# How did you start out?



## Hoss4x4 (Aug 29, 2011)

I was wondering how you all started out. part time? driver? sub? have truck and pray like crazy? Just wondering how you transfered into full time.


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

Started out driving someone else's truck. Second year bought my own truck/plow and picked up some sub work. Third year I was on my own.


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## Mick76 (Aug 2, 2009)

I bought a bunch of multi family housing and was too cheap to pay someone else to do if for me....LOL Definatley didn't think I'd be where I'm at now but thats business! Steady growth is the key! Don't promise ANYTHING you can't deliver!


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## Spucel (Feb 6, 2011)

Started out as a shoveler and drove a skid until I got my license. Plowed in someone elses truck for about 10 years and I am buying my first plow this year with the plans to sub for about 2-3 years. Depending on how things look once I reach that 2-3 year mark I might continue to sub or open my own business.


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## NickT (Feb 1, 2011)

Started out subbing,every year after added my own accounts.


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## cold_and_tired (Dec 18, 2008)

I got transferred to Colorado in 06 as an excavating estimator to capitalize on the building boom. We had tons of equipment sitting around in the winter so I figured I would use it to push snow. Ended up getting laid off in 09 and started on my own. I had the contacts and know how so I figured why not.

Been adding equipment and customers ever since. Now the majority of my income comes from snow and I relax for most of the summer.


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## Hoss4x4 (Aug 29, 2011)

cold_and_tired;1304724 said:


> I got transferred to Colorado in 06 as an excavating estimator to capitalize on the building boom. We had tons of equipment sitting around in the winter so I figured I would use it to push snow. Ended up getting laid off in 09 and started on my own. I had the contacts and know how so I figured why not.
> 
> Been adding equipment and customers ever since. Now the majority of my income comes from snow and I relax for most of the summer.


Having worked for a company and now for yourself. Are you happier?


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## CGM Inc. (Dec 15, 2008)

Went from Automotive parts manufacturing to buy an established Landscaping and maintenance company.
Been sick of working for others....


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## cold_and_tired (Dec 18, 2008)

Hoss4x4;1304729 said:


> Having worked for a company and now for yourself. Are you happier?


That's a good question. Honestly, it's a day to day thing.

There are plenty of times that I am thankful to be my own boss. Nobody (except my clients) is breathing down my neck or looking over my shoulder.

As the owner of a very small snow removal business, I make the decisions for everything. I can't take vacations during the snow months because I'm afraid to leave the decision making in the hands of someone else. Hopefully that will change in the next few years though.

As weird as it may sound, I enjoy the accountability factor. When it comes down to it, I am accountable for everything that happens regarding my company both positive and negative.


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## KBTConst (Oct 25, 2009)

Started plowing my drive then added a few drives for friends then went to commercial.


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## CGM Inc. (Dec 15, 2008)

Hoss4x4;1304729 said:


> Having worked for a company and now for yourself. Are you happier?


in my case I never second guessed the decision! i like to be in control which is difficult when you work fore someone else.


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

16 years for my old company and 10 years on my own.


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## CGM Inc. (Dec 15, 2008)

grandview;1304782 said:


> 16 years for my old company and 10 years on my own.


Your old! :laughing:


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

CGM Inc.;1304865 said:


> Your old! :laughing:


Not old. Experienced!wesport


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## IDOCTORTREES (Dec 27, 2006)

With a shovel . Could not afford a blower. Door to Door


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## Spucel (Feb 6, 2011)

IDOCTORTREES;1304917 said:


> With a shovel . Could not afford a blower. Door to Door


Kind of cool to look back and see what it was like then compared to what you are doing now....unless you are still shoveling. lol


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## Slushpuppy (Jan 20, 2007)

Hoss4x4;1304632 said:


> I was wondering how you all started out. part time? driver? sub? have truck and pray like crazy? Just wondering how you transfered into full time.


I see your from Florida, does it even snow down there?


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## Hoss4x4 (Aug 29, 2011)

JRS Landscaping;1305002 said:


> I see your from Florida, does it even snow down there?


