tips for starting small firewood buisness

[sarge3604]

I am 15 and looking for a way to get money this summer and i was thinking i could start a small firewood business. I have plenty of cutting experience and a stihl 034. I have 1400 bucks to start the business. any tips on things to help me get started. Like i said i have a good saw a woodsplitter truck and trailer to haul wood with. i would buy it tree length for somewhere around 100 a cord and try to sell it for 175 a cord cut split and delivered. Another local buisness sells it for 195 a cord so i think it would be fair Just looking for any tips or people in the madison maine area looking for wood

 

[zogger]

Well, shoot man, sounds like you got it figured out already! You are not a year ahead, so youll be selling green or just partially seasoned starting right now. Just make sure your customers know that. Maybe split a little smaller to speed things up? If you can load right from the splitter area and take it then, better to just handle it once, from splitter toss it right into truck/trailer.

Give honest cords, and a scosh more, and throw in some bags of splitter scrap (if you have a dog/cat, used petfood bags are handy) and small branch wood etc kindling on the house.

Make sure you got a back up saw (whatever, 50 buck CL special that runs..) and extra chains, sharpen at night. Dont overload your rig! Big repairs will wipe ya out!

Anyway, good luck!

 

[mountainmandan]

I am 15 and looking for a way to get money this summer and i was thinking i could start a small firewood business. I have plenty of cutting experience and a stihl 034. I have 1400 bucks to start the business. any tips on things to help me get started. Like i said i have a good saw a woodsplitter truck and trailer to haul wood with. i would buy it tree length for somewhere around 100 a cord and try to sell it for 175 a cord cut split and delivered. Another local buisness sells it for 195 a cord so i think it would be fair Just looking for any tips or people in the madison maine area looking for wood

Good for you.

If you already have the equipment, you are going to be paying the depreciation on your equipment. Meaning the cost of wearing stuff out. If you work really hard, you will make a little money, but not a lot. You will be gaining great experience and working hard which is good for you.

I do a small business on the side, and I like to think of it as going to a gym that pays me instead of me paying it.

Advertize smart, find a niche, show up when you say you will, and deliver a fair amount. If you are the cheapest around everyone will try to get a better deal and you will attract cheapskates and swindlers, so don't be the cheapest on the market. Follow up with thank you cards or call back old customers.

It takes a lot of space, do you have it?

You need to plan ahead, you are probably too late to have product for next winter.

I can go on, but that is good for now.

Dan

 

[sarge3604]

Well, shoot man, sounds like you got it figured out already! You are not a year ahead, so youll be selling green or just partially seasoned starting right now. Just make sure your customers know that. Maybe split a little smaller to speed things up? If you can load right from the splitter area and take it then, better to just handle it once, from splitter toss it right into truck/trailer.

Give honest cords, and a scosh more, and throw in some bags of splitter scrap (if you have a dog/cat, used petfood bags are handy) and small branch wood etc kindling on the house.

Make sure you got a back up saw (whatever, 50 buck CL special that runs..) and extra chains, sharpen at night. Dont overload your rig! Big repairs will wipe ya out!

Anyway, good luck!

I have a cheapo craftsman for a backup i think it would be fairly seasoned by next winter if i started now.

 

[GeeVee]

Under promise and over deliver

 

[D&B Mack]

When you are thinking that you are working hard, work a little harder and you will be getting close.

One of the biggest things, learn who to minimize your handling time. The less you handle, the more you can handle in the same amount of time.

 

[greendohn]

Cash on the barrel head, take NO CHECKS!

Tossed off the truck or stacked upon delivery? Make sure you and the customer know what to expect.

 

[Foragefarmer]

Read and understand the firewood laws in Maine.

Maine Department of Agriculture: Welcome

 

[TeeMan]

I am 15 and looking for a way to get money this summer and i was thinking i could start a small firewood business. I have plenty of cutting experience and a stihl 034. I have 1400 bucks to start the business. any tips on things to help me get started. Like i said i have a good saw a woodsplitter truck and trailer to haul wood with. i would buy it tree length for somewhere around 100 a cord and try to sell it for 175 a cord cut split and delivered. Another local buisness sells it for 195 a cord so i think it would be fair Just looking for any tips or people in the madison maine area looking for wood

Use craigslist to post free ads and refresh your listing so that your ad appears at the top of the searches. There is a lot of ‘traffic’ that looks at craigslist here, and I would assume in Maine as well. The “general” and “farm & garden” categories are probably your best bets. Also, post pictures of what you are selling; ads with pictures draw more looks online than those that do not. Put your preferred contact info within your ad (phone and/or email) so that they can contact you. Sometimes the generic email that craigslist uses to send to your email does not go through correctly. If you are worried about spam you can do things like firewoodguru @ gmail dot com instead of [email protected] or call 207 – Five Five Five – 1234 instead of 207-555-1234.

Good luck!

 

[Fred Wright]

An option: contact local tree service companies and ask if they'll dump unwanted wood at your place. Saves them tipping costs at the landfill and saves you from buying logs.

