Xtreme Snow Pros uses technology to be greener http://xtremesnowpros.com/snowblog.cfm Fri, 02 Mar 2012 01:05:00 GMT http://landscaperoo.com Seasonal contracts in a low snow year-By Chris Marino http://xtremesnowpros.com/snowblog.cfm?feature=1074721&postid=1829080 Snow Blog on how to deal with clients that are in a seasonal contract in a low snow year. Where’s the snow? For those of you whom operate a snow removal business in areas that are in a snow drought and have seasonal contracts I believe it is best to keep your clients informed of the weather patterns through newsletters, an email, or perhaps just a phone call. It is funny, just this week I ran into a client and the first thing out of his mouth was “ I’m surprised to see you on site I figured you’d be in the Bahamas” . Ha Ha... While he was partially kidding I’m sure in his head their was some truth to it. Most clients have no idea what goes into running a snow business and really never will understand. It seems that they think we have a couple trucks with plows , a few shoveler’s and when we see the first flake of snow we set up, plow and it’s over. Easy, breezy...As you and I know, not the case. Far from it. It continues to amaze me as to how busy our company is through out the year with snow work. It is our job to at least try to educate our clients and help them to understand that they are still getting value in the money that they are paying us even when not much snow has fallen and not much work has been provided. We may not be out pushing snow constantly but our expenses are still present with having employees on payroll, insurance, supplies, etc. What they don’t realize is that we are on call for them for essentially 5 months straight watching all the forecasts which everyone knows change constantly. And most of us become addicted to the weather. I know it is my main focus every day of the winter. My wife tells me I should have been a weatherman. It seems like this year especially, the weather has been very unpredictable and we have been put through a roller coaster of ideas of stormy weather patterns, etc. Constantly the forecasters that we follow state that we are going into a cold pattern, a storm is coming up ,etc. and so far we have only had 2 small events and 3 minor events. And when a storm is predicted we have to be ready. So this means lots of unseen work when it ends up not snowing. Trucks, equipment must be ready, some moved to sites, employees must be notified and when some aren’t able to work for the “upcoming” storm they need replacements. Plans are cancelled and then we wait and we watch and lots of times.....it’s a big nothing....a big disappointment. And it was lots of wasted time. But as I said, we must be ready. Because the one time we are not ready will be the one time it snows like crazy. We all know how that goes. At the end of this season we have client's that are coming up off of their 3 year seasonal for renewal. We are going to break down the 3 years with a comparison of what they would have paid if they did not choose a seasonal agreement and paid us on a per inch per application basis. This in itself will be a real eye opener for them that they made the correct decision with the seasonal agreement. In the end I think it is our job to keep our clients educated on the weather trends that effect our areas, as well as point out that it could have been another above average winter and we would not be complaining to them. Only Mother Nature knows how the winters will be. It’s a risk with the seasonal contracts. You may win or you may lose but the contractor is really in the same boat as the client. Some clients are happy to pay us for the insurance of knowing we are on call and joke around with us saying they hope to never see us. I guess it all boils down to the client and how “ snow educated” they are. This year was a La Nina year, the past several winters have been El Nino winters and they say that next winter will be an El Nino winter but who knows?? In the end winter is a gamble....  
Where’s the snow? For those of you whom operate a snow removal business in areas that are in a snow drought and have seasonal contracts I believe it is best to keep your clients informed of the weather patterns through newsletters, an email, or perhaps just a phone call. It is funny, just this week I ran into a client and the first thing out of his mouth was “ I’m surprised to see you on site I figured you’d be in the Bahamas” . Ha Ha... While he was partially kidding I’m sure in his head their was some truth to it.

Most clients have no idea what goes into running a snow business and really never will understand. It seems that they think we have a couple trucks with plows , a few shoveler’s and when we see the first flake of snow we set up, plow and it’s over. Easy, breezy...As you and I know, not the case. Far from it. It continues to amaze me as to how busy our company is through out the year with snow work. It is our job to at least try to educate our clients and help them to understand that they are still getting value in the money that they are paying us even when not much snow has fallen and not much work has been provided. We may not be out pushing snow constantly but our expenses are still present with having employees on payroll, insurance, supplies, etc. What they don’t realize is that we are on call for them for essentially 5 months straight watching all the forecasts which everyone knows change constantly. And most of us become addicted to the weather. I know it is my main focus every day of the winter. My wife tells me I should have been a weatherman.

It seems like this year especially, the weather has been very unpredictable and we have been put through a roller coaster of ideas of stormy weather patterns, etc. Constantly the forecasters that we follow state that we are going into a cold pattern, a storm is coming up ,etc. and so far we have only had 2 small events and 3 minor events. And when a storm is predicted we have to be ready. So this means lots of unseen work when it ends up not snowing. Trucks, equipment must be ready, some moved to sites, employees must be notified and when some aren’t able to work for the “upcoming” storm they need replacements. Plans are cancelled and then we wait and we watch and lots of times.....it’s a big nothing....a big disappointment. And it was lots of wasted time. But as I said, we must be ready. Because the one time we are not ready will be the one time it snows like crazy. We all know how that goes.

