In a previous life, 80% of our new business came from people who called the phone number from our truck graphics. I also like to put magnetic signs over the top of the rental yard's logos on equipment. They're not paying me to advertise them, but driving the big excavator on the job with my signs makes the phone ring.
I can tell you from owning 4 tow trucks, 2 based on F450-550 chassis, one a F650 and the largest a Freightliner, that I set aside reserves for each truck each month. It's not if something is going to break, it's when. The smaller trucks had a $25 reserve per invoice to cover tires, belts, hoses. The larger trucks were quoted at a per hour rate, so the had an hourly reserve. Replacing a hydraulic cylinder and hoses on a 12 ton wrecker was close to $3500.
I started a tree business from the ground up. Number one requirement is the fortitude to get out there and hustle!!! If you can't bust your ass out in the heat and weather every day don't bother.
I live in NY and we have an organic dairy farm and milk 40 cows and I watch a few different Chanel’s on RU-vid and I like your Chanel the best because you do everything from truck stuff to equipment operating and I think you do a really good job best Chanel I’ve ever seen keep up the good work Sam
I’ve recently been forced to restart my whole life, and I’m living in a whole new state in a different part of the country. I’ve been wanting to start something up, something small with maybe just a truck, trailer, and a skid steer. I’ve looked into doing land clearing like what you’re doing and small scale excavating jobs. i’ve been contemplating new versus used equipment, renting, leasing, etc. Also thinking about how to advertise when nobody really knows me, and starting up a business when I really don’t even have any jobs lined up, you gave me some things to think about though for sure I know this video is a few years old and maybe you won’t even see this comment but good video and thanks for putting it out.
Hey I’m currently starting up my excavation company from nothing also would love to get any feedback back u have have u made any attempts at getting work
Excellent video. I have a Cat 299C and an FAE mulcher. I do a much, much smaller version of what you do in wine country. Looking forward to getting another small mulcher to hang on my 308E excavator. I have lots of fun doing this work for people. Especially those who are trying to prevent fires. Very rewarding work. (I am semi-retired. I just do this for fun.) Your videos are great and I appreciate the time you put into making them for the rest of us to enjoy!
Jim needs to put you on his sales staff, I’ll be calling him after the old farmhouse is done. Who knows, perhaps you will have machines upon the divide, no transport work trade? hmmm. Thanks for sharing Sam 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🇺🇸
Work for my father doing landscaping in Mass. Its just the two of us. Been wanting to buy a used skid to expand on the services we can offer being as we only have a kioti 40hp tractor now. After watching your videos for some time we might even try the land clearing part too as we have had a few jobs we have done with basic saws and brush hog that took longer than we would have liked. Keep up the good content. Btw we love our cummins trucks as well.
I'm with you, going too do mini excavating this year. I have a 1 ton truck, just need too buy trailer (cash) and a used/min (financed) . Start with weekend jobs, and have a payment small enough where one job a month will cover it if need be.
I loved doing it. A buddy of mine’s dad got into it, and it took a bit to start up, but was awesome seeing all kinds of new places. Started with a pickup and a 1-car and left when he had a day cab and 7 car trailer for the medical field. Definitely want to do it as a side hustle in a few.
I love seeing the Sierra Foothill scenery in your videos. A friend lives in Colfax and when ever I visit as soon as I smell the pine trees and the air I feel right at home. Keep up the great work
What I'd like to see similar to this is how a homeowner can find a land clearing contractor, and how to qualify them. I've got a hill right behind my house, full of trees that the previous owners never cleared, yet there are some fields and a river down there, and I suspect the view will be awesome if I can get it cleared.
I started in trimming powerlines in 2002 and did that till about 2012. And started into residential tree work. This was all for the same company also. And then in 2016 I started my own business doing all residential work. I still haul all brush and wood. I stack brush on my truck. And its all done by hand. Its made a old man outta me quick. I enjoy your videos. I think I might want to go into the land clearing side of things. I'm getting to wear I can't climb a whole lot anymore.
