Starting a fire-wood business, looking for some sage advice.

[moodnacreek]

From my experience handling [and measuring] is where the problem is. Also having customers pick up is no good at all. Everything goes on the truck and the truck returns empty. You need customers lined up or close together so when a driveway is blocked you just go to another. No waiting or meeting people for payment, they must bring it or send it to you. Cultivate off season customers that take green wood.  The whole thing is about having good people and treating them fair.

[Lord Far-Quad]

From my experience handling [and measuring] is where the problem is. Also having customers pick up is no good at all. Everything goes on the truck and the truck returns empty. You need customers lined up or close together so when a driveway is blocked you just go to another. No waiting or meeting people for payment, they must bring it or send it to you. Cultivate off season customers that take green wood.  The whole thing is about having good people and treating them fair.

Yes it seems like there are a couple bottlenecks in production efficiency that you can try to remedy with either money (equipment), or choices (choosing your customers). Another issue with the business that I see in my area is that the supply of raw timber is low. I think that this has partially to do with the fact that mills are investing in technology that minimizes waste and can make use of the culls laying around on the cutblock. So, demand is high, and price is high, but firewood guys can't get enough wood to satisfy the people. Also, there seems to be a real fetish over birch in my neck of the woods--birch burns great, but I think it is a bit overrated, and it is much harder to come by that spruce or pine. And it also sucks up sediment and dulls my saw faster than most woods. But it's what the people want!

[jimbarry]

We load loose and dump loose on the ground.

In the picture with the car trailer getting crates loaded.  Maybe thats a customer picking up?

Yes. We offer drive-thru, u-pick, load-n-go. Whatever you want to call it. Often someone will drive in, load on one or two crates and be on their way.


 

[Big_eddy]

Eddy and Jim...you both have great women. They are more than wives, they are partners. Bless them!

I agree! It is my wife's firewood business. Our son started doing firewood to earn money for college. When he graduated and left the area, they were talking and she decided to continue the business he started.  She handles all the orders and contacts and scheduling and payments etc. I've got the easy part - Running the saw and driving the truck. 

[mike_belben]

Heck yeah.