What is a comfortable amount of jobs to have going per day I know there are some jobs that will require more time. But on average what is a good number to have active per day. ( new leads and trap checks). With the exception of time to set traps how long do you average talking to customers on first visit

Thx guys

My average job yesterday was 45 minutes. I did 1 upper level seal up at 90 min and 1 skunk estimate at an hour. Trap checks and re baiting is probably half an hour as we are always doing something when we go. We put trap alerts on our traps.

I my area it depends on how far I have to go. Some towns are 10 min. drive. Some are 30 min drive each way or more. To many venerables to give a cut and dried answer.

I haven't done too many full days yet, but I am cappin it at 5. I figure an hour on each service call/setup, I do a pretty good inspection. Plus things may go a little longer if anything gets unsold I want time to leave the job in a clean and decent manner. Then add in drive time, five jobs maybe be done in five hours or nine

7 per truck per day

What a bunch of slackers! When you own your own business, you work 12 hours a day. That means at least 10 jobs. And half of those

will just be picking up animals that you caught overnight.

I guess I needed to clarify, thats seven NEW jobs per day not counting the trap pick ups and animals, some days there are 20 stops on each truck

Okay, Mike and his guys are not slackers but I don't know about the rest of you.

Thank you this is the kind of I do I was looking for. Obviously ink is if it is. Big job or you have to drive a long way for a job that is not an average day. So thank you for your input

Heck someday I'll cut back to 1/2 days when I get old. 12 hrs

In reality, Paul is right. I dont have to worry about that yet though, not getting that many calls a week yet. BUT, I do have to worry about that fact that I am not getting that many calls

However, between ADC, school and kids, every free hour is crammed with work. IF I had zero calls this week I could still work 60 hours. I have one small trap trailer I am building, one full size trailer for a tractor, I need to put the backhoe on and dig a hole to dispose of euthanized animal which means clearing a new spot, haul some junk, work on my truck (add racks for shovels, catch poles, re organize again), clean shed, that alone could take days if i felt spunky enough to redo the drywall, clean the inside of my truck, contact web designers, two networking appointments, get both trucks in the shop, install my CB's and tune them, take inventory, banking, and the list truly goes on! This list doesnt count the actual field work. But I am still starting, so there is a lot of this kind of stuff to get going. Not to mention I do have school and two daughters, the oldest of which is waiting on me to fix the boat trailer to take her fishing, which is high on the priority list.

90 hours a week for the next 8 months, it will slow down here in Oct. but until then, balls to the wall, hang on for the ride, not for the weak or those scared of work, welcome to self employment!
Plan on:
Missed birthday party's
forgot anniversary's
Forgone family vacations
16 hour days
phone blowing you out of bed at 2:00am every night of bat season
and unless you have a very understanding wife- Divorce

other than that, its a good time!

So all I need for a divorce is to get my business going huh? I wish I would have known that, I would be working right now!

That's fine if you enjoy it but it's not necessary to be successful.

There's a lot more to life than work.

Agreed Steve

I guess it depends on how much you like ADC. Last year I took control of a friends ADC business for a month. July 15 - Aug 15. Everything was moving - moles, skunks, woodchucks, squirrels, coons and bats. For a while I had over 60 jobs going. There was a week when I was working 16 - 18 hrs a day. Maybe i'm completely nuts or maybe i love what i do too much.

That's crazy Keith, hard to believe we're in the same state. I'd be ecstatic with 60 jobs in a month.
But, if the phone stopped ringing on Sept 14 every year, I'd be just fine with it. Rather be bowhunting.

When I started 26 years ago, I worked every day and long hours but it was still MY business. Didn't miss church, my kid's sporting

events, weddings, or anything else of importance. Like many of us who started this business late in life, I always wonder what it

would have been like to do this in my twenties and thirties. Of course, there's always the chance that it would have gotten old by

now, so I'll just be thankful that I still enjoy it as much as I do. Hunting and fur trapping was really in my blood back then and I

sure got to do plenty of it so I can't feel too sorry for myself. It's been a great life and it still is.

I'm flat out at it at the moment. Doing 12 hour days often, but obviously a break for lunch. But the moneys good and it will start to tail off come June. I've never had a year like it and really can't cope, but I've managed to get a bit of help. I've done 4 domestic jobs in the past two days at £80 a time, I could do with 10 of them a week!

Glad you guys can figure out how to balance it, I never could. If you dont work weekends somebody else is and they are gettin the money. I dont mind working everyday. Its what I do!
Unlike Paul, I started early and have almost spent my adult life in this business, its been good, but it has caused some issues with family things. Im pushing 45 now and have been rewarded for my years of hard work, I now get a pay check!
It is what you make of it, some want more than others, and if you want to much it causes trouble in other places.
Now that im older, im begining to learn to balance things but it is still very hard.