Dirt Moving I finally started a business with my Kubota!

[PAPPASMURF]

Good write up, I have been considering a similar idea when I retire. I did a job yesterday for a friend who wants to waterproof his basement walls. 12 hours yesterday and still about 5 hours to go. Had to break up two sets of steps (he did most of that!). In hindsight, it was probably too much for my hoe. I think the bucket is just too small.
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Nope...not too small vulcancowboy.....it just takes longer. Look what I did last weekend:

 

[farm boy00]

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Nope...not too small vulcancowboy.....it just takes longer. Look what I did last weekend:

Yea you can still be too small. I'll hate to try what you did cause my max speed is walking

 

[Industrial Toys]

Whatever I do in business, I try and offer value and honesty. No one likes to get ripped off. If it will take me a day to do what an excavator can do in half an hour, I let the customer know this and let them decide how they would like to spend their money. That's why I generally only offer specialized services like ditch bank mowing or Harley Rake work. You can charge more and still offer value.

 

[vulcancowboy]

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Nope...not too small vulcancowboy.....it just takes longer. Look what I did last weekend:

That is a good size job to be sure, working right alongside a house really slowed the process down, but it has been good experience.

 

[nikerret]

I'm looking at doing the same thing. I think there's a ton of money to be made, with a small tractor that can get into places without tearing up a lawn or ripping out a fence.

I'm not ready to go, yet. I only had four days off, in March; April isn't looking much better. I'm also in LE.

We've only had one snow worth getting the tractor out, for driveways (two inches...). In two and a half hours, I made $70/hr; all by donations after explaining I wasn't insured and offering to do it, for free, for the experience (and potential future customers).

I priced commercial insurance, through the same company that has the policy for my house and pickup. They quoted me around $315/year w/o digging holes, $439/year and I can dig all I want, as long as I call Dig-Safe, first (and follow common sense). That is a commercial policy that covers up to $1M per incident; $2M total, per year. The big kicker is I cannot let anyone else operate it, and be insured (they would have to be an employee). This policy dosn't cover the tractor (machine), just things effected by the tractor.

I guess that price looks pretty good.

 

[PAPPASMURF]

I'm looking at doing the same thing. I think there's a ton of money to be made, with a small tractor that can get into places without tearing up a lawn or ripping out a fence.

I'm not ready to go, yet. I only had four days off, in March; April isn't looking much better. I'm also in LE.

We've only had one snow worth getting the tractor out, for driveways (two inches...). In two and a half hours, I made $70/hr; all by donations after explaining I wasn't insured and offering to do it, for free, for the experience (and potential future customers).

I priced commercial insurance, through the same company that has the policy for my house and pickup. They quoted me around $315/year w/o digging holes, $439/year and I can dig all I want, as long as I call Dig-Safe, first (and follow common sense). That is a commercial policy that covers up to $1M per incident; $2M total, per year. The big kicker is I cannot let anyone else operate it, and be insured (they would have to be an employee). This policy dosn't cover the tractor (machine), just things effected by the tractor.

I guess that price looks pretty good.

There is a lot of money in it if you do folks right....which it sounds like you are. Good luck if you venture out in this. Your insurance quote is REALLY low compared to mine with the exact same coverage. Wish I could get a quote like that! How long have you been in L.E. ? I have just a few years left which was one of the deciding factors in starting up now (build a customer base / reputation). :cool2:

 

[MinnesotaEric]

I'm looking at doing the same thing. I think there's a ton of money to be made, with a small tractor that can get into places without tearing up a lawn or ripping out a fence.

I'm not ready to go, yet. I only had four days off, in March; April isn't looking much better. I'm also in LE.

We've only had one snow worth getting the tractor out, for driveways (two inches...). In two and a half hours, I made $70/hr; all by donations after explaining I wasn't insured and offering to do it, for free, for the experience (and potential future customers).

I priced commercial insurance, through the same company that has the policy for my house and pickup. They quoted me around $315/year w/o digging holes, $439/year and I can dig all I want, as long as I call Dig-Safe, first (and follow common sense). That is a commercial policy that covers up to $1M per incident; $2M total, per year. The big kicker is I cannot let anyone else operate it, and be insured (they would have to be an employee). This policy dosn't cover the tractor (machine), just things effected by the tractor.

I guess that price looks pretty good.

What insurance company are you using?

 

[2458n]

Depending on the type of work you are doing a mini track hoe will out dig the back hoe tractor 2x. Many larger companies are using these to take a man off of a shovel. Tracks can be sucked in to go thru a gate and be extended once you go to work.

 

[rmk700]

My problem is I'm a horrible buisness man. I get jobs and when I'm done they ask me what they owe me and I put my head down and kick the dirt with my boot and say, "oh don't worry about it".

 

[DT86]

My problem is I'm a horrible buisness man. I get jobs and when I'm done they ask me what they owe me and I put my head down and kick the dirt with my boot and say, "oh don't worry about it".

The biggest problem I ever had with doing work for others was pricing the job. I though what I had figured was way too high. (I would never pay someone the kind of money I was asking to do the same job.)

Then I realized that people don't have the equipment (big investment), know how or time to do what I was doing for them.

I'm honest with pricing and ask for what I need to survive, if it's too much then someone else can do it for them.