How the Climbing Arborist Does More of What He Loves with Jobber

You don’t start a career as a tree climber because you like doing paperwork.

“I love being an arborist because I’m an outdoorsy person,” says Daniel Holliday, the founder of ClimbingArborist.com and Grizzly Tree Experts. “Knowing that I have to be inside to fill reports, even just one day a week, I get a kind of ‘oh no’ feeling.”

But as a business owner, staying on top of admin isn’t a choice. So, instead of accepting the pain of paperwork, Dan found Jobber’s tree business software.

Since then, Dan’s been able to stay organized, close more quotes, and get paid faster, all while keeping his passion for climbing front and center.

Here’s how.

“Jobber changed my business — I didn’t think or believe it would.”

As a sole proprietor, Dan figured a few spreadsheets and Excel templates was all he needed to run a lean and efficient business.

“Because my company is very small, admin is minimal compared to larger companies. I thought, how much difference could business software actually make?”

But even as a small business, Dan was overwhelmed by the amount of client information, job details, sent quotes, and unsent invoices to keep track of. He’d even let a few unpaid invoices slip through the cracks.

“Jobber changed my business— I didn’t think or believe it would,” he says. “It took all of the admin stuff that I hated to do, and changed it quite dramatically.”

“I just click a couple of buttons and I’ve done a quote from my phone in front of the tree.”

“I can use the app on-site to make a quote instead of taking notes, going home, and typing it into Excel,” explains Dan. “Then, I email it directly using the templates Jobber created.”

“Once it’s done, I can convert the finished job into an invoice and send it as soon as I jump into the truck,” he adds.

“That means I never forget to invoice a client, which I’ve done quite a few times when I was doing things the old way. That alone is invaluable.”

“Jobber increases the return on how many people accept your quotes”

Along with tedious admin, Dan was falling behind on follow-up with his clients.

“I hate doing follow-ups for quotes and invoices because it makes me feel awkward,” admits Dan.

Using Jobber’s automated quote follow-ups and invoice reminders, Dan can send professional and friendly follow-ups to every single client, resulting in more quotes won and more positive online reviews— all without any extra effort (or awkwardness) on his part.

“Jobber automates all of that. It actually increases how many people accept your quotes if you follow-up with them. But I don’t feel awkward about it because I’m not doing it personally.”

“I’m in charge of steering my own ship”

In his 15+ years of experience as an arborist, Daniel has worked in the UK, Australia and Canada, competed in tree climbing championships, and now runs one of the most well-known educational resources for arborists, ClimbingArborist.com.

“I love running my own business and being able to steer it in the direction I like, which is educating my clients on tree care and how to manage their trees properly.”

“I get a lot more satisfaction out of being an arborist business owner than I did when working for another company.”

To learn more about running a successful tree business, follow The Climbing Arborist. Then, join the Jobber Entrepreneurship Group, a space to ask questions and share advice with people who get what you’re building.