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PLOW August 2023 Issue
CONTENTS
A CONTRACT TO COVER SNOWFALL UNCERTAINTY | A “Readiness Fee” is win-win for contractors and clients.
BENCHMARKING YOUR SNOW BUSINESS | Create and use the tools for successful business growth.
SUSTAINABLE SALTING | Strategies for responsible use and maximum efficiency.
GET EQUIPPED: SNOW & ICE | Blades, blowers, spreaders, sprayers, and more.
EDITOR’S LETTER
We think of a snowball effect as something growing larger. But if climate change has its say, its snowball effect may mean less snow each season. Here in NJ, the past two Winters have been bleak for plowing buck. But perhaps the next will be consistently snowy? Unpredictability has always been the nature of this business, but weather these days seems even more erratic. So how in the world do you plan?
The answer lies in rethinking the foundations that protect your bottom line given the inherent variables. It means dissecting the structure of your snow contracts—which is how Todd Reinhart of Reinhart Landscaping came to create a “Readiness Fee.” It means managing your business intelligently through benchmarking. It even means taking a long, hard look at operations—like salt use. Are you overspending, over-charging, or over-working equipment to accommodate over-salting?
Finally, rethinking the future means turning to organizations whose mission it is to foster the success of its members. The Snow & Ice Management Institute (SIMA) contributed the valuable benchmarking and salt use educational content to this PLOW® issue and I encourage you to draw on their numerous resources.