At the end of this season we have client's that are coming up off of their 3 year seasonal for renewal. We are going to break down the 3 years with a comparison of what they would have paid if they did not choose a seasonal agreement and paid us on a per inch per application basis. This in itself will be a real eye opener for them that they made the correct decision with the seasonal agreement.

In the end I think it is our job to keep our clients educated on the weather trends that effect our areas, as well as point out that it could have been another above average winter and we would not be complaining to them. Only Mother Nature knows how the winters will be. It’s a risk with the seasonal contracts. You may win or you may lose but the contractor is really in the same boat as the client. Some clients are happy to pay us for the insurance of knowing we are on call and joke around with us saying they hope to never see us. I guess it all boils down to the client and how “ snow educated” they are. This year was a La Nina year, the past several winters have been El Nino winters and they say that next winter will be an El Nino winter but who knows?? In the end winter is a gamble....

 

]]> Fri, 02 Mar 2012 01:05:00 GMT 97F3CC165DA0717B9CF5C9491A15C963 Snow Forecast for the Winter of 2011-2012 http://xtremesnowpros.com/snowblog.cfm?feature=1074721&postid=1175204 By: Henry Margusity I am going to try to keep this simple since it's a prelim forecast for the winter and will be updated in October and December. The basis of the forecast is on the prediction that a weak La Nina will be forming this fall and continuing through the winter. Last year, we had a strong La Nina with blocking over Greenland that lead to a very snowy winter across the Midwest and Northeast. While the pattern will be similar to last year, there will be changes in the pattern that will lead to the heavy snow areas shown on the map. I am not convinced that blocking will be prevalent across Greenland this winter, however, with the trough axis predicted to be in the Midwest, that will lead to storms developing along the East coast and racing northeast. The cold will be back in the Appalachians, and that will lead to heavy snow in that area. The major cities will probably be fighting many mix precip storms with the snow lovers along the I-95 corridor pulling their hair over heavy snow versus ice and rain. A storm track coming out of the Rockies will lead to storms moving through the western Great Lakes and a band of above-normal snowfall across the Midwest and western Great Lakes. I also went with an above-normal snow area along the Front Range of the Rockies due mainly to arctic air masses coming down from Alberta. While overall, the winter will not be extremely cold for the country, it will be cold enough for ice concerns for areas from Oklahoma to North Carolina. Fronts may have a hard time making progress into the South simply due to this summer's heat dome hanging in across parts of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. The good news for that area, while above-normal temps will continue, we should see storms cutting through the southern Plains that will lead to much needed rainfall after a summer of extreme drought conditions. The mountains in the West should see the normal amount of snow and not the extreme snow that fell last year.       Henry Margusity

I am going to try to keep this simple since it's a prelim forecast for the winter and will be updated in October and December.

The basis of the forecast is on the prediction that a weak La Nina will be forming this fall and continuing through the winter. Last year, we had a strong La Nina with blocking over Greenland that lead to a very snowy winter across the Midwest and Northeast. While the pattern will be similar to last year, there will be changes in the pattern that will lead to the heavy snow areas shown on the map.

I am not convinced that blocking will be prevalent across Greenland this winter, however, with the trough axis predicted to be in the Midwest, that will lead to storms developing along the East coast and racing northeast. The cold will be back in the Appalachians, and that will lead to heavy snow in that area. The major cities will probably be fighting many mix precip storms with the snow lovers along the I-95 corridor pulling their hair over heavy snow versus ice and rain.

A storm track coming out of the Rockies will lead to storms moving through the western Great Lakes and a band of above-normal snowfall across the Midwest and western Great Lakes.

I also went with an above-normal snow area along the Front Range of the Rockies due mainly to arctic air masses coming down from Alberta.

While overall, the winter will not be extremely cold for the country, it will be cold enough for ice concerns for areas from Oklahoma to North Carolina. Fronts may have a hard time making progress into the South simply due to this summer's heat dome hanging in across parts of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. The good news for that area, while above-normal temps will continue, we should see storms cutting through the southern Plains that will lead to much needed rainfall after a summer of extreme drought conditions.

The mountains in the West should see the normal amount of snow and not the extreme snow that fell last year.

 
 
 
]]> Wed, 10 Aug 2011 02:25:00 GMT EFB5D2856C3B7323E5D15A0469972C09 Summertime at Xtreme Snow Pros http://xtremesnowpros.com/snowblog.cfm?feature=1074721&postid=1102547   One question we get asked often is “what do you do in the summer?”. Most people think we are drinking pinacolada’s on some tropical island. Sounds nice but that is not what we are doing, at least not most of the time. Summertime is actually quite busy. Since we do everything we can ourselves in order to save money we are busy maintaining our fleet and equipment. Winters take a toll on everything from shovels to large plow trucks. We feel that keeping our stuff in tip top shape not only looks good and makes us stand out from the rest but it will save us money in the long run. From repair work to painting to changing oils and cleaning we really never have a dull moment. Once the summer is over our equipment and vehicles are looking sharp and ready for the upcoming winter. Chris is hands-on and anything that he can do in house will be done. But that’s not it. Summer is also time to market and plan work for the upcoming winter season. As members of the Mahwah Chamber of Commerce we attend several functions in order to meet people in our area who just may need a snow contractor one day. We also work on our website by updating it and we are learning a new computer software program for the snow business. This of course entails a lot of time spent learning and a lot of data entry. In order to stay on top of our game we continue to analyze our procedures and implement new technology and solutions. We use our entire summers to pull apart our programs and improve for the next season. So now, maybe if we get all of that done we will be able to take a week off and go to some warm tropical island and have a pinacolada or two! We are the true Snow Pros of New Jersey.    