If space is available, stack some firewood in your yard with a sign where people can see it.

You may wish to start by selling face cords at first. A face cord is attractive to passersby - spur of the moment sales are good money. If it'll fit in a pickup truck, it'll sell on the spot.

Personally, I don't recommend offering green or unseasoned firewood at a discount. That's leaving money on the table. Let it set for a year or longer and it's worth more. If the customer has to wait a year before burning it, you can wait a year before selling it.

Good luck.

 

[sarge3604]

thanks for all the help and responses i would definitely add a little more than a cord so that people buying dont get ripped off im also thinking about buying a harbor freight electric sharpener anyone know if there any good

 

[FLHX Storm]

Be sure when you state "Seasoned" or "Seasoned Ready To Burn" that it really is. Nothing pisses off a customer more than purchasing an amount of wood that won't burn.

Know the difference in the measurements. A face ford is ONE THIRD of a cord cut at 16 inches. If your advertising a pickup truck of firewood in an 8 foot bed, thrown usually measures out to just under a half cord. Stacked on a truck with an 8 foot bed comes out to a bit over a half cord.

In my opinion, use actual measurements as in "One Third, One Half, Full" cords. New wood burners won't know what it is if you state "Face, Rick, Pickup Truck load etc. In other words make sure your customers know what they're getting. Maybe include the measurements in your adds.(One Cord = 128 cubic feet etc) In the long run they will be a return customer. And lastly, use your own pictures!

 

[FLHX Storm]

I might also suggest picking up a cheap Moisture Meter until you get used to the feel of seasoned wood. Check a few random pieces and try to keep the content between 15 and 20%. When I say check a few random pieces, I mean to resplit those pieces and check the center of each piece. For that matter, bring it with you when your making a delivery. Then have a customer choose a few pieces, then split n test each of them and show the customer the reading. It will go a long way with gaining the customers trust.

Word of mouth is a great advertiser, but the sword can swing both ways. Do a bad job, and word will get around. The same for if you do a great job at satisfying your customers.

 

[zogger]

You can also compound your investment this way. Do barter for cords (not all, I know you need cash soon), for equipment that might need a little repair, then sell that gear, or rebarter that. Work your way up that way, all barter. Trade fair, but trade up in potential.

Another thing is not sell your wood, but cut/split stack other folks logs for them on a per cord basis. I have some friends of mine are having to do that now, little older than me, the husband had a bad stroke, he really cant do anything anymore, the wife can only run the splitter, so they hired a young guy to cut their wood right off their farm using their tractor to haul it up to the house. I really dont know if they let the guy use their saw or not, I think he uses his own saw. Either way, they get their wood cheaper than buying, and the guy cutting only has a short distance to move cut rounds. Works out for them like half price for the wood over buying it local.

 

[luckydozenfarm]

I have been selling firewood here in Texas since I was 18 and I'm now 36. I know what you are going through and I made up a list of things to remember and mistakes I made..

1) Don't get hurt!! You can't sell enough firewood all year to pay to have your hand reattached.

2) I found out that people will pay almost double $285/cord in Houston if you deliver and stack it at their place. At least consider doing it in your plans.

3) Watch your costs. Fuel is our biggest cost, and learn to sharpen your own chains and work on your own equipment. A Marine's best friend in the woods is his rifle, yours is your saw. Live it, learn it, love it.

4) Never leave home to cut wood with only one saw. Get two in case you get one pinched or it won't start. And a few wedges in your tool box is always a good idea.

5) Offer to cut trees on neighbors land, free wood is free wood right?

6) Keep your firewood stacked and off the ground. Customers don't like bugs and termite nests stacked next to their house.

7) Split your greenest wood first and your driest wood last during the summer. Get the wood out in the sun and in racks as soon as you can. The sun puts a weathered look on the wood and makes it burn great.

8) Don't be a big shot and try to split up a 40" diameter log by yourself. In fact all big logs do is tear up chainsaws, log splitters and your back. The optimum size is about 24-30" anything bigger and its a lot of work and eats up your time.

I'm assuming by your post you are having timber companies bring in hardwood pulp as your product. We found out that aside from the expense, the wood was dirty from being skidded, and was of inconsistent species. They brought us a huge load of sweet gum once...not fun to split. We found that landowners nearby would pay us to cut their dead trees down and pile the braches over the stump and we kept the wood. It's a good way to keep up revenue during the off-peak summer months.

Just a few thoughts from a firewood veteran.

 

[zogger]

thanks for all the help and responses i would definitely add a little more than a cord so that people buying dont get ripped off im also thinking about buying a harbor freight electric sharpener anyone know if there any good

Never used an electric. I switched to the husky SharpForce two in one hand filer. Holds both the cutter and depth gauge files, does both with the same stroke. Works really well and is fast.

 

[TeeMan]

Be sure when you state "Seasoned" or "Seasoned Ready To Burn" that it really is. Nothing pisses off a customer more than purchasing an amount of wood that won't burn.

