Starting my own contracting business

JackMS

Member
Mixed Farmer
Hello

just want to have some thoughts thrown at me about possible ways to start contracting.

I’m 23 and not from farming stock. Always wanted to get my own machine and go off working with it.

I know there’s lots of negatives around it. I’ve read other posts but most are involving farmers sons should I say.

Thanks
Jack
 

6480

Member
Have you ever worked for an agricultural contractor, it tough long hours and seasonal work that follows weather conditions very much
 

JackMS

Member
Mixed Farmer
Been working 6 years so a fair bit. Not as much as farmers sons my age. That’s why I’m curious on peoples thoughts. Quite a few, I work at our local livestock market too so from a larger area too.
 

tr250

Member
Location
Northants
Hello

just want to have some thoughts thrown at me about possible ways to start contracting.

I’m 23 and not from farming stock. Always wanted to get my own machine and go off working with it.

I know there’s lots of negatives around it. I’ve read other posts but most are involving farmers sons should I say.

Thanks
Jack
If you really want to do it go for it but do something different. You will need a bit of money behind you though. The whole farmers sons thing on here is only sour grapes
 

nick...

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
south norfolk
I wish you well with your quest but unless you have very good customers you will get work for those who don’t pay their bills.you may also get too much to do and have people swearing at you if you let them down.i get this occasionally with my digger work when one job runs on longer than anticipated.
Nick...
 

james ds

Member
Location
leinster
If you really want to do it go for it but do something different. You will need a bit of money behind you though. The whole farmers sons thing on here is only sour grapes
The farmers son problem is that the son takes no risks , gets daddy’s tractor , machine and fuel, goes out working cheap because he only needs beer money, makes a balls of the job and drops the tractor back in daddy’s yard , loses nothing as it made no differance to him . This young man has to make this work first time , he has no safety net , hard done but can be done . Let’s say more fail than succeed , but at least he can say he tried. I’d say work first with a contractor and save up money to invest in the business , start slowly and good luck.
 

Bongodog

Member
If you start up on your own account you will not be short of work, you will have so much that you will not even need your bed. After a year however when you are owed a small fortune it will dawn on you that all those eager customers owed their previous contractor for a years work and were on credit hold.
 

Fendt516profi

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Yorkshire
If you start up on your own account you will not be short of work, you will have so much that you will not even need your bed. After a year however when you are owed a small fortune it will dawn on you that all those eager customers owed their previous contractor for a years work and were on credit hold.
How would any genuine people feel if they gave a new lad a go and he asked for a deposit or to be payed in full before he left the farm
 

manfromhill

Member
See if I knew the guy like friend of someone or through yf then would have now problem squaring up after job or end of month folk need a hand sometimes to get going too many farmers can be dks sometimes
 

Fendt516profi

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Yorkshire
See if I knew the guy like friend of someone or through yf then would have now problem squaring up after job or end of month folk need a hand sometimes to get going too many farmers can be dks sometimes
Pay at end of month cause some folk need a hand, I thought that was normal terms. Was getting a tyre fitted to a rim at a garage (farming stock) he had a sign up 'all work to be paid for on collection you wouldn't go to supermarket and not pay for your shopping would you'
 

Munkul

Member
If you start up on your own account you will not be short of work, you will have so much that you will not even need your bed. After a year however when you are owed a small fortune it will dawn on you that all those eager customers owed their previous contractor for a years work and were on credit hold.

Have you ever heard the saying "pick your customers, or your customers will pick you instead"?
Meaning that to be a successful business, you have to try and steer it towards the good customers that you want to work for, and avoid the bad ones as much as possible.
Get bills out promptly, whatever, and put a 30 day payment term on. Any good customer will pay promptly, and anyone who hasn't paid within 30 days... will at least be on your radar for next time...
I could not understand our silage contractor last year... we asked him for a bill after 1st cut... nothing. Then after 2nd cut... nothing. Then after 3rd cut and wholecrop, he stings us for the whole lot, in October which was quite painful and NOT when we wanted money going out.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.7%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 64 34.6%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.2%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 6 3.2%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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