Starting a contracting business

[Jimmy12]

I was thinking about starting a contracting buisness have all the machinery to do so how would I go about advertising

 

[Jsmith2211]

he has the kit already..

 

[JeepJeep]

he has the kit already..

Paid for by how? Dads farm machines?..... It still needs to earn it's wear replacement and profit.
What Kit? Wheelbarrow? Chainsaw?

 

[box]

Contractors aren't charging anywhere near enough IMO, but I guess that's the way it has to be.

Charge too much, farmers will gear up and do it themselves.
Don't charge enough and you won't make any money.

 

[CPF]

Couple of questions
(I was a contractor)
Where are you located?
What are you going to specialise in grassland or arable contracting ?
Are you going to be a one man band or employ a lot of staff?

 

[JeepJeep]

Where has " All the Kit " from?

 

[CPF]

Where has " All the Kit " from?

Does that matter?

 

[JeepJeep]

Does that matter?

Course it does..... If its's dropped out the sky and working for peanuts it wont be replaced.

If its Dads it'll be flogged contracting for peanuts and cost Dad or no machine for son.... or Dad will suffer at Peak seasons to him self.

It'll be costing someones business

 

[Hfd Cattle]

Always ask the question ? (To youreslf)
Why is the customer ringing me ?
It might be that they have used every other one in area but not paid the bills.
Honesty and reliability ( both in timing and kit) is the best thing a contractor can offer.
If you can't do it then say , don't promise and then not answer phone !

 

[Ivorbiggun]

Why would you want to start a contractor buisness when if you listen to most on here there’s no money in farming.
So how are you going to get paid.

 

[caveman]

Undercutting works both ways.
Tale from years ago.
A young lad decided he was going to be a coal merchant. Bought a couple of lorry loads and advertised for sale.
Established local merchant undercut him.
Lad was left with coal he couldn't sell.

I'd suggest O.P. chucks his lot in to work/drive for established contractor who may be getting on and keep his head down with a view to taking over business one day. (That's if he really wants to run the business and earn less than his drivers).

 

[Grassman]

Undercutting works both ways.
Tale from years ago.
A young lad decided he was going to be a coal merchant. Bought a couple of lorry loads and advertised for sale.
Established local merchant undercut him.
Lad was left with coal he couldn't sell.

I'd suggest O.P. chucks his lot in to work/drive for established contractor who may be getting on and keep his head down with a view to taking over business one day. (That's if he really wants to run the business and earn less than his drivers).

Very true. Look at what the supermarkets did to the high Street. Basically they are the whole high street in one building.
They undercut. Get the customers off the small shop with the lure of cheap prices. Small shops shut. Supermarket puts prices up.

 

[tractorsandcows]

And talks to you if he can’t, rather than ignoring you!!

That is the best piece of advice for all service providers. I don't employ contractors much but I know other people have this problem with silage contractors. But I find it a real problem with small builders mobile repairers etc. Tell you a day don't turn up don't say why or give you a new date. I would prefer someone gave me a realistic date or told me they were too busy.

 

[DrWazzock]

I’d look at the jobs that are slightly more difficult, need specialist kit, a bit of work on health and safety etc …. Like replacing a leaky sheet in a grain store roof. Very difficult to get anybody to do that kind of stuff nowadays.
Then there’s drainage work. Not sitting on your arse in a digger but locating blocked under drains, and jetting them etc.
Those seem to be the kind of jobs that nobody wants to do.
Or what about setting up as an “RT enabler”.
Yes I know we all hate it so why not get somebody to help out with putting together a file and making it easier?
All ideas I’ve had during this wet autumn. Thank me later.

 

[Sausage]

You would be wise to sit down and consider gaps in the market. You probably don’t have the right machine, but if there are lots of competent contractors already around why try to compete. My mate bought a big drilling rig for sending pipes under roads, etc. not many about. He also does other similar stuff. He’s fairly busy.

 

[HAM135]

Better to sit on someone else's machine at £16+/hr ,can't understand how a lot of contractors make a living,we did a bit at harvest this year,labour only worked away ok but tractor and driver was a waste of time,wouldn't even cover the depreciation of the tractor.

 

[CPF]

I’d look at the jobs that are slightly more difficult, need specialist kit, a bit of work on health and safety etc …. Like replacing a leaky sheet in a grain store roof. Very difficult to get anybody to do that kind of stuff nowadays.
Then there’s drainage work. Not sitting on your arse in a digger but locating blocked under drains, and jetting them etc.
Those seem to be the kind of jobs that nobody wants to do.
Or what about setting up as an “RT enabler”.
Yes I know we all hate it so why not get somebody to help out with putting together a file and making it easier?
All ideas I’ve had during this wet autumn. Thank me later.

I started out doing sh/t jobs
Then move slowly into other farm work .
Along the way I acquisition two ag contacting business , and then my ag contacting business got acquisition by another agricultural business and I retired from it when I was 52.
So starting out doing sh/t jobs can get you good reputation being reliable.
As the saying goes you can come out smelling of Roses .
This is why I asked what you are going to specialising in .( In my post further up)
And never tell your customer you are very bad day .

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Call me stupid but I never ask for a price , I've been using the same contractors for as long as I can remember, become close friends as well , Bill comes and have no isue with what they charge

 

[neilo]

Call me stupid but I never ask for a price , I've been using the same contractors for as long as I can remember, become close friends as well , Bill comes and have no isue with what they charge

Same here. The only time I ask a price is if I’m trying to cost out something, otherwise it is what it is. All the local contractors (except one) work together, helping each other out when under the cosh, so propices are all about the same.
Our last field to combine a couple of years ago, in a patchy time, I ended up with 3 combines in the field finishing up. All works well, nobody sh1ts on anyone and everybody makes a bit. no doubt the bad payers don’t remain a secret amongst them either.

Incidentally, that ‘one’ that I mentioned, started up and undercut everyone to get work. It has been forgotten and I don’t imagine it will ever be forgiven.

 

[serf]

On white, obviously….!

I thought it would be petrol ,
2 stroke !

 

[upnortheast]

As said above difficult getting going from a standing start
Can you help out an established contractor, either labour only or with your kit . Good way of finding out what goes on & get your face known.
Is there a gap in the market that no one else is doing.
Whatever you do don`t get work by undercutting the opposition.