Total Landscape Care

November 2013

Total Landscape Care Digital Magazine

Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/201225

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cover story Pushing for Profits BY GWYNNETH ANDERSON A successful snow removal business can help a landscaper's year-round cash flow, but there's more to it than just pushing the white stuff out of the way. "If you don't love it, don't get into it," says Harry Turner, founder of TLC Turner Lawn Care, a family-owned landscaping business in Monticello, Wisconsin. "I've gone as long as 47 hours without sleep." Long hours in negative 20-degree weather, working on holidays, equipment expenses, customers who don't pay — all of these factors will make running a snow-removal business challenging. So before jumping in, business owners should take time to research the competition, available customers and how to charge (see sidebar, "The Right Way to Charge," page 18). Research the market Large commercial sites like banks, hospitals or mall parking lots offer one-stop plowing opportunities – but keep in mind the liability pitfalls (see sidebar, "Know Your Contracts & Liability," page 22). Also, since many of these sites are sewn up with a large provider deploying multiple trucks via sophisticated How to run a successful snow-removal business storm-tracking equipment, it may be worthwhile to research the benefits and drawbacks of signing on as a subcontractor. Residential plowing might offer faster turn times, but it also means handling more customers, more phone calls and having a lot more people to answer to, points out Bruce Vander Vennen, president of Jack's Lawn Service & Snowplowing in Grand Rapids, Michigan. "You need to be quick to adjust. You need to memorize a lot more routes." Reach the clients Since word-of-mouth referrals are a luxury most newcomers N O V E M B E R 2013 Tota lLa nd s ca p eCar e.com 17

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