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Add Robotics to Your Business: Becoming a Yarbo Dealer in Canada

Writer: John McDougall
John McDougall
3 days ago
6 min read

Most landscaping and equipment businesses in Canada run on two seasons. You mow and tidy from May to October. Then you push snow, or you try to keep your crew busy until spring. We know the feeling. We live on an acreage outside Calgary, and we started Autonomous Motion after one long debate about who was going to clear the driveway again.


That debate led us to Yarbo, a modular yard robot that mows, blows leaves, and clears snow. It led to something else too: a product that sells, gets installed, and needs servicing in every season. If you're thinking about how to become a Yarbo dealer, here's what it looks like from our side as the authorized Yarbo distributor.


Key takeaways

  • Yarbo is one robot with swappable modules: snow blower, lawn mower, leaf blower and trimmer. That gives a dealer a reason to talk to customers all year.

  • We're looking for established equipment dealers, landscapers and outdoor service businesses in Western Canada and Ontario.

  • The typical total starting investment is $15,000 to $20,000, which covers a demo unit and one working unit.

  • Revenue comes from more than the sale: site assessments, installation and mapping, seasonal module changeovers, accessories and service.

  • Applying takes one online form on our Become a Dealer page.


Why outdoor robotics fits a landscaping or equipment business

Your customers already trust you with their yard. They call you about mowing, cleanups, and snow. A lot of them are also asking about robots, because they've seen one on a neighbour's lawn or at a home show. They want someone local to tell them whether a robot will work on their property, set it up properly, and fix it when something goes wrong.


That's the gap a dealer fills. People can buy a robot online. What they can't easily buy online is someone who walks their property, maps it, explains the settings, and shows up when the robot needs help. That's why we wrote about why buying from a local Yarbo dealer matters. It's the same reason a local dealer earns the customer's next purchase.


The Yarbo family of modular yard robot attachments: snow blower, lawn mower and leaf blower modules
One robot, several jobs. Each Yarbo module gives your customers a reason to come back.

One platform, four seasons of work

Yarbo started out in 2015 as a snow-clearing robot, and the company has since built a modular system around a single Core. Owners swap modules as the seasons change: a snow blower in winter, a lawn mower in summer, a leaf blower in the fall, plus a trimmer. Yarbo says a module swap takes under five minutes.


For a dealer, that design changes the calendar. A robotic mower business on its own goes quiet when the snow flies. A Yarbo dealer has something to sell, install or service in every month of the year. Here's how it can line up with the work you already do.


Season

What your crew usually does

Where Yarbo adds work

Spring

Cleanups, first mows, new contracts

Mower module sales, spring changeovers, mapping new lawns

Summer

Weekly mowing, landscaping projects

New installs, follow-up visits, trimmer add-ons

Fall

Leaf cleanup, winterizing

Leaf blower modules, fall changeovers to snow, pre-season checks

Winter

Snow contracts, or a slow season

Snow blower sales, demos in real snow, service calls


Where the recurring revenue comes from

The robot sale is the start of the relationship, not the end. Every Yarbo owner needs a few things over the life of the machine, and a local dealer is the natural person to provide them.


Site assessments and installation

Before a customer buys, someone has to look at the property: slopes, gravel, gates, Wi-Fi and where the dock will go. After they buy, the robot needs to be set up and mapped. We wrote up what a site assessment looks like if you want to see how we approach it.


Seasonal changeovers

Twice a year, customers switch between snow and grass. Many will do it themselves. Plenty of others, especially on acreages, would rather book a visit that covers the module swap, a map review, and a quick check of the tracks and dock.


Accessories and add-on modules

A customer who starts with a mower often adds the snow blower later, or snow tracks for icy driveways, or a trimmer. Each add-on is a reason to stay in touch.


Service and support

Robots need care like any outdoor equipment. As an authorized Canadian Yarbo service and repair centre, we back our dealers on repairs and support, so you aren't on your own with a tricky fix. You can see what we offer on our Service page.


Yarbo robotic snow blower clearing snow on an Alberta acreage
Snow season is selling season. Winter demos in real snow are some of our best conversations.

Is your business a good fit? A quick checklist

You don't need a robotics background. Here's what we look for:

  • An established business: equipment sales, landscaping, property maintenance, or outdoor services.

  • A service area you know well, with residential, acreage, commercial, or municipal customers.

  • Room to keep a demo unit and a working unit, and someone on your team who enjoys new technology.

  • A plan to show the robot in action, whether in your yard, at a customer's property, or at a local show.

  • Readiness for the typical $15,000 to $20,000 starting investment.


Commercial and municipal customers are a growing piece of this too. If you already work with property managers, golf courses, or towns, read our take on autonomous grounds management.


Shannon and John McDougall of Autonomous Motion with Yarbo robots at a trade show booth
Shannon and John McDougall with Yarbo at a show. Events like these are where many dealer conversations start.

How to become a Yarbo dealer with Autonomous Motion

The process is simple, and we'd rather talk it through with you than have you guess.

  1. Apply online. Fill in the form on our Become a Dealer page. It asks for your business details, service areas, team size, current products and the kinds of projects you take on.

  2. Have a conversation. We'll talk about your region, your customers and how a demo unit fits into the way you sell.

  3. Get set up. Once we agree on a fit, you'll bring in your demo and working units and get comfortable with setup and mapping.

  4. Start selling and servicing. We list our dealers so local buyers can find them through Find Your Local Dealer, with province pages like Yarbo Dealers in Alberta.


Curious why we got into this in the first place? Our story is in The Acreage Debate That Started It All.


Yarbo Lawn Mower Pro module mowing a green lawn
The mower module keeps the conversation going once the snow melts.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to become a Yarbo dealer?

Most new dealers make a typical total investment in the range of $15,000 to $20,000. That covers a demo unit for showing customers and one working unit. Your application asks whether you're ready for that, and you can choose "Unsure" and explain. We're happy to talk it through before you apply.

No, but having a technical background is helpful. We're looking for established equipment dealers, landscapers, and outdoor service businesses. If you already know outdoor equipment and the properties in your area, you have the hard part. The robotics side is something we work through together, and our own team handles authorized Yarbo service and repairs.

We sign dealers across Canada. Your application lists the areas you serve, and that shapes the conversation about where you'll operate.

Have your legal business name, business number, GST/HST number, office address, service areas, and ownership structure ready. The form also asks for a main contact, years in business, number of employees, your current products and services, and the kinds of projects you do: residential, commercial, industrial, or municipal.

You can include this as part of your service offering by becoming an official service and installer for Yarbo products.


Ready to add robotics to your business?

Our tagline is "Doing the hard work, so you don't have to," and that's what your customers want too. If you sell equipment or care for properties in Western Canada or Ontario, a Yarbo dealership gives you something to offer in every season. Apply on our Become a Dealer page, or call us at 1-888-592-8866, or get in touch to talk it over first.



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