Looking for work

[steven1784]

Hi folks hope you're doing well

I'm self employed and based in Dumfries and Galloway and getting pissed off with driving diggers for companies
I'm wanting to start my own business and digger but I'm struggling to find anyone to give me a chance!
I'm not in any click...don't drink or go out,keep myself to myself I've got plenty of work driving for different companies and that suits me they all keep offering me to go on the books with them but I'm wanting to make something for myself and have my own company
Can anyone recommend someone who's willing to help me or give me a chance?

 

[Storrsy]

Hi folks hope you're doing well

I'm self employed and based in Dumfries and Galloway and getting pissed off with driving diggers for companies
I'm wanting to start my own business and digger but I'm struggling to find anyone to give me a chance!
I'm not in any click...don't drink or go out,keep myself to myself I've got plenty of work driving for different companies and that suits me they all keep offering me to go on the books with them but I'm wanting to make something for myself and have my own company
Can anyone recommend someone who's willing to help me or give me a chance?

Best just put yourself out there offering your services and if your still doing subby work for other companies keep that going untill you have enough of your own work. Just start small. A few parish magazine adverts and perhaps a Facebook page if that's your thing- hire in for the time being to see how it goes...

 

[V8Druid]

welcome @steven1784 ... you may be getting PO-ed, but it keeps the cashflow going ... as Storrsy says start small/slowly and build from there -- feet first into major commitments is a brave move - if you don't have a client base to maintain the cash flow .... end of the day, we all need to make it to live.

 

[6feetdown]

Yeah keep banking the money until you've either got enough work or a cushion to fall back on

 

[Stroppymonkey]

If you’re allready full time subbing in others machines then maybe buying your own machine on finance and then subbing out WITH a machine to keep pennies rolling in, then the odd day/weekend etc chasing your own work. So many variables here. What size machines do you run for others?

 

[Giles]

What do you envision by helping you or giving you a chance?

If I as a small contractor with 15 years or so of customers and web presence etc started passing you leads that I’m too busy to do I’m training future competition and diluting my client base?

If I sub you in then you’re in client’s ear saying how you’d be cheaper direct

Not much incentive for existing contractors unless they’ve got 1-2 year job that they need say an 8 ton on and you buy one fill that role but think most just buy their own and employ you as a driver.

Have to do what most us did and just put yourself out their and drum up some business and deal with customers on Sunday night at 9pm lol

 

[Russell]

I'm pretty sure thats what i found when I was looking for employed work for the last couple of years. I think having been self employed in the same trade in the past is viewed as a negative by potential employers.

 

[Quattromike]

I'm pretty sure thats what i found when I was looking for employed work for the last couple of years. I think having been self employed in the same trade in the past is viewed as a negative by potential employers.

This would be my view on it too
But then we are a small community up here beyond the wall where mostly everyone knows mostly everyone

 

[Storrsy]

There is something to be said for getting on with the friendly competition though. I'd happily pass on jobs more suitable for someone else and visa versa. Help each other out on jobs etc. Not all about cut throating each other.

 

[V8Druid]

There is something to be said for getting on with the friendly competition though. I'd happily pass on jobs more suitable for someone else and visa versa. Help each other out on jobs etc. Not all about cut throating each other.

yeh there is ... back in the day, Russ and I used to regularly 'swap' work, if it was more convenient than trekking onto each other's patches, for the odd day's work

 

[Smiffy]

There is something to be said for getting on with the friendly competition though. I'd happily pass on jobs more suitable for someone else and visa versa. Help each other out on jobs etc. Not all about cut throating each other.

Quite a few of the one man band tree gangs have. Bit of a cooperative going on round here. One has an Avant, one has a cherry picker. Arb digger, track chipper, Vermeer loader. And so on. They all sub hire eachother according to what is needed for the job.
Seems quite a romantic way of working but undoubtedly someone will ruin it.

 

[Storrsy]

Quite a few of the one man band tree gangs have. Bit of a cooperative going on round here. One has an Avant, one has a cherry picker. Arb digger, track chipper, Vermeer loader. And so on. They all sub hire eachother according to what is needed for the job.
Seems quite a romantic way of working but undoubtedly someone will ruin it.

That sounds like too many fingers in the pie and too much testosterone though! Perhaps it's a delicate balance.
Generally I prefer to just give the job to somone else If I'm not up for doing it. The trouble with subbying it out and taking a cut from it is your not really in control of the quality of work yet you would be responsible for it. Too messy for me. Give it away to the right person and hope that it's swings and roundabouts.

 

[Smiffy]

That sounds like too many fingers in the pie and too much testosterone though! Perhaps it's a delicate balance.
Generally I prefer to just give the job to somone else If I'm not up for doing it. The trouble with subbying it out and taking a cut from it is your not really in control of the quality of work yet you would be responsible for it. Too messy for me. Give it away to the right person and hope that it's swings and roundabouts.

Someone will undoubtedly ruin it, it's the human way. But they don't seem to quite sub the work out. The person whos job it is stays lead and hires the machinery in on an operated basis. Bit different with tree work the climber/feller is usually the lead over the machine man.
I dont know if they have a different way of working abroad as it seems there are a lot more owner opps subbing into larger firms. Although i don't know if social media skews the perception

 

[doobin]

I work with a tree mate on jobs requiring an extra hand. He’s an excellent climber and has a good labourer. I have all the machinery. We usually split the job 50/50, my machinery is cancelled out by his labourer.

This hedgecutting job, 3k over two days. Not mega money for three people but fk all diesel burnt and a lot easier for all parties involved. They appreciated not having to balance on ladders and not having to rake up at all. I appreciated not having to do much other than low down hedgecutting and mainly sit on my arse.

We reckoned a non mechanised team would charge that and take a week to do it. Did a much better job than the last team, had a request to quote from the neighbour and will surely be back next year.

 

[Giles]

I work with a tree mate on jobs requiring an extra hand. He’s an excellent climber and has a good labourer. I have all the machinery. We usually split the job 50/50, my machinery is cancelled out by his labourer.

This hedgecutting job, 3k over two days. Not mega money for three people but fk all diesel burnt and a lot easier for all parties involved. They appreciated not having to balance on ladders and not having to rake up at all. I appreciated not having to do much other than low down hedgecutting and mainly sit on my arse.

We reckoned a non mechanised team would charge that and take a week to do it. Did a much better job than the last team, had a request to quote from the neighbour and will surely be back next year. View attachment 63854View attachment 63855View attachment 63850View attachment 63851View attachment 63852View attachment 63853

Be easier for them to do what my auntie in wye valley does get tractor boys in at £50ph

 

[hiluxman]

Be easier for them to do what my auntie in wye valley does get tractor boys in at £50ph

And to think I put my 20 year old grab out at 80 an hour.

 

[doobin]

Be easier for them to do what my auntie in wye valley does get tractor boys in at £50ph

Not inside the garden it wouldn’t! And you wouldn’t reach the top of the field hedge with a tractor cutter. We did contemplate it. But it was a full polesaw in width as well as being on the limit of the multione height wise.

 

[Storrsy]

And to think I put my 20 year old grab out at 80 an hour.

The mind boggles when it comes to Ag related rates

 

[doobin]

And to think I put my 20 year old grab out at 80 an hour

How the hell do you get that in your parallel universe where a mini digger is £40 for the day?

 

[hiluxman]

How the hell do you get that in your parallel universe where a mini digger is £40 for the day?

£50 for the day...everything is 50.

Grab is £80 an hour, i charge yard to yard. No one questions that rate.

It's the digger and driver rate that's poor.