It sneaks up on us every year. You’re out at the beach, having a nice cold beverage, listening to some country song…. and WHAM! You feel that chill in the air. Oh no, winter is coming. It’s bittersweet of course, the white gold is our livelihood, but the warm weather is about to bounce. So, are you ready to kick your snow removal business into high gear? Make sure you have these three things buttoned up so you’re ready to rock.

It is time to start selling! It is critical to get the contracts signed as soon as possible. This allows snow removal contractors to forecast all the important factors that contribute to a profitable snow plow season. So iron your shirt, brush your hair and hit the streets. Get in front of those customers and start to knock down some verbal commitments.

Staff! Are there enough employees? (of course there aren’t) Are the subs lined up? (of course they aren’t) After you get an idea of what accounts you are going to keep and gain, start staffing up. Have a job fair at your yard, host virtual meetings with potential employees. Do whatever you have to do to make sure you can back up all the promises you made to the accounts with a solid squad.

Equipment! So, you have your accounts set, your people are in place to push the snow, now you have to make sure you have enough equipment to push the snow with. Are the trucks in optimal shape? Have you sourced enough ice melt? Do you have your spreaders, snow stakes and shovels? Order early, get it out of the way and wait for the snow slakes to fly.

I bet we could put a list of a million things together that each and every snow removal contractor needs to do to get ready for the snow season. However, these are the big 3. Selling, staffing and equipment! Good luck!