I think I might be changing my signiture to explain......ha

I am from MI and looking to return. I have been doing many, many, and many hours of research to help assist me in succeeding when I return to be near my family.


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## Precision21 (Sep 16, 2010)

Slowly........


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## Hoss4x4 (Aug 29, 2011)

I am thinking about starting with snow blowing my lawn customers and ploying for a company to gain experience. Is this crazy? Should I buy a plow and work as a sub?


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Hoss4x4;1305186 said:


> I am thinking about starting with snow blowing my lawn customers and ploying for a company to gain experience. Is this crazy? Should I buy a plow and work as a sub?


Depending on what type of ploy your going to pull ,you should get some experience


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## Hoss4x4 (Aug 29, 2011)

What is a poly?


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## mercer_me (Sep 13, 2008)

I was 13 and I bought a plow for my 2004 Arctic Cat 500 4x4 ATV and plowed my parents driveway for two years with it, for free of course. Then when I was 15 I bought a 1989 Chevy 2500 with an 8' Fisher and I continued plowing my parents driveway for free. Then my Dad bought the 2010 Toyota Tundra with a 7.5' Fisher and I plow my parents and my grand parents for free and once in a while I plow other people's driveways. This Spring I bought a 2002 Chevy 1500 and put a 7.5' Fisher on it. So next Winter when I'm going to start plowing a few driveways, it all depends on if I'm plowing roads for my uncle or not.


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## snowplowpro (Feb 7, 2006)

started out shoveling and worked for other people got tired of seeing everyone else making money figured i could do it on my own, so back then a couple Buddy's of mine had an old truck with a plow they were scrapping i paid them $200 for the plow put it on my truck and went driving around looking for work picked up a bunch of driveways and called other friends who were into plowing and asked if they had any work they could throw me and took it from there.


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## pooleo8 (Nov 8, 2009)

Bought a house in 07 that had a big drive. Got a quad and rigged up a lawn tractor plow with a winch. Did mine and a few neighbors. Then I hurt my back. Sold the quad picked up this ranger then picked up a plow from an s-10. Put it together and now plow family/friends and a few around the neighbor hood. Main motivation behind the truck was that I dad my daughter with me while the wife was working, kinda hard to plow with a quad and a 2 yr old!


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## Wayne Volz (Mar 1, 2002)

*Buy a plow*

I bought a truck and plow in 1987 and put on a few accounts and learned as I went. You can get enough help on this site to help you understand the basics and go for it. Subbing is good experience, but you generally leave a lot of money on the table. Yes you get experience at someone else's expense, but if you are going to learn, learn on your own. The plowing experience is great so take it slow on your own and go.

If you need bidding help, you can get it here. Good luck....


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## Hoss4x4 (Aug 29, 2011)

Wayne Volz;1305735 said:


> I bought a truck and plow in 1987 and put on a few accounts and learned as I went. You can get enough help on this site to help you understand the basics and go for it. Subbing is good experience, but you generally leave a lot of money on the table. Yes you get experience at someone else's expense, but if you are going to learn, learn on your own. The plowing experience is great so take it slow on your own and go.
> 
> If you need bidding help, you can get it here. Good luck....


Thank you. I will purchase my equipment before I move out of Florida. This way I can have an older truck with out cancer. All my equipment will be paid for so I don't have to worry about making payments when starting out.


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## JohnnyRoyale (Jun 18, 2006)

Why are you moving out of Florida when its so many peoples dream to move there?


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## Hoss4x4 (Aug 29, 2011)

JohnnyRoyale;1305755 said:


> Why are you moving out of Florida when its so many peoples dream to move there?


Florida is not like you see on TV. Trust me. I am from the Midwest where people (most) care. This is a dirty, selfish place. I do not have my extended family here and the season never changes! I love fall when the leaves change wearing jeans taking the kids to pick a pumpkin. Going on a hay ride and a corn maze. The snow flakes sparkeling out the window. Playing in the snow then coming into the house making hot chocolate and watching a movie under the blanket. Not to mention that everything is posinious down here. I could go on. The first year I hated it. The second year I found some good like minded people which made it better. Now that I don't like the direction my company is going there is no reason to stay.


