09 good time to start a business?

[lxt]

1st off whats your level of exp., cause if you are another "I dont wanna work for a company & start at the bottom type" then you will surely fail!!

2nd, I do the opposite of everyone else, when guys are growing their biz...Im down sizing, when their downsizing Im growing!! works very well for me!! I have managed to save alot of $$ due to the fact I downsized when everyone else was growing!

So now all the equipment that they cant afford which is 1-2yrs old is being sold at wonderful prices & I dont need a loan, so now Ill be more productive than I was, thus If need be to slash prices I can cause the job will be completed faster...less labor = less expense = more work......I hope!!!


LXT..........

 

[jrizman]

I think it comes down to whats been mentioned already, working your ass off for not much right now.

I think everyone got too greedy, thats why the whole economy is crap. Bankers, lenders, finance, dealers, everyone, including tree companys. I see all these people picking up brand new rigs every few years cause they "need" it. Granted shop time costs, but there are plenty of used rigs in mint condition that could be used to generate revenue. Look at all the stupid bells and whistles on a new pickup truck, i dont wanna spend money on a heated cup holder damnit!

Anyway, I work on the side, labor all week and harder labor all weekend. Its not fun, but I keep telling myself that I will look back someday and know it was worth it even though I can barely walk at the end of a few weeks of 8+ hr days. (im sitting here now cause i worked all day and then plowed snow all night, so I needed some sleep).

I do think however that pulling through with quality dependable work at this junction will pay off later. I am setting up so that I can be ready for the recovery, as history shows us, itll happen. Also, you need to be innovative, doing things the same good ole boy way is what got us here anyway. Its time to advance your thinking and put yourself out there (not too far). Ive got several ideas that Im hoping I can implement in the next few years (my younger years things were great, I was impatient, but it was 'okay' then, not anymore).

Sorry for the long post, but thats how i feel!

 

[newbym]

1st off whats your level of exp., cause if you are another "I dont wanna work for a company & start at the bottom type" then you will surely fail!

LXT..........

No, I started at the bottom, bought my own gear with the $2000 that my dear grandpa left me, worked my way up through ISA CTW to Cert. Arb. and have been the lead climber/foreman of the past two companies I've worked for. I just have a different management style than my latest boss, and there just wasn't consistent enough work at the one before that. I'm looking at moving into a different town (I like my boss enough that I don't feel like starting a war with him for work) which I have researched the demographics of for that past couple of months and which I feel is lacking in ISA representation (read: it looks as if there's nothing but hacks working there). I just figured that the more knowledge I can glean from this place before making the jump, the better.

 

[outofmytree]

Hi Newbym. It seems as though you have your heart set on a new business so I won't try to convince you otherwise.

Stay working untill you have cleared that existing debt. In the meantime, there is no reason why you cannot shop around for the equipment you need when people with too much debt are forced to the wall. Believe me, there will be plenty of businesses that go under. It may be callous, but the best time to buy gear, is when someone MUST sell it.

Along the way, can you subcontract work from your existing employer? Maybe some ugly chipping/amenity pruning that he doesnt want to do? I agree that relocating may be wise to avoid conflict but that doesnt mean you can't talk it out with him first. If my number 1 guy wanted to do his own thing I would think long and hard about having him run a second truck for me and take a slice of the action.

Whichever way you go, best of luck.

 

[masterarbor]

Stay at your job and do weekend work. Spend every dollar you earn from weekend work on new equipment. In the meantime study marketing and business on the web at night. In a year you will be better equipped for the challenge. My gut feeling is that we are really going to be fighting over every scrap this year.

Good Luck
Kevin