SlimJim1983
ArboristSite Lurker
Hick -
I have been doing this on the side for a little while and have learned a few lessons along the way. Use the knowledge if you want, call me stoopit and go on down the road if you want.
#1 - know your limitations. If the job is too big, don't be nervous to tell a client you can't do it. I will not do anything close to a power line or anything big really close to a house. It's just too much risk for a new, small operation like myself. I can replace fences, sheds, even repair damage to cars, but if you drop 500 lbs of wood on a roof, your business just went with it.
#2 - in a similar note, don't be afraid to rent equipment and cut into your margins to learn and do the job safely. I recently took out a big elm tree overhanging three different fences and a shed. To make my life a lot easier and the job safer, I rented a knuckle boom. Did it cut into my profit? Yes. Did it make that job a whole lot easier? Absolutely. I'm not sure I could have done it without it. $1000 profit and a job well done with a satisfied customer is better than a potential $1500 profit, a job that takes too long, a mad customer, and then having to replace a fence after a whoopsie because you were above your skill level.
#3 - have a decent ground guy. Especially on pruning, he is the one calling the shots. I use my dad. Once I get in the tree, I'm worried about not killing myself or destroying property. He has a vantage point I do not have. He stands on the ground with a laser pointer and tells me which ones to cut. He also directs the other guys down there so I can focus on getting in position safely to make the next two or three cuts
#4 - on that note, the Notch Backbone or other, similar knotless rigging system is amazing. I wouldn't drop big trunk pieces with it, but your groundies don't have to learn your knots and you don't have to tie them. A great piece of equipment
#5 - stay hydrated and safe
Those are just a few of the things I have learned. There are many more, but those can make life a lot easier in the beginning.
I have been doing this on the side for a little while and have learned a few lessons along the way. Use the knowledge if you want, call me stoopit and go on down the road if you want.
#1 - know your limitations. If the job is too big, don't be nervous to tell a client you can't do it. I will not do anything close to a power line or anything big really close to a house. It's just too much risk for a new, small operation like myself. I can replace fences, sheds, even repair damage to cars, but if you drop 500 lbs of wood on a roof, your business just went with it.
#2 - in a similar note, don't be afraid to rent equipment and cut into your margins to learn and do the job safely. I recently took out a big elm tree overhanging three different fences and a shed. To make my life a lot easier and the job safer, I rented a knuckle boom. Did it cut into my profit? Yes. Did it make that job a whole lot easier? Absolutely. I'm not sure I could have done it without it. $1000 profit and a job well done with a satisfied customer is better than a potential $1500 profit, a job that takes too long, a mad customer, and then having to replace a fence after a whoopsie because you were above your skill level.
#3 - have a decent ground guy. Especially on pruning, he is the one calling the shots. I use my dad. Once I get in the tree, I'm worried about not killing myself or destroying property. He has a vantage point I do not have. He stands on the ground with a laser pointer and tells me which ones to cut. He also directs the other guys down there so I can focus on getting in position safely to make the next two or three cuts
#4 - on that note, the Notch Backbone or other, similar knotless rigging system is amazing. I wouldn't drop big trunk pieces with it, but your groundies don't have to learn your knots and you don't have to tie them. A great piece of equipment
#5 - stay hydrated and safe
Those are just a few of the things I have learned. There are many more, but those can make life a lot easier in the beginning.
