Each year, around this time, our magazine goes through the process of developing business plans for the following year. We talk about what went well the current year, and what we want to improve upon in the next year.
A large part of our success is in this process. It is important that we take a step back from our daily duties of producing the magazine and website, and assess our products and priorities. Dealers should take the same course of action and find the time away from their daily operations to evaluate their people, products, policies and procedures.
Industry tradeshow GIE+EXPO in Louisville, KY, October 24-26 is a great event to attend for gathering ideas to use in your business planning. This year, a special day has been set aside exclusively for dealers. Dealer Day on Wednesday, October 24 will offer dealers the opportunity to talk business with distributors and manufacturers without the presence of landscape contractors.
There are also many educational and training opportunities for dealers and their staff at the show. In his column on page 8, Bob Clements addresses the importance of making the time to take advantage of educational opportunities like those provided at GIE+EXPO. The show will feature a Rental Class and Professional Technician Training. Special classes are also offered exclusively for dealership owners and managers. To learn more about these and other opportunities, see the GIE+EXPO Preview on page 6.
One thing many dealers these days are forced to plan for is business succession. You may learn some valuable lessons from the Supplier Spotlight on page 16. In the article, the Walker family addresses the process of bringing on their third generation. They plan to welcome change while holding tight to their core values.
Whether it is through industry trade shows or publications like ours, it is important that you make the time to educate yourself on better business practices. As the industry evolves, improving your education will help you to better plan for the challenges ahead. Take what you learn and implement it in your own business plan.
