Opportunities arise when the snow starts to fall. If you’re looking to make extra cash, you can earn money in the winter by shoveling snow. Here are some helpful tips on how to turn snow shoveling into a lucrative business.
Communicate
Unlike summer services like arbor care, irrigation installation, or lawn maintenance, plowing snow requires urgency. If you fail to remove snow from a local client’s parking a lot at a scheduled time, you’ll likely to lose their business the following year. How do you avoid mistakes like these? Talk to your clients in order to meet schedules and provide timely services. One mistake snow removers make is forgetting to plow a property. It’s detrimental to a business especially if you’re merely starting out.
To gain customer trust, notify your clients before, during, and after the snow removal procedure. It could be a simple email or a text alert, but they will appreciate that and you get to document your work properly. You keep them informed while keeping your job organized at the same time. It’s a win-win situation.
Be Efficient
Snow removal is a tedious job, especially if the property is huge. Luckily, tools are available; use them to your advantage. First, you need a shovel designed for snow removal. Investing in salt bags is necessary as well. You want your work to be clean and efficient, make sure to sprinkle salt on icy areas or after you’re done plowing to keep the surface from icing up. If you’re aiming for governmental or commercial clients, get a truck with a snow plow. A snow blower is also useful, as well as warm winter clothing.
If you want to get more clients, don’t just rely on word of mouth. Install an app and find snow shoveling jobs in your town. The app will take a cut for sure, but it’s one way to find customers easily without you having to scour the streets and drive through the entire neighborhood.
Be on Time
When it comes to shoveling and removing snow, timeliness is essential. Often, snow falls in the evening, so homeowners and establishment owners want it to be cleared the following morning. For residential customers, getting snow out of the way before work or school starts will instantly make their day. Business owners will rely on you to clear their lots of snow before customers come in. Avoid being tardy and never miss a deadline. You’ll want to start early to get more jobs in a day, ideally before everyone starts their day.
Be Extremely Detailed
Your customers’ satisfaction should be your main concern if you don’t want to lose business or get toppled over by competition. Ask yourself questions like: How can you keep ice from building up? How do you plow snow without ruining parts of your customer’s property? How can you work with less disruption? Where should you strategically push the snow? How many people are needed to clear the area on time?
Snow can be predicted, but sometimes it falls from the sky without warning, so you’ll want to be planned and prepared all the time. You don’t just walk in a property and start shoveling snow mindlessly; these things take time and effort to remove, so a well-considered plan is needed.
Observe what your competitors are doing. If they’re offering a lower price, have the upper hand and offer a faster turnaround.
Offer More
Offering a little extra is a good way to market yourself and your company. Aside from offering paramount services, you can establish a solid reputation by setting yourself apart from the competition. You can even offer out of season services like lawn maintenance or a basic carwash before a residential customer leaves for work. Little extras will get people buzzing about your services.
Snow shoveling is a weather-dependent opportunity, but you can make the most out of it while there’s still snow if you are reliable, efficient and detailed.
