Judson Burdon

It's summer and in many parts of the country, temperatures are soaring beyond the 90s. Although summer's the best time to sealcoat driveways and fill cracks, excessive heat can be bad news for you and your crew.

According to the CDC, more than 10,000 people died due to excessive heat exposure during the spring and summer months between 2004 and 2018. Males working outdoors, in particular, are at high risk from common heat-related conditions, such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.

If this is your first season as an asphalt maintenance contractor or you've been working for many years in the industry but the heat still gets to you, then this blog is for you. Read about the different precautions you have to take, and implement them to prevent injuries and death in the workplace.

Asphalt maintenance season is kicking into high gear, and you're probably in the thick of it right now. But sometimes, in the quest to make money, we commit a few mistakes that can be fatal for our asphalt maintenance business. Check out our list below to avoid mistakes that can derail your business.

Table of Contents

• Leftover sealer scam
• Substituting black paint for asphalt sealer
• Being too pushy
• Not returning calls after sealcoating a parking lot
• Leaving a mess behind after sealing
• Working without a contract
• Offering the cheapest price for your service
• Accepting cash payments only
• Bonus: Not being sufficiently insured

The country's inflation rate has been accelerating rapidly. and this has led many people to speculate that we may be heading into another recession.

But we don't have to wait for economists to officially announce another crisis before we do something about it. To make more money and weather the incoming storm, we simply need to be prepared and be on the lookout for lucrative recession-resistant business ideas.

So without further ado, here are our top 5 recession-resistant business ideas you can venture into this year.

Inflation is beyond our control, but we can adjust to it so our business can survive and thrive. Here are some ways to cope with higher prices of goods as an owner of an asphalt maintenance contracting business and ensure its survival.

Crack sealers are a godsend to asphalt owners everywhere. Without it, pavement cracks would expand as the elements take their toll on the asphalt and result in bigger potholes. These potholes need to be repaired, and that could be very costly for you. And if worse comes to worst, you have to repave the damaged area entirely.

But what is the best crack sealer in the market? We checked out four different crack sealer brands to see which product lasts longer, dries fastest, and allows you to save more money. Check it out below.

A well-executed email newsletter is one of the most effective marketing tools for asphalt maintenance contractors. But for you to pull it off, you need to build a solid mailing list. Want to know what a mailing list is and how you can build one? Then check out our blog below.

You've probably thought about starting your own driveway sealing business, but something's holding you back. Maybe you don't know anything about asphalt maintenance, or you don't have marketing and sales experience. Or maybe you're getting cold feet because you assume that there are no opportunities in your area or there's too much competition.

Whether it's a side hustle or a full-time venture, it's always a good idea to start a driveway sealcoating business. Residential sealcoating is easy to learn, and you don't need to invest in large and pricey equipment right away. The stakes are relatively low compared to commercial sealcoating, and you'll never run out of driveways to repair and seal. This is a business that sells itself year after year — as long as you do great work.

Starting any business is tough but not impossible. But some people are being held back because of different reasons. Are you one of them? If so, here are several reasons why you and others are still on the fence about starting an asphalt maintenance business and what you can do to overcome it.

Parking lots. You might think they're one of the safest places on your property (cars are mostly stationary and people usually drive at lower speeds), but they're not.

According to the National Safety Council, parking lots are some of the riskiest areas for drivers and pedestrians alike. The main cause of accidents is distracted driving, but many mishaps can also be attributed to damaged and improperly maintained parking lots.

These accidents are costly not only for you and your patrons. Worse, they can also cause injuries or even deaths.

There's nothing much you can do with distracted driving, but pavement safety is something you can control and should be your priority. Here are four asphalt maintenance tasks you can do to prevent parking lot accidents.