If you are crazy enough, you better go 100% all in. There is no half way commitment.

Even if you’re 80%-90% committed, it won’t work. The dirt game will eat you up and spit you out like vegan fish tacos.

There’s no other trade like it.

Say you want to be a carpenter. Besides having the knowledge and skill to do the work, you need a minimal amount of tools.

Plumber, concrete mason, electrician, pool builders and roofers. Hard work, yet very few tools are needed.

I mean, there are very expensive specialty tools for every trade but for about $25-$50k you can pretty much get everything you need to start a business and do work.

That’s not exactly the case in the heavy equipment world.

You can barely get a mini for $100k bone stock. Right off the bat you need different size buckets and attachments.

You also need a truck and trailer to haul it. You also need a base yard to park it. You also need tools to maintain it. And that’s just a little baby machine.

Thinking about the big picture, you will need a ballpark budget of $1M to effectively run a smaller excavation company, just to get you into the game.

Because you also need a small full time crew to not only run your equipment but to service and repair it.

And let’s not forget the breakdowns… Oh God, don’t ever forget about the breakdowns.

tru-x-tractor

tru-x-broken-cat

tru-x-broken-cat

You can definitely spend way less and buy used crap and fix it yourself, drive your own trucks and be the only employee/operator
/laborer, park your equipment on your dads land, have a home office and not spend $1M but the point is, this business is going to cost you in one way or another.

So, let’s say you have a start up excavation company and want to go big. You got tons of work and need equipment, bad. The big corporations are more than eager to get you into new machines.

They will start giving you no money down loans, with low interest and more new machines than you can handle.

All of a sudden, you got $50k/month in payments and a huge payroll.

Everything is going great till the work dries up. Or someone didn’t pay that giant overdue invoice. Or you lose a client because you couldn’t preform the same quality work like you used to.

That’s when it gets gnarly.

This business will chew you up and spit you out like a 2 day old McDonalds Big Mac.

Let’s say it was the same circumstances for a different trade, like a carpenter.

You might have some loans on some specialty tools, not anything financially crippling though. You might have an office and a little space for a base yard but something manageable if the money gets tight.

If times get tough, most likely, you will survive.

On the other hand, with heavy equipment —you might not recover from
such a blow. Once the repo man starts taking your tools away, you can’t do the work anymore.

The downward spiral of not having the tools to do the work, and losing credit and reputation with clients is equally devastating.

When you lose your insurance, and therefore can’t hold your license, you get sent back broke and working for someone else.

This business is no joke.

It’s the best business and most fun trade but it’s not for the weak. It’s not for the lazy and definitely not for the reckless.

You gotta be on your game at all times. The halfway committed will go down in flames. Even the 80-90% effort is not good enough.

The excavation trade will bite your head off and crap you out like a Taco Bell Chalupa.

It’s all in or nothing.

truth-excavation-equipment-fleet

#staytrue

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About Kimo Clark

I’m a Jesus loving Christian, husband, father of 3, business owner and life loving adventurer. Born and raised on the island of Maui, I share the ups and downs of my life and the many lessons I’ve learned through trial and error. 🤙🏼

Get The Tru.X Blog Delivered To Your Inbox!

If you are crazy enough, you better go 100% all in. There is no half way commitment.

Even if you’re 80%-90% committed, it won’t work. The dirt game will eat you up and spit you out like vegan fish tacos.

There’s no other trade like it.

Say you want to be a carpenter. Besides having the knowledge and skill to do the work, you need a minimal amount of tools.

Plumber, concrete mason, electrician, pool builders and roofers. Hard work, yet very few tools are needed.

I mean, there are very expensive specialty tools for every trade but for about $25-$50k you can pretty much get everything you need to start a business and do work.

That’s not exactly the case in the heavy equipment world.

You can barely get a mini for $100k bone stock. Right off the bat you need different size buckets and attachments.

You also need a truck and trailer to haul it. You also need a base yard to park it. You also need tools to maintain it. And that’s just a little baby machine.

