Lay the groundwork now for success next winter

Snow season has been replaced by rainy season. Plows are parked, salt bins closed, and your team has moved on to other work. At Grunder Landscaping, we’re all-in to our spring landscaping season, but that doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten about the snow. If you want next winter to run smoother or to be more profitable, now is the time to lay the groundwork. Right now, smart snow contractors are:

Performing a postseason autopsy

What went well? What didn’t? Where did the wheels come off? Great companies hold a full debrief with both the sales and operations teams while the season’s still fresh in everyone’s minds. Ask your team:

• Where did we lose time?

• What equipment issues slowed us down?

• What jobsites need a better plan for where we pile snow?

• Did we let anyone down? Can we avoid doing so again next year?

• Who complained, and why?

• What expectations should we set with clients from the start of the season to make it run smoother?

• Which jobs were not as profitable as they could’ve been?

Locking in renewal contracts early

Smart contractors are always thinking about the renewal — even smarter contractors are securing multi-year contracts. For contracts up for renewal, be quick to approach those clients for a discussion while the season is fresh in their mind. If you can get their landscape maintenance work, too, that’s even better! Remember that snow is a giant source of frustration for property managers. Be their solution and get things all lined up so they can rest easy.

Planning equipment maintenance

Inspect, service and evaluate every piece of snow equipment — and decide what needs to be repaired, sold or replaced.

We evaluate our equipment on a truck-by-truck basis: when a truck is requiring too many repairs, it’s time to retire it. Contractors often tell me that they don’t want to get rid of something because it’s paid for — but that’s not always wise. When a truck starts running up repair bills or having lots of downtime, that’s when we replace them.

We’ve learned a lot from other contractors on this front; and as someone who likes to have a nice-looking fleet, I’ve also learned to hold on to some of our workhorse trucks. We have some old trucks that we use for salting that mechanically just won’t quit. We keep them around and hide them during the daylight hours. 😉

My point is this: a hard and fast rule on when to retire equipment can hurt you. Look at the bigger picture and make decisions based on repairs and down time.

Evaluating pricing and routes with data, not emotion

Review actuals vs. estimates. Did a 3-hour route turn into 6? Did you underbid a high-maintenance site? Fix it now — not after you’ve signed the same bad deal for another year.

Final word

What you do right now determines whether next season is stressful and chaotic or smooth and profitable. There’s nothing we can do about long hours pushing snow during a big event, but there is a lot we can do to set our teams up with smooth routes, realistic client expectations, and reliable equipment. Focus on what you can control this spring and summer, and you’ll be in great shape come winter. 

Marty Grunder is founder of Grunder Landscaping Co. and The Grow Group coaching firm.