Snow Clearing

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saxondale

  • #41
    Ste Hughes said:
    first time we have had snow stick thats thicker than an inch in my lifetime ;) we were expecting rain

    what do i need to set up? learning to hold a shovel?
    Click to expand...

    which do you think is going to be easier 9and more profitable -

    selling "actually moving bloody heavy snow"

    or selling "taking away the worry about moving bloody heavy snow if the worst does happen"


    sell the sizzle not the steak.
     
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    OldWelshGuy

    OldWelshGuy

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  • #44
    liability my backside (as jim royle would say a little less politely) :D

    Just get off the web, get your shovel and get asking. The worse that can happen is everyone says no.

    If you are working for peoplke then their employers liability and public liability should cover you anyhow. and with households the contents /buildings policy would probs cover it.

    If not then I am certain that the public will rally round once the sun newspaper gave you column cm's :)
     
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    C

    crossdaz

  • #45
    Ste Hughes said:
    hi guys

    we have just had about 5" of snow in about 2 hours...

    I have the idea of going out and clearing peoples driveways for cash tomorrow... I think it could be quite good

    but how much would you pay? i am thinking £5 for a path from door to gate or £15 for whole driveway... ill also go and get a bucket of rocksalt and scatter a bit about

    is that too much or not

    ta
    Click to expand...

    Depends how long the drive is really - I'd say a fiver for a footpath along the average drive Do the OAP's for free - most that can afford it will insist on paying anyway.

    Let us know how many you do
     
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    D

    Dawg

  • #46


    “…. The only person who is at risk of being sued is a person who clears the snow so badly that things are worse than before and that common sense would indicate that this is so; an example given is that of a person who clears a path with water in freezing temperatures and pays no attention to the fact that the water left behind freezes and creates slippery ice. ..”    Ministry of Justice, March 2010

    Follow the advice below to make sure you clear the pathway safely and effectively. Clear the snow or ice early in the day It’s easier to move fresh, loose snow rather than hard snow that has packed together from people walking on it. So if possible, start removing the snow and ice in the morning. If you remove the top layer of snow in the morning, any sunshine during the day will help melt any ice beneath. You can then cover the path with salt before nightfall to stop it refreezing overnight.
    Use salt or sand – not water If you use water to melt the snow, it may refreeze and turn to black ice. Black ice increases the risk of injuries as it is invisible and very slippery. You can prevent black ice by spreading some salt on the area you have cleared. You can use ordinary table or dishwasher salt – a tablespoon for each square metre you clear should work. Don’t use the salt found in salting bins -this will be needed to keep the roads clear. Be careful not to spread salt on plants or grass as it may cause them damage. If you don’t have enough salt, you can also use sand or ash. These won’t stop the path icing over as well as salt, but will provide good grip under foot. It will however need to be cleared up once the weather improves.
    Take care where you move the snow to. When you’re shovelling snow, take care where you put it so it doesn’t block people’s paths or drains. Make sure you make a path down the middle of the area to be cleared first, so you have a clear surface to walk on. Then shovel the snow from the centre of the path to the sides.


    (From Hastings Council advice, circulated today)
    This came up last winter and I Googled for an example of someone being sued and found nothing.



    But careful out there. Walking the dog this evening I slipped, A over T big time. I now know where the expression 'had the stuffing knocked out of him' comes from. Being helped up by a 12 year old didn't help the shreds of dignity...:)
     
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    T

    thebigIAM

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  • #48
    I found a broom was v. useful for preventing black ice formation afterwards. I cleared with a shovel first, then swept it afterwards down to the bare tarmac.

    I felt free to clear away as much snow as I wanted from pretty much anywhere. Nothing to lose if I got sued. Haha!

    All these sad little gits who won't clear a pavement outside their house in case they get sued ... what's that all about? They have no civic pride and they are just BONE IDLE.

    Meanwhile, OP, I'd say get out there and give it a go.
     
