winter blues

[newleaflandscape]

Its getting down to that time again unfortunately. I refuse to plow snow around here since every year it seems like just losing money since our local market is flooded and I just cant compete with the beer money prices. I was wondering if there are any of you that do anything else in the winter besides snow plowing. Any ideas would be aprreciated.

[tinman]

Gutters (in & outside), pressure washing. ebay :)

[Lawnchoice]

Send out letters thanking your customers for a great season.

Tell them other services you provide during the winter.


Painting
Cleaning/Dump runs
Handman stuff

[activelandscaping]

Its getting down to that time again unfortunately. I refuse to plow snow around here since every year it seems like just losing money since our local market is flooded and I just cant compete with the beer money prices.

I'll drink to that. :D :drinkup: :D

Actually I run tile in the winter, do some site prep. weather permitting. Short day's and frozen fingers usually drop us down to 20 hrs/wk or so. I try and get some shop time in and pull the band-aid's off the equipment, do the repairs right.

Regards,
Active

[impactlandscaping]

Its getting down to that time again unfortunately. I refuse to plow snow around here since every year it seems like just losing money since our local market is flooded and I just cant compete with the beer money prices.


Same here..we sold both our plow rigs in April this year. Had several HOAs getting "bids", if you call it that, at $ 55-85.00 for developments we were charging 175-200.00 for three years prior. Every redneck with a 4wd truck seems to have a plow around here.and this mentality---"..woo hoo, one parking lot in an hour for 25.00, golly gee, take that Wal Mart, I'm a makin' the big bucks now!!!"

I'll sit on my azz, play with my daughter,crunch numbers, service equip like active,play Xbox alot, and enjoy life a little more .Sorry I can't offer any real suggestions to you for income, I just squirrel away some extra nuts for winter so I don't have to worry. Maybe for next year, you could start an emergency fund, where you put 5-10% of your gross each month aside for winter, truck failures, etc..., and if you don't have any catastrophes before winter, use it as a winter "survival fund". We also do hardscapes until it gets too cold / frozen ground to work, and also do tree / shrub removals for prepping new beds / borders in the spring as well.

[activelandscaping]

I know a couple of guy's that make real money clearing snow. They only do commercial lot's, both have deal's set up with quarry's where they lease their loaders for the winter. They get a set price + $/ton of salt, from what I have seen this is the only way to make any real money off snow, at least in my area.

Regards,
Active

[newleaflandscape]

impact

I know what your saying about storing money away i learned that after my first year. I guess the thing that drives me nuts is just going gun ho all season and working crazy hours, and then just coming to a screeching hault. First week is all good because its relaxing but I just start feeling useless cleaning up the equipment and what not.

[shadybz]

I prune all of our deciduous trees in the winter. It is the best time to do it, as far as the health of the trees that is. I go to condo complexes and prune all of their trees for extra money in the winter. Most lawn maintenance companies in my area only know how to cut grass! Beyond that, they are clueless

[rodfather]

Where I live there is a shortage of guys who plow in the winter. We get $200 an hour per vehicle for plowing and that includes our travel time between jobs. BTW, most of our work is residential.

[brentsawyer]

I have a tree farm that needs a good solid month of work

[GrazerZ]

I own a commercial janitorial company thats going year round. We have 4 employees for that. I don't do snow plowing so In the winter I do alot of periodic projects for my cleaning buisness. I also spend lots of time with my wife and son. Alot of guys around here get partime jobs for the winter. I try to take at least one vacation a year, usally during the winter sometime. I have family in Louisiana, so its always nice to get warm and eat some great food.

[activelandscaping]

I own a commercial janitorial company thats going year round.

I have a friend who put himself through college as a self employed 'Particle Relocation Engineer'. When someone would ask how his buissness was doing he would allways answer " I'm cleaning up ". :D :p
It was pretty funny the first 5 times or so.

Regards,
Active

[aries]

Plowing is the way to go around here also it gives you a chance to work on equipment on the day's you dont plow and the cash is great good way to start the season in a plus (with money)! we all know how hard the spring is when insurance, reg,ect is due.

[Lux Lawn]

Where I live there is a shortage of guys who plow in the winter. We get $200 an hour per vehicle for plowing and that includes our travel time between jobs. BTW, most of our work is residential.

Thats good money compared to what we get,I might have to move to NJ.

[rodfather]

Thats good money compared to what we get,I might have to move to NJ.

Yeah, but you get alot of that lake-effect snow Larry...so you make out there I bet.

[Lux Lawn]

Yeah, but you get alot of that lake-effect snow Larry...so you make out there I bet.

We get are share of snow but the pay is no where near what it should be, mostly contracts around here vs. per push with not many extras any more.

[kootoomootoo]

Daytrading!

[dcondon]

I love to plow snow!!!!!!!!!!!!! Picked up 3 gas stations and one dept. store this year, good money also!! :)