Business help
- Thread starter 05rammer
- Start date
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Rustyiron
Super Member
That will get er done! :thumbsup:
shaeff
Veteran Member
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- Oct 27, 2015
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- Hudson Valley, NY
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- MF Utility 35 Gasser, JLG LJ500
05rammer- that's a sweet rig! Looks very maneuverable. 
aczlan
Good Morning
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2008
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- Kubota L3830GST, B7500HST, BX2660. Formerly: Case 480F LL, David Brown 880UE
Nice setup, just need to put your company name, logo and phone number/website nice and big on a double sided sign mounted between the toolboxes up on the neck of the trailer.
Aaron Z
Aaron Z
kthompson
Elite Member
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- Sep 12, 2008
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- South Carolina
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- Kubotas B2710, M6800, L6060 cab, Volvo EC excavator, 2 ZTRs and various implements.
I have been in sales for about 35 years. Am member of the Chamber of commerce in city on one side of me and town on the other. Chambers to me give very low return on investment. I would not suggest spending your money their first.
Think hard and carefully who your customers will be. GO SEE THEM. Do a small job for free and mean small job. Get simple phone number and business name that people can remember when they see it. If phone number spells business name or what you are doing (mulching) that is good. Get some of the push in the ground signs like used for yard sales and put on job site while working and when you leave. Have truck with sign on it parked where easy seen if safe while doing the work. Ask for referrals, consider taking person out to lunch for a job referral or such. Business cards, do not hand anyone a handful, they will toss them. Give them say a couple. You may find power company and cities to be good market as builder are for no torn up ground so stable but trees removed.
Think hard and carefully who your customers will be. GO SEE THEM. Do a small job for free and mean small job. Get simple phone number and business name that people can remember when they see it. If phone number spells business name or what you are doing (mulching) that is good. Get some of the push in the ground signs like used for yard sales and put on job site while working and when you leave. Have truck with sign on it parked where easy seen if safe while doing the work. Ask for referrals, consider taking person out to lunch for a job referral or such. Business cards, do not hand anyone a handful, they will toss them. Give them say a couple. You may find power company and cities to be good market as builder are for no torn up ground so stable but trees removed.
KY Gun Geek
Silver Member
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- Apr 3, 2012
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- 114
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- Lexington, KY
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- JD 5105, JD 5055D, 2 JD 5085M's, JD 5085E, JD 5093E, JD 5115M
Hey - how is the business going?
Couple of comments that may be too late -
1) Advertisement - Craig's List is pretty much the standard in my area. There are some others, but craig's list has the biggest reach. After that go where the customers go - bulletin boards at home stores, tractor supply, feed stores, etc. You might do well to partner with a nursery (they call you for mulch and they get a cut)...
2) Renting is fantastic for the flexibility, but I find that very quickly you can often pay for equipment if you own it if you have the business. Renting is like sticking your toe in the water - you can get an idea, but you don't get all the benefits of going all in. You don't get those benefits cuz u aren't taking the risk.
Couple of comments that may be too late -
1) Advertisement - Craig's List is pretty much the standard in my area. There are some others, but craig's list has the biggest reach. After that go where the customers go - bulletin boards at home stores, tractor supply, feed stores, etc. You might do well to partner with a nursery (they call you for mulch and they get a cut)...
2) Renting is fantastic for the flexibility, but I find that very quickly you can often pay for equipment if you own it if you have the business. Renting is like sticking your toe in the water - you can get an idea, but you don't get all the benefits of going all in. You don't get those benefits cuz u aren't taking the risk.
Every business needs CASH FLOW. If your sales exceeds your expenses then you may have a business. Remember that getting the sale is half the battle. The hard part is collecting cash on those sales in a timely manner.
Do your homework first - do your market research - get orders for your services BEFORE you start incurring expenses! If you manage to sell $20K in services before you commit to buying equipment then good on you, you may be lucky with your idea. If you can demonstrate you can pay back $200-300K in unsecured business loans within 1-2 years your banker will be happy to talk with you.
Starting with the high overhead costs of your Banker, Lawyer and Accountant are great ways to spend more money than you get in sales.
There is a reason why 95% of businesses fail within the first 5 years of operation.
Industrial Toys
Super Star Member
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- Kubota R510 Wheel Loader + Cab and backhoe, JD 6200 Open Station, Cushman 6150, 4x4, ten foot 56 hp Kubota diesel hydraulic wing mower, Steiner 430 Diesel Max, Kawasaki Diesel Mule, JD 4x2 Electric Gator
So many successful businesses just grew out of nothing. Often not even in the line of business that the person was in. Or a hobby that just took off.
Too many people just think they will start a business and are soon out of business. OR a brick and mortar business where no one apparently ever did the simple math as to how many people have to come through the door each day and leave their money behind. And if they don't one day, you better hope that .that many more people will spend money the next, because the expenses never stop.
I knew one lady that quit a good government job and bought a health food store. It was doing OK but her accountant told her she was making something like ten cents an hour!
Too many people just think they will start a business and are soon out of business. OR a brick and mortar business where no one apparently ever did the simple math as to how many people have to come through the door each day and leave their money behind. And if they don't one day, you better hope that .that many more people will spend money the next, because the expenses never stop.
I knew one lady that quit a good government job and bought a health food store. It was doing OK but her accountant told her she was making something like ten cents an hour!
4570Man
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A skid steer with a mulching head cost $1300 a day to rent. It probably cost 100k to buy the unit. I’ve never encountered a job where I felt like paying the $1300. That’s a lot of time paid for in my other equipment. I’ve been thinking of buying a maximum destruction rotary mower. I know it’s no fecon head, but its 10k not 40k. But then the deal of renting the Kubota svl 95-2 has nearly blow up so I probably won’t in the immediate future. I’m wanting to get into the excavation business. I currently own a backhoe. I’ll have enough money to buy my own skid steer next spring. Longer term outlook I want a dump trucks, heavy duty trailer and a big excavator. The dump truck and big trailer would gain me the ability to haul the skid steer and mini excavator at the same time. That’s 2 hours a day saved. The big excavator can probably do what the little excavator does in a day in an hour.