First welcome to the forum.
Next you have to get professional about snow plowing , or do yourself a favor and sub for someone else. That way you can concentrate on plowing and forget about the management part. I pick up accounts every year becuase people do not estimate correctly how long it will take to complete their route in a timely manner.
So here are a few ideas, first if you are serious, join
http://www.sima.org. They alone will put you on the right page. Next education will help you put together routes, and teach you how to manage the routes. Also use products that will aid in your ability to complete the route.
You have to determine what your client wants are before you write the contract. Once you have that determined then you can set priority customers first then fill other accounts around them.
For instance, we do medical facilities that need 24/7 zero tolerance service. Naturally they pay alot more than the church that only needs to be done before Sunday morn at 8 am. We also do several businesses that have different opening times. We know what the target time that all pieces of equipement and operators need to at the first site, in order to complete the route on time. Then we do condos that need initial runs prior to 6 am and then they can wait to be cleaned up mid am.
By rotating your customers individual needs to suit your plowing scheduale, you will attain an organized system to this plowing thing. Its the systems that work, once that is established,then it is very easy to even have someone else implement them. Do not over sell yourself, and have people available to help out when you get jammed up.
What I just experienced was unintisipated growth late in the season, so if we get snow fall tonight things would be tight, but new truck and plow should be here by wed, and that will take care of the problem.
If you have any more questions, feel free to call me at 860-859-0739, look for trade magazines that will also help you organize your operation.
Dino
[Edited by plowking35 on 12-04-2000 at 12:02 AM]