People must be hungry

[ducaticorse]

We just left our first job (was supposed to be anyways) so we get there and the HO comes out and says 'sorry guys but my BIL is gonna do it next weekend as a favor, i was gonna call yesterday and cancel but didn't think you took calls on Sunday':bang:. Its a cotton wood about 90ft. And the limbs are over his house,garage,power lines,and neighbors garage and best of all the landing zone is about 20ft wide and everything has to be lowered down. This is exactly why i quit working for myself and work for someone else, its nice getting a check every Friday without all the BS.

That there is some bull sheet. I would have been RIPPED. And I would NEVER DO THIS WORK FOR SOMEONE ELSE....

 

[treemandan]

I don't get that. ^

Its simple; People in Australia are not as dumb as we thought they were. Hell, they had me going but I cause its some kind of trick.

 

[woodchuck357]

'puter, internet, printer, paper = custom contract. Almost no cost.

:cool2:

Good reason for a contract with a 300.00 cancellation clause, If I ever get ahead I'm going to get some custom contracts printed with the clause it may help with those last minute pull outs.

 

[ropensaddle]

:cool2:

Hmmm well I want it to be binding lol you know all the shall,should, what if's lawyers put in them

 

[Blakesmaster]

Hmmm well I want it to be binding lol you know all the shall,should, what if's lawyers put in them

I got a pretty tight contract I use, Rope. Another guy from the site hooked me up with the wording years ago. Would be happy to pass it on to you if you want. I just take the print out to Kinko's when I'm running low and they run em off for me carbon copy attached and all. I spend a couple hundred bucks a year if that.

 

[Blakesmaster]

Not sure if it's the time of year or what here but the lowballers are all over. If I had a buck for every rusty ass old bucket truck I see out... kinda weird though, was undershot by a good amount on a bid last week by the biggest dog in town. They were at $350, I was at a grand. I'm used to them bidding a few hundred under me on big projects but that one weirded me out. I rarely move a truck for that price, much less spend half a day working for it.

 

[luckydad]

I got a pretty tight contract I use, Rope. Another guy from the site hooked me up with the wording years ago. Would be happy to pass it on to you if you want. I just take the print out to Kinko's when I'm running low and they run em off for me carbon copy attached and all. I spend a couple hundred bucks a year if that.

Could you send me a copy of that contract if you don't mind ??

 

[ducaticorse]

Not sure if it's the time of year or what here but the lowballers are all over. If I had a buck for every rusty ass old bucket truck I see out... kinda weird though, was undershot by a good amount on a bid last week by the biggest dog in town. They were at $350, I was at a grand. I'm used to them bidding a few hundred under me on big projects but that one weirded me out. I rarely move a truck for that price, much less spend half a day working for it.

Maybe it was a new salesman? I dunno, that's a pretty large gap for a direct competitor... There are also a lot of guys starving at the onset of a season, especially those who haven't or weren't able to do much tree work due to the weather we had in our sector this past season.

I blew through about $40K cash in the last two weeks getting set up for this season. I am basically starting from scratch this year, as I have been out of business for almost two years now. You bet I will be blowing out prices in my area for nothing else but exposure. I won't be going out for free or loosing money, but I certainly won't be getting rich either.

 

[Blakesmaster]

Could you send me a copy of that contract if you don't mind ??

No offense, but who the #### are you? Lol, just kidding. I'd be happy to help you out but I'm not lawyer. Also would like to make sure you arent my local comp. Sed me a pm.

 

[ducaticorse]

No offense, but who the #### are you? Lol, just kidding. I'd be happy to help you out but I'm not lawyer. Also would like to make sure you arent my local comp. Sed me a pm.

Chris, he's a great guy!! I bought my new bucket from him! He far, far south from you ;-)

 

[Blakesmaster]

Maybe it was a new salesman? I dunno, that's a pretty large gap for a direct competitor... There are also a lot of guys starving at the onset of a season, especially those who haven't or weren't able to do much tree work due to the weather we had in our sector this past season.

I blew through about $40K cash in the last two weeks getting set up for this season. I am basically starting from scratch this year, as I have been out of business for almost two years now. You bet I will be blowing out prices in my area for nothing else but exposure. I won't be going out for free or loosing money, but I certainly won't be getting rich either.

Best of luck this year, bud. I'm sure you'll get back there again.

Possibly a new salesman. Was a easy tree, bucket access, no haul, but the house, and service lines were right underneath. What threw me was the 350 quote. I charge that much to roll up and cut down a few yew bushes. If I'm airborne for longer than 30 minutes I'm easily bidding 500 plus on the job.

 

[ducaticorse]

Best of luck this year, bud. I'm sure you'll get back there again.

Possibly a new salesman. Was a easy tree, bucket access, no haul, but the house, and service lines were right underneath. What threw me was the 350 quote. I charge that much to roll up and cut down a few yew bushes. If I'm airborne for longer than 30 minutes I'm easily bidding 500 plus on the job.