Know the difference in the measurements. A face ford is ONE THIRD of a cord cut at 16 inches. If your advertising a pickup truck of firewood in an 8 foot bed, thrown usually measures out to just under a half cord. Stacked on a truck with an 8 foot bed comes out to a bit over a half cord.

In my opinion, use actual measurements as in "One Third, One Half, Full" cords. New wood burners won't know what it is if you state "Face, Rick, Pickup Truck load etc. In other words make sure your customers know what they're getting. Maybe include the measurements in your adds.(One Cord = 128 cubic feet etc) In the long run they will be a return customer. And lastly, use your own pictures!

Correct...this is key. A face cord or "rick" is a stack 4' tall x 8' long. This is also referred to as "half cord" racks but that term is used roughly because as stated above, if cut into 16" long pieces, this is actually 1/3 of a full cord if you are measuring by the cu.ft (128cu.ft for a full cord).

And as stated earlier, people can carry this amount in a standard pickup. I have a 6 & 1/2 foot bed and can carry this amount just fine.

Be ready to sell different sizes because not everyone will be able to carry a full cord in one load. Also, you can charge different prices for your delivery (about 25% more at minimum up to what the market will rule out) and stacking vs. them picking it up.

Most people want seasoned or ready to burn wood as well because they don't always plan ahead for themselves to store in order to season. Seasoned wood does demand higher prices than green wood, so that’s in your favor! And also as stated, store off the ground. Pallets, cinder blocks with 2x4’s etc. just something to get it off of the ground to season while stacked after splitting.

 

[TeeMan]

thanks for all the help and responses i would definitely add a little more than a cord so that people buying dont get ripped off im also thinking about buying a harbor freight electric sharpener anyone know if there any good

There is no need for this and people should not expect to get more for free than they are paying for. Just know your market and that what product you are marketing is true to what you are selling. Example, figure out what amount it is that you want to sell, what a fair price is for your firewood, and push that.

People will not feel that they are getting "ripped off" if you are selling what it is that you are marketing and in the amounts that you are stating. Not everyone knows the firewood terms even if they have lived in an area that you assume they should (people move in and out to new areas), so using measurements such as 3 racks of 16" firewood cuts stacked 4' tall x 8' long...that is a true cord or a face cord/rick of 16” firewood cuts stacked 4' tall x 8' long…and there is no need to give them anything additional for free. That would be taking money out of your pocket.

 

[luckydozenfarm]

Teeman is right. Be upfront on what they are getting.

We cut our wood at 16-18". (just big enough for the kids to help stack and roll up some rounds to the splitter...LOL) We sell what they call here in Texas a face cord. Which to my understanding is a 16' long X 4' high X 16"-18" wide. We sell it for $285 delivered. It is a well seasoned mix of red oak, post oak, live oak, hickory, pecan, elm and white ash. I tell them that on the phone before the sale yet it never fails when I get to the place, their rack will barely hold half of that.

Have to say that only one type of person likes getting green wood. That's the Professional BBQ Smoker guys. They use seasoned oak to get the fire and temps up in the smoker and then lay on one or two fresh, green, sap-still-dripping off, sticky Pecan, Hickory, or Mesquite pieces and you can smoke out the neighborhood. Makes for some really good chicken legs and sausage..LOL

I have a few guys and they will meet me at the wood lot as I unload the logs.

 

[TeeMan]

Teeman is right. Be upfront on what they are getting.

We cut our wood at 16-18". (just big enough for the kids to help stack and roll up some rounds to the splitter...LOL) We sell what they call here in Texas a face cord. Which to my understanding is a 16' long X 4' high X 16"-18" wide. We sell it for $285 delivered. It is a well seasoned mix of red oak, post oak, live oak, hickory, pecan, elm and white ash. I tell them that on the phone before the sale yet it never fails when I get to the place, their rack will barely hold half of that.

Have to say that only one type of person likes getting green wood. That's the Professional BBQ Smoker guys. They use seasoned oak to get the fire and temps up in the smoker and then lay on one or two fresh, green, sap-still-dripping off, sticky Pecan, Hickory, or Mesquite pieces and you can smoke out the neighborhood. Makes for some really good chicken legs and sausage..LOL

I have a few guys and they will meet me at the wood lot as I unload the logs.

Exactly my point; different areas use different terminology. Most people market what you are selling luckydozenfarm (4’ x 16’) as a cord here, because they don’t state cu.ft. measures, even though it is not technically a full cord of 128cu.ft, unless the pieces are cut 24” long, it is, which is just too large for standard sized fireplaces.

A “face cord” like Storm said is commonly associated with a “rick” because it is the ‘face’ of a full cord which is three of the 4’x8’ stacks cut 16” lengths. This would be the type of measure I believe people along the NE would be used to see marketed.

The type of wood is also a big dependent on your price. Pecan demands a little higher cost than Oak. Your BBQ guys like the varying pieces, but here Oak be it live, water, red, or white is your main firewood source. Pecan is probably a close second.

Bottom line sarge3604 just be clear on what measure you are selling! Build your customer base and be reliable and you will get repeat customers.