2. The Company
Don’s Snowplowing was a sole propriotership
-He did not trust anyone else and funded the company himself
Residential and company snowplowing service
The business lasted 20 years
3. Background of Business
Don Austin learned and started the business through
his father.
He financed the purchases through his salary as being
a firefighter.
To make more income and he enjoyed doing it
It was a family business and has always known how to
plow snow
The company ended a couple years ago but it hired
many employees over the years instead of just himself
when it started
4. Successes
Provided family with spending cash and vacations.
Helping people and allowing them to drive safely in
bad weather conditions.
The success factors are the quality of plowing and
workers
5. Challenges
Challenges in the snowplowing business is heavy snow/ice
and late night hours of work.
Being able to help everyone and be everywhere at once.
Snow is constantly falling and during a bad storm places
may need to be plowed more then once.
By putting together a trustworthy staff is a good way to
handle these challenges.
A winter with little to no snowfall is a potential fatal flaw
6. Competition
Landscaping companies with many employees are
competitors of Don’s Snowplowing business.
By working more hours and helping as many people
with the weather conditions.
By answering and responding to customer calls and
providing them with safe roads.
7. Marketing/Staffing
By putting up flyers in the town of Rockland and the
company name on his plow truck.
When choosing employees there are certain qualities
they should have. Responsibility, Commitment and
Respect are qualities Don looks for in his workers.
8. Future
He sold his business to a friend to take over
because it was to much of a responsibility after 20
years of spending his winters plowing.
9. Unique Questions
1. Any advice to future entrepreneurs?
-Apply yourself in as many fields as possible and become
trained in many different skills
2. What was the worst part of your job?
- Trying to satisfy everyone
3. What was the best part of your job?
- Helping others and having a side job that he enjoyed.
10. Summary
Advice given by a small business owner was to take
risks and make sure you know what you are doing.
I learned that running your own business takes a lot of
work and becomes a huge time commitment.
Someday if I pursue business I would like to own a
business but go into a partnership instead of sole
propriotership.
