Snow Plowing Services: Are They Right for Your Commercial Business?

Do you own or operate a commercial business in the Mid-Atlantic or other cold regions and are trying to decide whether or not to hire a professional snow plowing company this winter? While snow plowing services can add up to a slightly higher business expense, the convenience and safety they provide allow your commercial business to continue operating as usual even after the worst of winter storms. If you are still on the fence about whether or not to make the investment, continue reading and ask yourself the following 4 questions to decide if professional snowplowing services are right for you and your company.

1. Do you have the necessary equipment for the size of your business space?

If your commercial business has a large parking lot or entry road, it may not be realistic to attempt to remove an entire coating of snow with just a couple of snow shovels. While maybe it could be done, the amount of time and manpower that would be required could be better allocated to using a snowplow. Most businesses do not have a professional-grade snowplow sitting in storage, so considering a professional crew may be the best option. If your business only has a walkway or two, sidewalk shoveling may be your only snow removal need and could be completed by you and your employees. Snowplowing companies such as Rasevic also offer professional snow shoveling services, however, you could most likely carry out this small snow removal yourself if you and your team are in good health.

2. Do you have sidewalks or outdoor stairs?

While smaller sidewalk areas and outdoor stairs do not require professional plowing equipment, you do want to be sure you treat these surfaces with ice melt products. You don’t want to risk your pavement becoming coated in ice and creating dangerous conditions for employees, customers, or other passersby, especially if your business receives a lot of traffic. Ice may not always be visible at first glance, leaving untreated sidewalks a potential safety hazard for anyone around your property. There are a number of ways you can handle your ice management plan. Potentially the least expensive option would be with Rock Salt. This ice melt product is often sold in bulk and its makeup of nearly 100% sodium chloride allows Rock Salt to lower the freezing point of water and stop ice from forming. Rock Salt loses effectiveness in temperatures lower than 15°F, and can also be very damaging to your road surface, sidewalk, or pavement below. If you do not want your ground or surrounding areas to be damaged, Rock Salt may not be the best option for your ice melt solution. The most popular, and slightly more expensive, ice management solution is chloride products such as Calcium Chloride and Magnesium Chloride. Calcium Chloride is the most effective ice melt, with between 83%-90% chloride concentration, allowing it to penetrate through deep ice layers. Calcium Chloride is a hygroscopic salt that absorbs moisture from the air and lowers the freezing temperature of water to prevent dangerous ice build-up. It is effective in temperatures as low as -25°F, but is not a very eco-friendly product. Magnesium Chloride is another type of hygroscopic salt that also lowers the freezing point of water by absorbing moisture from the air. Magnesium Chloride has slightly lower chloride concentrations, allowing it to be more environmentally friendly and produce less harm to surrounding plant and animal life. This product does not irritate the paws of animals who walk over it, but does require slightly more product per application and loses effectiveness in temperatures colder than -13°F. Depending on both your budget and pavement requirements, there is a wide range of ice management solutions. If your commercial business does not have the proper ice melt chemical products, you may want to consider investing in a professional snow plowing company that includes ice management in their services such as Rasevic Companies.

3. Do you have enough space for the snow?

Even if your commercial business has all the necessary equipment for successful snow removal, you need to also consider if your business space has enough room to house the displaced snow. If you do not have large grassy areas to dump your parking lot snow, this may be a problem that could impact your business. Customers and employees do not typically like when a business leaves large piles of browning snow in their parking lots that take up parking spaces and melt into giant messes, so you could see a decrease in customers if you take this route. Large piles of snow directly in front of the entrance to your business could also turn away new customers as they become confused about how to navigate your entry. A professional snow plowing company will relocate your large snow piles after plowing them away utilizing a big dump truck and transport the snow to a better drop-off location. This service could help keep your business looking aesthetically pleasing and free up space for your customers and employees without creating any unnecessary hazards. If you do not have enough space for snow, you’ll want to get it relocated away from your business property.

4. Do you have the time or employee capability?

The last thing to consider is if you are going to remove the snow from your business on your own, do you have the necessary time and employee strength? Snow shoveling or even operating machinery you are not familiar with will take extra time that could detract from running your business. Your employees were also probably not hired to shovel snow, so they most likely won’t enjoy that duty and could be at risk for a potential injury. Make sure to ask yourself if saving a couple of bucks is worth putting yourself and your employees through the many hours and labor of snow removal every time it snows this winter.

Get Professional Snow Plowing Services with Rasevic Companies

If you have asked yourself these questions and realized your commercial business does need professional snow plowing services, Rasevic Companies can help! Rasevic offers snow removal, snow relocation, and ice management services to help provide a full-service winter weather plan. Don’t be caught off guard this winter and stuck with a business full of snow, and instead fill out the form below to get a free quote on professional snow removal services from Rasevic!