FBS 51 Have Fun Learning with the SumBuck App

FBS 51 Have Fun Learning with the SumBuck App

In this episode, we dive into SumBuck, a free and robust virtual training app that provides hands-on practice for hardwood log bucking and grading. Developed by Steve Bick of the Forest Business School, this innovative tool allows forestry professionals and students to practice cutting tree-length stems without the risk of wasting real wood or production time. We discuss how the app acts as a risk-free simulator where users can compare their cuts against an optimizer to see how factors like length, diameter, and changing market prices impact the overall value of a log. Whether you are a small business owner looking to yield higher value from your hardwood or an educator running a workshop, this episode will show you how to build your field judgment faster—just be warned, virtual bucking can be highly addictive. “You’d be a woreout sumbuck. I’ll tell you that. Think how good you’d sleep.” - Cormac McCarthy, All the Pretty Horses

FBS 50 Build and Host a Free Website for your Business

In this episode of the FBS podcast, we walk listenersthrough a revolutionary, step-by-step method to build a clean, professional one-page website with absolutely no coding required, no web developer, and zero monthly hosting fees. Tune in to discover how to effortlessly use Claude AI asyour digital architect to shape your raw business details into a functioning site, and learn how to securely host your files for free using GitHub Pages. Bythe end of this episode, you will understand the exact blueprint for claiming your digital plot and maintaining complete ownership over your business'swebsite.  There is even a free guide to how to build your and upload your website at www.build.vtfbs.com [http://www.build.vtfbs.com].    TheForest Business School has a one-session online course on how to build yourwebsite – reach out if you want to host one of these classes or offer it through your organization.

FBS 49 Systems and Technology Needs of Small Businesses

In this episode, we explore the critical transition fromfragmented, paper-based operations to integrated digital systems for forest-based small businesses like sawmills, logging crews, and firewood producers. We discuss how reliance on manual data entry and intuitive decision-making creates an "invisible system failure," leading to acumulative value leakage of up to 20-35% across procurement, conversion, and distribution. By examining the "technician trap" that keeps owners bogged down in daily tasks, the episode highlights why heavy, expensiveenterprise software fails these smaller operations and why lightweight, mobile-first technologies—such as ruggedized tablets, scaling apps, and cloud-based inventory tools—are essential. Ultimately, listeners will learn howadopting these incremental, fit-for-purpose digital tools provides the real-time operational visibility needed to maximize yield, improve throughput, and transform a functioning business into a highly optimized asset

FBS 48 Delegate the Standard (not the style)

In this episode of The FBS Podcast, we tackle the singlebiggest hurdle for owner-operators in forestry, sawmilling, and field services: how to scale your business without sacrificing the craftsmanship your reputation is built on. We explore the critical transition from being the "primary engine" of production to becoming the navigator, breakingdown why the belief that "no one does it like I do" inevitably leads to burnout and business bottlenecks. Listeners will discover actionable strategies for delegating judgment rather than just tasks—such as defining"acceptable ranges" and utilizing "reverse-shadowing"—allowing you to maintain high standards and quality control through visual benchmarks rather than corporate bureaucracy. Join us as we discuss the necessary identity shift from being the best operatoron the crew to the leader who ensures the work gets done right, even when youaren't holding the tool.

FBS 47 Using Urgency as a Method

In this episode of the FBS Podcast, we unpack the concept of a “psychopathic sense of urgency,” from a great article by Tim Denning. This is a mindset arguing that forest-based businesses fail not from a lack of capability, but because plans linger and decisions slide into the off-season. We explain why waiting for perfect information is a trap where opportunities rot, and how shifting from weekly rhythms to daily iteration allows operators to learn faster than weather and market conditions change. Drawing on the reality that “next year” is often just a polite way of saying “never,” we discuss why imbalance is a feature of success rather than a cause of burnout, and how to collapse the distance between an idea and its execution to achieve years of progress in just 90 days.