Turn snowmageddon into a windfall by starting your own snow-shoveling business.
With help from Mike Stevens, owner of the industry newsletter Snowplow News, and Kevin Arroyo, the owner of R and A Cleaning Services in Staten Island, N.Y., WalletPop offers the following advice to get digging:
Money talks:
Charge what the market will bear. “Be opportunistic,” Stevens told WalletPop Monday, as the East Coast braced for another storm. “It’s pure capitalism. Nothing wrong with it.” Asking $40 for a two-car driveway in New York City is acceptable, Arroyo said, while Stevens said that in his Cedarburg, Wisc., neighborhood, you’d have to be prepared to compete against the fit college kid who will do the same job for $10.
The scoop:
You’re going to need a $14 to $30 snow shovel with a scooped shape and grooves. Most home improvement stores carry snow shovels. When you dig, try to grab around six inches worth, and never raise the shovel above the waist to spare your back and shoulders.
Word of mouth:
If you go door to door, be friendly and be careful what you promise. Snowfall can be unpredictable. Remember to offer to clear cars and windshields (wipers up) while you’re at it for extra cash. Snowbirds who have gone south could be potential customers as well.
Photo by principalspage.com.