CAI-NJ Mar. 2019 (w)

THE FUTURE IS NOW Trends in the Industry By David Ross Snowscapes, Inc.

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B usiness across the globe has experienced incredi- ble technological advancements in the past twenty years. These innovations have enabled business to move faster, react faster and evolve faster than any other time in history. For years, only the largest compa- nies could afford to use these technologies because they required resources far beyond the range of small business. However, in recent years the implementation cost of these technologies has decreased greatly, putting these tools well within the reach of small businesses, especially service providers. As a result, service industry companies have experienced tremendous growth. As service industry companies have grown, so have cus- tomer demands. Quality and accountability have always been the staple of service-oriented businesses. As business and information move faster than ever, our mindset has changed to an Amazon-like environment, placing new

demands on service providers. Customers want everything now, to have the ability to communicate on a variety of platforms and to receive automatic updates of service details. Customers want their service providers to have the same app-like features of large companies. For service providers to thrive in today’s world, they need to meet these demands. Although sharing many similarities with other service-ori- ented industries, the snow removal industry has two unique challenges: insurance costs and staffing. No one will argue that unpredictable weather patterns place a great strain on the industry and require company leaders to focus on budgeting for extreme circumstances. But unpredictable weather is not the most difficult issue to overcome. Many companies have discontinued offering commercial snow removal services in New Jersey because they have experienced their insurance costs increase exponentially for CONT I NU E S ON PAGE 36

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