Associated Equipment Distributors
HOME    ABOUT AED    GOVERNMENT    AED FOUNDATION    EVENTS    PRODUCTS    AEDNEWS    FIND A MEMBER    CONTACT    SEARCH   SITE MAP
2012 CODB: Cost of Doing Business Survey Report
2012 CODB Survey and Report

For AED Dealer Members Only

2012 Cost of Doing Business Survey Report

The era of automatic profits has come to a sudden halt. The industry has moved from trying to keep up with demand to battling sales, pricing, expense control and every other aspect of operations.

In turbulent times, financial benchmarking information is more important than ever before. The best source of financial benchmarks for the industry is the AED Cost of Doing Business Survey. The information in this report provides answers to questions such as "Are the most successful firms in a down market placing more emphasis on gross margin management or expense control?".

In short, this report presents a wealth of financial and operating guidelines. In addition, it provides direct comparisons between your firm and other participating firms. This valuable information is, however, only available to firms that participate in the study.

In return for your participation, you'll receive:
  • The Cost of Doing Business Report
    A financial and operating profile of the entire industry.
  • Profit Improvement Profile
    A confidential report sent directly to you comparing your firm with similar participating firms. Many firms take this report to the bank to discuss loans and lines of credit.
  • Profit Toolkit Online
    A Microsoft® Excel spreadsheet to assist your financial planning.
    Access instructions are included with your Profit Improvement Profile.
The detailed benchmarking information in the Cost of Doing Business Report and in your Profit Improvement Profile is available to you free of charge. This is a great bargain.

Profit Planning Group keeps your proprietary company data strictly confidential. Only the necessary staff of Profit Planning Group ever sees your data. Reports present only aggregated results. Strict masking procedures are used so no individual firm data can be identified. All survey forms are destroyed after processing. In over 20 years of conducting benchmarking studies, Profit Planning Group has an unblemished record of maintaining confidentiality.

The deadline for submission is May 8, 2012.


The 2012 Cost of Doing Business Survey is the only benchmarking report covering dealers of all sizes selling all types of equipment. Compare your operating results against this report and tailor your plans to meet current trends in the industry.

The CODB is divided into five sections:

  1. The Executive Summary: highlights the results of this year's report as well as major changes from the last report. It also highlights the differences between the typical firm and the high-profit firm.

  2. Detailed Results: In-depth reporting of the income statement, balance sheet along with return on investment calculations, financial rations and productivity ratios.

  3. Line Of Business Analysis: This section profiles dealers with a concentration of sales either in equipment under 100 hp or over 100 hp.

  4. Regional Analysis: Compare your results against with either a short, medium or long season.

  5. Trend Analysis: See how your business compares to a four year comparative analysis. Are you doing better or worse.
The survey is designed to take 2-3 hours to complete using your internal financial statements. There is no need to wait until year-end audits or similar work is complete. If the statements are "close" we can use them.

The deadline for submission is May 8, 2012.

Please call if you need to know more about this program and its benefits to your firm:
Garry Bartecki Direct Telephone: 630-468-5121

To receive your Free Financial Analysis, follow the instructions below:

Free Financial Analysis


Below are links to electronic copies of the 2012 AED Cost of Doing Business Survey:

NOTE: To download the individual files:
  - Right-click on a link above
  - Choose "Save target as ..." (Internet Explorer) or
  - Choose "Save link as ..." (Firefox)

You can also download both files zipped together here:
Please forward these files to the financial personnel responsible for processing.


Please return the completed survey:
  • via email to surveys@profitplanninggroup.com or
  • by fax to Profit Planning Group at 303-444-9245 or
  • by mail to Profit Planning Group, 1790 38th Street, Suite 204, Boulder, CO 80301-2600
Your proprietary company data will be kept strictly confidential. The information is aggregated with the other respondents and analyzed in terms of sales size, line of business, and the like. Only the employees of Profit Planning Group ever see individual data. In over 20 years of conducting such surveys, they have an unblemished record for maintaining confidentiality.

Questions about financial input can be addressed to Garry Bartecki HERE, or call 630-574-0650. Technical questions regarding access to the email or sending instructions can be directed to Bill Hermanek HERE or call 630-574-0650.