If you were to start a brand new dealership today, what would be your first priority for establishing a foundation for success?
“The key to starting and maintaining any business begins with your people and their culture. You can be the best at what you do but without a strong team behind you, the long term successes will be short lived. A formal plan to educate and maintain your team allows them to grow within your business. Your people are the face of your business and who form the relationships with your customers. As a business owner you can only wear so many hats and be successful. Hire and take care of your staff and they will look out for you.” – Jeff Siems, Blue Springs Marine
“Creating an internal company culture which promotes and fosters individual growth through collaborative, team centric and employee focused programs. Build the company around building up your team. That foundation is unshakeable. Businesses should promote human flourishing, both inside and outside of the company. But we have to start with allowing our people to flourish.” – David deAndrade, White Lake Marine
“To make sure the team is clear on the mission of the organization. This goes for President to the lot person. This needs to be put in a handbook. That is used and not stored away.” – Ken Toby, Marine Sales
“The first priority must be hiring the best people for where you want the company to go. Sometimes that means paying up for a better person, but in the long run it’s worth it.” – Jeremy Anderson, Big Thunder Marine
“Putting a good business plan together would be the first thing I would do. You need to know the area and the opportunities that exist. Establishing relationships with banks and vendors, what products you would like to sell and what lines are available for that area are key. Specialize in something! Have a product or service that no one else has or can provide. Although location is always important if you specialize in something I believe it is not as important as it used to be.” – Lou Cecchini, Off Shore Marine, Inc.
“One of my first priorities would be to have a well laid out plan for departments which would include clearly documented processes along with properly educated employees with clear job descriptions and proper training. This has been one of our biggest challenges to implement after being in business for 30 years and allowing the business to grow without these items in place.” – David Muirhead, Willey’s Marine
“Purchase a on-water location so storage and rental could be included as revenue contributors.” – Joe Lewis, Mount Dora Boating Center
“Products are an important piece that can attract a new customer. Many products are available online, but a store that carries quality merchandise can give consumers their first chance to experience a feel/smell/touch of something that makes them decide whether or not it is the right choice and why it is important to carry a wide variety of different items when trying to see what your new area is in need of.” – Dave Larrison, Waterfront Marine
“[When you first start a dealership], you have nothing… and nobody knows who you are. My first priority would be to create vision, mission and value statements. As you go out into the world to create your dream business, people need to know who you are and what you stand for. Having these statements will inform and impress prospective lenders, vendors, employees and customers that you have a direction, how you intend to get there, and that you are someone that can be trusted.” – Larry Russo, Sr., MarineMax Russo
“My first priority would be finding the right people to help me run it. I truly believe that The Sportsman is very successful because of our staff. You have to have the right people in the right places to do the right things!” – Christi Romero, The Sportsman
“It would be the location! We’ve all heard the saying “location, location, location” Where are your competitors located? How close are you to water for demoing? How many people drive by your location each day? Freeway visibility is a huge way to get your name out in the local community.” – Bob Bense, Superior Boats
“With experienced personnel at a premium, finding the best Dealer Management System has become more important than ever. Picking the product that has a foundation of managing the day to day business and not just an accounting system with management tools added, is critical. The time spent learning the pros and cons of the many DMS that exist will pay dividends for years to come. The DMS will be the very foundation that the business will be built upon and will play a pivotal role in achieving success.” – Frank Sublette, Marine Sales
What would be your first priority? Tell us below in the comment section.
