5 ways Advanced Snow Management can help you grow your snow business

'The Advanced Snow Management program is designed to train your people to be safer, more knowledgeable, and more effective in snow operations'

By Brian Birch

In the fall of 2013 SIMA launched the Advanced Snow Management (ASM) program. ASM includes four certificate courses tied to snow operations. Your team members can earn certificates in their specialty (i.e. Plowing Operations) or a person can earn the Advanced Snow Manager designation by passing all four. And the ASM program is designed to help you grow your snow business.

Here are 5 ways it can help your company:

1. Face-to-Face: Picture yourself sitting in front of a prospect interested in snow management services. If you have ASM certificate holders or an Advanced Snow Manager on staff, you can share that your team has undergone extensive, snow-specific training tied to best practices at the national level. This can really show a prospective client that you are serious about snow.
2. Insurance help: Snow businesses that invest in team training receive a comprehensive set of materials designed to help you communicate the ASM program to  insurance agents. This includes a template letter and a full description of the overall program, along with a breakdown of the individual courses and their ties to safety and best practices. The more your agent and insurance underwriters know about your commitment to safety and quality, the better off you will be.
3. Leadership Development: Nowhere is leadership development more important than in the field during a snow event. Investing in your best operations personnel to train in ASM courses, or even become official Advanced Snow Managers, is a major way you can help your best people grow.
4. Serious about safety: The safer your company is, the more successful you will be. Reducing the number of accidents, injuries, and service failures will help differentiate your company. The ASM program is designed to train your people to be safer, more knowledgeable, and more effective.
5. The Paper Trail: Every time someone from your company finishes an ASM course, they receive a certificate in the mail a few weeks later. Certificates can be hung in the office, digital versions can be used in email signature files, and your company marketing materials can officially claim that you have employees who have participated in Advanced Snow Management training or even have a full Advanced Snow Manager on staff.

The ASM program is available 24/7 at www.sima.org/resources.