One question we get asked often is “what do you do in the summer?”. Most people think we are drinking pinacolada’s on some tropical island. Sounds nice but that is not what we are doing, at least not most of the time.

Summertime is actually quite busy. Since we do everything we can ourselves in order to save money we are busy maintaining our fleet and equipment. Winters take a toll on everything from shovels to large plow trucks. We feel that keeping our stuff in tip top shape not only looks good and makes us stand out from the rest but it will save us money in the long run. From repair work to painting to changing oils and cleaning we really never have a dull moment. Once the summer is over our equipment and vehicles are looking sharp and ready for the upcoming winter. Chris is hands-on and anything that he can do in house will be done.

But that’s not it. Summer is also time to market and plan work for the upcoming winter season. As members of the Mahwah Chamber of Commerce we attend several functions in order to meet people in our area who just may need a snow contractor one day. We also work on our website by updating it and we are learning a new computer software program for the snow business. This of course entails a lot of time spent learning and a lot of data entry. In order to stay on top of our game we continue to analyze our procedures and implement new technology and solutions. We use our entire summers to pull apart our programs and improve for the next season.

So now, maybe if we get all of that done we will be able to take a week off and go to some warm tropical island and have a pinacolada or two!

We are the true Snow Pros of New Jersey.

 

]]> Thu, 14 Jul 2011 02:20:00 GMT 55D78D128804C838620BE23FC5C71E3F A greener way of working in the snow industry. http://xtremesnowpros.com/snowblog.cfm?feature=1074721&postid=140816   Xtreme Snow Pros already knows a thing or two about being sustainable, but Owner Chris Marino recently found another way to push the green envelope. In an industry that requires the company to drive to clients’ residences and business places in order to measure properties for estimates, Chris recently found an online service that will save Xtreme Snow Pros time and money. The web-based company, offers a service which will allow Chris to map out and measure all of the land that Xtreme Snow Pros will be managing via high resolution photo-mapping taken by airplanes.  The technology will allow Xtreme Snow Pros to bid on jobs more efficiently. A site which may have taken half an hour of onsite time can now be done in less than 10 minutes from any computer with internet connection.. Goilawn.com allows Xtreme Snow Pros to count the number of trees, measure the elevation changes on the potential site, find fire hydrants and electrical boxes, measure total area and much more. The aerial photographs will be great for proposals; we can show each potential client exactly how we are going to clear their property, where snow will be pushed, stored or stacked, and on larger sites it allows us to coordinate with the property owner where we will be allowed to store equipment. Along with cutting down on carbon emissions from driving to bid on sites, the electronic service allows Xtreme Snow Pros to e-mail all bids to customers which cuts down on paper use and increases efficiency. The electronic service is much faster and allows the company to contact customers faster than original snail mail. This new web-based technology is allowing Xtreme Snow Pros to increase its sustainability and its business efficiency. Already a leader in its industry for sustainability, Xtreme Snow Pros continues looking for new ways to increase sustainability.  

 

Xtreme Snow Pros already knows a thing or two about being sustainable, but Owner Chris Marino recently found another way to push the green envelope. In an industry that requires the company to drive to clients’ residences and business places in order to measure properties for estimates, Chris recently found an online service that will save Xtreme Snow Pros time and money. The web-based company, offers a service which will allow Chris to map out and measure all of the land that Xtreme Snow Pros will be managing via high resolution photo-mapping taken by airplanes. 

The technology will allow Xtreme Snow Pros to bid on jobs more efficiently. A site which may have taken half an hour of onsite time can now be done in less than 10 minutes from any computer with internet connection.. Goilawn.com allows Xtreme Snow Pros to count the number of trees, measure the elevation changes on the potential site, find fire hydrants and electrical boxes, measure total area and much more.

The aerial photographs will be great for proposals; we can show each potential client exactly how we are going to clear their property, where snow will be pushed, stored or stacked, and on larger sites it allows us to coordinate with the property owner where we will be allowed to store equipment.

Along with cutting down on carbon emissions from driving to bid on sites, the electronic service allows Xtreme Snow Pros to e-mail all bids to customers which cuts down on paper use and increases efficiency. The electronic service is much faster and allows the company to contact customers faster than original snail mail.

This new web-based technology is allowing Xtreme Snow Pros to increase its sustainability and its business efficiency. Already a leader in its industry for sustainability, Xtreme Snow Pros continues looking for new ways to increase sustainability.

 

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