roberthathaway7
ArboristSite Member
I wondering what everyone does to make their business stand above the rest? I am small-time in the firwood business and plan to expand this next year and want to do it right. Here's some of what I do...
-Organize my wood by type, keep record of when each "lot" was cut, always seasoned.
-Keep all of my rounds on mine belting before I split them to keep mud off (I always hear complaints about other people's wood being dirty)
-Stack all of my split wood on pallets, never on the ground
-Free kindling- when cleaning up my yeard, I try to pick out the little shards from splits and give a grocery bag full to my customers every other load or so. They act like I'm handing them a bag of gold! Also, I have a friend with a wood mill that will let me pick his yard whenever I want to. It's extra effort and time, but I just do it when I'm on my way through with nothing to do and an empty truck.
-Free wood cradles: I'll strap on a few pallets and grab some steel posts and tie wire when I go to deliver the first load for a customer who signs up for the winter. When I get there, I'll ask them where they want the wood, and I'll build a cradle with pallet bottoms and sides. I collect old fencing posts and cut up old bed rails from my scrap pile for the posts. I've bought a few in my time, but that's ok because the benefits are worth it. I do NOT charge. The customers are always very appreciative of you going out of your way to do this. It shows that you care about them and about your product when you explain that it keeps the wood dry but lets air circulate, and is easy to fasten a tarp to. Also, it shames them into not deciding to buy from competition that's a little cheaper if the chance arises :sword: I get my pallets for free because my family owns a feed store, but you can collect quite a few for free: keep your eye out driving through town in the spring when gas stations and grocery stores are selling mulch. This is a one time shipment for them so the companies will not be back for the pallets and they are often trying to figure out how to get rid of them because they can't just throw them in their dumpsters. And just ask any business that you think might get things in on pallets if they need some taken out of their way. You would be surprised how many places will act like you're a super-hero when you ask them. DON'T give them your phone number though, they will drive you nuts one pallet at a time. I actually make a little money on the side by picking up pallets here and there on my way home and selling them 100 at a time or so to recycling centers for 1.00-3.00 a piece, depending on who it is and what types of pallets.
-Market research with different types of wood, try different woods with different customers and get feedback: I am always experimenting with different woods to find their best uses. BTU charts are good, but they don't tell all the characteristics of the burn. I wish someone would create a dependable BTU chart that reads how many BTU's per hour per volume.. that could get really tricky though and would be for another post. Anyways, this winter I've been adding an armful extra of hackberry to some customers' orders and ask them to burn it exclusively for a bit when they get a chance and tell me how it burns for them, and how they like it. After talking to enough customers you can sort of gather a general concensus. If they like, that gives you room to mix it in. If they don't like it, you know to keep it out. (yes I keep a preference profile in my little black book) Either way you find out how it burns. I don't rely on my opinion alone because I'm not my customer. I've found that hackberry burns pretty hot and a little fast, but not as fast and hot (and dirty) as pine, so I am going to try to market it toward my customers who are just burning in their garages or shops with radiant stoves. They would rather it heat up quick and don't care how long the wood burns and wastes heat out in the garage after they go to bed, so I think this would be a good choice. That gives me a lot more options, because now I can sell them that wood at regular premium price because it suits their needs, just as oak suits the needs for home heat based on it's burn. I do make sure that the garage/shop customers understand this though, that way if someone who knows their wood mentions something about them burning hackberry, the customer can tell them what the deal is and then I don't come out looking like some guy who sells whatever tree I walk up to. Same goes for people with wood pits outside. Now I can offer them a wood that will burn a little hotter, although faster, and they may be down for it because they just want to feel the heat and watch a flame for a couple hours. If they don't, I'll bring them regular hardwood. To me it's all about being up front and letting your customer know that you're looking out for their best interest. Next I'll be trying some silver maple for the same purpose as the hackberry. Everyone and their brother asks me if I want to cut up a tree that fell in their yard and 90% of the time it's Silver. I usually tell them I can't sell it because of low BTU, but maybe I can find a market for it when I do some research..
That brings me to a question too if anyone wants to answer: What do you consider mixed wood? I sell oak, hickory, ash, locust, mulberry and cherry at one semi-premium price. I'm thinking about raising my white oak, black locust, mulberry and hickory another $5 per load above the rest. I don't sell any "mixed," because I don't know what that means exactly, and I stay away from what I know isn't known as "good firewood" in these parts.
ALWAYS stack: I always stack my wood if I deliver it, unless it's just extremely unfeasible. I'll pleasantly argue until I'm blue in the face if someone is telling me not worry about stacking out of their own kindness. "
Listen, I'm full service!" is my favorite line. That'll usually get a good laugh then they'll give in. But of course if the stack is around a 5000sqft ranch home and I can't drive to it, and I know they have a 4-wheeler with a cart or something, I will give in too. At least they know you tried. Gets you some respect points, plus I'm just not lazy. And sometimes it'll get you a tip!
So what else are you guys doing?
