Make money shoveling snow

Today, I’m going to educate you about how to make money shoveling snow. Winter is almost here. Depending on where you live, this presents a great way to make money!

That’s right, whenever it snows there is a huge opportunity to earn extra cash. If you’re willing to hustle, you can shovel people’s driveways, porches, and walkways for extra cash. Although it’s a labor-intensive job, it can be very profitable. While this opportunity is great for kids, it can also be an awesome side hustle for young adults.

As a kid, I used to do this every winter. I grew up in a small town Maine. We got a ton of snow each winter. Whenever it snowed, I would reach out to neighbors to see if they needed me to shovel their walkway, porch or driveway. Although not everyone was interested in my services, some people took me up on my offer.

I could make $50 to $100 in half a day’s work. That was a lot of money as a kid. Keep in mind this was in the 1980s and early 1990s. I’m sure that if you were organized and hustled, you could make even more money than that today. Here are a few tips to help you do this.

# 1 Contact People Ahead of Time – In the early fall, contact everyone you know to see if they will let you shovel their snow for them throughout the winter. Try to lock in as many customers as you can, ahead of time. That way, when the snow hits the ground, you are off to the races!

# 2 Build Up Your Customer List – Whenever you shovel snow for someone, add them to your customer list. Be sure to send them a handwritten thank you note for hiring you. In addition, stay in touch with these people throughout the year, so they don’t forget about you or hire a competitor.

# 3 Go the Extra Mile – When you are shoveling snow at a client’s home or business, be sure you go the extra mile. Do an exceptional job. Treat it as if it was your own house. Do things you aren’t paid to do, the little added touch. This will go a long way in keeping your customers happy.

# 4 Use Tools to Help You – As a kid, invest in a good shovel, maybe even some equipment such as a used snow blower. This will let you work smart and help you get more done in less time. As an adult, you might want to buy a snow plow for your truck.

# 5 Team up with Someone Else – If you know someone who plows people’s driveways, reach out to them and see if they will hire you to do all the little work, such as clearing walkways and porches. This lets you tap into their customer base. This is one of my best tips.

# 6 Ask for Referrals – Whenever you deal with a client, and they are happy with your services, be sure you ask them for referrals. Ask them for two people and two businesses in the local area they know who might want to hire someone to help them with snow removal.

# 7 Get Your Name Out There – Be willing to advertise and have some marketing materials to help you promote your new side hustle. This includes flyers, business cards, brochures, a website, a Facebook page, etc. Realize your real business is FINDING and KEEPING customers, not just shoveling snow.

# 8 Visit Local Businesses – Another great tip to find more work is to visit local businesses in your area. Focus on the “mom and pop” type businesses with walkways and porches. This would be a great little niche to focus on, plus you can probably earn more money per job by working with local businesses, than just with residential properties.

# 9 Be Reliable – You must show up on time. Your customer needs to be able to count on you and know you will do a good job. If you aren’t reliable, they will hire someone else.

I hope you enjoyed these 9 tips on how to make money shoveling snow.

1. It’s seasonal

2. You can earn cash

3. It’s good exercise

4. You can earn good money per hour

5. There is a high demand for it since most people don’t want to do it

6. Very little overhead to get started

7. Very few ongoing costs

8. Great part-time gig

9. Work as much or as little as you want

10. Works great with a landscaping or lawn service business

There you have it folks. These are some of my best tips on how to make money shoveling snow. I think this is a great side hustle for any kid, teenager or young adult. Like anything else in life, you need a game plan and you need to work hard. You get out what you put in.

If you’ve ever tried this side hustle before, I would love to hear from you. Did you make money shoveling snow? What strategies and tips can you recommend? Leave a comment below to share your thoughts. I look forward to hearing from you.

About the Author

Charles Holmes is an author, business coach, blogger and entrepreneur. As a kid, he shoveled snow each winter to earn some extra cash. He now lives in sunny Florida with his beautiful wife, Rachel. You can learn more about him here.