Well, My grandpa started raising cows when after he retired from Lott Construction. Though since he passed away in 2014, My mom and her three sisters turned his estate into an LLC. to minimize the taxes. When you have land it's always nice to have the land work or pay for itself. Right now their in the process of regaining the cow population to at least where it will start making a little profit. Granted it's just a small ranch roughly 289 acres in Texas, though I've had some crazy idea's on trying to do a little more stuff than just raise cows. Yet it's like a committee and goes through a voting process like nah were to old and it depends on what the kids want to do in 10 years, from possibly dividing it up or just selling it. Was contemplating something like what you and your dad are doing, with starting out with a skidsteer/bobcat or even hotshotting. Though i'd be starting from scratch, and one video I watched mentioned hotshotting in Texas kinda sucked. #namaste 🙏
I've been doing finish carpentry for the last 5 years. High end kitchens and what not. Just bought a kx040-4 figured I'd change things up and move some dirt lol
Tasmania Australia started out working with my dad excavating and property maintenance, dry hired most of my equipment except a small avant articulated loader with trencher and post hole borer, word of mouth was our main business income, I moved areas and changed to landscaping and started Facebook advertising managed to grow enough and brought my first machine a larger avant loader, love working for myself, awesome videos keep up the good work 👍
I build everything inside of datacenters for a living, but I have 2 young boys who need jobs when they're 18-20 and I don't ever want them getting ruined by someone else's leadership. I learned young that school doesn't teach you what you and v-belt know, so I learn from you so they aren't ever wage slaves in a cubicle.
i live in southern Ontario Canada (right near ny state) and my dad started a septic busienss because he wants to be his own boss and he has been working in the same sh*thole fixing concrete pumps since he was 18 (33 years) and he hasn't moved up much and he has no retirement fund so he's moving into a new industry to better himself his family and make a legacy
Just messing with you. I do it sometimes, especially in my mini in reverse. It’s a bit hard to maneuver my feet back on the heel in the small cab. Love your content. Heavy equipment grading of all kinds is what I do but oddly never ran a mulcher. Learning a lot watching you
I really appreciate your videos I also do land clearing and other jobs with the equipment I have I absolutely love what I do I have been doing it since I was a kid and I absolutely take extreme pride in my work I work for myself just wanted to let you know that I enjoy your work
Here you do that kind of work have to put stuff down for erosion control like tubes filled with wood chips you have to know the same soil also my stuff was with track type equipment dozers and end loaders scrapers so be safe and good luck had dump trucks also so dirt from one job to another you do right it's r money maker 8:54
I know this is a 3 year old video, but I'm considering getting into this field for myself. Been working in road construction/infrastructure for the last 23 years, been in trades my entire life and am at a point where I'm desiring not necessarily freedom, but independence. Not afraid to work 7 days a week, as long as I can see a benefit or end goal associated with it. Fortunately I'm also good at turning wrenches on repairs in the field as well. The only thing that scares me about it is not having the safety net. But, if there were no risk, everyone would do it right?
Your right bad news travels faster than good that's why some people put out signs with business information on them so people judge for themselves depends on what the c p a says is better at tax time 14:40
appreciate this video i start a land management company this year after debating over it for a couple of years and i am having the most fun working in my 55 yrs on planet rock, I bought a used tl12v2 and a brush cutter to do pond levees and firelanes here in Mississippi ,, Nothing comes easy but you videos have been a good deal of help,,, Thank you
I worked for a big company that did pay per diem or hotel or anything. Didnt take long to leave there and go to a smaller company. Just saving up for equipment and getting experience now.
I’m in defense manufacturing. My job is to keep some people alive while giving them the ability to kill many others. Clearing land looks very rewarding from your excavator POV footage. Different worlds you and I, but Cummins brought us together. ‘20 RAM 3500 SRW to pull my 5’er. Stay safe brother.
