Success is great. But, as Winston Churchill is quoted as saying, “Success is never final.” We must continually strive to improve, evolve and analyze our business to make sure we are fulfilling the needs of our customers in the business environment that exists.

I invite you to accept the challenge to take a hard look at your success this year and decide if you are satisfied that it will continue without continued efforts. Is your market area changing? What are your whole goods margins? Are they increasing or decreasing? What advantage does your dealership have over the box stores and are you emphasizing these advantages?

Looking in the old crystal ball I see an ever increasing importance and roll the service shop holds for a dealer’s success. Is it possible that someday there could there be a time when all equipment is sold directly by the manufacturer and the dealer merely sets up the equipment, delivers the equipment and services the equipment? Is your service shop efficiently and profitably run? I know, you have been very successful this year in your equipment sales and things look rosy but, what do you see happening three, five, seven years down the road? Remember, while it is important to look at our business operations it is just as important to look outside our doors and take a broad look at our industry.

SUCCESS IS NEVER FINAL. Continue to strive for improvement and never forget to look at industry trends in additions to our business operations when “evolving” your business.

adapted from an opinion column by Kim Rominger, Executive Vice President, Mid-America Equipment Dealers Association.