Shovel, Blower, Or Plow?

The most powerful Snow Storm of the season hit in Northwestern Ohio today – and since I try to find a lesson in everything I do – this is what come to me while clearing the driveway and sidewalks. In many ways – dealing with a Snow Storm is a lot like the way you deal with tasks in business.

In this example – we’ll call our tasks the content of writing articles, making videos, and/or creating Blog Posts.

Doing Everything Yourself

If you plan on tackling the drifts on your own – when you first know a Snow Storm is coming – you rush out and get all the supplies necessary to help you weather through everything. You know the usual suspects that go along with doing everything yourself – Warm Clothes, boots, salt, a Snow Shovel, and LOTS of time and Sweat Equity.

In tackling the above mentioned content – you do similar things. You gather all your tools – usually free ones – and do with them what you can and you do so with 100% of your own effort.

Utilizing Tools

If you’re lucky – you might be able to start employing tools that make the job A LOT easier! They still require time and Sweat Equity – but less of it. You’ll still need many of the supplies above – but now the list might include include a Snow Blower or a Snow Blade that can be attached to the front of a Lawn Tractor. These tools and supplies require you to invest money in the equipment, gas, and maintenance in order to keep them running properly.

This time around – conquering the content can be a little easier. Because now you’re using tools and/or services you’ve purchased that make completing everything easier and with less time involved on your part.

Outsourcing

And lastly – if you’re too busy, unable to, and/or just don’t want to remove the snow yourself – then you might consider finding someone who does it for a living. Hiring someone still requires telling them what it is you want done. And each part of the job will probably cost you extra. For instance – simply clearing your driveway might only involve driving up and pushing all the snow away with a plow. But if there are areas that can’t be reached with the truck – they might have to get out and use the same tools you would have in the examples above. This will add to the cost of the job. In addition – there may be maintenance required in keeping the snow off the affected area – which means you may need them for an extended amount of time.

In this stage of the game – your telling someone with the tools needed what you want and they’re doing it all FOR you. This allows you to concentrate on more important tasks – and/or provides you with Time Freedom.