Ben's biggest business gambles were investing in a bucket truck and a crane, two pieces of equipment that have since been proven invaluable.
says. “Everything was climbing before that. So, when we got a bucket truck, boy, it made life a lot easier on the body — everything. I wish I would have got- ten that sooner!” BIGGEST BUSINESS GAMBLE Sometimes in business, you have to take risks without knowing the out- come. For Ben, it was buying his first bucket truck at the very beginning of his business. Today, it’s his new crane. Before investing in a big-ticket item, Ben suggests growing your business to the point where buying a large piece of equipment “just makes sense.” Once you get there, it’s not that big of a gamble. Additionally, Ben suggests trying out your desired equipment multiple times before buying. Once you do, find new and unconventional ways to use it to help ease the financial burden. MOST PROFITABLE SERVICE When asked what service made him the most money, Ben didn’t hesitate: plant health care.
the most should always be the ones to demo them. While Ben is slow to make equipment purchasing decisions, there is one piece of equipment he wished he’d ob- tained earlier in his career. “A bucket truck. I never knew how good life was until we got a bucket truck,” he
be ‘now, now, now’ — like getting pro- posals or being responsive and return- ing phone calls or emails or texts — you have to be that. “You can’t sit around thinking, ‘I’ll get there when I can,’” he continues. “You can, but I don’t think you’re going to be in business for long. And you’re defi- nitely not client focused.” EQUIPMENT Because equipment has a limited lifes- pan, Ben advises leasing whenever possible, especially since you can usu- ally buy the equipment at the end of the lease at a reduced price. When buying certain equipment, Ben follows a “try before you buy” policy. “My strategy has always been, if there’s a piece of equipment that we feel could be beneficial to the business, we’ll ei- ther rent or demo it,” he says. “We may rent it for a long period of time. But, when we pull the trigger [to purchase it], we usually know it’s going to be a good tool for us.” Additionally, Ben suggests that the per- son who will be using production tools
Every piece of equipment should be demoed by the employees who will be using it in the field.
“Primarily because it’s a knowledge-
48 | ArborTIMES Winter 2024
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