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    S

    saxondale

  • #53
    dedwardp said:
    It would hardly be a viable 'business' to try and set up in the UK though, would it? It's one man being opportunistic and taking advantage as it arises for a one off.
    Click to expand...


    no-one claims this could be a business, yet the advice still stands - sell the service not the product.

    apart from anything the OP doesnt yet know how much hard work actually clearing snow is.
     
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    cjd

    cjd

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  • #56
    gritbinsales said:
    “When clearing snow and ice, it is probably worth stopping at the boundaries of the property under your control.”
    Clearing a public path “can lead to an action for damages against the company, e.g. if members of the public, assuming that the area is still clear of ice and thus safe to walk on, slip and injure themselves”.
    Legal experts said home owners could fall victim to the same laws if they tried to clear an icy path but failed to do the job properly. John McQuater, president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, admitted: “If you do nothing you cannot be liable. If you do something, you could be liable to a legal action.”
    Click to expand...

    That is absolute and utter twaddle.

    No-one has EVER been sued for clearing their path and never will be. This rubbish get spouted every year; it's like religion, the myths just refuse to go away because there's something deep within us that wants to believe it.
     
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    M

    movietub

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    Nov 6, 2008
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  • #57
    You could do the drives for free and resell the snow as snowballs?

    snowballs_for_sale.jpg



    Seriously though, if I wanted my drive cleared I would pay a local group of kids (which are invariably out in the snow no matter how bad it is) a few quid to do it for me.

    As an adult business proposition, this is right up there with setting up a lemondade stand...
     
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    S

    silverrepublic

  • #58
    After being stuck in for eight days last time i would have gladly pay good money but - tried doing it myself but as fast as i was clearing it it was back again the next day - in the end i stopped fighting a loosing battle and just stayed in doors.

    felt like i had lost a stone in weight - its hard work clearing snow!!
     
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    S

    Ste Hughes

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    Nov 27, 2010
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  • #60
    just got back

    did 8 shops from 7.30 this morning at £20 each - we have a row of 10 near us, 6 said yes first time and when the other 4 saw just how bad it was 2 came back to me :D the other 2 did it them self

    then did about 15 houses at £10 each plus some tips they gave - 2 were old couples so did them for nothing

    its proper hard work though

    made £324 in the end in 5 hours ish
     
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    S

    saxondale

  • #61
    Ste Hughes said:
    just got back

    did 8 shops from 7.30 this morning at £20 each - we have a row of 10 near us, 6 said yes first time and when the other 4 saw just how bad it was 2 came back to me :D the other 2 did it them self

    then did about 15 houses at £10 each plus some tips they gave - 2 were old couples so did them for nothing

    its proper hard work though

    made £324 in the end in 5 hours ish
    Click to expand...



    at the risk of getting flamed by others - I simply don`t believe you.
     
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    J-Wholesale

    J-Wholesale

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  • #63
    But... you had no global plan or marketing strategy. And what about your unique selling point? You can't just go being all entrepreneurial like that, you have to talk about it first for 6 months, visit blogs and forums, start a website and set up bank accounts. There's accountants and solicitors, and potential litigation.

    You'll give the forum a bad name - with your "doing stuff" instead of just talking about it.
     
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    M

    movietub

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  • #64
    J-Wholesale said:
    But... you had no global plan or marketing strategy. And what about your unique selling point? You can't just go being all entrepreneurial like that, you have to talk about it first for 6 months, visit blogs and forums, start a website and set up bank accounts. There's accountants and solicitors, and potential litigation.

    You'll give the forum a bad name - with your "doing stuff" instead of just talking about it.
    Click to expand...

    Love it!!!

    Maybe sometimes it just is that easy! I can believe the right shops in the right area would pay £20 for a quick solution. God knows if the OP is being honest or not, but I don't doubt it is possible.
     