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## OntarioGuy (Jan 5, 2011)

I have always loved trucks and snowplow since i was like 8 years old. A copple of seasons ago i helped my moms friend plow (i did the walkways, sidewalks, salting them.) then he let me plow a school at night and then i new i would love to do that when i am older.


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## MikeRi24 (Dec 21, 2007)

Used to watch other people in the neighborhood plow in the winter, so I always kinda understood how to move snow, backdrag, and kinda how to stack it. I guess 4 years ago now, I had started mowing a few lawns and had a little interest in plowing and wanted to get into it. I didnt have a truck yet just had my Jeep so I bought a plow for the Jeep and put up a flier at the firehall I belonged to at the time and got a few driveways I think I did like 8 that year? Well that was 4 years ago, and this year we're looking to have a goal of 60-65 driveways and 4-5 small commercials and I have 2 trucks now.


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## snoway63 (Dec 29, 2009)

Got started on my own in 1996 with one truck and learned by trial and error till i got it right and by talking to other guys I know that plow and just added on every year till I had enough to be comfortable with.Actually this year ill be adding more after keeping all my original clients since day one. Good luck just take it nice and slow


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## Moonlighter (Mar 31, 2008)

I started subbing for a buddy of mine for 14 years bought my truck and plow 3 years ago, continued subbing until this year I finally am making the switch to working for myself and I love it. Long hours, lots to learn and set-up, plus I am my own mechanic. I wouldn't change a thing except adding more accounts.


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## kimber750 (Sep 19, 2011)

Started plowing when I worked excavation years ago. Then bought a house with a large driveway. After one year shoveling tried a snowblower on my tractor. Then came across a deal I could not pass up, 85 Bronco with st7.5 for $300. Ran ok but carbs suck in the winter so bought a 94 F150 and transferred the plow over. Great little plow truck and still have it. Started plowing my rental properties 5-6 years ago and started to get to know some of the local plow guys since help out at the local plow shop, keeps my repair costs down.


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## ConnerM (Aug 28, 2011)

*cost*



2COR517;1304652 said:


> Started out driving someone else's truck. Second year bought my own truck/plow and picked up some sub work. Third year I was on my own.


you said u started sub contracting your 2nd year with your own truck u purchased. im just wondering how much all your own stuff cost including truck and plow etc...


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

Had the truck, put a $1500 plow on it.


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## Matson Snow (Oct 3, 2009)

How did i start out?????


Well...My mom was at a bar in Downers Grove when my soon to be sperm donar father came in and Bought her a Drink....And the rest is History...:salute:


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## neplow (Oct 6, 2011)

family side business. As a youngn plowing waterfront commercial before i had a license back in the late eighties. I was the little boy ***** and usually the one getting stuck and yelled at. And i wasn't allowed to operate a loader just the trucks. children had no rights then. :laughing:


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Matson Snow;1324251 said:


> How did i start out?????
> 
> Well...My mom was at a bar in Downers Grove when my soon to be sperm donar father came in and Bought her a Drink....And the rest is History...:salute:


To bad the best part of you dripped out!:laughing:


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## born2farm (Dec 24, 2007)

Started out pretty young. Dad and uncles always had plows growing up and I loved riding with them. I bought my first mower when I was thirteen and plowed driveways around town with it. Two years later upgraded to a quad and blade. Ran that for two years before putting a plow on my truck. Now at 19 I have two trucks, a full time employee and looking to add a skid yet this year. Learned alot along the way from my mistakes as well as reading on here.


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## dfd9 (Aug 18, 2010)

JohnnyRoyale;1305755 said:


> Why are you moving out of Florida when its so many peoples dream to move there?


Wasn't there a member who claimed to be from FL on this site a few years back?



grandview;1324293 said:


> To bad the best part of you dripped out!:laughing:


Ouch, probably true though.


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## bsharp704 (Feb 9, 2009)

Started out running someone else's truck 12 years ago. Bought my own truck 4 years ago and subbed on to a few different companies. Have been growing since then, just bought our second truck and first piece of equipment.


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