New business feedback

[Sprayer driver's son]

good evening ladies and gents.
I'm thinking of starting a new business. Looking at buying a sprayer and going spray contracting. I've driven them for years and consider myself an excellent operator. I also plan to use a crop sensor to provide my future customers on the go VRA. I know roughly what my running costs will be. Not looked no to undercut anyone just looking to offer something new in the market. What are the going rate per Ha for contract spraying? Won't buy machine or invest in tech until I know my figure and calculations are bullet proof.
Your thoughts. It will be a 24/36m machine

 

[GTB]

Ask your father?

 

[ARW]

Don't go crazy, keep your job until your spraying gets big enough to support you, don't be the cheapest but be the best

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Where are you based?

 

[Sprayer driver's son]

Thanks gtb, but I'm not a sprayer driver's son, I'm thinking of this business venture to create a better life for my son.
Rather not say where I'm based. Relocating would be a consideration if I could make business plan stack up! Looking at staring sept 18 so planning ahead . Not saying I'm better or worse at business than any other contractor just want to ensure I've planned every outcome financially before I even consider committing

 

[GTB]

 

[Sprayer driver's son]

Why the scratchy head? What's wrong with wanting to create a successful sunstaiable business to offer my family a better future. Would you rather I stayed where I was and made my boss even more wealth and have nothing to show?
What do you suggest as a going rate

 

[Clive]

spraying is the most profitable contracting you can do so you chose the right job IMO if you want to go contracting vs being a trailer jockey etc !

To go contracting though you need a self prop really and thats a fair big outlay, beware of the big bills that can come with older machines

 

[GTB]

Why the scratchy head? What's wrong with wanting to create a successful sunstaiable business to offer my family a better future. Would you rather I stayed where I was and made my boss even more wealth and have nothing to show?
What do you suggest as a going rate

I've no fecking idea but why call yourself sprayer driver's son if you aren't. And not wanting to give your location is also fecking stupid IMHO. How do you expect people to help you with going rates if they don't know where the feck you are? Hell of a difference between Lincolnshire and Gwynedd I would have said.

But good luck with your venture anyhow.

 

[Sprayer driver's son]

Thanks , yes I don't own land or have daddies cheque boom so will be self funded hence my worry about risk but happy to take a calculated risk. Already been offered (verbally, so not concrete or worth risking money on) ) 650 acres of spray and fert. Am I wrong to get a contract drawn up? Gives both sides some commitment and safety. Have others got contracts?
Cash flow is my biggest concern so want to have a buffer zone to allow time to chase payments etc....

 

[Sprayer driver's son]

GTB, I'm nit looking to find out going rate locally. I'm looking to find out if I can make a business rather than match the rest. Technically I am a sprayer driver's son! Dad retired years ago. Also don't want to jepodise my current job as they are good to me and will try to give them plenty of notice.

Sorry if I sound harsh, not intended just being cautious.
Thanks for good luck wishes. Once I am confident I can make a business I'll Reveal more and will be happy to quote you

 

[Campbell]

You will need to find the Hectares first to make it pay, but from what I see it can be a very good business. Circa £10/Ha for good going, more for small awkward areas. Prepare for silly O'Clock hours and frustrating weather. Note the best ones all have fairly new kit.

 

[principal skinner]

£10/ha. Be mindful you will get a fair few shite jobs i.e. 25ha over wintered ploughing in 9 fields with three poles in each. Loads of road work that will knacker a hydrostatic machine in 1000hrs. A catchy season where the wind blows every day. The load where you pushed your luck and then a thunder storm dropped 15mm of rain five mins after you finished, who pays for the product to do it again? It all looks rosy when you can knock out 200ha days but they don't happen often!

 

[Campbell]

knacker a hydrostatic machine

Buy an Kelland Agribuggy.

 

[Chae1]

Good luck with your venture, but why do you want the hassle and stress of running your own machine?

I guess you get plenty hours and earn a decent wage driving one for someone else.

Where is the work going to come from?

Any new jobs will be with poor payers. Might get some farmers giving up doing own spraying due to sprayer mots and increased legislation. These don't tend to be great jobs in my experience.

Is there any contractors near retirement? Could buy existing business with customer base.

Do you have a local machinery ring? These quite often provide spraying, or chemical companies that provide spraying.

 

[TripleSix]

You need to gauge how much work there is out there in your area.

Are sprayer contactors in demand?

 

[Lincs Lass]

Theres a guy here who used to be in contract sugarbeet harvesting ,he moved away from that many years ago and set up in spraying ,now runs a big Darman SP machine ,gets allover the county with it

 

[ARW]

The worse thing about spraying is the weather, short sharp shower just after you sprayed "why did you spray before that rain"
Catchy weather "why didnt you spray it yesterday"
Wind "yes itl spray today" you get there and all the spray bottles have blown to the next village
And so on
Good luck

 

[horizontal]

On calcs I did last Year I reckon you need to spray 20,000ac to leave you 25k 'wage'

 

[Bongodog]

Why would you need to even think about undercutting anyone ? You'll get plenty enough who haven't paid for last years spraying