4 Ways to Cut Parts Stockouts in Small Engine Repair Shops

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Imagine this, your mower is half-fixed, your customers are waiting, and a missing spark plug has stalled the entire day – ouch! This is not going to make your business look good. And your customers, well, they may call another small engine repair shop next time. So, what should you do to avoid this? The answer is simple – manage your inventory! Easier said than done, right?  

Shockingly, 43 percent of small businesses still track parts by hand or not at all. When counts are guesswork, stockouts strike at the worst moments and drain profit. But fret not! This blog will give four easy tips to keep shelves full and stockouts gone for good. 

4 Ways to Cut Parts Stockouts 

As a small engine repair business owner, you must realize how crucial it is to keep the inventory stocked. If you don’t pay heed to this, know that part shortages will hit your profit margin faster than any broken tool. With that said, here are four ways you can use to cut parts stockouts. 

1. Track Your Fast-Moving Wear Parts 

Let’s kick things off with one of the most important tips. It is strongly recommended that you track the parts that you most commonly use. To identify those parts, pull up your last year’s sales or service records and sort by how often each item shows up. You may need to keep an eye on mower blades, spark plugs, fuel lines, air filters, and V-belts as these items are needed quite frequently. Once you have figured out the essential parts, make sure that you stock double the number that you usually require. This will keep the shelves occupied, and you will never run out of items again. 

Moreover, it will be a good idea to post those “always-have” parts on a wall chart so that every technician can see. At closing time, you can quickly check shelf counts against the chart and add any shortfalls to tomorrow’s order list. This simple habit will lay the foundation for an efficient inventory management system for your repair shop.  

2. Plan Seasonal Parts Months Ahead

Demand shifts with the calendar. For instance, spring brings lawn-mower blades and filters while winter floods benches with snow-blower shear pins and carb-heater kits. So, what should you do? Simple, open year-over-year sales data and note what peaked when. This will allow you to understand the pattern, which you can then use to order parts well in advance before each spike. It is suggested to order items at least 6-8 weeks early to dodge rush freight charges and supplier shortages.

Once you start receiving parts, you can place them on shelves. For your convenience, label the shelves “spring” and “winter” and place each item on its respective shelf so the technicians can grab the right ones fast. This way, you will always remain a step ahead of the other small engine repair shop owners. 

3. Set Reorder Points and Turn On Low-Stock Alerts

Human eyes may miss slow drips; math does not. Therefore, apply a simple formula: average daily use multiplied by supplier lead time. You can then add a safety buffer. Once you get the number, write it down on each bin and mark the line with the painter’s tape. When the pile dips below the line, reorder the part immediately before it disappears. In fact, equip yourself with a reliable inventory management software so that the system can notify you the moment a count hits its limit. 

Setting up reordering points is critical as it saves you from running out of small engine repair parts. Also, it should be noted that stockouts cost retailers about $1 trillion worldwide every year, once lost sales and brand damage are tallied. So, it’s strongly advised to take such measures unless you want to lose business to your competitors. 

4. Clear Out Dead Stock and Slow Movers 

Dusty shelves hide cash. You should ideally schedule a quick “dead-stock” sweep to discard anything that has been sitting on the shelves for six months. You can decide the fate of the items on the spot – return for supplier credit, bundle with a tune‑up promo, or list online at a discount. If you clear even one shelf, you will not only be able to restock it with high-turn parts, but doing so will also help you to keep your balance sheet lean. 

Additionally, if you sell unused stock, you can use the money to improve your store. You can also purchase more parts that keep the repairs rolling and customers happy. Moreover, eliminating dead stock can help you keep the shelves uncluttered, saving your repair shop inventory from becoming a disaster. 

How RepairDesk Keeps Your Shelves Stocked

Even after you follow the aforementioned ways to eliminate small engine repair parts stockouts, items can still slip away on a busy day. One rush of repairs, and the last spark plug, belt, or blade is gone before anyone notices. That’s when a smart helper makes the real difference.

RepairDesk keeps that helper role simple. The all-in-one repair shop management platform will instantly alert you if you are falling short on any parts. But that’s not all, the tool will allow you to track every custom part request from order to arrival. Also, you will be able to keep track of your suppliers and vendors, manage purchase orders, and reorder inventory directly from the software itself. Need to balance shelves across locations? Repairdesk will do that too, enabling you to focus on repairs, not spreadsheets. 

Ready, Set, Restock 

Full shelves mean quick fixes and happy customers. You now have the four ways to keep parts flowing and a smart helper in RepairDesk to spot low stock before it hurts. All that’s left is to put the plan in motion – count your fast movers, prep for the busy months, set those reorder lines, clear the clutter, and let the alerts do the watching. Small steps add up fast, turning empty bins into steady parts and steady income. 

Kick off smarter inventory habits and keep every repair on schedule by managing your shop’s parts through RepairDesk today.