I agree with you there. I wouldn't be doing a removal of any sort, let alone over wires for less than $500. Maybe it was a favor or a friend, but $350 straight up makes zero sense.

But the no haul and no chipping would save me a good amount of time and effort too.

 

[Blakesmaster]

I agree with you there. I wouldn't be doing a removal of any sort, let alone over wires for less than $500. Maybe it was a favor or a friend, but $350 straight up makes zero sense.

But the no haul and no chipping would save me a good amount of time and effort too.

I just don't dig on no hauls anymore. I got all this equipment and crew, leave them idle while I do all the hard work? I can see it on long drags but curbside ####? I don't need my name on that mess.

 

[treeman75]

This season is starting out real slow, last year I was 2-3 weeks out. I know one thing Im going to focus on this year is up saleing.

 

[mckeetree]

This season is starting out real slow, last year I was 2-3 weeks out. I know one thing Im going to focus on this year is up saleing.

Up selling can backfire on you. You really, really need to know what you are doing with an up sell. What to up sell, when to go for it, how much to try to up sell, etc. Especially the moment to try it, that is the most important. I learned from one of the best but I am nowhere as good as he was. That guy sold for several tree companies and would make (in the 80's) $500.00 a day in commissions by noon and play golf the rest of the day.

 

[arborealbuffoon]

This season is starting out real slow, last year I was 2-3 weeks out. I know one thing Im going to focus on this year is up saleing.

Slowest spring I've ever seen. Been doing this in the same market since 1990. Welcome to the New World Order.

 

[treeman75]

Up selling can backfire on you. You really, really need to know what you are doing with an up sell. What to up sell, when to go for it, how much to try to up sell, etc. Especially the moment to try it, that is the most important. I learned from one of the best but I am nowhere as good as he was. That guy sold for several tree companies and would make (in the 80's) $500.00 a day in commissions by noon and play golf the rest of the day.

I know what your saying about how and when. My dad has been in sales for 45 years and I have been in and around sales my whole life. Alot of people think they're good but cant close a screen door.

 

[mckeetree]

I know what your saying about how and when. My dad has been in sales for 45 years and I have been in and around sales my whole life. Alot of people think they're good but cant close a screen door.

That's true. And the good ones can sell anything from snow cones to sex products.

 

[treeman82]

I've been doing bids lately, and in all honesty it feels like I have been giving them for the heck of it. Bid a job last week for 3K+, I know I won't get it. Put in another bid yesterday for $1,750 and I know I won't get that either. Did another one last week, looked at the job, lady was supposed to contact me about a written estimate, she never did. We were working around the corner from her today and the local hacker was there butchering some trees for cheap. I hate to say that a lot of my friends and I have been bidding jobs lately with the knowledge that we won't get them.

My attitude is I will help just about anybody; friends, co-workers, family, etc. you need a tree or branches I'll come help you for cheap. When we start talking about customers / clients though... unless there is some kind of back-story I need to be paid. In all honesty it's not as though we are going to their houses to pull weeds or something, and I am not about to go kill myself only to put $100 in my pocket at the end of the day (just so that I can say I got the job) though it seems like so many are.

 

[ducaticorse]

I've been doing bids lately, and in all honesty it feels like I have been giving them for the heck of it. Bid a job last week for 3K+, I know I won't get it. Put in another bid yesterday for $1,750 and I know I won't get that either. Did another one last week, looked at the job, lady was supposed to contact me about a written estimate, she never did. We were working around the corner from her today and the local hacker was there butchering some trees for cheap. I hate to say that a lot of my friends and I have been bidding jobs lately with the knowledge that we won't get them.

My attitude is I will help just about anybody; friends, co-workers, family, etc. you need a tree or branches I'll come help you for cheap. When we start talking about customers / clients though... unless there is some kind of back-story I need to be paid. In all honesty it's not as though we are going to their houses to pull weeds or something, and I am not about to go kill myself only to put $100 in my pocket at the end of the day (just so that I can say I got the job) though it seems like so many are.

I see this to be true, and the same thing goes for other service related industries. But lets face it. We are not plumbers, people need to be able to take a shower and a dump. We are not electricians and people need to be able to watch springer, and heat up left overs in the microwave.

We are, for the most part, a luxury unless it's an emergency situation. There is always going to be a lowballer, and, it is established businesses that need to maintain the market rate. But to go out of business while doing so does no one any good. Markets fluctuate for the better and for the worse, that is how it works. Someone here says its the worst spring he's seen since the 1990! I don't see how that is possible, but that's his market. The trick in this type of economy is to do as many bids as possible and hope to get a certain percentage. OR, you can go and drop a rock bottom price that is just enough to keep the men and bills paid, plus put a little in your pocket. MY posts on FB alone with pics of me driving my bucket up from "bama have netted me 5 bids since last night.. I will get all five of them too.

Getting aggressive with the big sales is a no bueno IMHO. Just persevere, make what you can and it will get better. Strategy is the key. Not dwelling on lowballing hacks stealing your work every once in a while.