Electric lawnmowers and manual reel-type push mowers are, for good reason, “hot” once again. You may want to look very closely at these types of units when you go to the GIEE (Green Industry and Equipment Expo) show in Louisville October 23-25 this year.
Battery life and cutting power have improved in the newer cordless units being produced today, at least in the demonstrations that I’ve seen. But we’ll have to wait for new types of batteries to come to market before we’ll see significant battery life improvement.
Husqvarna (Electrolux at the time) invested in a battery company called Firefly Energy a few years ago that was spun-off from Caterpillar in May of 2003.
Since yard maintenance is seasonal and people put away their riding mowers in the fall until the next spring, the battery is usually dead when it’s time to use the mower again in the spring. In this instance, a dead battery is usually caused by sulfation.
Batteries that die due to sulfation generally recharge back to about 80% capacity or less. The Firefly battery’s construction makes it resistant to damage by sulfation and when recharged in prototype testing, it regularly came back to 100% capacity.
Husqvarna signed up to be the first commercial customer for Firefly’s batteries which currently are still not available.
To learn more about batteries and in particular, Firefly Energy, check out http://www.fireflyenergy.com/ or http://www.electrifyingtimes.com/firefly_energy.html
It’s been reported in the trade press that OEM companies like American Lawnmower have sold every unit they had of cordless electric mowers. That indicates to me that this market segment is worth considering for your business. It will also be interesting to see what other new electric-powered products will be displayed at this years GIEE show.
Harley Manke, of Manke’s Outdoor Equipment & Appliances in Owatonna, MN recently sent me two sayings that have influenced his life and business:
Harley told me that “When I got married in 1963, my wife's boss gave me a new tie clip that had these letters on it: YCDBSOYA, which means "You can't do business sitting on your ‘apple’” (or use a word of your own choosing instead of apple.) Harley said “If you go by that motto, you will succeed every time.”
He also said “when a customer comes in your store, he comes in for only three things: (1) Information, (2) to make a purchase, or (3) to use the can, so be fully prepared for all three.”
This proves to me once again that experience teaches a person important things they would never learn from a text book! Thanks for sharing these, Harley.
John Deere is using an interesting term in their 2008 marketing campaign, “ruralpolitan,” to describe a key customer lifestyle.
Consumer Reports defined “ruralpolitan” in a December 2007 issue as “a professional who has abandoned the urban dwelling for a rural lifestyle and lives on three acres of more, typically within 40 miles of a city.” The Magazine also states the term is being used in the outdoor power equipment market.
Deere says their dealers recognize the “ruralpolitan” lifestyle in their customer base and that Deere is modifying their products and services to reflect that lifestyle. Jennifer Cox, Deere’s manager of PR and media for the Commercial and Consumer Equipment division says “even if people are staying at home, they are investing in their property; their property is their escape.”
Do you believe high gas prices will affect where people choose to live in the future? Will access to public transportation and having shopping and restaurants close-by become more important to people than the benefits of a rural lifestyle? Today I suspect people choosing where to live will have to give more weight than ever to the high cost of commuting long distances for work or shopping.
Understanding your customers’ changing lifestyles has always been crucial to running a successful business. There’s no better time than now to reexamine who your customers are and how changes in their lifestyles are affecting your business. You may find that you will need to make significant changes in the current focus of your business or perhaps in the types of products you are selling. This is another instance where a little knowledge will go a long way in keeping your business viable and successful.
Battery life and cutting power have improved in the newer cordless units being produced today, at least in the demonstrations that I’ve seen. But we’ll have to wait for new types of batteries to come to market before we’ll see significant battery life improvement.
Husqvarna (Electrolux at the time) invested in a battery company called Firefly Energy a few years ago that was spun-off from Caterpillar in May of 2003.
Since yard maintenance is seasonal and people put away their riding mowers in the fall until the next spring, the battery is usually dead when it’s time to use the mower again in the spring. In this instance, a dead battery is usually caused by sulfation.
Batteries that die due to sulfation generally recharge back to about 80% capacity or less. The Firefly battery’s construction makes it resistant to damage by sulfation and when recharged in prototype testing, it regularly came back to 100% capacity.
Husqvarna signed up to be the first commercial customer for Firefly’s batteries which currently are still not available.
To learn more about batteries and in particular, Firefly Energy, check out http://www.fireflyenergy.com/ or http://www.electrifyingtimes.com/firefly_energy.html
It’s been reported in the trade press that OEM companies like American Lawnmower have sold every unit they had of cordless electric mowers. That indicates to me that this market segment is worth considering for your business. It will also be interesting to see what other new electric-powered products will be displayed at this years GIEE show.
Harley Manke, of Manke’s Outdoor Equipment & Appliances in Owatonna, MN recently sent me two sayings that have influenced his life and business:
Harley told me that “When I got married in 1963, my wife's boss gave me a new tie clip that had these letters on it: YCDBSOYA, which means "You can't do business sitting on your ‘apple’” (or use a word of your own choosing instead of apple.) Harley said “If you go by that motto, you will succeed every time.”
He also said “when a customer comes in your store, he comes in for only three things: (1) Information, (2) to make a purchase, or (3) to use the can, so be fully prepared for all three.”
This proves to me once again that experience teaches a person important things they would never learn from a text book! Thanks for sharing these, Harley.
John Deere is using an interesting term in their 2008 marketing campaign, “ruralpolitan,” to describe a key customer lifestyle.
Consumer Reports defined “ruralpolitan” in a December 2007 issue as “a professional who has abandoned the urban dwelling for a rural lifestyle and lives on three acres of more, typically within 40 miles of a city.” The Magazine also states the term is being used in the outdoor power equipment market.
Deere says their dealers recognize the “ruralpolitan” lifestyle in their customer base and that Deere is modifying their products and services to reflect that lifestyle. Jennifer Cox, Deere’s manager of PR and media for the Commercial and Consumer Equipment division says “even if people are staying at home, they are investing in their property; their property is their escape.”
Do you believe high gas prices will affect where people choose to live in the future? Will access to public transportation and having shopping and restaurants close-by become more important to people than the benefits of a rural lifestyle? Today I suspect people choosing where to live will have to give more weight than ever to the high cost of commuting long distances for work or shopping.
Understanding your customers’ changing lifestyles has always been crucial to running a successful business. There’s no better time than now to reexamine who your customers are and how changes in their lifestyles are affecting your business. You may find that you will need to make significant changes in the current focus of your business or perhaps in the types of products you are selling. This is another instance where a little knowledge will go a long way in keeping your business viable and successful.
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