Thinking about the big picture, you will need a ballpark budget of $1M to effectively run a smaller excavation company, just to get you into the game.

Because you also need a small full time crew to not only run your equipment but to service and repair it.

And let’s not forget the breakdowns… Oh God, don’t ever forget about the breakdowns.

tru-x-tractor

tru-x-broken-cat

tru-x-broken-cat

You can definitely spend way less and buy used crap and fix it yourself, drive your own trucks and be the only employee/operator
/laborer, park your equipment on your dads land, have a home office and not spend $1M but the point is, this business is going to cost you in one way or another.

So, let’s say you have a start up excavation company and want to go big. You got tons of work and need equipment, bad. The big corporations are more than eager to get you into new machines.

They will start giving you no money down loans, with low interest and more new machines than you can handle.

All of a sudden, you got $50k/month in payments and a huge payroll.

Everything is going great till the work dries up. Or someone didn’t pay that giant overdue invoice. Or you lose a client because you couldn’t preform the same quality work like you used to.

That’s when it gets gnarly.

This business will chew you up and spit you out like a 2 day old McDonalds Big Mac.

Let’s say it was the same circumstances for a different trade, like a carpenter.

You might have some loans on some specialty tools, not anything financially crippling though. You might have an office and a little space for a base yard but something manageable if the money gets tight.

If times get tough, most likely, you will survive.

On the other hand, with heavy equipment —you might not recover from
such a blow. Once the repo man starts taking your tools away, you can’t do the work anymore.

The downward spiral of not having the tools to do the work, and losing credit and reputation with clients is equally devastating.

When you lose your insurance, and therefore can’t hold your license, you get sent back broke and working for someone else.

This business is no joke.

It’s the best business and most fun trade but it’s not for the weak. It’s not for the lazy and definitely not for the reckless.

You gotta be on your game at all times. The halfway committed will go down in flames. Even the 80-90% effort is not good enough.

The excavation trade will bite your head off and crap you out like a Taco Bell Chalupa.

It’s all in or nothing.

truth-excavation-equipment-fleet

#staytrue

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

4 Comments

  1. Joe February 7, 2023 at 8:22 pm - Reply

    Great Article.

    • kimo clark February 7, 2023 at 11:36 pm - Reply

      🤙🏼

  2. Portland Pool Company May 30, 2023 at 12:18 am - Reply

    Great article! Starting an excavation company requires careful planning, expertise, and a strong foundation to handle the challenges that come with it. It is crucial not to underestimate the demands of such a venture. Excavation work involves intricate knowledge of equipment, safety protocols, regulations, and project management. Ignoring these aspects and jumping into the industry without adequate preparation can lead to costly mistakes, safety hazards, and potential legal issues. It’s essential to assess your capabilities, resources, and experience before starting an excavation company to ensure you can handle it effectively and provide quality services to clients.

    • kimo clark May 30, 2023 at 11:02 am - Reply

      Exactly

Leave A Comment

About Kimo Clark

I’m a Jesus loving Christian, husband, father of 3, business owner and life loving adventurer. Born and raised on the island of Maui, I share the ups and downs of my life and the many lessons I’ve learned through trial and error. 🤙🏼

Get The Tru.X Blog Delivered To Your Inbox!

4 Comments

  1. Joe February 7, 2023 at 8:22 pm - Reply

    Great Article.

    • kimo clark February 7, 2023 at 11:36 pm - Reply

      🤙🏼

  2. Portland Pool Company May 30, 2023 at 12:18 am - Reply

    Great article! Starting an excavation company requires careful planning, expertise, and a strong foundation to handle the challenges that come with it. It is crucial not to underestimate the demands of such a venture. Excavation work involves intricate knowledge of equipment, safety protocols, regulations, and project management. Ignoring these aspects and jumping into the industry without adequate preparation can lead to costly mistakes, safety hazards, and potential legal issues. It’s essential to assess your capabilities, resources, and experience before starting an excavation company to ensure you can handle it effectively and provide quality services to clients.

    • kimo clark May 30, 2023 at 11:02 am - Reply

      Exactly

Leave A Comment