How do I hand over my snowmobile shop’s winter storage customers?
List every customer with a stored sled, what you hold for them and what they have agreed to, then introduce the buyer before the storage season starts. Customers care most about the safe return of their sled. Show them that someone responsible is taking over the keys.
Start with a clear register. For each stored unit, record the owner, the machine, where it sits, what condition it was in at drop-off, and any work you promised. Photos at drop-off protect everyone. Give the buyer a copy and keep your own.
Next, look at your storage terms. Do customers sign anything? Ask your lawyer how those agreements pass to a new owner, and whether customers should be told. Confirm that insurance covers units in the building and ask your insurer what changes at closing.
Then plan the introduction. Customers who trust you may worry about leaving a sled with a stranger. A phone call, a letter or a short open house can ease that. Offer to be at the shop during the first pickup weekend. Think about timing too. Closing in the middle of a storage season is harder than closing before it begins, as responsibility for stored machines needs a clean line. Finally, tell the buyer which customers need special care. Finally, consider offering a discount or a service check to returning customers in the first season. A small gesture from the new owner, with your blessing, shows that the shop still values the people who trusted it with their machines.
Key takeaways
- Keep a complete register of each stored sled, owner and condition.
- Ask your lawyer how storage agreements pass to the buyer.
- Introduce the buyer to storage customers before they drop off.
Related reading
15 pages on the same subject, grouped by topic.
Buying
- Expert answerWhat should I ask about a powersports shop’s snowmobile and ATV service business?
- Expert answerCan a seller hand over customer contact lists at closing?
- Expert answerHow do I judge a powersports shop’s service department versus its sales floor?
- Expert answerHow do I assess a cheese shop’s ageing room and cold storage?
Selling
- Expert answerHow do I hand over my bike shop’s mechanics and repair customers?
- Expert answerHow do I hand over my flower shop’s standing delivery customers like funeral homes?
- Expert answerHow do I hand over a fabric store’s sewing-class and quilting-group customers?
- Expert answerHow do I hand over a sleep clinic’s customer fitting notes to a buyer?
- Expert answerHow do I show a buyer that my marina’s winter storage is reliable?
- Expert answerHow do I hand over my bubble tea shop’s drink recipes without losing them?
- Expert answerHow do I hand over my hockey pro shop’s team ordering relationships?
- Expert answerHow do I hand over my ice cream shop’s flavour recipes and tubs routine?
- Expert answerHow do I introduce my cheese shop’s loyal customers to a new owner?
Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat is succession planning?
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentAdvice for succession planning - Articles and tools
Deavo is an advertising and listings platform, not a brokerage, law firm or valuation firm. This page is general information, not legal, tax, accounting or valuation advice, and rules differ by province. Confirm anything you rely on with a qualified professional before you act on it.