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    S

    Ste Hughes

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  • #65
    can i say we had 18" of snow in places - i simply told them the forcast that if they didn't get their driveway cleared they will risk the snow freezing and being stuck in for a week or two... i knocked on all of a street - 60 odd houses only 15 said yes

    the shops i targeted were small businesses - a couple of salons (i couldn't see them getting the girls to shovel it away) a shop that sells children's clothes i know an old couple own, a butchers which had people queing up at 8am for their turkeys...

    believe me or not i was out getting cold but raking it in while you lot were in bed :rolleyes: it was the last week end before Xmas people needed to get their cars out and £10 was fair considering the snow was just under my knees in places
     
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    MikeJ

    MikeJ

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  • #66
    J-Wholesale said:
    But... you had no global plan or marketing strategy. And what about your unique selling point? You can't just go being all entrepreneurial like that, you have to talk about it first for 6 months, visit blogs and forums, start a website and set up bank accounts. There's accountants and solicitors, and potential litigation.

    You'll give the forum a bad name - with your "doing stuff" instead of just talking about it.
    Click to expand...

    :D You forgot the facebook page, the logo and then the new logo.
     
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    movietub

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  • #67
    Ste Hughes said:
    can i say we had 18" of snow in places - i simply told them the forcast that if they didn't get their driveway cleared they will risk the snow freezing and being stuck in for a week or two... i knocked on all of a street - 60 odd houses only 15 said yes
    Click to expand...

    Eh? It was only 5" last night, now it's 18" in places??

    Frankly if it had snowed that much in a few hours I would pay what you earned to stay in!!
     
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    J-Wholesale

    J-Wholesale

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  • #74
    saxondale said:
    it took 3 men 3 hrs to clear the junction outside my house last week ..... I do not believe the OP for one moment.
    Click to expand...

    Maybe. But you've been raining on the guy's parade from the moment he made the suggestion, putting forward one excuse after another as to why it was a bad idea: doomed to failure, would lead to him being sued, required a grand plan made months ago, was really hard work, he'd damage the pavement...

    What's your beef with such a simple suggestion like manual labour for money? People do it all the time, and while they might not make millions, many people do ok out of it.
     
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    P

    Parthelan

  • #75
    saxondale said:
    it took 3 men 3 hrs to clear the junction outside my house last week ..... I do not believe the OP for one moment.
    Click to expand...

    Ahh but where they council workers?

    It has been known to make a difference.

    A few winters ago, a burst pipe a couple of doors up from me. After the repair, the council turned up to replace the paving stone. 3 hours later they where still there - the job included blocking the road, an extended coffee break in the truck and a trip to the local shops.

    Some weeks later there was a burst pipe right outside my gate. After the repair, a subcontractor turned up to replace the paving - job done and they were gone in 30 minutes.

    Fair play to the geezer - he's 300 quid up just before Christmas, for a bit of initiative - less tax and national insurance of course. :D
     
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    S

    saxondale

  • #76
    J-Wholesale said:
    Maybe. But you've been raining on the guy's parade from the moment he made the suggestion, putting forward one excuse after another as to why it was a bad idea: doomed to failure, would lead to him being sued, required a grand plan made months ago, was really hard work, he'd damage the pavement...

    What's your beef with such a simple suggestion like manual labour for money? People do it all the time, and while they might not make millions, many people do ok out of it.
    Click to expand...

    who said anything about a grand plan.

    rain on his parade?

    grow up, I`m sick of kids coming to me with the idea they have the right to anything because no one ever said "no"

    why should we pat somone on the back for working on the fiddle, without insurance and suitable H&S.

    really for supposed businessmen most of you really do take everything at face value, is it because the thought of actually making £300 gets you all hot?
     
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    J-Wholesale

    J-Wholesale

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    Jul 13, 2008
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  • #78
    saxondale said:
    who said anything about a grand plan.

    rain on his parade?

    grow up, I`m sick of kids coming to me with the idea they have the right to anything because no one ever said "no"

    why should we pat somone on the back for working on the fiddle, without insurance and suitable H&S.

    really for supposed businessmen most of you really do take everything at face value, is it because the thought of actually making £300 gets you all hot?
    Click to expand...

    I'm not even going to bother.
     
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