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The big problem with your post is; number one will cut almost any
small operator out of business immediate and illegitimate is code
for not wealthy!
ropen this is not so; you are legit and he said "proper" coverage. I agree wiht you that unrequired wc is not a proper investment to make, only needed here if you have 3 fulltime workers so not for us little guys. good point but let's stay on the big picture here. :)
 
The second leg is arboriculture knowledge.

Aboriculture knowledge is #1 as I see it. Should a human doctor treat a patient before first administering an examination to determine condition and health? Arboriculture should be no different.

Learn about your patients first and then apply all that other stuff you're reading and asking about. Too many people in our industry focus on the 'how' without giving much regard to the 'why'. The 'why' of tree care is much more important than the 'how' unless all you plan to do is removals. Even then, knowing the biology of a specimen and how to properly assess its condition is vital if a removal is to go as planned.
 
Workers' Comp. Ins is mandatory for all employees. In some states it is optional for owners. A disability insurance policy is another option for owners. This was recommended to me by an experienced climber trainer that only prunes. His likelihood of an injury is lower based on much skill and few removals. For a new climber, the risks are much, much greater. As well, this only covers his disability, possibly not medical bills.

I have this option, but I still opt for WC for myself, even though I try to be super-safe. In WA state, WC is run though the state. Its based hourly, not as a percentage of payroll, which I've heard usually runs between 31-41%. Easy for me to just pay this rate of about $2.25/ hour. For my other climber, paid at $22.50/ hour, this is only 10%, so relatively painless, though most places WC would be more like $8/ hour. As you might increase size over time and hire an employee, you need to factor this in.

If you are reinvesting a lot into the business, you may be paying yourself a small paycheck, at least at first, so your workers' comp coverage MAY be relatively cheap at first. Sounds like you're interested in getting a partnership. You will need to be sure how Worker's comp will work in CO. Get many quotes and read the fine print from different insurance companies.


Equipment versus labor:
Machines need insurance, and maintenance, after the initial purchase price, so factoring this equipment cost versus labor cost may become important. For example, if you need to load and unload a trailer of firewood from a job, having a small tractor that you load firewood with, or a log arch at least, will reduce you need for labor, as will a dump trailer. A big expense of front, but may or may not pay off over time, as you will cut your labor and WC expenses.

Firewood: Not such a profitable thing, especially if you are legit and non-automated. Sounds like most firewood people make out better by volume and use of equipment versus hand-loading, unloading, splitting, stacking, hand loading for delivery after seasoning it (or you can sell it cheaper as green wood for the next season), then hand unloading. Lots of work, and strain on the body, for small return. Of course if you have a bunch of time on your hands while getting started, a small return may be better than none, providing that it isn't taking way from your business development time.

Also, since beetles are such a problem (mountain pine bettles, maybe???), storing firewood without removing the bark (I think that this is a recommended measure) might become a problem. You'll be concentrating beetles at your wood pile, exposing your trees to greater risk, and your neighbors, which could of course bring a lawsuit. I don't know if this is a problem or not, but I'd check into it. Removing all the bark off of beetle-killed trees sounds bad, off green wood, even worse.

I don't want to discourage you, just offer some heads-up to some pitfalls, so that they may be considered and avoided.
 
Aboriculture knowledge is #1 as I see it. Should a human doctor treat a patient before first administering an examination to determine condition and health? Arboriculture should be no different.

Learn about your patients first and then apply all that other stuff you're reading and asking about. Too many people in our industry focus on the 'how' without giving much regard to the 'why'. The 'why' of tree care is much more important than the 'how' unless all you plan to do is removals. Even then, knowing the biology of a specimen and how to properly assess its condition is vital if a removal is to go as planned.

Absolutely- I agree. I only listed business operations as the first leg not because of its order of importance, but because it seems to be the hardest leg to get into place and maintain. Both arboriculture knowledge, and business operation are vitally important to success. These are the two main issues that keep the tree care industry in the dump concerning the public viewing us as a professional industry and compensating us properly. How often do we see- “low bid wins.” The low bid usually comes from someone who is cutting corners. I had a potential client ask me last week, what was with our industry. He had received bids all over the board, some twice as high as others. I had to explain to him that the only requirement to be a tree service was the truck, chain saw, Rottweiler, and half the number of required teeth. I’m advocating for a level playing field.

We have people dying out there trying to do what we do as professionals. We as an industry need to wake up here pretty fast or OSHA is coming down. The whole industry would benefit if we would start to police ourselves, standardize, regulate, and stop turning a blind eye on the problems we face from illegitimate tree work.

Here is a quote I use quite often, “there are a lot of people who do what we do, there are fewer who understand why they do what they are doing.” This is in reference to arboriculture knowledge.
 
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Post #18 durango, somewhere in all this gear andbiz considerations should be learning about trees so you can care for them intelligently.

Couldn't agree more. That's why I said it back in Post 12, but it is important enough to warrant repeating.

Post #12
But do not overlook tree biology. Understanding trees and all their aspects, above and below ground, and how they interact with their environment is one of the most important things you will ever learn.

Dave
 
Couldn't agree more. That's why I said it back in Post 12, but it is important enough to warrant repeating.


I had already decided to take that approach. Needless to say I am a pretty meticulous person and when I do something, I do it ALL THE WAY. I love to read so I have been trying to find books. Any recommendations for learning the science of trees?
 
The book I mentioned above by Harris, et al, Arboriculture, Integrated Mgt, goes somewhat beyond the basics and is broad-based on the industry in general not just biology but is fairly readable.

Anything by Dr. Shigo.

Gilman's works are also highly recommended.

Consider joining ISA which will provide you with two publications: The Arborist News and their scientific journal Arboriculture & Urban Forestry. These are current resources with ongoing research.

Just a start...

Dave
 
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