Thank you for the info on starting your own business. I’m trying to start a similar business here in north ga. All I have now is a small LS farm tractor but I’m thinking that an excavator with a thumb would be a game changer but I’m not sure on what size machine to buy. What about legal stuff? LLC? How much insurance? Bonded? Any info about that stuff would be appreciated.
First check with the DMV. One phone call Then call the building department ask for permitting, they will tell you. Second phone call Now figure out what you want to do and get busy. Action speaks louder than words. Just start doing it, and keep working it as hard as you can. Cheers
Love the videos you’ve been putting out. Im from around your neck of the woods and am curious to what time of licensing and permits are necessary to operate a land clearing business?
If the economy is good and you do good work , show up when you say you will . deliver on what you promise , eventually you won’t hunt work .Work will hunt you ! And some good luck to go along with hard work will equal success?
If you live in a rainy area, you know you're going to lose days due to weather. You might wish you could pull down $1,500-2,000 profit a week and some weeks you can. But then you might lose a week or two in a month because of rain and snow so that has to factor in.
Definitely off topic, but I’m a girl🤪🤷🏾♀️…Praying that one day my grand-babies will be saying things like, “my grandma’s truck”🥰 Thanks for sharing 🙏🏾
I am in construction/restoration in north Carolina but I would love to buy some heavy equipment and add some work with that to my services, currently renting everytime I need a skidsteer or excavator but I hope one day to own something
You need to get a Rake/Stumper for the excavator for stuff like you are doing there. I had one on mine could not do without it and they ain't that expensive.
Sounds like… From this and several other RU-vid channels… After putting in a few advertising dollars to get your first few jobs… New jobs eventually find YOU.
How do you guy's deal with the California fire danger? I see you guy's working in high heat, sometimes I see you using water for dust control or at least that was what I thought I heard you say. Do you have to deal with 1 a clock shut downs? This time of year make me so nervous running my mulching equipment.
Thinking about getting into the business just worried about saturation in my market maybe there's not enough work in South Florida anybody have thoughts on this
Hey something else for people looking to get into businesses of any kind is stay away from relationships like boyfriend and girlfriend or at least stay away from bad, toxic people. During the recession a few years back on top of everything else going on, my dad had a women (my mom) spreading all sorts of lies about my dad and one or two others in the family, and you would not believe the amount of people that believed her. It seemed like every day we would get a customer asking us if this or that was true.
@@VBELTandSON thats why love the kubota and case and stihl dealers they help fit the sizes and the budget plus they have the best different payments options wich is nice
I'm active military and fixing to retire. Thinking about getting in the land clearing business. I already have a 19' ram 3500. What would be the first piece of machinery you would pick up? I also already have saws but that's about it. I know I need a trailer as well. I was thinking a skid loader with a mulcher head to start with? What do you think?
@V-Belt and SON im starting up in 6 hours from you been doing on the side for several years mostly plucking and burning. Im curious what you might charge a day per machine. Like the job in this video you have 2 machines. What would be your day rate target price for success. Thanks Sam for your time. Ive enjoyed your videos. Love seeing Grass Valley. Ive spent much time there up hwy 20. 👍
I do land clearing.and I got tractor....lol Asv tractor..🤙fecon🤙LS 6168cps🤙MANY $ MAKING attachments 🤙 bucket fried chicken @ lunch"popeyes "🤙God first💯👍👍hang with good people🤙Dodge,Ford,Ford , did i say Ford 🤔Dodge🤙Ford...go get that fried chicken,enjoy🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙peace to u all...you land mulchin fried chicken eating, tree fallen guru's! Don't forget to always smile💯🤙
@@justinatkinson5265 its ok....Happiness comes with age..Spending millions on equipment isnt the key to a happy life but our family ,friends and community is a great place to show joy and be uplifting..Give her a try, it hopefully puts a smile on those as well yourself. PS. The comment you responded to was wrote to " land mulching, fried chicken eating,tree falling guru's ".. Do you do land clearing too??