How did buying a bucket effect your buisiness

[tree MDS]

I bought a bucket last september but due to a title issue was'nt able to register it until january 7, so I havent got to use it too much. I wonder how it worked out for buisinesses like mine- I can climb most any tree so its not like I really needed it, I just thought it would be good my the biz. I figure with the insurance and all this truck will cost 18000 per year, not to mention fuel, so I've got to at at least gross another 25000 I figure. I'm not sure if the truck will pay off or if life will just be easier and sometimes safer. I think more than likely I'll just be happy if I break even while offering more to customers. How did it work out for others in similar situations ? Did you make more ? Man I cant wait to get cutting full time again !

 

[lxt]

In my biz situation I went with a towable lift to avoid all the issues, not for myself but for employees, cdl, insurance, road tax, registration, high maintenance costs, etc...

This helped me become more competitive, keep operating costs down & if its not needed let it sit!! I read where some charge more because they can get to the tree that noone else wants to do! for me this is not the case.

Many in my area will do/try anything for money, certifications mean very little as long as you`re insured & cheap you will usually get the job, I think this depends on the area you work!! for me the lift helped out tremendously, I can do the job faster be competitive in pricing & move onto the next job, so its do more to make the money, Used to be 1 job a day made you enough now its 2 or more to make the same as that 1 job use to pay!!

It helped me in the fact that if I Have to I can do the job for less than what I would normally charge due to the fact of everyone doing tree work, If I didnt have the lift & had to climb I would be so beatup phsically to try to make ends meet it wouldnt be worth it.

I try to stick with my original price & give them the sales pitches to prove why im worth more than the hacks, but the bottom line is.....if you dont budge on your price you will be sitting at home not making a dime.

hope this helped!!


LXT...........

 

[John464]

with out having a bucket I would not be able to compete. I have 2. It is usually safer and faster. The overhead that comes with it gets figured into the price of the job. What you lose in in expense you gain in a production increase. Once you get those two, three day jobs when the boom is up in the air 8hrs a day. You'll think back how dead your climbers would of been and how it would of took you all week. Meanwhile, work is piling up, and your stuck on a big job and losing jobs cause your stuck on the bigger job.

If you cant afford it, dont buy it, if you see the need to afford it, buy it. Every equipment purchase I make I see the demand before I cut the check. Its all part of keeping up with the flow.

 

[fireman]

buckets

Lxt you are right I couldn't afford to put another truck on the road.when I started my business I went to a tow behind and know we have a trailer able lift.the 4x4 lift is the best thing I purchased I can get anywhere with that lift wet snow mud what ever mother nature throws at you.bucket trucks are limited for my business you could only use them 10% of the time.we can do 4 jobs to the 1 we use to do.

this is job i couldn't even get a tow able in you will be able to increase your work by %100.

 

[tree MDS]

Thanks LXT. Yeah, I think its sad but true, I may have to use it as a tool to beat down the hacks and help my biz survive, not something easy to do when ya gotta climb everthing yourself ! Alot of things are just so easy if you can get to them, maybe its not so bad, its just not the way I really wanted to go. One of the guys I used to work for allways was way highest bidder, sold himself as "the best", and now he is the biggest private guy around with alot of the richies locked down ! Go figure. I guess it cant be that way for everyone. Of course there is something to be said for bidding a little low and maybe picking up a real decent job just by being out there too. And at least you can keep good help on because you've actually got work. Bucket seems to lend itself to that senerio pretty well, at least your not killing yourself.

 

[tree MDS]

with out having a bucket I would not be able to compete. I have 2. It is usually safer and faster. The overhead that comes with it gets figured into the price of the job. What you lose in in expense you gain in a production increase. Once you get those two, three day jobs when the boom is up in the air 8hrs a day. You'll think back how dead your climbers would of been and how it would of took you all week. Meanwhile, work is piling up, and your stuck on a big job and losing jobs cause your stuck on the bigger job.

If you cant afford it, dont buy it, if you see the need to afford it, buy it. Every equipment purchase I make I see the demand before I cut the check. Its all part of keeping up with the flow.

BTW,thanks John464, that was just what I needed to hear.

 

[OLD CHIPMONK]

Great for trimming Pines, just spin around & trim 4 or 5 at a time. Great over roofs when just trimming or removing some limbs( saves a lot of clmbing). Expense wise, maybe not good with the economic downturn. Payments would not be an option for us, right now. Things slowed down !

 

[arbor pro]

Like lxt and fireman, I too have sold my bucket truck and opted for a towable unit. I got tired of all the maintenance on a truck not to mention the licensing and insurance costs. Trucks are great if you're going to use them day in and day out but, if they're going to be sitting around inbetween jobs, a towable or self-propelled unit seems like the way to go IMO - less overhead.

Like John said, make sure you charge for the truck. I always quote my jobs with the following items: 1) Labor and basic equipment (per man) including a pickup, saws, ropes, etc., 2) Heavy Equipment including aerial lift, crane, loaders, dump trucks, etc., 3) Hauling and disposal fees and 4) mileage outside of a set area.

I track each of these (along with subcategories of each) through my Quickbooks software. At year end, I can see what my income is for each piece of equipment and compare that with my expenses (loan principal & interest, insurance, licensing, maintenance, etc) for each. If my income doesn't meet or exceed my expenses, I have to analyze whether it's worth owning that piece of equipment vs leasing or renting.

A nice bucket truck can increase business by providing advertising and helping your crews to work faster. However, any sound business investment needs to be backed up with good book keeping so you can always look at what your bottom line is.

I am constantly re-analyzing how I can work more efficiently with the equipment that I have. As an equipment 'junkie', I am always wanting to buy more equipment; however, as a buisiness owner, I still have to justify each and every purchase...

 

[ropensaddle]

Well it has put some thickness in my abdomen! It has made the job
easier, just as my grapple has but when a pita climb job comes, it kills me!
It has kept me having to bid higher because I have true overhead but
I have not went bankrupt yet! Get the illegals out,and maybe I could buy two.

 

[lxt]

Arborpro, well said!!!

Funny I do the same thing with quickbooks too(good program) I use versa check for payroll, Its nice when using programs, before using such I did by hand to try to save a buck...........best thing I ever did buy software!!! saved me time & just plain much more efficient! nice post Arbor.


LXT.......

 

[OLD CHIPMONK]

What's the net, the heck with the gross !!!!