-Organize my wood by type, keep record of when each "lot" was cut, always seasoned.
-Keep all of my rounds on mine belting before I split them to keep mud off (I always hear complaints about other people's wood being dirty)
-Stack all of my split wood on pallets, never on the ground
-Free kindling- when cleaning up my yeard, I try to pick out the little shards from splits and give a grocery bag full to my customers every other load or so. They act like I'm handing them a bag of gold! Also, I have a friend with a wood mill that will let me pick his yard whenever I want to. It's extra effort and time, but I just do it when I'm on my way through with nothing to do and an empty truck.
-Free wood cradles: I'll strap on a few pallets and grab some steel posts and tie wire when I go to deliver the first load for a customer who signs up for the winter. When I get there, I'll ask them where they want the wood, and I'll build a cradle with pallet bottoms and sides. I collect old fencing posts and cut up old bed rails from my scrap pile for the posts. I've bought a few in my time, but that's ok because the benefits are worth it. I do NOT charge. The customers are always very appreciative of you going out of your way to do this. It shows that you care about them and about your product when you explain that it keeps the wood dry but lets air circulate, and is easy to fasten a tarp to. Also, it shames them into not deciding to buy from competition that's a little cheaper if the chance arises :sword: I get my pallets for free because my family owns a feed store, but you can collect quite a few for free: keep your eye out driving through town in the spring when gas stations and grocery stores are selling mulch. This is a one time shipment for them so the companies will not be back for the pallets and they are often trying to figure out how to get rid of them because they can't just throw them in their dumpsters. And just ask any business that you think might get things in on pallets if they need some taken out of their way. You would be surprised how many places will act like you're a super-hero when you ask them. DON'T give them your phone number though, they will drive you nuts one pallet at a time. I actually make a little money on the side by picking up pallets here and there on my way home and selling them 100 at a time or so to recycling centers for 1.00-3.00 a piece, depending on who it is and what types of pallets.
-Market research with different types of wood, try different woods with different customers and get feedback: I am always experimenting with different woods to find their best uses. BTU charts are good, but they don't tell all the characteristics of the burn. I wish someone would create a dependable BTU chart that reads how many BTU's per hour per volume.. that could get really tricky though and would be for another post. Anyways, this winter I've been adding an armful extra of hackberry to some customers' orders and ask them to burn it exclusively for a bit when they get a chance and tell me how it burns for them, and how they like it. After talking to enough customers you can sort of gather a general concensus. If they like, that gives you room to mix it in. If they don't like it, you know to keep it out. (yes I keep a preference profile in my little black book) Either way you find out how it burns. I don't rely on my opinion alone because I'm not my customer. I've found that hackberry burns pretty hot and a little fast, but not as fast and hot (and dirty) as pine, so I am going to try to market it toward my customers who are just burning in their garages or shops with radiant stoves. They would rather it heat up quick and don't care how long the wood burns and wastes heat out in the garage after they go to bed, so I think this would be a good choice. That gives me a lot more options, because now I can sell them that wood at regular premium price because it suits their needs, just as oak suits the needs for home heat based on it's burn. I do make sure that the garage/shop customers understand this though, that way if someone who knows their wood mentions something about them burning hackberry, the customer can tell them what the deal is and then I don't come out looking like some guy who sells whatever tree I walk up to. Same goes for people with wood pits outside. Now I can offer them a wood that will burn a little hotter, although faster, and they may be down for it because they just want to feel the heat and watch a flame for a couple hours. If they don't, I'll bring them regular hardwood. To me it's all about being up front and letting your customer know that you're looking out for their best interest. Next I'll be trying some silver maple for the same purpose as the hackberry. Everyone and their brother asks me if I want to cut up a tree that fell in their yard and 90% of the time it's Silver. I usually tell them I can't sell it because of low BTU, but maybe I can find a market for it when I do some research..
That brings me to a question too if anyone wants to answer: What do you consider mixed wood? I sell oak, hickory, ash, locust, mulberry and cherry at one semi-premium price. I'm thinking about raising my white oak, black locust, mulberry and hickory another $5 per load above the rest. I don't sell any "mixed," because I don't know what that means exactly, and I stay away from what I know isn't known as "good firewood" in these parts.
ALWAYS stack: I always stack my wood if I deliver it, unless it's just extremely unfeasible. I'll pleasantly argue until I'm blue in the face if someone is telling me not worry about stacking out of their own kindness. "
Listen, I'm full service!" is my favorite line. That'll usually get a good laugh then they'll give in. But of course if the stack is around a 5000sqft ranch home and I can't drive to it, and I know they have a 4-wheeler with a cart or something, I will give in too. At least they know you tried. Gets you some respect points, plus I'm just not lazy. And sometimes it'll get you a tip!So what else are you guys doing?
I'd be off to banned camp for sure!
100 cords a year when it comes to stacking vs. dumping. Although, using the right handy equipment to save your back/arms, you could make a little more $ if the customers were willing to pay, and you had time. 
