Keep It Simple

Jeff Smith operates a larger than life dealership off Interstate 20 in Louisiana that turns over $7 million annually in one location. His plan for the future is clear: “We want to do more of what we’ve done, which is prove the quality of our brands with less employees and just get better and better at what we do. That has always been my philosophy. I don’t want to have five mower brands. I want to keep it simple, make piles of money and take care of my employees.”

Who doesn’t want to make piles of money and take care of their employees this year?

Take Care

Lis McQuaig and her husband John, after years of working in the auto industry, took a leap and purchased an equipment dealership in their Alabama town from a retiring owner in 2017. They saw lots of opportunity. “We decided to take it and run with it. We cleaned, and cleaned, and cleaned at first. We didn’t make too many changes the first year. We wanted to see how the business ran and the way things worked before making major changes.”

After settling in, she made changes and has grown the business after she had a full grasp of the market, her employees and their product lines. Don’t be afraid to make sure you have a full understanding before you rush to make changes in your business—but always be willing to go for it!

Never Settle

Stark Street Lawn & Garden has covered the north, south east and west markets of greater Portland, Ore. as well diversified markets nearby in Bend and Newberg. Dealer Tom Jenne says that when expansions first started in 1998, he was “10 feet tall and bulletproof.”

Jenne says, “But we’ve been able to leverage it, and it’s worked. We wanted the four corners of Portland, and it’s all worked out because we had certain expectations for the business and we’ve always worked to that.” So if you’re in the thick of it—keep going.