[WoofsPlow]

I have been debating on how far I should go to plow. This is my first year doing residential only. I will be putting up signs in my local area to try to drum up some business. The problem is I have 2 driveways 30 miles north that I HAVE to do. Should I advertise in both locations? I don't want to be running back and forth all day/night. I know I will be getting calls all during the storm at both places. Perhaps I can group them 10-15 at a time and go back and forth as required. My concern is if I advertise only in my town I may not get the volume I need. Thanks

 

[wyldman]

Keep your route as tight as possible.Keep as much as possible close to home.If all goes well,eventually you may not need the other two north of you.

If it's family or another must do up north,then I'd consider adding stuff up there,if you don't have enough customers with your other route.Only problem i see,is if someone complains,or you can't plow them for some reason,you have to drive all the way up there again later.

 

[BRL]

If your a one truck op., I'd give or sub the 2 far away ones to someone else. Then concentrate on setting up the route you want close to home.

 

[Lawn Lad]

Plowing 30 miles away... wow. The two must do's... if they're not family, they're must do's. For that matter, family isn't a must do either. Tell 'em they are too far away. Well, if you need them now to get things started, in a couple of years after you build your base, if they're out the way for you find someone in the that neck of the woods that could plow them for you or just take over the account.

Otherwise, try to group as much work as close as possible. The more you drive the less time the blade is down making you money. You can provide much better service to your customers if they are in close proximity and you can monitor the sites.

 

[Plow Babe]

I agree with BRL. If you can, sub out the two up north and build your route close to home. The closer together you can keep your accounts, the better off you are. It has been repeated over and over, and is so true, the key to successful residential plowing is to keep your route tight.

 

[BWhite]

Woofsplow

I dont travel out of a 2 mile radius from my home base . It took a while to develop it but it works well .

 

[WoofsPlow]

Part of the situation is I live in a rural part of the state - homes are few and far between for the most part (bigger drives=more$). 30 miles to the north you can't spit without hitting a driveway (shorter drive but many more). The biggest part is this....My mom is very sick so I have been staying with her at night about 3 days a week so I don't realy know where I will be laying my head during a storm. I work in between the two so either way is the same distance....Thanks for all the help, I am just going to go for it. If it gets to be too much I will just say sorry can't plow for you today or you will have to wait a few hours. There will be only a few people that would want to be covered by a contract so I will be getting calls all during the storm:scramble

 

[Adams Plowing]

Well you said only a few will be contract the others will be call in customers the nice thing about the call in ones you can always say no cant get to ya at this point unlike the contracts that will expect to be fufilled so that could work in your advantage.

 

[Got Snow?]

something else to consider is that when it's snowing you can just about double your travel time. i have a group of account that are about 6 miles away and it's almost too far, infact i have a truck that helps out over there.