Should I Sign the Dotted Line? 4 Things to Consider Before You Do
As a business owner today, there are a lot of things you need to consider before you go ahead with commitments to clients and other partners/providers. You’re tasked with total management and oversight, which means you basically eat, sleep, and breathe business. When it comes time to on-boarding another company that will augment your company, providing a service that is essentially required that you can supplement in-house, you have to sign the dreaded dotted line.
We all know the dotted line: the final confirmation of a contract that may come back to haunt you in the end.
Well, before you sign that dotted line, we’re going to go over 4 things you should extensively consider and have a final answer to prior to pulling out the pen:
Am I Basing My Decision on Price Alone?
This is the most important question to ask yourself. We are always looking for bargains today to adhere to strict budgets, it just makes sense. However, if you’re choosing a company simply because it has lower rates than the competitors, it’s time to ask yourself why. In many cases, the cheap rates are due to their service quality, offering them at a lower rate so you bite on the bait. When it comes to something like snow and ice removal, you don’t want to go with the bargain deal.
Is the Company Reputable?
If you’re going with the cheapest company, you better do extensive research to verify their credentials. In many cases, companies are not as legitimate as they claim, which can be easily uncovered if you spend a little time digging through their online reputation. Check Yelp, the BBB, etc. to see what other people have to say, as well as calling the associations they claim to have certifications from. With Google, you can uncover a lot in a little time.
What Type of Equipment Do They Have?
A legitimate company is going to proudly detail on their website what type of equipment infrastructure they own for you to see. The sketchier companies aren’t going to include those details, knowing they have bottom-barrel offerings. Spend time sifting around equipment details from snow and ice removal companies, looking for the brand name infrastructure. Bonus points if there’s photo evidence.
Is This the Right Fit for My Need?
You need to consider exactly why you’re hiring this company. Do you need parking lot support? Sidewalk clearing? Have you suffered from debilitating personal injury lawsuits? Ask yourself why you are hiring the company in the first place. Once you have your answer, check to see if they will fit your needs. Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone to verify it.
Here at Xtreme Snow Pros, we pride ourselves on being a top-provider of snow and ice removal services in the Northeast corridor, which is why our site proudly reflects everything we can offer you.