Getting into the mulching business

“Is the mulching market becoming BIG TIME saturated? Iron on average jumped in price 10-15% since Jan. 1, fuel prices are crazy and rising weekly to record highs, and parts are stupid expensive and some are very hard to get. 85% of PROs work is word of mouth and repeat customers. If they try advertising then there are 10 other guys ahead of their ad.”

This post at Facebook caught our interest as the professional did ask others to chime in and provide further advice to add some realism balancing out what the equipment salesmen and marketers are telling them.

Any professional hates to see the desperation jobs @ $100/hr because that hurts all of them and not only we at WeMulch.com really hate to see iron going back to the bank. 😉

1. Study your market and have a business plan!!
2. You should have your own shop, tools, welder etc. and the attitude / aptitude to keep fixing your equipment. Charge enough to cover large repairs and down time as well as all other costs and PROFIT. There’s no law against making a profit. In the past 20 years (and 3 machines later) I’ve gone from $75hr to $2000 / $3000 a day. It may sound like a lot of money, but this business is extremely high maintenance. Good Luck “GO DUCKS”
3. Find out what the standard price in your area is and never, ever charge less than that. You can’t survive in this business by undercutting the competition. It’s far too expensive. What we do is fairly unique and worth the money, so don’t hamstring yourself.
4. Don’t skimp on insurance, make sure you have plenty of coverage for liability along with having insurance on your equipment. Even regularly cleaning your equipment there is alway the chance something catches fire. Have a fire extinguisher in your cab with you as well.
5. have a good relationship with your service department/company. It goes a long ways.
6. The best advice I can give anyone is don’t just rely on mulching for example I do landscape and water features and home food growth garden as well just to make sure that I can still pay bills and oddly enough my biggest sales are the homes that have a small field and they want to grow their own food
7. let your machine sit before you give work away, that way you’re not wearing it out doing work that definitely wont cover the maintenance bills and possible damages.
8. with fuel prices going up and labor prices even higher think very carefully about how your local market is before stepping in maybe even try to buy a used machine to start out. Make sure you now how to maintenance your equipment and do basic repairs. always keep a service worth of oil on hand and all filters ( supply chain sucks) if you can try to keep some wear items such as belts and cutter teeth. My honest opinion is now is not the time to start a business with the prices and market being so saturated but things happen so try to save back money for your bills before you start and take a chance be diversified and don’t be afraid to put the hours in.
9. Under promise and over deliver. Don’t hide fees. Be up front quote the job and stick to it. Just Because you didn’t see the tire or wires it not the customers fault. We all know the hazards of the job. Getting stuck, Unseen hazards..these things happen so keep it in mind.
   Once you start making a little extra than you expected..”SAVE IT”. Trust me your gonna need the assurance of being prepared for the unexpected. Nothing prepares you like a fat savings.
   Main thing be fair and reasonable to all. We depend on our reputation for future work. That difficult client deserves the same respect as the everyone else. If you meet that person that rubs you the wrong way, punt the job before its to late. Do your best but never slam others that don’t measure up to your standards.
   This is a good example of what works. Hang in there and Goodluck. 👊
10. If you are a lazy individual who doesn’t service your machine or routine maintenance to your base unit and mulcher head. You will be screwed. Parts are scarce for every brand and thinking your going to bounce up to a dealership and buy stuff same day. Your sadly mistaken.
11. If every one would stay close to the same prices it would help everyone. Don’t give the work away.
12. All jobs are going to require more than just seat time. Having to move trees you can’t mulch or use the chainsaw is absolutely going to happen. And whatever you need for support equipment ie: truck, trailer tools hits your wallet just as hard as the skidsteer and mulcher. Don’t forget to price out all of what you’ll need.
13. If you’ve never owned a business, it’s 24/7/365. It’s the very first thought you have every morning and the last thought you have every night and your wife/gf/so, is going to resent it. The amount of work you have almost NEVER matches the equipment and labor you have available.
    Be prepared to lose everything, because you’re risking everything…
14. Better be diverse if all you have is a skiddy! If you aren’t a mechanic or cant at-least diagnose a problem run from mulching, know your worth just stick to your business plan dont sell your self short cause someone else is. They will work thier self out of business within a year once the machine shows some wear!
15. understand your overall costs. with this business comes a xtra level of maintenace.,our numbers show additional 20% not including a 13% added fuel expense.,you should have a good mechanical knowledge as well.,if you need a service tech everytime something goes wrong.,its going to hurt. your going to need a 100hp machine with high flo and after cooler.,our opinion.,tryed other route.,problem after problem. your rates should start at 160hr. and thats for golf course job as we call it. thats our 50cents…….good luck and welcome
16. Go work for someone else in the industry first.
17. What I’m having a hard time with, as far as getting started, is guys with actual tree experience and knowledge with a passion for this, that want to do it are being flooded by guys who have more money just trying it and thinking they can get more easy money, or doing it on the side just cause they are bored… Now in every state everyone and their brother is doing this mulching.. I’ve wanted to to do it for years after working for others but have no idea how I’m gonna keep up with y’all… so I’m hesitant.. maybe I just need to jump..
18. From someone who started with nothing, solely mulched for 12 to 15 years and now just mulches part time. Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. Don’t look at mulching as your only source of income. Most of these units are set up to run hundreds of attachments. Find a nitch and pick and choose the good jobs. Don’t cut your self short.
19. Good luck with the cash. Over 90% will pay with check. If they use CC we add 3.5% to bill.
20. I’m looking at one for one specific purpose at the farm , I have run and owned all kinds of AG tractors and various harvesters from carrots and beets to combines and cotton pickers , if you are not your own mechanic for 90% of everything , trak life is gonna be hard for you , and mulchers look like from where I’m standing to be a constant maintenance chore

THE Forestry Mulching and Land Management Group at Facebook.