehicle. I'm registered self employed and although I have no experience with trees beyond my NPTC course, I'm quick to learn and can be trusted to take the initiative. I have some experience with tractors and telehandler. Based in Worcestershire but will happily travel within a reasonable distance/time.

Thanks for that, I was just curious really. I've been working for a bloke recently who runs a big one on a tractor and I got to thinking about how he/I would manage if the terrain was worse, access smaller, or if we wanted to work further from base and tow a machine behind the pickup rather than driving the tractor all the way to the job.

Forgive me if there's already a mention of this somewhere, it's a long thread! Has anybody used the bigger multione/avant etc. to run a "dropping hammer" type fence post driver?

I will be working primarily for one contractor, but he will not have exclusivity over me and I will dictate when I'm available and what I will or won't do. The HMRC interactive tool suggested that I should/could be self employed, which will suit me and my customer better. I was offered employment if I wanted it, but in this case it gives both of us flexibility and isn't in violation of any rules.

Sorry to hear that, this is exactly the type of thing I was hoping to insure against. Not as drastic as terminal illness, permanent disability, loss of limbs, etc but something that might cause me to be unable to work for a sustained period of time before I'm better.

Hi all, I'm about to start doing some self employed work for an agricultural contractor, casual basis at first but hopefully increasing to overtake my "day job". If/when it becomes my primary income, I'll need to look into some sort of insurance to cover sickness, injury, etc. causing me to lose work. What do others have in place, what sort of cost, and is it an allowable expense for tax? I'm new to self employment in general.

So, as a total novice to such things I have to ask: What went wrong? Did he do or fail to do something that caused that to happen or was it just misfortune?