I am buying equipment and I have a few questions for you veterans.

[Curtis James]

I have started my own business and things are going good. Tree work is my passion, yet I do landscaping as well. I am not a huge company. Just a small LLC with no employees. I am purchasing a bobcat or similar machine and trailer. I am wondering if any of you have used a chipper attachment for a bobcat and if you have how well did it work. I have been bringing all my brush to this guys property to burn. I give the logs away for fire wood cause I have no where to keep it. What are your opinions? Do I get the tow behind chipper or the chipper attachment for another machine? I have no experience with the attachment chippers at all. I have used alot of the the other attachments for bobcats just not the chipper type. I have been renting or borrowing chippers and such up until now. It is time I grow. Next year I will have to bite the bullet and hire some help as well. My cousin has a lawn mowing biz and I pay him on occasion if I have to rope anything off. He isn't reliable though. It is nice cause I just 1099 him at the end of the year. I don't even have a employee ID number yet just my social. O.K. guys hit me what do I do next? Oh one more thing . How many of you do your own books? I have been keeping track since June when I first started this and I am debating getting something like quick books. Should I just pay an accountant or get the software? Thanks Curtis J.
Arborist tree care & landscaping LLC

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

bobcat chippers and stumpgrinder suck imo ...imo always buy purpose built equipmant..for 1 they always work better and 2 the skidsteer attachment chippers and stumpgrinders are way to exspensive...and i have seen them working ,i have demod them both both slow and utter rubbish

 

[Ax-man]

Have to agree with Rolla on the equipment.

For bookkeeping I took an accounting class. Single entry is the best for a small guy, double entry gets a little complicated.

When we were started out we used the Dome book, any office supply store should have it, simple and easy.

We couldn't make any of the computer software work for us. What we did was use the basic Dome forms and transfered it and customised it for our computer and our needs. You might be able to make Quickens work for you.

I used to do all the bookwork including filing monthly tax deposits for Uncle Sam, UC for state , and the quarterly 941 filings and all the other stuff that comes up at years end.

It is good experience to know what is going on with your business if you do it all. An accountant can make your life easier when you get some letter from the goverment wanting more information because some figures didn't jive. An accountant can also help you with a business plan, how much you should be charging to make a fair profit. I used to think we couldn't afford one, but considering the time it takes to do books, form filing and all the other hassles when comes to keeping track of numbers they are probaly your cheapest service.

Besides that if I go to jail, he or she will be in the cell next to me.

Larry

 

[Curtis James]

Thanks for your opinions. I still haven't made any final decisions yet and I appreciate all the input I can get. I am watching the market for used equipment in my area.

 

[Nickrosis]

For input, it's a lot easier if you dangle a question or two at a time so the responses can be teased out. You'll get the answers in more detail, too. And keep us posted! We all want to know how things turn out for people.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

From past questions of the sort, it seems that many people like quickbooks for small buisness accounting.

 

[bottlefed89]

Well, several suggestions... Unless you already have a bobcat, and stumble upon a great deal on an attachment chipper, I'd ditch that idea. You've got to take too much junk with you, and the whole contraption is to slow. Just find you a decent used chipper, a chipper will save a lot of time over moving brush. Even if you have to unload them with a pitchfork, you'll still save a ton of time. As for the accounting, I'd get an accountant so you have someone to get you set up properly, and have him set you up and show you the ropes on quickbooks. It's a good system. If you ever have time, I took an accounting class in college and it helped immensly. There are a lot of things that are involved in accounting, that would never cross your mind. It would also help you understand a lot of the functions of quickbooks, get an accounting basics book at a minimum. My accountant is also a business advisor, and planner, he really helped make sure I had all the legal aspects in order. It's tough playing catch-up if you don't do everything right the first time.... Next, when you can afford it get a good reliable helper. If you can stay on the same wave-length it will defenitely be worth it, not to mention it's a lot more safe to have help - just in case. I'm in about the same boat you are... Hope some of that helps. Let us know what you buy, and how everything works out.
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