“We also sponsor three or four local minor hockey teams.”
clubs, to come and present themselves and their organi- zations. It gives them a chance to sell trail passes and that kind of thing. We also sponsor a major marine event in our local community called HarbourFest. We are a platinum sponsor for that. It’s basically a not-for- profit organization that is focused on enhancing the marine activities in the local area. So we sponsor them and actively help them out with their event. We also sponsor three or four local minor hockey teams. We try to be as active in the community as we can.” This all translates into a strong commitment to exception- al service. In fact, their motto is World Class Service in a Down Home Atmosphere. “We are essentially focused on growth, and we know that customer service is the name of the game. And that’s why we try go the extra mile. On a footprint scale, we’re a small business. We know that people have to be looked after if they’re going to return. We aren’t hoping to just sell a customer one unit. We’re hoping to sell them multiple units over many years. So we realized that staying late, organizing pick-ups and drop-offs for customers, and also going the extra mile trying to get things covered under warranty that aren’t usually covered, that sort of thing. We have a pretty strong brand ambassa- dor team out in the community. So we try and get people on demo rides and support their local events and rallies and stuff.” “We are of the sixth oldest BRP dealership in the world. Top six as far as longevity. And I’m the youngest owner of a BRP store in history, which is kind of cool. And we are on track to close out this year doing three times the business that we did eight years ago when I started.” Head on down to Cobequid Mountain Sports or check them out online. And reap the benefits of top-of- the-line brands coupled with their world-class service! You’ll be glad you did! Visibility is the key. Being out in the community, brandish- ing the long-trusted Cobequid name.
Of course, as Parker mentioned, good ol’ Mother Nature plays a large role in the sales of outdoor equipment. Is there a contingency plan for unfavourable seasons? “It’s something that you have to roll with and have to be creative. Instead of letting the manufacturer bring the programs to the table, we do a lot of our own internal sales programs to differentiate us from the competition. Instead of Mother Nature dictating the business cycles, we’re trying to do it ourselves with our sales and marketing programs.” Product-wise, Cobequid is strictly a BRP (Bombardier Rec- reational Products Inc.) dealer in the power sports and marine world. So, you’ll find top-of- the-line products from familiar names like Ski Doo, Can-Am ATV, Can-Am side-by- side and Evinrude outboards motors. Parker assures, “It’s no doubt that BRP is the big dog as far as power sports goes. Quality, fit, finish and reliability. It sets us above the competition.” “We are on track to do three times the business that we did eight years ago when I started.” Not one to rest on his laurels some eight years into the business, Parker suggests that a bigger and better Cobequid is in the back of his mind. “Expansion is definitely a topic of conversation. It’s definitely something we want to look at in the future. If you’re not growing, then you’re going to go backwards at some point. So it’s definitely a topic of conversation.” One could only imagine that a company who brings leisure and sporting equipment to a population would embrace (and be embraced by) that local community. Parker points out that they do all they can to put their community front and center. “We do an open house here at the shop once a year. So we invite different groups, like different local snowmobile
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APRIL 2018 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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