Craig Bachmann and Joanna Bachmann, Tree133

Aspiring business owners are bombarded with offers of “magic potions” to achieve success. Many of these turn out to be ineffective or wrong-sized for their business. The fact is small business owners have limited time and money, so the margin for error is small. The fact is not everyone is your target client, many people won’t value what you offer and answering the phone in the tree is a bad idea. In our experience, the real keys to building a successful business are fairly simple and easily overlooked.

Tree133 was founded in 2017 with a pickup truck, a rented trailer and $3,000 in gear purchased on a credit card. By the end of 2024, we employed six (6) Certified Arborists, not including the owner, and two (2) office staff, and operated the business from a professional office/shop facility. We are considering additional hiring and expect to reach $2M revenue during 2027.

This success is not magic. In many ways, Tree133 does the opposite of other businesses. We don’t pick up the phone every time it rings, we don’t pay for advertising, we don’t have a business loan and we don’t have outside investors. Instead, the growth of Tree133 is the result of careful intention and a relentless focus on quality, consistency, and efficiency.

We have learned powerful lessons and identified key principles that have guide our decision-making. They include:

  • Clear, consistent message
  • Structured communication
  • Hire from the top (climbers first)
  • Build systems for tomorrow
  • Develop a “peer group”

This presentation will share practical examples of each principal with a focus on their application to businesses with annual revenue less than $1M. The presentation will also include opportunities for attendees to share their experience.

One of the core values for Tree133 is “positive influence,” meaning we actively contribute to the improvement of our professional and local communities. With this in mind, we have developed this presentation to share our own experiences with the goal of helping current, and aspiring, business owners increase their success.

Biography

Bachmann, Craig – Tree133 LLC
Craig Bachmann is the founder and lead arborist of Tree133 LLC, a tree preservation company based in Seattle, Washington. He is a Board-Certified Master Arborist, a Qualified Tree Risk Assessor, a Certified Tree Climber, and a former event head technician International Tree Climbing Championship.

Craig established Tree133 in 2017 with the mission of “Preserving Trees. Empowering People.” His team of professional arborists specializes in the care of large trees through risk mitigation pruning, structural support systems, disease management and cultural improvement. In early 2020, Craig’s wife, Joanna Bachmann, joined Tree133 to manage daily operations. Her expertise has been essential to the success of the business.