If you need a little extra money, shoveling snow is the ideal side job. You may even be able to turn it into a full-time, seasonal gig if you live in an area that gets a lot of snow in the winter, such as the upper Midwest or eastern seaboard.
You may find that starting your snow shoveling services is intimidating. Being uncertain of how to begin can make your job difficult and stressful.
It’s a good day for you. We will provide you with tips on starting and scaling your snow shoveling services in this article by QLawn landscaping. Let’s jump right in.
Table of Contents
Have All the Equipment Necessary
You will find that the basic tools to start a business come at an affordable price to make things easier for you.
Having a snow shovel is your most important tool. You will use this shovel every day for hours at a time, so you can’t afford to cut corners here. If you want a snow shovel with a curved handle, look for a shovel with grooves and deep scoops. You usually want to go for a shovel made from heavy-duty plastic. Scrapers made from metal are heavier but can be more efficient.
Snow shoveling isn’t the only service you can offer. A road/sidewalk salt investment is also worthwhile. You can also salt the snow on top of the shoveling service for about $25.
You don’t need anything else! Don’t wait until the weather gets too cold; you need warm clothing, gloves, and non-slip shoes.
Determine Your Pricing Strategy
It is necessary to evaluate the demand and supply for snow shoveling to determine its cost. Snow shoveling demand is higher when the quantity of snow is higher (the amount of snow falling).
Most people will happily shovel themselves or wait for it to melt if the snow is light and only an inch or two deep.
Nonetheless, it is more difficult to shovel deep snow over 3 inches thick, so you are more likely to have customers. Consequently, you can charge a higher rate if there is a lot of snow. Snowfall of more than 10 inches should be billable for more than $25 per hour at the low end and $75 or more at the high end. You can adjust your rate if you learn that it takes you longer than you anticipated to shovel sidewalks and driveway snow removal of a certain size. You can charge more when there is more snow – and more people will be willing to pay.
Using the Right Shovelling Technique – and Preparing yourself Beforehand
It takes a lot of energy to shovel snow. Try stretching your muscles before getting started. Take a break every time you need one, and drink plenty of water while struggling to dig.
Using the correct shoveling services technique will also be important. When shoveling snow, avoid piling more than 6 inches of snow on the shovel at once and do not lift the shovel above your waist. It is best to pile snow up away from walkways so it will not blowback on them. If you have a sloped driveway, you should also work from top to bottom. Overexertion decreases by doing this, so you are less likely to hurt yourself.
Approach People and Knock on Their Doors
You can get work as a snow shoveler by applying in this way. Make a list of the snow removal services you will provide and knock on doors when it snows. Even if they don’t need you now, you may stay in their minds when the next blizzard comes around if you bring some flyers and business cards.
If you collect email addresses or phone numbers, you might be able to offer first-time discounts in exchange. An important part of building your customer base is building up a database.
Get the Most Out of SMS Marketing
With our reach, you can easily market directly to snow shoveling companies with SMS if you’ve been building a list of phone numbers. You can contact your customers the night before a particularly severe snowstorm and ask them whether they need shoveling services.
It is possible to create a list of people who need your help and prioritize your shovelers based on this list. QLawn landscaping can then help you find the list of people who need your services.
Try Not to Overextend Yourself
Although shoveling seems like a good idea, it can be very demanding, so it isn’t always appealing to do it all day and keep making money. It’s not uncommon for you to be able to serve only about six clients at a time. An in-depth analysis of the current state of the labor market shows a requirement for 6 hours of labor per job.
Overworking yourself may result in exhaustion and over-exertion, which may be harmful to your health. Don’t expect to be able to shovel two dozen driveways and sidewalks each day because you’re only human!
Grow your Business by Improving Your Tools and by Hiring More Employees
Your workload might be too much for you, and in that case, you may want to partner with someone else you know or hire another employee to assist you. Customers will appreciate having more shovelers available to them.
In addition, you may want to buy a snowblower. You can buy a snowblower for around $300. That’ll be useful if you have a lot of customers. By using a snowblower, you can rake snow from your driveway or sidewalk in minutes – and charge the same fee as if you’d shoveled it.
Even investing in a snowplow would be an excellent investment for your business. To use the plow, you’d need a truck that is powerful and has the right compatibility. Plows generally cost about $1500.
With a plow, you can do parking lot snow removal for businesses and even apply for snow plowing services from your local government during snow emergencies, which usually earns more than $20 to $30 an hour.
Here are some tips to help you begin a snow shoveling business today!
It is not easy work to shovel snow, and so many people hire companies to do it for them, which is why the practice is so common.
If you follow these tips, you can build a successful snow shoveling business and, if you want to, include snow blowing and snow plowing in the company.
Isn’t Shoveling your Cup of Tea? Look at your Alternatives.
Choosing not to shovel snow is an option if you decide it’s not for you. Snow removal may be possible by hiring your neighbor’s teen or requesting a Snow Angel (for seniors and physically challenged), but this might end up being less practical or reliable. If you want to use a third-party service like QLawn, you might want to consider that instead. Providing reliable automated snow removal is possible through various online platforms, including Apple, Android, and QLawn landscaping.com. Home snow removal services can also be requested for a one-time event or simply for clearing walkways. Even when you have the latest shovels in your possession and the best intentions, sometimes all you want to do is relax and enjoy the snow instead of facing all its challenges.