2015 was somewhat of an unusual year for the outdoor power equipment industry in the Northeast.

Sales and service of snow and ice handling equipment started out extremely strong due to the frequent and large amount of snow and ice we received throughout our region from mid-January into early March.  Manufacturers, distributors and dealers who offered snow blowers, snow plows, and spreaders/sanders experienced record-breaking sales in 2015. 

This year, Small Business Saturday is on November 28. It’s a day that encourages consumers to shop small and local. Since American Express started the initiative in 2010, eighty-eight million people have shown up to “shop small.”

In the outdoor power equipment industry, shopping small means to forgo the big box stores and take your business to the locally owned outdoor power equipment dealership in your area. In addition to supporting the community where you live, shopping local has other benefits.

Local outdoor power equipment dealers provide knowledge and services not found in big box retailers. For landscape contractors looking to make a significant investment in their next piece of equipment, that’s especially important.

So, why shop local for your outdoor power equipment?

Want to change or expand the product mix at your dealership but don’t know when to start the transition?  The best time to take on a new lawnmower line tends to be sometime between late summer and late fall (September – December).

On the flip side, the best time to take on a new winter line, such as plows and/or sanders, is sometime between April and July.

This timeframe gives the owner, employees, and managers an opportunity to learn and get acclimated with the new brand four to seven months before pre-season selling starts.

David Dollard recently wrote about a few great tips to help dealers increase their profitability in his blog post.  Here are a few suggestions on how to protect and possibly increase your profit margins.