The value of knowing the future

Every successful business leader needs clarity about what the future holds, especially with regard to the economic environment in which we operate and the performance of our company.

We need to know whether the economy is growing or shrinking. How are commodity prices developing? What salaries are other companies paying their employees? These are all important data points that we need to remain competitive in the market.

The better we understand what the future holds for us, the more informed decisions we can make to be successful.

As I travel around the country and talk to distributors, I am shocked at how many executives are unaware of the reports we provide them with. Too many work far too hard to get a clear picture of what is happening when all they need to do is access all the ASA tools at their disposal.

I am even more shocked when I speak to a distributor who is not a member of the ASA and does not support or take advantage of all the great things the association is doing for its success and future.

Every day, each of us is challenged to respond to a never-ending stream of economic reports and countless data points demanding our attention. If you’re like me, trying to run and grow my business at the same time, I find it daunting to look at countless reports every day.

Which report is correct? Which report is reliable? Do I have the awareness and confidence to make informed decisions based on this information, and will I act positively on this information to lead my business to a successful future?

My company depends on me to do this. My employees depend on me to do this. And my family depends on me to do this. Why should I do this alone? I won’t!

ASA has a range of excellent business intelligence offerings designed and developed to help you better understand the future and support the business decisions you need to make to maintain your company’s competitiveness and profitability.

From our annual Operating Performance Report that gives us an overview of how our company is performing compared to the competition, to the annual Cross-Industry Compensation and Benefits Report that provides insight into how nearly 900 distribution companies compensate their employees, to the monthly economic reports from Armada Corporate Intelligence and ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl that give us insight into current issues as well as trends in critical factors like geographic housing, industrial markets and commodities that affect our numbers.

Personally, I believe all of these important reports are timely, accurate and actionable. If you haven’t accessed these reports, you are missing out on a valuable member benefit.

Few reports give us a clearer insight into the state of our industry and its future direction than the ASA’s Business Intelligence reports.

If you aren’t already using ASA Business Intelligence, you should start now. It’s essential to the success of your business. And if you’re not an ASA member, our business intelligence reports are worth the membership price alone.

For more information or to access these reports, contact the ASA Manager of Data and Market Intelligence Bri Baresel at [email protected] to seize the moment.