Ever hear of Hillenmeyer Nurseries ??
They joined SIMA. They wanted to be THE plowing contractor in their market - and thru SIMA they found an individual that came to their office and revamped their entire in-house tracking operation to make it manageable during the 2 snow events they have each season. They learned about the new products on the market and what could be done to increase their margins. They went from 52% margins for snow, to 88% margins in ONE season. SIMA's the reason. Call Steven Hillenmeyer - mention my name and SIMA and you'll get some very positive feedback (hopefully you're not in the exact same market as they are).
Those who think snow should be a profit center benefit from the interaction amongst peers. This forum is good, and you will get considerable information from those who patronize this site - however, as part of the association you will get address's and phone numbers of almost 500 people that are in the same business. Not very many of that total are on this site. Discounts on aftermarket parts can be significant - and SIMA is constantly looking for suppliers to give discounts to members. There is a long distance discount program for phone use, and SIMA is in the process of trying to set up insurance for plowing only - which may significantly reduce premiums (over the course of a full year).
Additionally, the Symposium each summer is a wonderful experience (ask those on this site that have attended what they think).
Other guys should step in here and give some feedback too.