ADVICE
HOW TO START UP
A TREE SURGEON
BUSINESS
It’s worthwhile taking a short course in tree surgery
approved by industry body, Lantra
I
f you’ve got a head for heights,
can handle heavy equipment
and love being in the great
outdoors, a tree surgery
business could bring great rewards. QUALIFICATIONS
There aren’t any legal requirements
to train as a tree surgeon, but for
your own safety, as well as others, it’s
worthwhile taking a short course in
tree surgery approved by industry
body, Lantra. This will not only
teach you how to climb and use the
equipment safely and correctly, but
also about the best way to manage
trees, including identifying disease.
Experience will however be key to
doing your job well, particularly
in terms of using ropes, harnesses
and equipment. Volunteering for
organisations such as the National
Trust or the Woodland Trust can
help you build your skills up, as will
working for an existing tree surgery
or ground management organisation. COSTS AND FEES
To start, you can work as a freelance
tree surgeon working for other
small businesses. Approach local
companies to offer your services.
You’ll need to invest in equipment
such as chainsaws, as well as
protective clothing including helmets
and boots. You may be happy to stay
working at this level, but you may
also want to grow your business. To
do this a truck is essential to remove
trees, branches and greenery from
the land or property which you’ve
been working on. There is potential
to sell the trees you take down as
firewood, but you will need the space
to store the wood so that it can dry
out – remember that it takes up to a
year for firewood to season properly.
You’ll also need a chipper to grindup smaller branches. The chippings
have the potential to be sold on for the
likes of garden mulch. Again, you need
room to store it, as well as the means
to sell it. What you can charge varies
across the country, but there are
different prices for different services.
Grinding up a tree stump may bring
you in anything from £50 to £300, a
tree survey and evaluation anything
from £250 to £450. In London this
may work out at a day rate of around
£350 to £400, but it will be a very
different picture elsewhere in the
country. GETTING STARTED
Once you have enough experience
under your belt to go it alone,
you’ll need to come up with a good
name for your business. One of
the best ways to promote your
services is a leaflet campaign
focused on areas with lots of
trees and hedges in people’sgardens. Ensure your leaflets
are informative and attractive,
and list your qualifications and
experience. A website is a must- people will Google for tree
surgeons in your area. Make sure
the style of it matches that of your
leaflets to keep your branding
consistent. Pin up leaflets on local
community notice boards and
at garden centres. You can also
network gardeners, who you can
recommend in return for them
recommending you. Word of mouth
will however be crucial to your
success – if you’re good at your
job, promoting your business will
quickly become a thing of the past.
You may be happy to continue to
handle all the work alone, or may
choose to employ or work with
others, meaning you can take on
bigger jobs and complete them
more quickly, which will give you
the edge on the competition.