Backwards insurance / economy

[I can do it]

I am just starting a business. I have not sold one job. For a month now I have been filing all the paper work, getting insurance quotes, jumping through all the hoops. I been working with one agent now for about three weeks and still have not gotten a quote. It's rediculous.

I got back today a quote for WC. It was through the roof, I applied for one PT groundmans salary only but they included mine as well. I originally told them I was to to be exempt since I do not need coverage for my self since I am an officer of the company but they still quoted it that way.

I hope to get out there and do some work by the middle of June. I been paying out sums of money and not one dime coming in yet because I want to do this right and not be a hipocrit because I am always getting after a close friend who does not carry any insurance what so ever.

I was happy to hear my WC was quoted at 27.81 on the hundred.

I still have a few ducks to line up before the insurance quote gets here. I still have to fly to Florida to pick up my chip truck, still need to decide on a chipper and go purchase all the ropes, handtools and saws I need.

I think after 16 years of climbing for everyone else it will be worth it in the end.

 

[Ekka]

The only way this gets fixed IMHO is through governance.

As long as any ole Tom or Harry can grab a saw and cut a tree the problem stays.

In fact, when people lose jobs in a crap economy it gets worse as they enter the jobs that aren't regulated .... lawn mowing, dog washing, and tree cutting.

Over here we're doing stuff for prices back in the 90's yet fuel is triple the cost alone.

It's a race to the bottom. When the mentality shifts from ...

... how much can I get for this tree to what's the minimum I can put on this tree to get work you know the line has been crossed. That line was etched into stone here around May - August 2004.

During the last 4 years not only did the work dry up but the competition got worse and the size of the equipment larger. Means more people with bigger gear processing more trees at a cheaper rate .... but having to do more volume for the profit.

Did you get all of that.

At the other end of the scale you'll have the pick up and trailer door knockers. You see, the way they think is they only have to land 1 tree job a week to beat the money they'll get paid.

 

[I can do it]

It's the same way here. The market is tough. We have one guy not a truck and trailer but the opposite. One day the guy just expanded to two cranes, mulitple crews and spending huge dollar amounts on advertising and just beating everyones prices. He is doing quantity not quality work. I heard his salemen go out on 40 calls a day and lands about 30 of them. That's insane.

I'm hiring a door knocker. My dad climbed for years and then sales for 30 years. I'm bringing him out of retirement to go "shake the bushes" as he calls it. It's something he and I both need. He's just one of those guys who needs a job to stay healthy physically and mentally. He's really anxious to get started and I can't wait to see how he does. I was trying to put together some sort of projection for cash flow and asked him realisticly how many jobs can you sell a day cold calling and says to me at least 3... My projections starting our are working 3 jobs a week. So we'll see.

 

[Ekka]

The streets are stuffed as full of door knockers as the letterboxes are of junk mail. :monkey:

 

[I can do it]

I don't have a problem with door knocking. We need to start somewhere. Some people just don't have time to pay attention to their trees. You take care of those people and eventually your not knocking on doors their knocking on yours.

That's the difference between the guy who been running around in a pickup truck with a chainsaw and spikes for 10 yrs and the guy who did it for a year and accumulates and builds a buisness aquiring more and more equipment. I was thinking about that the other day. How do you run around in pick up 3 or 5 days a week and not make money or grow? Where does the money go?

I was pretty conservative with my cash flow projections and after paying my loans, insurance, taxes, payroll to me and ground help I still have another $30,000 cash on hand I need to hide or buy equipment with or pay up on next years expenses.

I can advertise all I want and if the phone's not ringing we're not throwing the in towell we're knocking on doors.

 

[Ekka]

Take Care When Removing Tree Damage | Arborist Says Schemers Sometimes Go Door To Door

A warning has been released by the Nebraska Forest Service to be careful about whom you hire to help clean up tree damage. When looking for someone to clear limbs and trim damaged trees, do your homework first. The first red flag, state arborists said, is an individual who goes door to door soliciting business. Reputable companies typically won't use that tactic.